Influence of a topographic gradient on the occurrence, abundance and composition of nine species of palms (Arecaceae) in the Central Amazon

Abstract

The study was conducted at the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve. The occurrence and abundance of the adult palms Attalea attaleoides (Barb. Rodr.) W Boer, A. microcarpa Mart., Euterpe precatoria Mart., Geonoma aspidiifolia Spruce, Iriartella setigera (Mart.) H. Wendl, Oenocarpus bacaba Mart., O. bataua Mart., O. minor Mart., Socratea exorrhiza (Mart.) H. Wendl were observed in 40 50 x 50 m plots and the seedlings in two 50 x 2 m plots located inside the 40 plots demarcated to register the adults. The topographical gradient was divided into swamp valley, slope and plateau based on the altitudes and characteristics of these environments. Occurrence and abundance data were used as dependent variables in the models of Analysis of Variance to verify differences in the topographical gradient. Changes in species composition were evaluated using multivariate analysis of ordination. The distribution and abundance of the seedling and adult phases varied with the topographical gradient. The variation in species composition in different topographic levels probably occurs due to the different responses of the species to the variation in forest heterogeneity, produced by the spatial variation of the structural components of the forest.

Influences of forest structure and landscape features on spatial variation in species composition in a palm community in central Amazonia

“…This topographic gradient at RFAD has also been shown to affect the distribution of palms (Costa et al . 2008, Raupp & Cintra 2011), ants (Oliveira et al . 2009), frogs (Menin et al .…”

“…2011, Cintra & Horna 1997, Costa et al . 2008, Raupp & Cintra 2011). We conclude that individuals in more than one demographic stage such as seedling and adults can be similarly affected by soil conditions, forest structure and dynamics both locally (at microsite scale) and in a broader spatial scale (landscape scale) through the changes in the palm species composition produced by ecological gradients.…”

“…This topographic gradient has been related to several soil parameters, particularly the proportions of clay and sand in the soil (Chauvel et al 1987), which in turn has been shown to be the best predictor of above-ground tree biomass at RFAD (Castilho et al 2006) and also at other sites in central Amazonia (Laurance et al 2002). This topographic gradient at RFAD has also been shown to affect the distribution of palms (Costa et al 2008, Raupp & Cintra 2011, ants (Oliveira et al 2009), frogs (Menin et al 2007) and birds (Cintra & Naka 2012), and here we show that it also affects the distribution of palm seedlings.…”

Subtle changes in elevation shift bat‐assemblage structure in Central Amazonia

“…). Shrubs and palms are important sources of food for frugivorous and nectarivorous bats, and assemblages of these plant taxa are related to the elevation gradient at the Ducke Reserve (Raupp & Cintra , Rodrigues et al . , Freitas et al .…”

“…The soils are more sandy and waterlogged in lower areas, but have a more clayey texture on the plateaux (Chauvel et al 1987. Shrubs and palms are important sources of food for frugivorous and nectarivorous bats, and assemblages of these plant taxa are related to the elevation gradient at the Ducke Reserve (Raupp & Cintra 2011, Rodrigues et al 2014, Freitas et al 2016. Abundance and number of species of gleaning animalivorous bats were higher on the plateaux, which are areas more distant of the streams.…”