Quaternary units and native vegetation of the coastal plain and lower slopes of the Serra do Mar on the northern coast of the State of São Paulo

Abstract

In spite of strong socio-economic pressures, important remains of Atlantic Forest and associated ecosystems may be found in the coastal zone of the State of São Paulo, mainly in its northern portion. These ecosystems include mangroves and all other types of vegetation that cover coastal plains and lower slopes of the Serra do Mar (restinga vegetation), whose principal characteristic is their very close relationship with sedimentary deposits. This paper presents results of mapping carried out along the Northern Littoral region of the State of São Paulo, whose main objectives were to update the available coastal Quaternary maps produced in the 1970s; carry out the first mapping of restinga phytophysiognomies based on federal environmental law; establish the association between the geologic-geomorphological Quaternary Units and these phytophysiognomies; and calculate the percentages of depletion of the original vegetation in the study area.