The Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil, is famous for its luxurious plant and animal life. We combine a literature review with recent work and show that species diversity is large but that most major plant and animal groups contain a large number of not wetland-specifi c species that depend on permanently terrestrial habitats within the Pantanal, or are restricted to dry areas during the low water period. These species occur also in the neighbouring biomes of Cerrado, Amazon Forest or Chaco. Until now, very few endemic species have been described, however, there are large populations of species in the Pantanal that are considered rare or endangered in South America. The number of trees adapted to long term fl ooding is low in comparison with the Amazon River fl oodplain. We hypothesize that the reason for the lack of local endemisms and the occurrence of a large number of species with a large ecological amplitude is the climatic instability of the region of the Pantanal, which suffered severe drought during glacial periods. The instability of the actual climate, which is characterized by multi-annual wet and dry periods, has a strong impact on distribution, community structure and population size of many plant and animal species and hinders spatial segregation of populations. The dependence of the system on the flood pulse makes the Pantanal very vulnerable to human induced changes in hydrology and the predicted changes in global climate
1. Although 20% of Brazilian territory is covered by wetlands, wetland inventories are still incomplete. In 1993, Brazil signed the Ramsar Convention but a coherent national policy for the sustainable management and protection of wetlands has yet to be established. 2. Major gaps in the definition of a specific wetland policy are twofold: (1) the lack of standardized criteria by which wetlands are defined and delineated that reflects the specific ecological conditions of the country and (2) the lack of a national classification of wetlands that takes into account specific hydrological conditions and respective plant communities. 3. In recent years, efforts have been made at a regional level to improve public awareness of the ecology of Brazilian wetlands, their benefits to society, and the major threats endangering them. Studies have shown that wetlands play a crucial role in the regional hydrological cycle and provide multiple benefits for local populations. Furthermore, Brazilian wetlands contribute significantly to South American biodiversity. Therefore, wetland conservation and sustainable management should be given high legislative priority. 4. This article provides a synthesis of the current body of knowledge on the distribution, hydrology, and vegetation cover of Brazilian wetlands. Their definition, delineation, and classification at the national level are proposed in order to establish a scientific basis for discussions on a national wetland policy that mandates the sustainable management of Brazil’s extremely diverse and complex wetlands. This goal is particularly urgent in the face of the continuing and dramatic deterioration of wetlands resulting from large-scale agro-industrial expansion, and hydroelectric projects as well as the projected impact of global climate change on hydrological cycles
Abstract. In recent decades, cattle ranchers of the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil, have pointed to the accelerated spread of several herbaceous and woody plant species that invade natural and artificial pastures (campos). It has been speculated that overgrazing by an increasing number of cattle, lack of grazing in abandoned areas, or large‐scale changes in environmental conditions may be the reason for this invasion. This study focuses on ecological and ecophysiological aspects of Vochysia divergens (cambará), a flood‐tolerant tree that began spreading in the Pantanal during the last 30 years and is considered a very aggressive invasive plant. The study shows that the spread of cambará can be related to natural multi‐years wet periods. During multi‐years dry periods the species is reduced by the increasing impact of fires in the Pantanal. This points to the great importance of multi‐years climatic events on the vegetation cover of the Pantanal and indicates a very dynamic development in plant communities.
RESUMO -(Fitossociologia de uma floresta inundável monodominante de Vochysia divergens Pohl (Vochysiaceae), no Pantanal Norte, MT, Brasil). Cambarazais são formações florestais monodominantes de Vochysia divergens Pohl. O rápido espalhamento de cambarazais em campos sazonalmente inundados no Pantanal tem sido considerado um efeito de mudanças climáticas ocorridas em ciclos plurianuais. Realizado na RPPN SESC Pantanal, Barão de Melgaço, Mato Grosso (Brasil), o presente estudo, inserido no Programa de Pesquisas Ecológicas de Longa Duração (PELD), teve por objetivo analisar a estrutura do cambarazal presente na Reserva, ao longo de um gradiente hidro-topográfico. Os dados fitossociológicos foram coletados em quatro áreas de 1 ha (100×100 m). Todos os indivíduos com CAP (Circunferência à Altura do Peito) ≥ 5 cm foram identificados, medidos seus perímetros e estimadas suas alturas. Um total de 3.149 indivíduos foi amostrado nos quatro hectares e 83 espécies foram identificadas. A diversidade de espécies ao longo do gradiente mostrou relação inversa com a altura da lâmina de água da inundação. A parcela com menor nível de inundação (P1) obteve o maior índice de diversidade de espécies dentre as parcelas (H' = 2,9) e baixa densidade e dominância de V. divergens. As demais parcelas foram identificadas como formações monodominantes de V. divergens, devido à sua dominância de mais de 50% dentro de cada parcela.Palavras-chave: estrutura, cambarazal, planície de inundação, monodominância, pulso de inundação. . It aims to analyze structural and phytosociological data collected in four areas of one hectare each of "cambarazal" along a hydro-topographical gradient. All individuals with cbh (circumference at breast height) ≥ 5cm were identified, perimeters were measured and heights were estimated. In the entire sample area, 3,149 individuals belonging to 83 species were registered. Species diversity along the gradient showed an inverse relationship with floodwater levels. The plot with the lowest level of flooding (P1) had the highest species diversity index (H' = 2.91) of the sampled plots and the lowest values of V. divergens density and dominance. The other plots were considered to be V. divergens monodominant formations, since relative dominance of this species in these areas was greater than 50%. ABSTRACT -(Phytosociology of a monodominant flooded forest of Vochysia divergens
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