Aspectos florísticos e síndromes de dispersão das espécies arbóreas do Morro de Santo Antão, Santa Maria-RS

The Santo Antão Hill located at Caturrita Village in the county of Santa Maria is an expressive tourist place in the region and also a rich forest in terms of botanic species from the lower montane Seasonal Deciduous Forests of the Serra Geral. Rio Grande do Sul. The objectives of the study were to get information about the floristic composition and seed dispersion syndromes of tree species. The floristic characterization of the Santo Antão hill forest was made with detailed taxonomic identification of the species found there. The seed dispersion was studied by field observations and bibliographical reviews using the categories and concepts proposed by Van Der Pl]l, Howe & Westley and Fisher & Chapman and used by NASCIMENTO & LONGHI (1996). There were 51 tree species classified in 47 genera and 28 families. indicating a relevant floristic diversity. Leguminosae. Myrtaceae. Sapindaceae and Moraceae were the most frequent families. Among the specles, Sorocea bomplandii (cincho). Cupania vernalis (camboatá- vermelho), Actinostemon concolor (Iaranjeira-do-mato), Schinus molle (aroeira-mansa), Nectandra megapotamica (canela-preta), were the most conspicuous. 69% of the studied species presented zoochoric dispersion, which is in agreement with severals authors that put this syndrome as one of the most important in the dissemination of tree species, as well as in the balance between the flora and fauna in the ecosystem.