Historical review of studies in seasonal semideciduous forests in Brazil: a perspective for conservation

Resumo

Biodiversity conservation is one of the biggest challenges faced this century, due to the high level of human disturbance in natural ecosystems. The seasonal semideciduous forests (SSF) have suffered the same degradation process as other Brazilian ecosystems. Given this context, this study aimed to review the literature regarding the classification, characterization and distribution of SSF in Brazil, and to present a historical review of previous studies. In the early 1980s and, for a period of 15 years, floristics and phytosociological studies dominated scientific research, basically describing and comparing different forest remnants. From mid-1990, new studies were developed using other approaches. These studies not only initiated new lines of research, but also gradually increased the emphasis on floristic analysis, with the outcome of establishing new hypotheses and more defined links of cause and effect between the structural aspects of vegetation and environmental factors, both functional and phytogeographical.