Floristic evaluation of native pasture through the botanal method

Abstract

Six surveys were made in an area of native pasture to evaluate, by the Botanal Method, the pasture composition. Four of the six surveys were considered in this paper, comprising 16 months of evaluation, emphasizing the data referring to the botanical composition of the plant community. Poaceae (=Gramineae), Compositae, Leguminosae and Umbelliferae were the most important families. Eragrostis, Paspalum, and Panicum, (Poaceae) were the principal genera in species number. Axonopus affinis and Paspalum notatum were the most frequent ones; the latter one showed the greatest resistance to water stress, maintaining a good participation in the survey after a long period of drought. The same was observed in, relation to Desmodium incanum, a native legume specie. The Botanal Method showed to be a very effective way to evaluated floristic composition in surveys of native pastures.