Grasses of Cape Verde

Cape Verde is a country of contrasts made up of ten small islands of volcanic origin. The islands are either relatively flat or spectacularly mountainous with fabulous landscapes with scattered extinct volcanoes such as São Nicolau. The climate is dry subtropical and the country has suffered the catastrophic effects of drought and desertification. Sometimes the transition between a semi-desert and a more humid, vegetated area, due to fog, is abrupt at the top of the mountain. The country is vulnerable from an ecological point of view and human action has always had a major impact on the composition of the islands' flora. More than 50% of Cape Verde's flora may have been introduced by man, with several invasive species being very aggressive. At the same time, the number of endemics is also high, more than 80 species. Many native plant species are threatened, especially ferns. The Poaceae constitute one of the most important plant families in Cape Verde, both in terms of the number of spontaneous species and their role in feeding humans and animals. They have been studied for their role as potential Crop Wild Relatives that develop in the extreme environmental conditions of these islands. The evolution of floristic composition in Poaceae over the last 80 years was also investigated with the aim of detecting trends dictated by climate change and outlining resource management strategies for the future. By transcribing the specimens of this project, you are collaborating with Cape Verde.

image: Cayambe, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons