Contributions to the floristic and vegetation knowledge of Maputo National Park, Mozambique

Floristic research is essential for the conservation of biodiversity and one of the biggest challenges given the high level of human disturbances in Mozambican ecosystems. Coastal vegetation plays an important role in the environmental protection of dunes, preventing the advance of seawater toward the continent, in dune erosion and in the maintenance of ecosystem services. Seeking to support the protection of these environments, the present study aims to characterize the floristic aspects of the coastal dune forest in the Maputo National Park, Mozambique, associating this knowledge with future social, biological and environmental gains at the local, regional and global levels. This study addressed the following methodological procedures: (1) floristic sampling, where specimens of all woody, fertile or sterile individuals were collected from the sampled areas and identified; (2) analysis of floristic similarity between the studied area and the coastal floras of East and West Africa; (3) characterization of vegetation in terms of plant habit, ecological groups, dispersion and pollination syndromes and phytogeography. Families with the highest number of species in descending order were Rubiaceae, Loganiaceae, Meliaceae, Sapotaceae and Ebenaceae. The results showed that the greatest number of individuals are trees, of late secondary stage, zoochoric and melittophilous. The studied area is similar in vegetation to East-coast Africa, but differs from the West coastal. The different climatic environments that gave rise to different terrestrial ecoregions might have contributed to high and low floristic similarities between the coastal flora of East and West Africa.

Automated summary

This study characterizes the floristic aspects of coastal dune forests in the Maputo National Park, Mozambique, and explores the similarities between the studied area and the coastal floras of East and West Africa. The results highlight the importance of floristic research for biodiversity conservation and provide valuable knowledge for future social, biological, and environmental gains.