More than environmental control at local scales: do spatial processes play an important role in floristic variation in subtropical forests?

Abstract

Th e eff ect of environmental variables on the plant species distribution in the Atlantic Forest raises the interest of researchers, but few studies, mainly at local scales, analyzed the infl uence of spatial factors on the environment and species distribution. Linear models and spatial correlograms were used to evaluate whether environment and space may predict variations in species composition of trees and shrubs in a Subtropical Rainforest remnant. Th e study area was divided in 25 plots of 400 m², systematically distributed, where individuals with DBH ≥ 5 cm were measured. Elevation and slope were the most important predictors of the fl oristic variations, but space, generally neglected in researches on South American's vegetation, had a relevant infl uence, as a structural component, in terms of environmental variables, and as intrinsic biological component, here probably as result of constraints in species dispersion. Although the origin of great part of the variation in species composition remained unknown, which is common in studies on vegetation, results indicated, for the fi rst time, the complex role of spatial and environmental variables in the composition of trees and shrub species in a Subtropical Rainforest of Brazil.

Species Diversity, Stand Structure, and Species Distribution across a Precipitation Gradient in Tropical Forests in Myanmar

“…It has previously been shown that stand structure can be predicted by climatic factors at both the local and regional levels [8,16,48,49], while species diversity is significantly influenced by the structure and composition of forests [2]. Furthermore, the diversity and composition of forests may vary with different forest types and stages [43,[50][51][52][53].…”

Variação de atributos funcionais do componente arbóreo em função de gradientes edáficos em uma floresta nebular no sul do Brasil

“…O entendimento dos processos que influenciam a organização de comunidades de espécies arbóreas em ambientes naturais tem sido um dos principais focos na área de ecologia vegetal, uma vez que esta é uma questão-chave para a definição de estratégias adequadas de manejo e restauração florestal. Neste sentido, vários estudos no Brasil têm adotado uma abordagem com enfoque taxonômico, sem considerar aspectos funcionais, demonstrando a influência de fatores ecológicos, como condições ambientais (Torres et al 1997;Oliveira-Filho & Fontes 2000;Moro et al 2015), competição inter e intraespecífica (Martins et al 2004) e outros processos ecológicos espacialmente estruturados (Fernandes & Queiroz 2015;Maçaneiro et al 2016), sobre a distribuição de espécies arbóreas em ecossistemas florestais. Porém, mais recentemente, estudos começaram a empregar abordagens nas quais as espécies são tratadas como entidades funcionalmente distintas (Magnago et al 2014;Rosado et al 2016), permitindo inferências ecológicas com um viés evolutivo, em que algumas características morfológicas, ecológicas e fisiológicas são consideradas como atributos funcionais e podem indicar a aptidão de uma espécie para se desenvolver em uma determinada condição ambiental (Violle et al 2007).…”

Structural and Floristic Variations in an Atlantic Subtropical Rainforest in Southern Brazil

“…The species richness' increase, according to water availability and soils' depth, had already been described by several authors (Curcio et al, 2007;Ferreira-Júnior et al, 2012;Moulatlet et al, 2014). In the present study, changes in water availability and soils' depth can lead to modifications in their physical and chemical properties, which are considered the main predictors in trees and shrubs species' distribution on the Atlantic Subtropical Rainforest (Ferreira-Júnior et al, 2012;Schaefer et al, 2015;Maçaneiro et al, 2016a).…”

“…Due to the environmental diversity and species richness found in Santa Catarina's Atlantic Subtropical Rainforest, some studies have investigated the main determining factors of vegetation floristic and structural variations. On a local scale, geomorphology has been found to perform an important role in describing vegetation floristic and structural variations (Maçaneiro et al, 2016a). In fact, geomorphology determines soil types and their physical and chemical properties (Ferreira-Júnior et al, 2012;Marangon et al, 2013;Santos et al, 2013).…”