Soil profile, relief features and their relation to structure and distribution of Brazilian Atlantic rain forest trees

Abstract

In tropical forests, the environmental heterogeneity can provide niche partitioning at local scales and determine the diversity and plant species distribution. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the variations of tree species structure and distribution in response to relief and soil profile features in a portion of the largest remnant of Brazilian Atlantic rain forest. All trees ≥ 5 cm diameter at breast height were recorded in two 0.99 ha plots.Topographic survey and a soil characterization were accomplished in both plots. Topsoil samples (0-20 cm) were taken from 88 quadrats and analyzed for chemical and particle size properties. Differences for both diversity and tree density were identified among three kinds of soils. A canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated that the specific abundance varied among the three kinds of soils mapped: a shallow Udept -Orthent / Aquent gradient, probably due to differences in soil drainage. Nutrient content was less likely to affect tree species composition and distribution than relief, pH, Al 3+ , and soil texture. Some species were randomly distributed and did not show restriction to relief and soil properties.However, preferences in niche occupation detected in this study, derived from the catenary environments found, rise up as an important explanation for the high tree species diversity in tropical forests.

Canonical Correlation Analysis across Vegetation and Soil Properties of the Disturbed and Undisturbed Coastal Forest Ecosystems

“…These correlation values show that soil and above ground forest properties are characterized by the same dynamics directions in the coastal forests like in many other forest ecosystems [28,41]. The positive correlations in Shannon index and soluble bases, Shannon and soil physical properties, equitability and soil physical properties, independent value index and soil physical properties are important in showing that each kind of forest diversity is affected by soil factors contrary to observations made in [39].…”

“…Moreover, livestock grazing affects species composition and ecosystem function by feeding and trampling on vegetation [13]. The impacts of agriculture and livestock grazing are large especially when there is agriculture intensification and reduced grazing areas [27,28]. Within low carrying capacity of the forests ecosystems, farming activities and livestock grazing destroy plant species and destruct soils [28].…”

“…The impacts of agriculture and livestock grazing are large especially when there is agriculture intensification and reduced grazing areas [27,28]. Within low carrying capacity of the forests ecosystems, farming activities and livestock grazing destroy plant species and destruct soils [28]. In addition, these activities expose the land to erosion and nutrients loss [13,27,28].…”

“…Within low carrying capacity of the forests ecosystems, farming activities and livestock grazing destroy plant species and destruct soils [28]. In addition, these activities expose the land to erosion and nutrients loss [13,27,28]. Therefore, it is imperative to establish information about forest structure and soil relationship in forest management as vegetation and soils are interconnected and exert interdependent effects on each other [3,4].…”

Nutrient cycling between soil and leaf litter in the Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) on eutrophic and dystrophic Neosols

“…The highest nutrient content of the arenite cerrado compared to cerrado on Oxisols can be attributed to drainage diff erences between more or less developed soils. At least in Atlantic forests, shallow soils are generally less leached and less acidic than well-developed soils (Guilherme et al 2012), which may favor nutrient retention in the surface layer. In addition, Rossatto et al (2015) assert that young soils are rich in macronutrients, particularly Ca, Mg, and P, showing higher base saturation.…”