Tree community dynamics of a northern Minas Gerais seasonally dry forest

Geovany Heitor Reis,Diego Gualberto Sales Pereira,Rubens Manoel Dos Santos,Jean Daniel Morel,Paola Ferreira Santos

doi:10.1590/0034-737x201865030003

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study aimed to characterize the dynamics, structural changes and floristics of a Northern Minas Gerais Seasonally Deciduous Forest tree community, in a 5 year interval. In 2005, 10 (20 x 20m) plots were allocated. All trees (CBH ≥ 10 cm) were tagged and measured. A second census was carried out in 2010 in order to measure surviving, new recruits and dead trees. In 2005, 46 species were recorded, moving to 45 in 2010. No significant differences were found for Shannon - diversity (H’ = 2.62 nats ind-1 in 2005; H’ = 2.60 nats ind-1 in 2010) and Pielou eveness (J = 0.683 in 2005; J = 0.682 in 2010) in the interval. A total of 57 dead records (rate of 1.64% year-1) were found whereas 18 trees were recruited (rate of 0.53% year-1). Despite the higher mortality as compared to recruitment, the results suggest that the community remained stable in both structural and diversity terms in the interval considered.

Highlights

Tropical forests are characterized by high floristic diversity, structural and dynamics complexity driven by environmental shifts in both space and time (Oldeman, 1990; Murphy & Bowman, 2012; Cavaleri et al, 2015)
The 10 main species ordered by importance value (IV) in both censuses were Eugenia uniflora L., Pseudopiptadenia contorta (DC.) G.P.Lewis & M.P.Lima, Poincianella pluviosa (DC.) L.P.Queiroz, Handroanthus ochraceus (Cham.) Mattos, Terminalia phaeocarpa Eichler, Commiphora leptophloeos (Mart.) Gillett, Handroanthus impetiginosus (Mart. ex DC.) Mattos, Combretum duarteanum Cambess., Myracrodruon urundeuva Fr
One position changed in the IV ranking as showed by P. pluviosa (3a in 2005 to 4a in 2010) and H. ochraceus (4a in 2005 to 3a in 2010)

Summary

Introduction

MATERIALS AND METHODSTropical forests are characterized by high floristic diversity, structural and dynamics complexity driven by environmental shifts in both space and time (Oldeman, 1990; Murphy & Bowman, 2012; Cavaleri et al, 2015). According to Apgaua et al, (2014b), conservation efforts should be given to these areas as their tree component are important in maintaining ecosystem functions, acting as sources of seeds and propagules to other areas as well as keeping the organic matter cycling which in turn sustains soil fertility. In this last case, it is worth highlighting that it is the very soil fertility that cause these areas to be prone to perturbations from agriculturerelated activities (Pennington et al, 2006; Santos et al, 2017)

Objectives

Results

Discussion

Conclusion