Na Ilha Cardosa, no sistema lagunar de Maricá-RJ, Brasil, foram realizados levantamentos florísticos, com ênfase para as lenhosas, e diagramas de perfil da vegetação de dois terrenos adjacentes: um terreno de sedimentos arenosos quaternários e outro de tabuleiro. Em cada área foi marcado um transecto de 2 x 60m, sendo amostrados todos os indivíduos lenhosos com DAS ³ 2,5 cm. Foram amostrados 276 indivíduos lenhosos e herbáceos pertencentes a 69 espécies de 33 famílias. Encontrou-se uma diferenciação florística entre as duas áreas expressa nos percentuais de espécies e famílias exclusivas a uma das áreas, e nas famílias com maior riqueza de espécies, assim como diferenças estruturais relativas à densidade, largura da copa, proporção de árvores e lianas e presença de ramificação basal do caule. As formações estudadas apresentaram, florística e fisionomicamente, semelhanças com florestas de restinga. Foram discutidas a adequação da largura e critério de inclusão utilizados para o perfil. O diagrama de perfil foi considerado um instrumento útil no estudo e comparação de estruturas fisionômicas florestais.

In the Cardosa Island, located in the Maricá lagoon system, a floristic survey (especially of woody plants) was carried out and profile diagrams were drawn in order to compare the vegetation of two contiguous areas: an area on quaternary sandy terrain and other on the top of a small hill (Table-land). In each area a 2 x 60m transect was delimited and every shrub, tree or liana with diameter at the base of the stem (DSB) ³ 2,5cm inside of it was recorded and drawn. 276 herbaceous and woody individuals, belonging to 69 species and 33 families, were sampled. The percentage of species and families restricted to one area , and the structural features relative to density, crown width, proportion of trees and lianas and the presence of basal ramification of the stem showed differences between the two areas. Both formations showed floristic and physiognomic similarities with restinga's forests. The adequacy of the transect width, as well as of the minimum DSB used in the profile diagrams were also discussed. The profile diagram was considered an useful instrument for the study and comparison of forests physiognomic structures.

The composition and structure of the edaphic macroarthropod community of these two sites were comparatively studied. The results obtained show that the total densities in the plantation of C. robusta can be higher than in the primary forest. Even though, contrarily to the observed in the forest, this community is characterized by the dominance of some non social groups and by the concentration of most of its individuals in the litter layers. As a consequence, the entire community is more susceptible to seasonal variations in density. Thus, these results emphasize the importance of the leaf litter in providing habitat, food as well as more stable microclimatic conditions for the macroarthropods community. For this reason it is importam to avoid any kind of land management that takes the litter from the soil.