Diversity, composition, distribution and similarity of hemiparasites (Loranthaceae and Santalaceae) in the Brazilian Amazon

Abstract

The occurrence of hemiparasites in an urban environment is a relevant factor to be monitored, because in imbalance, it compromises the architecture of trees and, because it proliferates easily, can compromise the entire afforestation program. In view of the above, the objective of this research was to perform analyses of hemiparasites (Loranthaceae and Santalaceae) occurring in the urban afforestation of the municipality of Macapá (AP), as well as in the natural ecosystems of the states that make up the Brazilian Amazon. The inventory of tree species was determined in arboreal individuals with ≥ 5 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) and ≥1.30 m in height present in the afforestation of roads and public places in three neighborhoods (Jesus de Nazaré, Centro and Santa Inês) located in the city of Macapá, AP, Brazil. The similarity between environments (hemiparasites and tree species and hemiparasites and infested neighborhoods) was achieved using the Jaccard test. To analyze the similarity between the states that make up the legal Amazon, a survey of the existence of hemiparasites deposited in local herbaria and the occurrence data obtained from the literature review was carried out. Thus, nine bibliographic references were selected. For similarity analysis and multiple correspondence analysis, R software was used, and the Kernel Diagram was used to estimate the density of hemiparasite infestation. The Brazilian Amazon has 107 species of hemiparasites and, of these, the states of AM, PA and MT and the states of MA and TO have the greatest similarities between them. Andira inermis (W. Wright) Kunth ex DC., Ficus benjamina L., Terminalia catappa L. are the main host species of Passovia pedunculata (Jacq.), the main hemiparasite of the urban afforestation of Macapá (AP). The hemiparasites Oryctanthus florulentus (Rich.) Tiegh. and Psittacanthus acinarius (Mart.) Mart. exclusively infest Andira inermis in the urban afforestation of Macapá (AP). The distribution of the aggregated hemiparasites is probably directly related to the phylogenetic and ecological affinity and to the distribution of the hosts in the squares of Macapá (AP)