Abstract
This study examines the relationship between climate and species richness and distribution of palms (Arecaceae) in the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina. We use data from the Floristic and Forest Inventory of Santa Catarina and WorldClim - Global Climate Data. We hypothesized that low temperature and precipitation limit palm species richness and distribution in Santa Catarina. For modeling palm species richness, we used a generalized linear model for zero inflated data and to assess reasons behind differences in palm species abundance and species richness across the state, we used a canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP). We found that only the distribution of Euterpe edulis Mart. and Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassman showed significant effects of climate, largely because they were the most abundant and frequent species found in sampled plots. Modelling results pinpointed minimum temperature of the coldest month as the strongest predictor of palm species richness and distribution in Santa Catarina. Our results contribute to knowledge about the occurrence of native palms of the Atlantic Forest and their environmental limitations.https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.19.29.1.0.737
Highlights
The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the world (Eisenlohr et al 2013)
This study examines the relationship between climate and species richness and distribution of palms (Arecaceae) in the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina
We found that only the distribution of Euterpe edulis Mart. and Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassman showed significant effects of climate, largely because they were the most abundant and frequent species found in sampled plots
Summary
The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the world (Eisenlohr et al 2013). Palms (Arecaceae) are an important component of forest biodiversity in tropical and subtropical regions across the world (Dransfield et al 2008). This plant family exhibits remarkable geographic variation in species richness, phylogenetic composition and life forms (Eiserhardt et al 2011). Large scale spatial patterns in palm species richness and distribution are closely linked to extreme temperatures (Svenning et al 2008). This is confirmed by the highest numbers of palms found in warm
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