Resumen

PONCE-CALDERON, María Elena; OLIVO-GARRIDO, María de Lourdes; PONCE-VASQUEZ, Rodolfo Alejandro  y  LUGO-DIAZ, Thais. Floristic and Physiognomic Characterization of the Thorny Scrubland Northwest Coastal Landscape Vargas State, Venezuela. Terra [online]. 2016, vol.32, n.51, pp.13-40. ISSN 1012-7089.

Vegetation communities of thorny scrubland of the coastal landscape, located in the sector Mamo - Tacoa - Picure in Vargas State, Vargas municipality, Catia La Mar sector, were characterized by physiognomic and floristic criteria. Alpha diversity was estimated in an area of 0,25 ha, based on the intrinsic richness of species in each community and as well, the diversity gamma considered as the total richness of the studied area for the thorny scrubs. Individuals were discriminated based the form of life or growth habit in each community evaluated (tree, shrub, grass, epiphytal and climbing plants) and in their ethnobotanical value. It was identify the different types of impacts caused by anthropogenic activity, which were georeferenced in UTM Data REGVEN and through photographic records. The results show that the thorny shrubs studied have low species richness (15-32), when compared with other communities not intervened previously studied by Castillo et al., (1992) in Vargas (133 species). Within the study area the dominant forms of life are, in order of importance, herbs, shrubs and trees. Just 40,54 % of the total identified species (37) have proven as useful plants to man being.

Palabras clave : thorny scrubland; physiognomy; forms of life; Vargas state; Venezuela.