PHYTOGEOGRAPHIC RELATIONSHIPS OF SPERMATOPHYTES ON THE RAINFOREST OF THE EASTERN REGION OF CUBA

Abstract

A study about distribution of spermatophytes living on rainforest of Oriental Region of Cuba was performed with the objective to know their relationships to other sectors and districts of Cuba, as well as other fioristic provinces from Caribbean Region, mainly. The distribution of species was obtained by bibliographical revision while in those considered endemic species were consulted in addition a data base. Each endemism were classified according to López et al. (1994a) and were located on different phytogeographic units of Cuba according to Samek (1973). The classifications of disjunctions were carried out according to Borhidi (1991). For non-endemic species a separation among taxa belonging rainforest of Grupo Orográfico Sagua-Baracoa Sub-region and those of Sierra Maestra Sub-region were done, according to Nunez & Viña (1989). Each taxon was located in kingdoms and regions of the world according to Schmidt (1969), while in the Caribbean Region were according to Borhidi y Muñiz (1986), ratified by Borhidi (1991, 1996). Evolutionary centers of families were definite from Gentry (1982). Dendrograms were obtained making tree matrix, one of them for all endemism and the two remainder for non-endemic species of Caribbean Region, which are on rainforest of both Nor Oriental and South Oriental Sub-sector. The classifications of rainforest were carried out according to Reyes & Acosta (2005) and Reyes (2006). The endemic species are mostly distributed on Cuba Oriental Sector and among several districts in it. In addition to this sector, the nearest relationships are with Escambray district in Central Cuba and secondly to Sierra del Rosario district, in Western Cuba. These endemic species show three types of disjunction, but those that have bisectorial distribution and trisectorial distribution are found to be the greatest. The non-endemic species from rainforest have the nearest relationships to Caribbean Region, Antillean Sub-region, La Española province, within Neotropic. Families from Gondwanaland are prevalent and within this, those from Amazonian center are the most important.