Nature and Geography of South American Soils

Beek, K.J.; Bramao, D. Luis

doi:10.1007/978-94-011-9731-1_4

Cited by 16 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…In general, soils in the campos de altitude are remarkable for their physico–chemical similarities to many Andean páramo soils (Beek & Bramao, 1968), particularly to those described from similar geologic substrates (i.e. plutonic or high‐grade metamorphic rock) (Sturm, 1994).…”

Section: Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brazilian Páramos I. An introduction to the physical environment and vegetation of the campos de altitude

Safford

1999

Journal of Biogeography

266

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Summary Aim The campos de altitude are a series of cool‐humid, grass‐dominated formations restricted to the highest summits of the southeastern Brazilian Highlands. Relatively little is known of the ecology, biogeography, or developmental history of this archipelago of mountaintop formations. This contribution presents an overview of our present state of knowledge with respect to the past and present physical environment and vegetation of the campos de altitude. The aim is (1) to introduce an international audience to the natural history of these diminutive yet important ecosystems, and (2) to provide the background for a series of forthcoming contributions that will treat the ecology of the campos de altitude and explore physical and biotic relationships between these ‘Brazilian páramos’ and similar formations in the high mountains of equatorial South and Central America. Location Beginning at altitudes of 1800–2000 m, the campos de altitude are found atop the highest summits of the main ranges of the southeastern Brazilian Highlands, between the states of Santa Catarina and Minas Gerais/Espírito Santo. Methods Drawing upon both original data and previously published results, this contribution reviews what we presently know about the physical environment and vegetation of the campos de altitude, in the context of geographic setting, geology, palaeoclimatology and palaeobotany, modern climate, modern vegetation, and conservation. Results and main conclusions Uplift of the southeastern Brazilian ranges to altitudes high enough to support orographic grasslands may have occurred as early as the middle‐ to late‐Tertiary; pollen records show that campos de altitude have been extant on southeastern summits at least since the Late Pleistocene. The present‐day climate of the campos de altitude is cool and (per)humid, but patterns of rainfall, temperature, and frost are distinctly seasonal. Although the flora of the campos de altitude is highly diverse and characterized by a high degree of endemism, the campos de altitude maintain strong floristic similarities to equatorial alpine formations of the Andean and Central American Cordillera; these similarities also extend to climate, soils, and vegetation physiognomy. Anthropogenic fires and grazing are widespread in the campos de altitude and probably contribute significantly to the modern structure of vegetation communities.

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Section: Vegetationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brazilian Páramos I. An introduction to the physical environment and vegetation of the campos de altitude

Safford

1999

Journal of Biogeography

266

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“…As geography would suggest, these commonalities are best developed between the campos de altitude and the cold–humid páramo grasslands of the equatorial Andes. Researchers in various fields have drawn (mostly anecdotal) analogies between these two intracontinental, yet widely separate systems, ranging from treatments of Quaternary geomorphological processes (Modenesi, 1988; Clapperton, 1993) and physico–chemical characteristics of the soil (Beek & Bramao, 1968; Safford, 1999a), to considerations of vegetation physiognomy and floristics (Rambo, 1951; Brade, 1956; Troll, 1959; Smith, 1962; Hueck, 1966; Schnell, 1971; Klein, 1975; Safford, 1999a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brazilian Páramos II. Macro‐ and mesoclimate of thecampos de altitudeand affinities with high mountain climates of the tropical Andes and Costa Rica

Safford

1999

Journal of Biogeography

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Summary Aim This paper presents a basic analysis of the macro‐ and mesoclimate of the Brazilian campos de altitude, a series of cool–humid, mountaintop grasslands in southeastern Brazil, and compares results with data from other tropical as well as temperate alpine sites. Location Beginning at altitudes of 1800–2000 m, the campos de altitude are found atop the highest summits of the main ranges of the southeastern Brazilian Highlands, between the states of Santa Catarina and Minas Gerais/Espírito Santo. Methods Macro‐ and mesoclimatic parameters for the campos de altitude are derived from both original data and previously reported results. Parameters include approximate radiation budgets, temperature lapse rates, seasonal and diurnal patterns in temperature, occurrence of frost, elevational gradients in precipitation, and interannual and seasonal patterns in precipitation. Using multivariate techniques and simple numerical contrasts, the climate of the campos de altitude is compared to climates of other tropical as well as temperate alpine sites. Results With respect to patterns of seasonality and the marked influence of polar frontal activity, the macroclimate of the campos de altitude is typically tropical‐marginal. However, in reference to actual temperature and precipitation values, the length and profundity of the dry season, average humidities and cloudiness, the climate of the campus de altitude more closely corresponds to that of more inner‐tropical systems. These commonalities are best developed with respect to páramo climates of the northern Andes and, especially, Costa Rica. Main conclusions Their very different latitudinal and geographic positions notwith‐ standing, the campos de altitude and high mountain formations of the N. Andean and Central American Cordillera show clear macroclimatic congruities. In these congruities reside both the environmental basis for strong Andean–southeast Brazilian biogeographic connections, and the context within which evolutionary and ecological parallelisms have developed in the biota of these two widely separate neotropical mountain systems.

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“…In the subtropical forests of northwest Argentina (Hunzinger 1997), conditions can generally be described as being between those in tropical rain forest and temperate forests. During spring and summer, the weather is mild, forests have a considerable amount of foliage (Beek & Bramao 1969, Brown et al 2002, and most bird species take advantage of these conditions to breed (Dinelli 1918, Auer et al 2007). On the contrary, during fall and winter the weather becomes drier to the point that forests lose their foliage cover and temperatures decrease considerably (Brown et al 2002).…”

Section: Mixed-species Flocks Are Interspecific Groups Of Birds Thatmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the subtropical forests of northwest Argentina (Hunzinger ), conditions can generally be described as being between those in tropical rain forest and temperate forests. During spring and summer, the weather is mild, forests have a considerable amount of foliage (Beek & Bramao , Brown et al . ), and most bird species take advantage of these conditions to breed (Dinelli , Auer et al .…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Bird mixed‐species flock formation is driven by low temperatures between and within seasons in a Subtropical Andean‐foothill forest

Mangini

Areta

2018

Biotropica

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According to both the predation avoidance and foraging efficiency hypotheses, birds within mixed flocks increase their foraging efficiency and/or can spend more time feeding and less time looking out for predators. These hypotheses predict that birds in mixed flocks obtain benefits. Thus, mixed flock formation could serve as a strategy to cope with difficult conditions imposed on birds such as climatic conditions that ultimately result in a change in predation pressure or food resources. We evaluate the hypotheses that forming part of a flock confers benefits to its members and the associated prediction that birds will take advantage of these benefits and flock more often under cold and dry weather conditions between and within seasons to cope with such conditions. We surveyed the presence of mixed flocks, flocking propensity, number of species and individuals in mixed flocks in the Subtropical Yungas foothill of Argentina, to examine seasonality, flocking behavior of birds and their responses to two climatic variables: temperature and humidity. Bird species presented a higher flocking propensity and mixed flocks occurred more frequently during the dry and cold seasons than during the more benign seasons, and lower values of temperature within seasons triggered the flocking behavior. Although effects between seasons were expected, birds also showed a short‐term response to small changes in temperature within seasons. These results strengthen the ideas proposed by the foraging hypothesis. Although benefits derived from flocking have yet to be determined, whatever they are should be understood in the context of seasonal variation in life‐history traits.

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Nature and Geography of South American Soils

Cited by 16 publications

References 2 publications

Brazilian Páramos I. An introduction to the physical environment and vegetation of the campos de altitude

Brazilian Páramos I. An introduction to the physical environment and vegetation of the campos de altitude

Brazilian Páramos II. Macro‐ and mesoclimate of thecampos de altitudeand affinities with high mountain climates of the tropical Andes and Costa Rica

Bird mixed‐species flock formation is driven by low temperatures between and within seasons in a Subtropical Andean‐foothill forest

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