List of the flora of MONA Cagarras published in the Catalog of Plants of the Conservation Units of Brazil

For more than a decade, researcher Massino G. Bovini (JBRJ) and collaborators have been carrying out research on the flora of the Cagarras Islands Archipelago Natural Monument, off the coast of Rio de Janeiro, through the Ilhas do Rio Project. One of the results of these studies is the List of Plant Species of MONA Cagarras, which has just been published in the Catalog of Plants of the Conservation Units of Brazil.

The list includes 139 species distributed over the 91.23 hectares of the Conservation Unit, of which 130 are angiosperms and nine are ferns and lycophytes. Six species on the list are threatened with extinction: Hippeastrum striatum, Alcantarea glaziouana, Sinningia bulbosa and Abutilon esculentum - all categorized as Endangered (EN) - and Muellera virgilioides, as Vulnerable (VU); Gymnanthes nervosa was considered extinct for the municipality of Rio de Janeiro and, after a population was found on the summit of Redonda Island, it was classified as Critically Endangered (CR) for the municipality. Some of them can be seen in the Image Bank that accompanies the list.

 MONA Cagarras was created on April 13, 2010, to preserve remnants of the Atlantic Forest island ecosystem, as well as for its scenic beauty and for being a refuge area for seabirds, which nest there. It is just 5 kilometers from Ipanema beach, from where it can be seen, and is an area widely used for water sports, hiking and nautical tourism.

 The Conservation Unit is made up of four islands (Palmas, Comprida, Cagarra and Redonda) and two islets (Filhote da Cagarra and Filhote da Redonda), as well as a 10-meter strip of marine area around each of them. Each island has its own characteristics, and the greatest diversity of plants, with endemic and threatened species, can be found on those where there are no nests. In general, there is a predominance of shrub species, such as restingas.

Researcher Massimo Bovini believes that "Projects such as this one on listing the flora of the Conservation Unit bring the general public closer to the biodiversity of the area, where access is not just limited to scientific articles. It's worth noting that MONA Cagarras is the first marine conservation area in the state of Rio de Janeiro and has one of the most complete studies of island flora in Brazil, which will help inform future studies."

 Access the MONA Cagarras Plant Species List.