Dyckia lagoensis

The Serra do Espihaco is under continuous and increasing levels of human disturbance and large areas have been altered. The region of the quadrilatero ferrifero, where Dyckia lagoensis occurs, in the southern portion of the range, is the most threatened (Versieux and Wendt 2007). Major threats in this ecoregion are mining, extraction of ornamental native plants, cattle ranching, tourism, change in fire regime with hotter anthropogenic fires which are harmful to the herb layer, agribusiness, the spread of invasive African grasses and urban expansion (Ratter et al. 1997, Viana et al. 2005, Medina and Fernandes 2007, Scarano 2007). Rock outcrops have frequently been preserved from human impact as they don’t present much agricultural interest and they are often the last refuges of natural vegetation types. Anthropogenic disturbance may considerably modify the vegetation composition of these fragile ecosystems (Mereilles et al. 1999).

This species was collected within conservation units but the natural habitats in most of the range do not appears to benefit from any protection. The Unesco has now recognised the Serra do Espinhaco as a biosphere Reserve (Silva et al. 2007). The Espinhacao range is a priority for conservation both at state and federal levels given the high level of plant diversity and endemism. Very little of the region is currently in the federal system of protected areas. Existing parks and reserves often fail to protect resident taxa (Leme 1998). Teams from the Universidade de São Paulo and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, (Project Toucan Cipo) are conducting inventories and mapping the vascular flora of selected sites within the Espinhaço range so as to provide detailed recommendations for conservation priorities in the region and publications raising public awareness of the importance of local biodiversity. Field surveys should be carried out to make sure of the status and health of the species. Samples of seed should be collected as an ex situ conservation measure.