Influence of environmental variations on the formation of microhabitats within a fragment of Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest - SDTF, Brazil

Gabriela Gomes Pires De Paula,Rubens Manoel Dos Santos,Diego Gualberto Sales Pereira,Deborah Mattos Guimarães Apgaua,Cléber Rodrigo De Souza,Gisele Cristina De Oliveira Menino,Marco Aurélio Leite Fontes

doi:10.1590/1806-90882018000200011

Gabriela Gomes Pires De Paula, Rubens Manoel Dos Santos + Show 5 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/1806-90882018000200011

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Caatinga represents one of the two major centers of Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests (SDTF) and is completely inserted in the Brazilian territory. The present work aimed to evaluate the structure of two micro-environments and relate them to environmental variables. Twenty 20 × 20 m plots were placed in which we measured the height and CBH and made the botanical identification of all trees with CBH ≥10 cm. The CCA and indicator species analysis presented a clear distribution of species according to the micro-environments. We concluded that the presence of limestone slabs provided the formation of microhabitats, thus influencing the distribution and composition of tree species, what characterized the phytoecological unit here referred as “furados”.

Highlights

The Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests (SDTF) represent disjoint vegetation formations annually exposed to water deficits for a period greater than or equal to five months that share species and genera adapted to water scarcity (Moro et al, 2016)
The presence of slabs provides two distinct microhabitats to the fragment in which we find both vegetation on deep soils and limestone slabs
Bignoniaceae stood out regarding abundance in the survey (344), representing 25% of the sampled individuals which dominance was provided by the species Handroanthus ochraceus (Cham.) Mattos (213)

Summary

Introduction

The Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests (SDTF) represent disjoint vegetation formations annually exposed to water deficits for a period greater than or equal to five months that share species and genera adapted to water scarcity (Moro et al, 2016). Pennington et al, (2009) proposed SDTF as one of the leading world biomes or a global metacommunity In this context, we highlight Brazilian Caatinga as the largest semi-arid tropical ecoregion of South America and one of the two largest cores of SDTF (Caetano et al, 2008; Moro et al, 2016). Lithological differences at regional or local scale contributes to the vegetation mosaic of Caatinga (Rodal et al, 2008; Santos et al, 2012) Despite of such particularities, the Caatinga has been suffering intensive exploration and degradation mainly by agricultural practice, logging (wood and coal) and expansion of farmland, causing great environmental impacts and decimating the remnants of arboreal Caatinga in the northern region of Minas Gerais (Santos et al, 2008)

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