Different slopes of a mountain can determine the structure of ferns and lycophytes communities in a tropical forest of Brazil

Abstract

A community of Ferns and Lycophytes was investigated by comparing the occurrence of species on different slopes of a paleoisland in Southeastern Brazil. Our goal was to evaluate the hypothesis that slopes with different geographic orientations determine a differentiation of Atlantic Forest ferns and lycophytes community. We recorded these plants at slopes turned towards the continent and at slopes turned towards the open sea. Analysis consisted of a preliminary assessment on fern beta diversity, a Non Metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS) and a Student t-test to confirm if sites sampling units ordination was different at each axis. We further used the Pearson coefficient to relate fern species to the differentiation pattern and again Student's t-test to determine if richness, plant cover and abundance varied between the two sites. There was a relatively low number of shared species between the two sites and ferns and lycophytes community variation was confirmed. Some species were detected as indicators of the community variation but we were unable to detect richness, plant cover or abundance differences. Despite the evidence of this variation between the slopes, further works are needed to evaluate which processes are contributing to determine this pattern.

Pteridophytes as ecological indicators: an overview

“…Also, species richness and abundance of pteridophytes are greater in shady forests than in more open ones or in open vegetation types because there are more shade tolerant species (umbrophiles) of pteridophytes than pioneers/ heliophiles (Tryon & Tryon 1982, Della 2016). Chen et al (2014), Daly et al (2006), Das et al (2013), Della (2016), Dzwonko & Kornas (1994), Eisner & Peterson (1998), Gamarra et al (2003), Gehrig-Downie et al (2012), Goebel et al (2006), Goforth (2006), Granville (1984), Guarino et al (2012), Guimarães et al (2014), Halme & Bodmer (2007), Haq et al (2017), Hemp (2002), Hernández et al (2013), Higgins et al (2011), Johns (1985, Karst et al (2005), Kessler (2001), Kessler & Bach (1999), Khwaiphan & Boonkerd (2008), Klinka et al (1989), Loschi et al (2010), Medeanic et al (2016), Nettesheim et al (2014), Nóbrega et al (2011), Norton (1994, Page (2002), Patil et al (2016), Pos & Sleegers (2010), Ranieri (2015), Richard et al (2000), Richardson & Walker (2010), Rocha-Uriartt et al (2016), Ruokolaine...…”

Humidity, low temperature extremes, and space influence floristic variation across an insightful gradient in the Subtropical Atlantic Forest

“…Souza 2013). Such studies have revealed that environmental factors can positively or negatively influence the presence of species (Finger and Filho 2014) and several have addressed the extent to which floristic composition depends on abiotic versus biotic processes, such as dispersal limitations and biological interactions (Hubbell 2001;Dalling et al 2002;Wyatt and Silman 2004;Nettesheim et al 2014). As discussed by Webb et al (2002), the relationship between a species and spatial/environmental variables is the result of long evolutionary history.…”

Prediction of Suitable Habitat for Lycophytes and Ferns in Northeast China: A Case Study on Athyrium brevifrons

“…The type of environmental variables showed that precipitation contributed the most to the distribution prediction, followed by temperature, and topographic contribution the least. Topographic variables may affect the distribution of plants over a smal-scale landscape, but on a large scale, they may be minimal, the reason could be that topographic variables exert their influences on plants indirectly (Vormisto et al, 2004;Nettesheim et al, 2014). The high habitat suitability areas have comparatively more precipitation and with less fluctuation in the driest quarter, but very low habitat suitability areas showed the opposite tendency.…”