Resumo. The present study analyzed richness and specific composition of the fern community in fragments from the riparian forest of river ‘Cadeia’, under different levels of human impact, in Santa Maria do Herval, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. An amount of 120 sample units were delimited, equitably distributed in three fragments (FI, II and III) in which all species were surveyed and the richness was recorded. The floristic composition among fragments was compared using Jaccard’s index and spatial distribution of units was evaluated through multidimensional scaling. Richness data were presented in the form of rarefaction curves based on samples and non-parametric diversity estimators. A total of 40 species were found, belonging to 13 families. The greater floristic similarity was between FI and FII. Sample units from FI formed the most defined grouping and they had more exclusive species than the others. The rarefaction curve for the total sampling almost reached the asymptote and estimators indicated a maximum of 45 species, which means that the majority of species was surveyed at the study site. A decreasing gradient of mean richness per unit was observed as the urbanization increased in the matrix habitat of the fragments. These results form a data base to be used in management, conservation and reforestation measures in degraded riparian forests. They can be directly compared to results from other studies that used rarefaction and richness estimators, which is not possible to do with many of the surveys accomplished in Brazil so far.