Potential consequences of climate change to the Brazilian Coastal Plain Forest. Carlos A. Joly & Viviane C. Oliveira Plant Biology Department - Biology Institute State University of Campinas Campinas - São Paulo BRAZIL

PICINGUABA UBATUBAMIRIM

RESTINGAS are geological unities formed through successive transgressive and regressive events of the South Atlantic, corresponding in chronological order to upper Pleistocene and Holocene epochs. Usually the Pleistocene areas are characterized by the presence of intertidal marine and lagoon deposits recovered by eolic sediments.

Relative sea level fluctuation curves for the last 7000 years have been constructed for several sectors of the Brazilian coast, which indicate that: * The present-day mean sea level was surpassed for the first time about 6500 to 7000 B.P. * By about 5100 B.P., the sea level had risen to about 4 to 5 m above today's mean sea level. * At about 3800 B.P., the sea level experienced a low stand and was positioned slightly below today's mean sea level. * At 3600 B.P., the sea level rose to 2.5 to 3.5 m above today's level. At 2700 B.P., the sea level again experienced a low stand, dropping slightly below the present-day mean sea level. By about 2500 B.P., a third high stand was reached. At this time, the sea level rose 2 to 2.5 m above today's mean sea level, and since then it has been gradually dropping.

RESTINGA Holocene areas are considered eolic, marine and lagoon deposits, besides of fluvio- lagoon, paludal, estuarine and anthropogenic conchiferous deposits (shell-middens), named "sambaquis".

Sambaquis are archaeological sites of Brazilian prehistoric civilizations findings. They are made up of piles of shells, shellfishes, fish and small animals' bones, manufactured goods, and even human bones as they were their burial sites. Studies show that Sambaqui builders remained in the coastline of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo for a period between 10,000 and 1000 BP. First their subsistence was based on hunting marine mammals, large elasmobranches (dogfish, rays), fish and molluscs, probably oysters, later on terrestrial animals and poultry become increasingly important. Their decline started around 900 BP when they made contact with ceramist groups, most probably Tupi-Guarani culture.

RESTINGA soils are quartzitic, sandy, nutrient-poor and with very acid pH. Podzolization is the main pedogenic process in Restinga soils and Spodosols and Quartzipsamments with incipient podzolization are the most common soils. Aluminium saturation index

The Brazilian RESTINGAS comprises a mosaic of plant communities ranging from open, patchy formations to forests. Across a transect from the sea inland, successive sand dune ridges, vegetation island on the sand plains and dune forests, and where the water table is high, open fresh water lagoons and swamp forests contribute to the landscape. The very diverse plant communities found in the RESTINGAS are subjected as extreme as seasonal drought and oligotrophy in one hand, and permanent flooding on the other. Thus the RESTINGA flora differs from the adjacent Ombrophilous Dense Forest that cover the slopes of the Serra do Mar mountains up to meters above sea level.

B, E, D,G, H, I, & J Ombrophylus Dense Forest A - RESTINGA F – 2dary forest

RESTINGA FORESTS are FLOOD PULSE driven, and changes in flooding regime have a strong selective effect.