Neotropical Floristic Diversity: Phytogeographical Connections Between Central and South America, Pleistocene Climatic Fluctuations, or an Accident of the Andean Orogeny?

Gentry, Alwyn H.

doi:10.2307/2399084

Cited by 774 publications

(843 citation statements)

References 53 publications

(39 reference statements)

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“…fertility (Silva Júnior et al, 1998), could have favoured the maintenance of microenvironments defined by differences in drainage systems, production and accumulation of litterfall, and topographic variations (Correia et al, 2001), among others. Such sites could have been suitable for parapatric speciations (Svenning, 2001) along edaphic and topographic gradients (Gentry, 1982) from forest species ecotypes that started to differ morphologically during the colonisation of those microenvironments (Stace, 1991). It is possible, for example, that savanna species belonging to the Chrysobalanaceae family emerged from adaptive mechanisms culminating in speciations, as described above (Prance, 1992).…”

Section: The Complex Interaction Among Abiotic Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution to the discussions on the origin of the cerrado biome: Brazilian savanna

Pinheiro

Monteiro

2010

Braz. J. Biol.

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Theories that attempt to explain the origin of the cerrado biome are mostly based on the isolated action of three major factors: climate, fire and soil. Another factor that has been mentioned is that of human interference. We hypothesise that the evolutionary origin of this biome resulted from the complex interaction of climate, fire and soil, with climate being the triggering agent of this assumed interaction. Fire, as well as acid and dystrophic soils, would be factors involved in the selection of savanna species throughout climatic events, during the Tertiary and the Quaternary, e.g. Pliocene and Pleistocene. The genesis of the physiognomies that would give rise to cerrado sensu lato, rather than forest formations, could have occurred due to the strong pressure exerted by the reduction in water availability, and the selection of the species adapted to the new conditions imposed by the environment. The characteristics of cerrado sensu lato soil, originated from edaphic impoverishment caused by lixiviation and successive past fires, would remain, even after hydric availability increased following the Pleistocene glaciations.Keywords: climate, fire, ecotypes, refugia, soil. Contribuição às discussões sobre a origem do bioma cerrado: savana brasileira ResumoTeorias que tentam explicar a origem do bioma cerrado baseiam-se, principalmente, na ação isolada de três fatores principais: o clima, o fogo e o solo. Outro fator mencionado ainda é a interferência humana. Quanto à origem evolutiva desse bioma, o presente estudo propõe uma hipótese que considerou a complexa interação dos três primeiros fatores, mencionados acima, considerando o clima como elemento desencadeador dessa possível interação. O fogo e solos ácidos e distróficos teriam atuado como fatores de seleção de espécies savânicas, ao longo das oscilações climá-ticas durante o terciário e o quaternário, e.g. Plioceno e Pleistoceno. A gênese das fisionomias que passariam a compor o chamado cerrado sensu lato, em detrimento de formações florestais, teria resultado da forte pressão exercida pela redução da disponibilidade hídrica e da seleção de espécies adaptadas às novas condições impostas pelo ambiente. As características do solo, que passariam a manter o cerrado sensu lato, oriundas do empobrecimento edáfico pela lixiviação e sucessivos incêndios pretéritos, permaneceriam, mesmo com o restabelecimento de uma maior disponibilidade hídrica, após as glaciações do Pleistoceno.

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Section: The Complex Interaction Among Abiotic Factorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contribution to the discussions on the origin of the cerrado biome: Brazilian savanna

Pinheiro

Monteiro

2010

Braz. J. Biol.

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“…Greater knowledge of floristic variations has furthered the understanding of phytogeographic patterns and the spatial organization of plant communities (Gentry 1982;Prance 1982;Safford 2007). Biogeographic hypotheses involving plant species composition, for instance, often result from previous surveys (Clarke & Funk 2005;Funk 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Myrtaceae throughout the Espinhaço Mountain Range of centraleastern Brazil: floristic relationships and geoclimatic controls

2014

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Although biological surveys and taxonomic revisions provide key information to ecological and evolutionary studies, there is a clear lack of floristic and phytogeographic studies of the mountainous regions of Brazil, which harbor some of the most threatened plant ecosystems on the planet. Myrtaceae has been reported to be one of the most important families in the upland areas of Brazil, as well as in the Atlantic Forest Domain. In this study, we investigated the floristic composition of Myrtaceae throughout the Espinhaço Mountain Range and adjacent highlands of central--eastern Brazil, testing the following hypotheses: floristic similarity increases with geographic proximity; and species distribution is affected by geoclimatic variables. We performed statistical analyses using a database containing records of 199 species in 19 areas and of their respective geoclimatic variables. We also performed ordination analysis using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), the first and second axes of which explained 69% and 78% of the variation, respectively. The NMDS analysis demonstrated that variations in the Myrtaceae flora are highly sensitive to geoclimatic variables and geographic proximity. The NMDS ordination also showed a predominantly south-north gradient, as did the cluster analysis. This gradient was highly correlated with variations in rainfall and temperature, which are also associated with the three domains that coincide with the Espinhaço Mountain Range.

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“…1987). However, until recently tropical montane forest recovery, secondary succession following clearing and biodiversity conservation in the upland tropics received little attention from scientists (Ewel, 1979(Ewel, , 1980Gentry, 1982Gentry, . 1988Sugden et al, 1985: Van der Hammen et al, 1989: Brown and Lugo, 1990 (Gonzalez-Espinosa et al, 1991) and several assessments of mid-montane and lower montane forest recovery following clearing or severe hurricane damage in the Caribbean region (e.g.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changes in diversity along a successional gradient in a Costa Rican upper montane Quercus forest

Kappelle¹,

Kennis

Vries

1995

Biodivers Conserv

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Changes in diversity along a successional gradient in a Costa Rican upper montane Quercus forest Kappelle, M.; Kennis, P.A.F.; de Vries, R.A.J. Disclaimer/Complaints regulationsIf you believe that digital publication of certain material infringes any of your rights or (privacy) interests, please let the Library know, stating your reasons. In case of a legitimate complaint, the Library will make the material inaccessible and/or remove it from the website. Please Ask the Library: http://uba.uva.nl/en/contact, or a letter to: Library of the University of Amsterdam, Secretariat, Singel 425, 1012 WP Amsterdam, The Netherlands. You will be contacted as soon as possible. Download date: 13 May 2018Biodiversity and Conservation 4, 10-34 (1995) Changes in terrestrial vascular plant diversity along a successional gradient were studied in a Costa Rican upper montane Quercus forest. In 1991 and 1992 species presence and cover were recorded in 12 successional 0.1 ha forest plots. A total of 176 species in 122 genera and 75 families were found. Asteraceae was the most speciose family. With the help of TWINSPAN three successional phases were classified: (i) Early Secondary Forest (ESF, 145 spp.), (ii) Late Secondary Forest (LSF, 130 spp.) and (iii) Primary Forest (PF, 96 spp.). Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) species ordination using DECORANA illustrates that different ecological species groups can be distinguished along the time sequence. Alpha diversity (Shannon-Wiener index, among others) in ESF and LSF was significantly greater than in PF. This is probably explained by downslope migration of numerous sub(alpine) species to cleared and recently abandoned montane sites. Beta diversity applying Sorensen's similarity coefficients declined during succession. Using linear regression, the minimum time required for floristic recovery following disturbance and abandonment was calculated at 65.9 years. A comparison with other studies shows that secondary forests in upper montane Costa Rica can be as diverse as in neotropical lowlands.

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Neotropical Floristic Diversity: Phytogeographical Connections Between Central and South America, Pleistocene Climatic Fluctuations, or an Accident of the Andean Orogeny?

Cited by 774 publications

References 53 publications

Contribution to the discussions on the origin of the cerrado biome: Brazilian savanna

Contribution to the discussions on the origin of the cerrado biome: Brazilian savanna

Myrtaceae throughout the Espinhaço Mountain Range of centraleastern Brazil: floristic relationships and geoclimatic controls

Changes in diversity along a successional gradient in a Costa Rican upper montane Quercus forest

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