GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF THE THREATENED PALM Euterpe edulis Mart. IN THE ATLANTIC FOREST: IMPLICATIONS FOR CONSERVATION

Abstract

The combination of species distribution models based on climatic variables, with spatially explicit analyses of habitat loss, may produce valuable assessments of current species distribution in highly disturbed ecosystems. Here, we estimated the potential geographic distribution of the threatened palm Euterpe edulis Mart. (Arecaceae), an ecologically and economically important species inhabiting the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot. This palm is shade-tolerant, and its populations are restricted to the interior of forest patches. The geographic distribution of E. edulis has been reduced due to deforestation and overexploitation of its palm heart. To quantify the impacts of deforestation on the geographical distribution of this species, we compared the potential distribution, estimated by climatic variables, with the current distribution of forest patches. Potential distribution was quantified using five different algorithms (BIOCLIM, GLM, MaxEnt, Random Forest and SVM). Forest cover in the biome was estimated for the year 2017, using a recentlyreleased map with 30 m resolution. A total of 111 records were kept to model climatic suitability of E. edulis, varying from 6 to 1500 m a.s.l and spanning almost the entire latitudinal gradient covered by the Atlantic Forest (from 7.72º S to 29.65º S). Based on climatic suitability alone, ca. 93 million hectares, or 66% of the area of the Atlantic Forest, would be suitable for the occurrence of E. edulis. However, 76% of this climatically suitable area was deforested. Therefore, currently, only ca. 15% of the biome retains forest patches that are climatically suitable for E. edulis. Our analyses show that E. edulis has suffered a dramatic loss of potential distribution area in the Atlantic Forest due to widespread deforestation. Our results provided updated information on the distribution of E. edulis, and may be used to identify which forested and deforested areas could receive priority in future conservation and restoration efforts.

Frugivory underpins the nitrogen cycle

“…In our site, E. edulis palms dominate the canopy, with up to 300 individuals per hectare in undisturbed areas (de Souza & Prevedello, 2019; Joly et al., 2012). This palm is widely distributed across a large latitudinal gradient of the biome (15°S to 29°S, de Souza & Prevedello, 2019) and can be found in most of the remaining forests of the Atlantic forest across its distribution (Siqueira, 1994). In order to characterize the effect of large frugivores across gradients of palm abundance, in August 2017 we counted the number of adult E. edulis (GBH ≥ 30 cm at 1.3 m) within 10 m radius of every plot, yielding a wide range of palm densities in the vicinity of the plots (0–255 adults/ha).…”

“…In our site, E. edulis palms dominate the canopy, with up to 300 individuals per hectare in undisturbed areas (de Souza & Prevedello, 2019;Joly et al, 2012). This palm is widely distributed across a large latitudinal gradient of the biome (15°S to 29°S, de Souza & Prevedello, 2019) and can be found in most of the remaining forests of the Atlantic forest across its distribution (Siqueira, 1994).…”

Potential cultivation areas of Euterpe edulis (Martius) for rainforest recovery, repopulation and açai production in Santa Catarina, Brazil

“…Atlantic Forest is the natural habitat of Euterpe edulis , an endangered palm species 1 biogeographically distributed across the Brazilian coast 2 , from sea level to 1000 m in altitude, both in steep slopes and dry forests 3 .…”

Potential cultivation areas of Euterpe edulis (Martius) for rainforest recovery, repopulation and açai production in Santa Catarina, Brazil

“…Atlantic Forest is the natural habitat of Euterpe edulis, an endangered palm species 1 biogeographically distributed across the Brazilian coast 8 , from sea level to 1000m in altitude, both in steep slopes and dry forests 9 . E. edulis is a slow-growing species, single-stemmed with no regrowth capacity, and its natural occurrence is dependent on well-preserved forests 2 .…”