Name: Douglas Tinoco Wandekoken
Type: MSc dissertation
Publication date: 07/03/2018
Advisor:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| Luis Fernando Tavares de Menezes | Advisor * |
| Sara Lucía Colmenares Trejos | Co-advisor * |
Examining board:
| Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| Camilla Rozindo Dias Milanez | Internal Alternate * |
| Felipe Zamborlini Saiter | External Alternate * |
| Geraldo Rogério Faustini Cuzzuol | Internal Examiner * |
| Luis Fernando Tavares de Menezes | Advisor * |
| Luiz Fernando Silva Magnago | External Examiner * |
Summary: The restingas present great environmental heterogeneity that define the distribution of plant species, giving rise to several phytophysiognomies. Topographic variations at the local scale in the restingas modulate the water table level, influencing the hydrological and soil fertility conditions. The palms are widely distributed along the plant formations of the restingas, presenting varied life forms, forming a relevant group to evaluate the influence of the edaphic gradient on the strategy and distribution of the species. Through the analysis of the set of functional morphological-physiological characteristics and the variation of the abundance of the species along environmental gradients one can infer the ecological processes acting on the structuring of the communities. This work aimed to elucidate the influence of the edaphic gradient between the restinga floodable forest (FIR) and the non - floodable restinga forest (FNR) on the distribution of species and on the functional diversity of the young and adult palm community. The palms and soil samples were collected in 54 plots of 25 x 5 m, distributed along the edaphic gradient in the Guarapari-ES restinga. Six species were found and functional characteristics were measured in 10 adult individuals and 10 young individuals of each species. The Atallea humilis palm was the only one that occupied the entire gradient, while the other species showed habitat specificity. The soil moisture retention capacity was the variable that best explained the substitution of most of the species along the edaphic gradient, according to the Pearson coefficient of correlation at 95% of significance. There was a significant difference between the average value of the functional characteristics weighted by the abundance of the community species along the edaphic gradient. In the FIR the species presented more acquisitive strategies of rapid growth due to the greater water availability and soil fertility. While in the FNR, due to the lower availability of resources, the species presented more conservative strategies, prioritizing a greater conservation of resources in well protected foliar tissues. The adult palm community presented greater functional diversity in areas with greater availability of resources. The greater functional richness in the FIR indicates a greater occupation of the functional space in relation to the FNR. While the lower functional dissimilarity in the FNR indicates that the most abundant species in this formation are functionally similar, which suggests a greater abiotic filtration, reducing the amplitude of variation of the
functional attributes. For the young palms community there was no variation of the functional diversity along the gradient. The light limitation in the understorey may be the most relevant factor to explain the reduced amplitude of functional variation in this ontogenetic state. In conclusion, the edaphic gradient in restinga formations acts on the functional response of the palm community, influencing the pattern of spatial distribution of the species.
Keywords: Edaphic gradient, Functional strategy, Palm trees, Resinga, Spatial distribution.
