Community responses to fine-scale environmental conditions: Ferns alpha and beta diversity along Brazilian Atlantic forest remnants

Costa, Lucas Erickson Nascimento da; Arnán, Xavier; Farias, Rafael de Paiva; Barros, Iva Carneiro Leão

doi:10.1016/j.actao.2019.103475

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 53 publications

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“…The restored locality even surpassed mean values of the other reference locality ("Reference 2"), supporting restoration success. Variations in biodiversity of the two reference localities could be explained by differences in local factors, since a priori similar communities might be subjected to different environmental conditions, resulting in species composition variations (Bernhardt-Römermann et al, 2015; and see examples in Matthews et al, 2009;da Costa et al, 2019). Thus, local environmental factors (e.g., type of substrate or sediment loading) and biotic factors (e.g., grazing pressure) might determine species composition and diversity.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing marine restoration success: evidence of species and functional diversity recovery in a ten-year restored macroalgal forest

et al. 2023

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Active restoration actions are becoming increasingly common for the recovery of degraded ecosystems. However, establishing when an ecosystem is fully restored is rarely achieved, since the recovery of entire communities needs long-term trajectories. The lack of evidence of success is even more severe in marine ecosystems, especially in the context of macroalgal forests, where beyond the vegetation structure and species diversity there is no approximation determining the recovery of the overall functionality. Trait-based ecology facilitates the link between species composition and ecosystem functions and processes. In this study, we used a trait-based approach to assess functional recovery ten years after the start of a restoration action in a marine macroalgal forest. Species and functional diversity were compared among the restored locality, a nearby locality where the expansion of the restoration is naturally occurring, a neighbouring non-restored locality (at a distance of a few meters), and the only two remaining localities dominated by the same structural macroalga that were used as reference (non-perturbed). Species diversity and composition of the restored locality were similar to those found in reference macroalgal forests, while the non-restored and expansion locality showed different species composition and lower species diversity. Functional richness was 4-fold higher in the restored locality than in the non-restored one, even surpassing one reference macroalgal locality. The restored locality showed a greater number of trait categories, especially traits related to higher structural complexity and longer life spans, indicating changes in ecosystem functions and processes. The restoration of a canopy-forming macroalga is the first step to achieving the recovery of an entire macroalgal forest (i.e., associated species and functional diversity). The application of traditional taxonomical indices plus functional parameters provides useful insights into the assessment of the success of restoration actions at the community level, emerging as a promising approach to be replicated and contrasted in other marine and terrestrial ecosystems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Addressing marine restoration success: evidence of species and functional diversity recovery in a ten-year restored macroalgal forest

et al. 2023

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“…Consequently, the soil presents highly heterogenic patterns of erosion, sedimentation and exposed preserved older rocks, which built a complex network of rather distinct soils along the Ecuadorian landscape with the clay containing layers typically formed by calcite (CaCO 3 ) or dolomite (CaMg(CO 3 ) 2 ) (Lathwell & Grove 1986), explaining the increased CEC of magnesium (Mg 2+ ) but most notably calcium (Ca 2+ ) in the here studied soils (Table 1). This diversity of soils is likely contributing to the high plant diversity (Tuomisto et al 2014, da Costa et al 2019, Moulatlet et al 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elevation and cation exchange capacity determine diversity of ferns in a low-montane tropical rainforest in Ecuador

2023

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Ferns (Polypodiophyta) are an abundant floral element of the tropics with high sensitivity to environmental conditions and good indicators of overall biodiversity. Here, we set out to identify which geochemical factors determine fern diversity in a low-montane tropical rainforest in Eastern Ecuador. We conducted a field survey of high-spatial resolution completing a comprehensive fern inventory across two elevational ranges, combined with biochemical characterisation of the underlying soils. While α-diversity was negatively correlated with cation exchange capacity (CEC) and with elevation, β-diversity increased with elevation and with geographic distance, as predicted. Our results confirm that ferns have a high sensitivity to both elevational and environmental gradients, where the latter in this study was derived from enhanced aluminium, iron and calcium contents in some of the studied soils. Further monitoring of fern communities could therefore help to better understand and predict how environmental change may impact biodiversity, with a particular focus on threats potentially arising from toxic elements being released in tropical soils through modified soil CEC.

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“…In each 100‐m 2 plot (all 77 plots), five soil samples from 0 to 20 cm in depth were collected in the conners and center of the plots. Soil collection in this topsoil (0–20 cm) followed the procedures adopted in the studies of phytosociology and plant ecology studies in tropical ecosystems (Barros et al 2018, Costa et al 2019, Safar et al 2019, Cruz et al 2020). Furthermore, in this soil depth range is where the highest concentration of nutrients recycled by the plant is concentrated (Jobbagy and Jackson 2001).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relationship of woody species composition with edaphic characteristics in threatened riparian Atlantic Forest remnants in the upper Rio Doce basin, Brazil

Figueiredo

Ávila

Souza

et al. 2022

Nordic Journal of Botany

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Studies on the composition, richness and diversity of plant species in tropical communities are essential for understanding relevant ecological processes and for developing appropriate conservation policies. Considering that areas subject to direct impacts due to dam breach may in the long‐term present changes in species composition and in soil parameters, we evaluated the composition of the flora, described the current vegetation profile, and evaluated whether differences in species composition was influenced by soil variables of three areas along the Gualaxo River, in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. In addition, we identified important plant species through occurrence and phytosociological parameters for ecological restoration projects in the affected region, serving as reference areas. We sampled plant species with DBH ≥ 5 cm (diameter at breast height – measured 1.30 m above ground level) in 77 plots distributed in three riparian forest areas. We calculated phytosociological parameters and related them to edaphic factors. A total of 1579 individual plants belonging to 53 botanical families and 227 species were sampled in the three areas. The Fabaceae family was the most representative with 46 species. Species composition and diversity among the sampled areas was similar and was associated with edaphic factors. Furthermore, some species (e.g. Xylopia sericea, Cupania emarginata and Ocotea pulchalla) showed an important relation with soil variables. Some species of the genera (e.g. Byrsonima, Xylopia, Ocotea and Croton) and families (e.g. Fabaceae and Myrtaceae) found here, can be important species in the restauration process for the local and regional maintenance of floristic identity in the Rio Doce river.

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Community responses to fine-scale environmental conditions: Ferns alpha and beta diversity along Brazilian Atlantic forest remnants

Cited by 8 publications

References 53 publications

Addressing marine restoration success: evidence of species and functional diversity recovery in a ten-year restored macroalgal forest

Addressing marine restoration success: evidence of species and functional diversity recovery in a ten-year restored macroalgal forest

Elevation and cation exchange capacity determine diversity of ferns in a low-montane tropical rainforest in Ecuador

Relationship of woody species composition with edaphic characteristics in threatened riparian Atlantic Forest remnants in the upper Rio Doce basin, Brazil

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