ESTUDOS ESTUDOS PALEOAMBIENTAIS NA ÁREA DE PROTEÇÃO AMBIENTAL DA SERRA DA PEDRA BRANCA, PLANALTO DE POÇOS DE CALDAS, MG: ESTUDOS PRELIMINARES

Abstract

The Atlantic Forest and Cerrado domains are considered important tropical forests due to their high biodiversity, and their quaternary records are still poorly studied in the interior of Brazil. The results of a paleoenvironmental study are presented in Área de Proteção Ambiental (APA) Santuário Ecológico da Serra da Pedra Branca, located on the plateau of Poços de Caldas, MG. The main objective proposed by this research was to identify the evolution and succession of vegetation in the area through palynological, ecological and isotopic analyses. The analyzes highlighted a moister climate phase with closed vegetation and occurrence of hygrophilic and hydrophytic taxa around 24,610 years BP and a similar climate around 22,010 years BP. The sample dated 1510 years BP, however, pointed to a drier climate and more open vegetation. The diversity indices pointed to high biodiversity in the sampled botanical communities, with biodiversity decreasing over time. The results obtained in this research corroborate other results of paleoenvironmental studies carried out in the state of Minas Gerais, indicating climatic oscillations in the late Pleistocene and Holocene in the study area and presenting evidence of climatic and anthropic influence on the vegetation.