The vegetation of Santiago Island (Cape Verde) - a historical appointment
2002
Duarte, M.C. | Moreira, I. (Instituto Superior de Agronomia, Lisboa (Portugal))
Ichnographic informations and descriptions of navigators, naturalists and governors from the 16 to the 19 century, and the toponomy related with the flora and the vegetation in Santiago Island (Cape Verde), were compiled to attempt the knowledge of the vegetation characteristics before the human occupation, and its evolution. References to the composition and structure of the herbaceous and woody communities in the botanical writings of 19 century are specially reported. An analysis of the testimonies concerning hydric resources along those centuries is also presented. The confidence of the bibliographic elements of the more ancient centuries is questioned, as well as the validity for the study of the references from the 19 century, long time after the colonisation. The high probability of the autochthonous flora in the past not be considerably richer than nowadays, and the progressive degradation of the plant communities are discussed
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