Structure of Natural Regeneration in Relation to Soil Properties and Disturbance in Two Swamp Forests

Abstract

Veredas (palm swamps) is a type of vegetation associated with watercourses, characterized by the presence of Mauritia flexuosa palm trees. These systems are not well understood and suffer from high anthropogenic pressure. The aims of this study were to describe the natural regeneration of two swamp forests in vereda systems with different anthropogenic impacts and investigate if the variation in these plant communities are associated to edaphic conditions. The study was performed in preserved and impacted sites located in the Environmental Protection Area of the Pandeiros River in northern Minas Gerais. At each site, one hundred 25 m 2 plots were established for surveying regenerating shrubs and trees (≥1 cm diameter at the base of the stem and < 3 cm diameter at breast height). Vegetation structure was evaluated by phytosociological parameters, similarity index, and size distribution of individuals. Regenerating strata was correlated with chemical and physical soil analyses. The vegetation at the preserved site was characterized by a higher number of individuals and a lower diversity but contained species that were typical of flooded areas. The results also showed differences in soil nutrient availability between sites that influenced the distribution of species at the two study sites. ESTRUTURA DA REGENERAÇÃO NATURAL EM RELAÇÃO ÀS PROPRIEDADES DO SOLO E DISTÚRBIO EM DUAS FLORESTAS HIGRÓFILAS RESUMO:As veredas são um tipo de vegetação associada aos cursos d'água, caracterizada pela presença da palmeira arbórea Mauritia flexuosa. Estes sistemas não são bem compreendidos e sofrem grande pressão antrópica. Os objetivos deste estudo foram descrever a regeneração natural de duas florestas higrófilas em sistemas de veredas com diferentes impactos antropogênicos e investigar se a variação nesta comunidade de plantas está associada as condições edáficas. O estudo foi realizado em sítios preservado e impactado localizado na área de Proteção Ambiental do rio Pandeiros, norte de Minas Gerais. Em cada sítio, 100 parcelas de 25 m 2 foram estabelecidas para o levantamento dos arbustos e árvores regenerantes (≥1 cm de diâmetro na base do caule e < 3 cm de diâmetro na altura do peito). A estrutura da vegetação foi avaliada pelos parâmetros fitossociológicos, índice de similaridade e distribuição de tamanhos dos indivíduos. O estrato regenerativo correlacionou com as análises químicas e físicas do solo. A vegetação no sítio preservado foi caracterizada por um maior número de indivíduos e menor diversidade, mas continha espécies típicas de ambientes alagados. Os resultados também mostraram diferenças na disponibilidade de nutrientes do solo entre os sítios que influenciaram a distribuição de espécies nas duas áreas estudadas.

Soil Attributes in Anthropized Hygrophilous Forest in Northern Minas Gerais State, Brazil

“…In contrast, according to the soil chemical analysis, AD, AM and SF palm swamps are in good conservation condition (Table 1). These data explain the values acquired through surveys of vegetation made at these six palm swamps areas [5,20] which showed high values of richness, abundance and base area, among other parameters, both at the arboreal strata and on the regenerating stratum, when compared to the results BG, CP and PI palm swamps areas.…”

Sapling Survival and Growth in a Restoration Project of a Drained Wetland Forest in Southeastern Brazil

“…Mauritia flexuosa palm swamps (known as veredas in Brazil) are wetlands established in partially or permanently flooded hydromorphic or peat soils in areas of groundwater discharge (Ávila et al, 2016;Fagundes and Ferreira, 2016). Veredas communities are composed of two vegetation types: an herbaceous-graminoid layer that covers most of its area, and a shrub-tree layer with a predominance of the palm Mauritia flexuosa L.f. (buriti) (Fagundes, 2014;Resende et al, 2013;Ávila et al, 2016).…”

“…Mauritia flexuosa palm swamps (known as veredas in Brazil) are wetlands established in partially or permanently flooded hydromorphic or peat soils in areas of groundwater discharge (Ávila et al, 2016;Fagundes and Ferreira, 2016). Veredas communities are composed of two vegetation types: an herbaceous-graminoid layer that covers most of its area, and a shrub-tree layer with a predominance of the palm Mauritia flexuosa L.f. (buriti) (Fagundes, 2014;Resende et al, 2013;Ávila et al, 2016). What distinguishes the veredas from other wetlands in Brazil (Fagundes and Ferreira, 2016) and characterizes them as structured hygrophilous forests is the presence of a dense arboreal layer bordering the areas of water table discharge (Bahia et al, 2009;Ávila et al, 2016).…”

“…Veredas communities are composed of two vegetation types: an herbaceous-graminoid layer that covers most of its area, and a shrub-tree layer with a predominance of the palm Mauritia flexuosa L.f. (buriti) (Fagundes, 2014;Resende et al, 2013;Ávila et al, 2016). What distinguishes the veredas from other wetlands in Brazil (Fagundes and Ferreira, 2016) and characterizes them as structured hygrophilous forests is the presence of a dense arboreal layer bordering the areas of water table discharge (Bahia et al, 2009;Ávila et al, 2016). The protection of these ecosystems and maintenance of downstream watercourses depends on the maintenance of the veredas' water-soil and vegetation systems (Maruyama et al 2013;Moreira et al 2015).…”

“…The typically hydromorphic and water-saturated vereda soils directly influence plant community composition and distribution in these environments (Ávila et al, 2016;Fagundes and Ferreira, 2016). This constant presence of water confers floristic specificity to vereda sites, where only adapted species are able to successfully establishment (Fagundes, 2014).…”