Patterns of Cactaceae Species Distribution in a Protected Area in the Semiarid Caatinga Biome of North-Eastern Brazil

Abstract

Although Brazil is the centre with the third highest diversity of Cactaceae, the distribution of species at the local scale in Brazil remains largely unknown. This article describes the distribution patterns of the Cactaceae communities in the protected area of the Contendas do Sincorá National Forest (CSNF) in a semiarid region in the north-east of Brazil. Trails were distributed between the altitudes of 290 and 596 m, along which 91 plots (1.8 ha) were established for quantitative surveys. The floristic data were also recorded separately on these trails. With the floristic survey, 18 taxa were recorded, and the quantitative surveys within the plots identified 10 species, represented by 1135 individuals. The distribution patterns of the species of Cactaceae were intermittent, which provided a likely explanation for the differences between the floristic survey and the species composition of the plots. The largest fraction of the floristic variation was not explained by environment or space, and this may be related to climatic alterations in the past, evolutionary processes, natural and anthropic disturbances and other unmeasured environmental variables. The recorded endemic, vulnerable and endangered species of the caatingas of Bahia indicate that broader protection areas for the Cactaceae species in the region of the CSNF are necessary.

Distribution and conservation of Cactaceae in Brazilian Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests: insights from floristic and phytosociological surveys

“…Although the Caatinga vegetation presents a considerable richness of Cactaceae species, with 122 species, 63 of which are endemic (Zappi & Taylor 2020), only 28% of these species were sampled in floristic studies and 15.57% in phytosociological studies. It is worth noting that only one study investigates exclusively floristic and structural aspects of Cactaceae populations (Ribeiro-Silva et al 2016). Investigating how these species are distributed in different types of Caatinga is important to understand the family distribution pattern and to verify whether the soil type in different Caatinga formations determines the occurrence of Cactaceae.…”

Geographic distribution and conservation status of Eulychnia ritteri Cullmann (Cactaceae), an endemic cactus from southern Peru

“…On the other hand, trying to understand what are the determining factors for the current distribution of E. ritteri is important. It is documented that for Cactaceae, minimum temperature, precipitation and topography explain the distribution patterns at a regional scale, while chemical and physical properties of the soil are determining at a local scale (Hernández & Bárcenas 1995, Godínez-Álvarez et al 2003, Medel-Narvaez et al 2006, Ruedas et al 2006, Ribeiro-Silva et al 2016). It seems that E. ritteri has adapted to specific conditions, given that all populations are located in areas where humidity is intermittent, there is high solar radiation and there is very limited rainfall.…”

Morphological plasticity of an endemic widespread columnar cactus and its congener

“…In contrast, N. multiareolata occupies habitats with acidic water potential (6.6-6.8), high electric conductivity percentage (32-35%), high organic matter (31.1-53.1), high phosphorus content (32-42), and loam soil texture as compared to N. mezcalaensis. Distribution of different cactus species has been associated with the diversity of soil properties, as they are affected by water and nutrient uptake (Parker 1991;Ruedas et al 2006;Ribeiro-Silva et al 2016). The populations of N. mezcalaensis in the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán valley inhabit higher elevation sites, with lower precipitation and soil with a higher content of organic matter and phosphorus compared with the populations in the Zopilote Canyon, which are located at lower elevations, higher temperature, and precipitation levels and poorer soils (i.e., low organic matter and phosphorus levels) as other studies have indicated (Ruedas et al 2006) for the same species.…”

“…In addition, PCA is also an appropriate statistical technique to examine the relationships among multiple intercorrelated environmental variables (McCune and Grace 2002). For example, other studies (Parker 1991;Ruedas et al 2006;Bárcenas-Argüello et al 2010;Ribeiro-Silva et al 2016) applying univariate and multivariate analyses and mineralogy assessments were conducted to identify which of the edaphic properties (e.g., soil development, depth, texture, as well as calcium carbonate and phosphorous content) contribute the most to the establishment, early developmental stages, distribution, and abundance of different cactus species. In contrast, the presence/ absence of many cactus species is associated with elevation or latitude constraints (Gurvich et al 2014;Bauk et al 2015), above which freezing temperatures reach or appear to reach the threshold (Jordan and Nobel 1981).…”