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Resprouting is an efficient life history strategy by which woody savanna species can recover their aboveground biomass after fire. However, resprouting dynamics after fire and the time it takes to start producing flowers and fruits are still poorly understood, especially for the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado biome), where fire is an important driver of vegetation structure and ecosystem functioning. We investigated the resprouting dynamics and production of flowers and fruits of 26 woody species (20 tree and 6 shrub species for a total of 485 individuals) that were burned and the production of flowers and fruits for a subset of 12 species (139 individuals) in an unburned area in a Brazilian savanna. We classified the species’ resprouting strategies as hypogeal (at the soil level, with main stem death), epigeal (on the main stem or crown), and hypogeal + epigeal. We used generalized linear mixed-effect models to identify the post-fire recovery patterns for five years. Individuals with basal resprouts (hypogeal and hypogeal + epigeal resprouting) produced an average of 6 basal resprouts, but only 33% of resprouts survived after five years. Individuals in burned areas produced fewer flowers and fruits than individuals in unburned areas. At least a subset of individuals in all the resprouting strategies started to produce flowers and fruits in the first-year post-fire. About 68% of the species with hypogeal resprouts produced flowers and fruits in the first-year post-fire, but the intensity of flowering and fruiting was lower compared to individuals with other resprouting strategies over time. Although woody species have invested in post-fire growth and sexual reproduction in all resprouting strategies, the long time needed to recover these processes can make these species more vulnerable to frequent fires.

The campo rupestre sensu lato is a vegetation type that occurs in South American mountains, supports a distinctive flora characterized by high rates of endemism, high herbaceous species richness and often-neglected but also species-rich of the arboreal stratum. We aimed to investigate how environmental factors and elevation are associated with the distribution and diversity of woody species in different rupestrian vegetation types across South America. Using a database of 2,049 woody species from 185 sites across four vegetation types within the campo rupestre, we assessed how the vegetation types were grouped according to their floristic composition and number of shared indicator species, as well as by using different beta diversity indices. The most important variables from a set of 27 variables (e.g. altitude, geo-edaphic and climatic) explaining species distribution were identified using redundancy analysis (RDA) and variation partitioning methods. The distribution of vegetation types was related to both environmental and spatial fractions, with a set of 17 variables retained (e.g. rockiness, grass cover and temperature seasonality as the most important variables). There was an association between the floristic composition of each vegetation type and the elevation range. Although the identified vegetation types are floristically related, they are distinguished by exclusive and habitat-specialist woody species. This uniqueness of vegetation types should be considered in terms of complementarity for the conservation of campos rupestres.

Vegetation formations are undergoing constant floristic and structural change over time and space. Assessing these changes represents an important step to understand the effects of disturbances and propose ecosystem conservation and management strategies. We still lack, however, information on the dynamics of the woody vegetation in Cerrado Rupestre (rupestrian Cerrado—RC) formations over time, which comprise important refuge of the vegetation of the Brazilian Savanna and occur on rocky outcrops, which are considered restrictive environments. In this context, we describe the changes in floristic composition, richness, species diversity and structure of vegetation in RC over 12-year and link patterns to the disturbances that occur in the area—wildfire and cattle presence. We gathered data from three surveys conducted in RC in the Pireneus State Park (PSP), Goias, Brazil. We also registered hot pixels inside the study area and in the PSP neighboring area indicating presence of bovine and equine cattle in the Park. Disturbances, occurrence of wildfires, and presence of cattle promoted changes in vegetation structure, with a decrease in the number of small individuals, but not in diversity parameters. The increase in richness, evenness and diversity, even under the effect of disturbances, demonstrates the resilience of the RC. However, if these disturbances keep occurring, resilience will be compromised, with clearer changes in floristic composition and vegetation structure, according to what we proposed in a theoretical model describing the synergistic influence of cattle presence, exotic grass and wildfires on the dynamics of the Cerrado Rupestre.

The Cerrado is a biodiversity hotspot in central Brazil that is the largest expanse of savanna in the Neotropics. Here, we aim to identify and delimit biogeographic districts within the Cerrado, to provide a geographic framework for conservation planning and scientific research prioritization. We used data from 588 sites with tree species inventories distributed across the entire Cerrado. To identify districts, we clustered sites based on their similarity in tree species composition. To investigate why districts differ in composition, we (1) determined the proportion of tree species in different districts that derive from other biomes, to assess the influence of neighbouring biomes upon geographically marginal districts and (2) assayed key climatic differences between districts, to test the effect of environmental factors upon compositional differences. We found seven biogeographic districts within the Cerrado. Marginal districts have a large proportion of tree species characteristic of Amazonia and Atlantic Forest, but the Cerrado endemic species are also important. Further, districts differed significantly for multiple climatic variables. Finally, to provide a preliminary conservation assessment of the different districts, we assessed their rate of land conversion and current coverage by protected areas. We found that districts in the south and southwest of the Cerrado have experienced the greatest land conversion and are the least protected, while those in the north and northeast are less impacted and better protected. Overall, our results show how biogeographic analyses can contribute to conservation planning by giving clear guidelines on which districts merit greater conservation and management attention.

Grasslands and wetlands are non-forested highly biodiverse ecosystems. Although fire is a major factor controlling and maintaining biodiversity in different landscapes of Central Brazil, there are still knowledge gaps about its effect on these systems. We compared composition, diversity and coverage of herbaceous and sub-shrub species in ‘campos de murundus’ (murundus fields) before and after recurrent fire events. We sampled and collected species in 32 subplots of 1 m2 within a 100 × 100 m plot, and compared species richness, diversity, frequency, and cover percentage before and after recurrent fires. Floristic composition was evaluated through multivariate dispersion analysis. Our results show that recurrent fires in murundus fields decreased species richness and modified the composition of herbaceous and sub-shrub (i.e., species with a woody base and soft shoots) species. However, species diversity either increased or was maintained, depending on the diversity index used. In addition, repeated fire events modified the coverage and increased the dominance of fire-tolerant species, such as Aristida pendula, over fire-sensitive ones, such as Eriocaulon burchellii, Eleocharis minima, Hyptis hygrobia, Scleria sp., Paspalum lineare, Piriqueta sp., Polygala celosioides and Sipanea biflora. These post-fire changes resulted in altered species composition, richness and soil cover. Generally, fire increased the amount of bare ground and, consequently, decreased species richness and species diversity.

Background Long-term studies of community and population dynamics indicate that abrupt disturbances often catalyse changes in vegetation and carbon stocks. These disturbances include the opening of clearings, flooding, rainfall seasonality, and drought, as well as fire and direct human disturbance. Such events may be super-imposed on longer-term trends in disturbance, such as those associated with climate change (heating, drying), as well as resources. Intact neotropical forests have recently experienced increased drought frequency and fire, on top of pervasive increases in atmospheric CO2 concentrations, but we lack long-term records of responses to such changes especially in the critical transitional areas at the interface of forest and savanna biomes. Here, we present results from 20 years monitoring a valley forest (moist tropical forest outlier) in central Brazil. The forest has experienced multiple drought events and includes plots which have and which have not experienced fire. We focus on how forest structure (stem density and aboveground biomass carbon) and dynamics (stem and biomass mortality and recruitment) have responded to these disturbance regimes. ResultsOverall, the biomass carbon stock increased due to the growth of the trees already present in the forest, without any increase in the overall number of tree stems. Over time, both recruitment and especially mortality of trees tended to increase, and periods of prolonged drought in particular resulted in increased mortality rates of larger trees. This increased mortality was in turn responsible for a decline in aboveground carbon toward the end of the monitoring period. Fire in 2010, which occurred in only some of our plots, tended to exacerbate the trends of increasing mortality and losses of biomass carbon. Conclusion Prolonged droughts influence the mortality of large trees, leading to a decline in aboveground carbon stocks. Here, and in other neotropical forests, recent droughts are capable of shutting down and reversing biomass carbon sinks. These new results add to evidence that anthropogenic climate changes are already adversely impacting tropical forests.

The Brazilian Cerrado biome consists of a highly heterogeneous tropical savanna, and is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. High rates of deforestation, however, place it as the second-largest source of carbon emissions in Brazil. Due to its heterogeneity, biomass and carbon stocks in the Cerrado vegetation are highly variable, and mapping and monitoring these stocks are not a trivial effort. To address this challenge, we built an aboveground woody biomass (AGWB) model for the Cerrado biome using 30-m resolution optical satellite imagery (Landsat-5 and Landsat-8), 25-m resolution SAR imagery (ALOS and ALOS-2), and a set of plot-based and LiDAR-derived AGWB estimates (n = 1858) from a wide network of researchers in Brazil. We implemented both a Classification and Regression Tree (CART) and a Random Forest (RF) algorithm to model AGWB over the native vegetation in the year 2019 (as classified by MapBiomas) in the Cerrado. The RF algorithms resulted in a slightly better result (R2 = 53%; rel. RMSE = 57%) than the CART model (R2 = 45%; rel. RMSE = 63%), but our map shows an underestimation of very high AGWB (negative bias over 200 t ha−1) and a slight overestimation of low AGWB (positive bias), especially in the RF model (bias of 1.19 t ha−1 against 0.86 t ha−1 for the CART model). We believe we have contributed to knowledge on the woody biomass stocks in the biome, especially in the predominant savanna woodlands, which is where the highest current rates of conversion take place in the Cerrado.

Significance Identifying and explaining regional differences in tropical forest dynamics, structure, diversity, and composition are critical for anticipating region-specific responses to global environmental change. Floristic classifications are of fundamental importance for these efforts. Here we provide a global tropical forest classification that is explicitly based on community evolutionary similarity, resulting in identification of five major tropical forest regions and their relationships: (i) Indo-Pacific, (ii) Subtropical, (iii) African, (iv) American, and (v) Dry forests. African and American forests are grouped, reflecting their former western Gondwanan connection, while Indo-Pacific forests range from eastern Africa and Madagascar to Australia and the Pacific. The connection between northern-hemisphere Asian and American forests is confirmed, while Dry forests are identified as a single tropical biome., Knowledge about the biogeographic affinities of the world’s tropical forests helps to better understand regional differences in forest structure, diversity, composition, and dynamics. Such understanding will enable anticipation of region-specific responses to global environmental change. Modern phylogenies, in combination with broad coverage of species inventory data, now allow for global biogeographic analyses that take species evolutionary distance into account. Here we present a classification of the world’s tropical forests based on their phylogenetic similarity. We identify five principal floristic regions and their floristic relationships: (i) Indo-Pacific, (ii) Subtropical, (iii) African, (iv) American, and (v) Dry forests. Our results do not support the traditional neo- versus paleotropical forest division but instead separate the combined American and African forests from their Indo-Pacific counterparts. We also find indications for the existence of a global dry forest region, with representatives in America, Africa, Madagascar, and India. Additionally, a northern-hemisphere Subtropical forest region was identified with representatives in Asia and America, providing support for a link between Asian and American northern-hemisphere forests.

Several theories have been proposed to explain the raised richness and diversity of species in native tropical forests, with an emphasis on those that invoke the niche characteristics. In the present study, we sample the woody vegetation in four enclaves of Deciduous Forests and investigate whether environmental variables can explain the floristic and structural differences among the sampled fragments. The studied areas are located the “Cerrado” biome core zone and in “Cerrado”–Atlantic Forest and “Cerrado–Caatinga” transition zones. The woody vegetation (diameter at breast height—DBH ≥ 5 cm) was sampled in 100 plots of 20 × 20 m, 25 plots in each enclaves. The investigated environmental variables were chemical and textural properties of the soil, rockiness, declivity and altitude. We found significant differences for the floristic variables (richness, diversity), among all the environmental variables, as well as for the density, height and for the DBH first class. We noticed strong influence of the environmental variables, and the nutrients availability, texture, soil acidity and the land relief are the most responsible for the floristic-cultural difference. We propose that the gradient existence of rainfall has influenced the edaphic characteristics, creating variations in the habitats, which may have favored the arrival and establishment of different species in each study area and the distinctive development of the woody vegetation at the enclaves to the Deciduous Forest.

We conducted a floristic survey of “Cerrado” sensu stricto on Quartzipsamment soils in the northeastern state of Goias, Brazil, in Terra Ronca State Park (PETeR). In addition, we analysed phytogeographical aspects to investigate the floristic relationships between “Cerrado” and the Amazon, Atlantic Forest and “Caatinga” biomes. Furthermore, we assessed the shrub–tree flora similarity with other sites having the same type of physiognomy and soil class. We collected species along three 5 km × 60 m (90 ha) transects and recorded 278 species. Erythroxylum loefgrenii Diogo, Eugenia blanchetiana O.Berg and Martianthus stachydifolius (Epling) Harley & J.F.B.Pastore were listed as new records for the “Cerrado” (Brazilian savanna), and thirteen species were newly recorded for the state of Goias. Approximately, 28% of the species are endemic to the “Cerrado”, and 72% are shared with other Brazilian biomes. The shrub–tree layer of the “Cerrado” shares more species with the “Caatinga”, which shows the transitional aspects and affinities of the local flora with this biome. The high similarity between the woody flora of PETeR and “Cerrado” sensu stricto on Quartzipsamment soil sites in Bahia and northern Minas Gerais state associated with the occurrence of floristic elements that considered typical of the north–northeast portion of the “Cerrado” phytogeographical province reinforces the inclusion of the northeast region of Goias in this floristic province. The protected area in the Vao do Parana region represents only 3.3% of the total area of the region and 6% of the remaining natural vegetation in the area. Considering that the studied region holds an important flora and at the same time presents strong anthropogenic pressure from the occupation of agribusiness, it would be extremely important to prioritize conservation strategies to maintain the remaining natural vegetation in the northeastern portion of the “Cerrado”.

The relationships between floristic patterns and environmental variation in tropical savannas have been the focus of many studies worldwide. However, important aspects of these relationships, such as the role of geographic distance in structuring plant communities, have received little attention. We investigated the individual and combined influences of substrate, climatic, and spatial factors on the floristic-structural dissimilarity between two savanna physiognomies in the core region of Brazilian savannas: one on plain relief with deep soils and another on steep relief with shallow rocky soils. Ten 1-ha plots were sampled in each physiognomy. We modeled species abundance using multiple linear models and variance partitioning. Our results indicated that spatial processes that are intrinsically related to species variation have negligible effects on floristic variation. The most important predictors in our models were related to soil characteristics (mainly nutrient availability) and topography (relief and elevation). Consequently, the substrate component exhibited the greatest power (14%) in explaining the floristic-structural variation in the overall variance partitioning. Our results provide the first demonstration of the individual and combined contributions of substrate, climatic, and spatial factors to the occurrence and abundance of woody species in the most diverse and threatened savanna in the world. We also provide evidence that neutral processes might not be strong predictors of vegetation structure where savanna substrates differ greatly; instead, community structure may be primarily regulated by environmental filters. Resumo A relacao entre padroes floristicos e variacao ambiental tem sido amplamente investigada nas savanas tropicais. Contudo, importantes aspectos dessa relacao foram pobremente estudados, como o papel da distância geografica na estruturacao de comunidades de plantas. Aqui, nos investigamos a influencia concomitante e individual de fatores edaficos, climaticos e espaciais sobre a dissimilaridade floristico-estrutural entre duas fitofisionomias savânicas do Cerrado (cada uma com 10 amostras de 1 ha): uma sobre relevo plano e solos profundos e outra sobre relevo ingreme e solos rasos com afloramentos de rocha. Nos modelamos os padroes de abundância das especies usando regressoes lineares multiplas e particao de variância. Nossos resultados indicaram que processos espaciais que sao intrinsecamente relacionados a variacao das especies tem influencia desprezivel sobre a variacao floristica. Nos nossos modelos, os mais importantes preditores foram relacionados aos solos (principalmente disponibilidade de nutrientes) e a topografia (relevo e altitude). Consequentemente, o componente edafico explicou a maioria (14%) da variacao floristico-estrutural na particao de variância como um todo. Nossos resultados tornaram claro, pela primeira vez para a mais diversa e ameacada savana do mundo, a contribuicao concomitante e individual de fatores edaficos, climaticos e espaciais para os padroes de ocorrencia e de abundância de especies lenhosas; alem disso, nos fornecemos evidencias de que quando os substratos sao muito diferentes, processos neutros nao podem ser um forte preditor nas savanas; em vez disso, a regulacao da estrutura da comunidade pode ser primariamente atribuida a filtros ambientais.

We evaluated the recruitment of plant species and their relation with edaphic attributes in a mine revegetated with sewage sludge in the Brazilian Federal District. Plant species in the revegetated mine and in remaining portions of Cerrado (savanna) within the mined landscape were sampled and identified. Then, samples of revegetated substrate and soils from Cerrado portions were collected, analyzed for chemical attributes and submitted to statistical tests. Results indicated that the remaining portions of Cerrado were colonized by 91 species (22% allochthonous species), and the revegetated substrate housed 62 species (55% allochthonous species). Multivariate tests showed that the edaphic condition built from the incorporation of sewage sludge into the mining substrate acted as filter on the assemblage of plant species. Despite the two study sites shared the same landscape, the Cerrado portions and the revegetated substrate did not share similar plant communities after a decade from mine rehabilitation works.

Background The quantification and spatially explicit mapping of carbon stocks in terrestrial ecosystems is important to better understand the global carbon cycle and to monitor and report change processes, especially in the context of international policy mechanisms such as REDD+ or the implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Especially in heterogeneous ecosystems, such as Savannas, accurate carbon quantifications are still lacking, where highly variable vegetation densities occur and a strong seasonality hinders consistent data acquisition. In order to account for these challenges we analyzed the potential of land surface phenological metrics derived from gap-filled 8-day Landsat time series for carbon mapping. We selected three areas located in different subregions in the central Brazil region, which is a prominent example of a Savanna with significant carbon stocks that has been undergoing extensive land cover conversions. Here phenological metrics from the season 2014/2015 were combined with aboveground carbon field samples of cerrado sensu stricto vegetation using Random Forest regression models to map the regional carbon distribution and to analyze the relation between phenological metrics and aboveground carbon. Results The gap filling approach enabled to accurately approximate the original Landsat ETM+ and OLI EVI values and the subsequent derivation of annual phenological metrics. Random Forest model performances varied between the three study areas with RMSE values of 1.64 t/ha (mean relative RMSE 30%), 2.35 t/ha (46%) and 2.18 t/ha (45%). Comparable relationships between remote sensing based land surface phenological metrics and aboveground carbon were observed in all study areas. Aboveground carbon distributions could be mapped and revealed comprehensible spatial patterns. Conclusion Phenological metrics were derived from 8-day Landsat time series with a spatial resolution that is sufficient to capture gradual changes in carbon stocks of heterogeneous Savanna ecosystems. These metrics revealed the relationship between aboveground carbon and the phenology of the observed vegetation. Our results suggest that metrics relating to the seasonal minimum and maximum values were the most influential variables and bear potential to improve spatially explicit mapping approaches in heterogeneous ecosystems, where both spatial and temporal resolutions are critical. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s13021-018-0097-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Cerrado is the second largest biome in South America and accounted for the second largest contribution to carbon emissions in Brazil for the last 10 years, mainly due to land-use changes. It comprises approximately 2 million km2 and is divided into 22 ecoregions, based on environmental conditions and vegetation. The most dominant vegetation type is cerrado sensu stricto (cerrado ss), a savanna woodland. Quantifying variation of biomass density of this vegetation is crucial for climate change mitigation policies. Integrating remote sensing data with adequate allometric equations and field-based data sets can provide large-scale estimates of biomass. We developed individual-tree aboveground biomass (AGB) allometric models to compare different regression techniques and explanatory variables. We applied the model with the strongest fit to a comprehensive ground-based data set (77 sites, 893 plots, and 95,484 trees) to describe AGB density variation of cerrado ss. We also investigated the influence of physiographic and climatological variables on AGB density; this analysis was restricted to 68 sites because eight sites could not be classified into a specific ecoregion, and one site had no soil texture data. In addition, we developed two models to estimate plot AGB density based on plot basal area. Our data show that for individual-tree AGB models a) log-log linear models provided better estimates than nonlinear power models; b) including species as a random effect improved model fit; c) diameter at 30 cm above ground was a reliable predictor for individual-tree AGB, and although height significantly improved model fit, species wood density did not. Mean tree AGB density in cerrado ss was 22.9 tons ha-1 (95% confidence interval = ± 2.2) and varied widely between ecoregions (8.8 to 42.2 tons ha-1), within ecoregions (e.g. 4.8 to 39.5 tons ha-1), and even within sites (24.3 to 69.9 tons ha-1). Biomass density tended to be higher in sites close to the Amazon. Ecoregion explained 42% of biomass variation between the 68 sites (P < 0.01) and shows strong potential as a parameter for classifying regional biomass variation in the Cerrado.

Post-fi re response by vegetation may refl ect the severity of the damage suff ered, but we still know little about the species-specifi c nature of responses to fi re or their predictors. Here, we evaluated 26 woody species before and after a fi re event in an Cerrado sensu stricto area (typical Brazilian savanna-type) in order to evaluate mortality rates and the type of resprouting (epigeal, hypogeal or epigeal + hypogeal). We evaluated the relative importance of stem diameter, height, and bark thickness as predictors of the type of post-fi re resprouting, using a sequential logistic regression model (SLRM). Mortality was 4 %, while epigeal resprouting was recorded in 57 % of the individuals, hypogeal resprouting was recorded in 24 %, and epigeal + hypogeal resprouting in 15 %. Our SLRM analysis indicated that bark thickness, followed by stem diameter, were the best predictors of the type of resprouting. Th ere was a greater than 60 % probability that individuals with bark thicker than 1.6 cm resprouted only epigeally. Our results confi rm the resistance (low mortality) and resilience (high resprouting capacity) of the woody vegetation of the Cerrado sensu stricto to fi re, and that thick bark is an eff ective protection against fi re damage.

We describe the patterns of composition and abundance of tree species and their relationships to environmental factors in an area affected by the Jirau hydroelectric dam on the Madeira River in the Brazilian state of Rondonia. Trees were sampled in 20 1-ha forest plots distributed among areas affected and unaffected by the hydroelectric reservoir. Predictors of species distribution included in the analyses were soil fertility (sum of bases) and texture, slope, and the vertical distance from the nearest drainage. We sampled 8504 individuals belonging to 909 species/morphospecies. Floristic differences occurred throughout the reservoir area and between the sides of the river, and were strongly associated with edaphic and geological factors. The predictor with the greatest effect on the floristic changes was the sum of bases, coupled with the vertical distance from the nearest drainage, the latter reflecting the influence of the riparian zone. The forests sampled were heterogeneous and included transitional formations between unflooded terra firme and seasonally inundated (varzea, campinarana) forests. Although a considerable number of species (253) were restricted to plots affected by the reservoir, most of these species have a widespread distribution in the Amazon region. However, conservation measures are required in order to preserve species associations and ecosystems processes similar to those most affected by the reservoir such as the river floodplains. Our study reinforces the need to consider the heterogeneity of habitats affected by reservoirs when making decisions concerning the building of hydroelectric dams in the Amazon. Resumo Discutimos os padroes de composicao e abundância das especies arboreas e suas relacoes com fatores ambientais na area que estara sujeita ao impacto decorrente da instalacao da hidreletrica de Jirau no rio Madeira, no estado de Rondonia, Brasil. As arvores foram amostradas em 20 parcelas de 1 hectare cada, distribuidas entre areas afetadas e nao afetadas pelo reservatorio da hidreletrica. Como preditores da distribuicao de especies incluimos dados de fertilidade (soma de bases) e textura do solo, topografia e distância vertical em relacao a drenagem mais proxima. Amostramos 8504 individuos pertencentes a 909 especies arboreas. Diferencas floristicas ocorreram ao longo da area do reservatorio e entre as margens do rio e foram fortemente associadas aos fatores geologicos e edaficos distintos. A soma de bases foi o preditor com maior efeito sobre a variacao floristica, alem da distância vertical em relacao a drenagem mais proxima, esta ultima caracterizando a influencia das zonas riparias. As florestas amostradas foram heterogeneas e incluiram formacoes transicionais entre florestas de terra firme e florestas de varzea e campinaranas, estas ultimas sazonalmente inundadas. Embora um consideravel numero de especies (253) tenha sido restrito as parcelas afetadas pelo reservatorio, a maioria das especies tem uma distribuicao ampla na regiao amazonica. Entretanto, medidas de conservacao sao necessarias para preservar associacoes de especies e processos dos ecossistemas similares aqueles mais afetados pelo resveratorio, como as planicies de inundacao. Nosso estudo reforca a necessidade de considerar a heterogeneidade de habitats afetados por reservatorios nos planejamentos relativos a construcao de hidreletricas na Amazonia.

The Cerrado stands out from other savannas of the world for hosting the highest biodiversity and for its ongoing massive destruction. Savannas on plain relief and with deep soils (DS) in Central Brazil have been widely converted into agropastoral ecosystems. In contrast, savannas on steep relief with shallow and rocky soils (RS) have been considered as future biodiversity refuges in Central Brazil. In this study, we show that adjacent DS and RS savanna sites (each with ten 1-ha plots) differ based on their woody species population sizes, but not based on species occurrence or diversity. In addition, we discuss the implications of these results for species conservation. Our research indicates that the DS and RS savannas are complementary, but not equivalent, regarding their representation of savanna vegetation in Central Brazil. We hypothesize that if RS savannas become the only refuges for savannic vegetation, widespread biodiversity losses will occur in the short term (through loss of exclusive and habitat-specialist species) and long term (due to fragmentation, reductions in population size and loss of genetic variability). Thus, we suggest that the consideration of savannas on distinct substrates should be considered for improving conservation decision-making and initiatives and can be beneficial when expanding or creating new conservation units.

Os estudos sobre a composição florística devem ser considerados de extrema relevância uma vez que oferecem informações imprescindíveis para a compreensão da estrutura e da dinâmica vegetacional, sendo, portanto, consideradas essenciais para o conhecimento da regeneração natural e formas de manejo. Especialmente quando estes são realizados em ambientes ripários visto que os mesmos abrigam elevada riqueza natural, a qual por si só, já justificaria os estudos para conservação e manejo da sua biodiversidade, assim sendo, estas destacam-se por sua elevada riqueza de espécies, diversidade genética e proteção dos recursos hídricos, solos, fauna silvestre e aquática. Este estudo teve como objetivo realizar um levantamento bibliográfico dos estudos realizados em ambientes ripários nas regiões Sudeste e Centro-Oeste do Brasil e descrever quais as principais indagações destes estudos. Neste trabalho foi possível verificar que os conhecimentos acerca dessas florestas evoluíram de simples trabalhos de florística para estudos bastante elaborados onde são avaliados o papel de variáveis ambientais na dinâmica da composição florística e estrutural destes ambientes, o que demonstra o crescente interesse por parte dos pesquisadores em realizar estudos mais elaborados para as análises florísticas e estruturais em uma escala tanto espacial como temporal.Palavras-chave: ambientes úmidos; comunidade arbórea; conhecimento científico. FLORISTIC AND PHYTOSOCIOLOGICAL STUDIES RIPARIAN FORESTS IN THE SOUTHEAST AND MIDWEST OF BRAZIL ABSTRACT: Studies on floristic composition should be considered extremely relevant since they provide essential information for the understanding of vegetation structure and dynamics and are therefore considered essential for the knowledge of natural regeneration and management forms. Especially when they are carried out in a riparian environment since they shelter high natural wealth, which in itself would justify studies for the conservation and management of its biodiversity, thus, these stand out for their high species richness, diversity genetics and protection of water resources, soils, wild and aquatic fauna. This study aimed to carry out a bibliographic survey of the studies carried out in riparian environments in the Southeast and Center-West regions of Brazil and to describe the main inquiries of these studies. In this work it was possible to verify that the knowledge about these forests evolved from simple floristic works to very elaborate studies where the role of environmental variables in the dynamics of the floristic and structural composition of these environments is evaluated, which demonstrates the growing interest on the part of the researchers in more elaborate studies for floristic and structural analyzes on a spatial and temporal scale.Keywords: wetlands; community of trees; scientific knowledge.

Resumo Este estudo descreveu e comparou a similaridade floristica de tres estratos de quatro fragmentos de Floresta Estacional Decidual. Os fragmentos estudados estao distribuidos na Bacia do Sao Francisco, tres em Minas Gerais e um na Bahia. A amostragem da vegetacao seguiu o protocolo da Rede de Parcelas Permanentes nos biomas Cerrado e Pantanal para os estratos arboreo, de arvoretas e juvenil. Foram contabilizadas a riqueza de especies e familias em cada area e estrato. A similaridade entre os estratos de cada area foi obtida por diagramas de Venn e indices de Jaccard e Czekanowski, ja para a analise da similaridade entre os fragmentos, em cada estrato, foram calculados apenas os dois indices. Os quatro fragmentos e os tres estratos apresentaram baixa relacao floristica, ou seja, baixo compartilhamento de especies. As diferencas entre os estratos podem ser reflexo de variacoes ambientais ao longo do tempo, assim como da capacidade de reproducao das especies dos estratos superiores. Ja as diferencas entre as areas devem-se a distribuicao geografica, que gera variacoes ambientais, as quais podem estar favorecendo a ocorrencia de especies adaptadas as condicoes de cada fragmento, contribuindo para uma composicao floristica diferenciada. Alem disso, os contatos vegetacionais (ecotonos) provavelmente tambem contribuiram para as diferencas floristicas observadas. Floristic similarity between strata of vegetation in four Deciduous Seasonal Forest in Sao Francisco River Abstract This study described and compared the floristic similarity in four Deciduous Seasonal Forest fragments, and assessed the floristic relations between the tree (adult), the treelet and the sapling stratum. The fragments studied are distributed in Minas Gerais State and in Bahia State, Brazil. The vegetation sampling method followed the protocol of the “Rede de Parcelas Permanentes nos biomas Cerrado e Pantanal” for the tree, treelet and sapling strata. The floristic similarity between the fragments was obtained based on Jaccard and Czekanowski indices. Besides the similarity indices, Venn diagrams were drawn for the strata within each area. The four fragments and the three strata of each fragment presented low degrees of species sharing. The floristic differences among the strata may be due to environmental variations throughout time as well as the reproductive capacity of the species differentiated among the years. Besides the geographic distance (neutral theory), the environmental variations between the areas and the vegetation contacts (ecotones) with other biomes may have favored the occurrence of species adapted to the conditions of each fragment, which contributed to the distinct floristic composition.

In the present work, we have considered the vulnerability of some rare tree species to human disturbances in a high biodiversity tropical region. In this context, we aimed to evaluate the combined effect of deforestation and artificial flooding of the large Jirau hydroelectric reservoir on potential distribution areas of 13 locally rare tree species in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon. We performed species distribution modeling (SDM) by using the environmental distance algorithm. Based on these models, we found new sites and subsequently applied rapid ecological assessment to collect further species occurrence data. Additional SDMs were carried out using MaxEnt to determine the potential distribution areas of these rare species. We found that artificial flooding and deforestation caused combined losses of potential distribution areas of rare tree species between 8 and 39% of the total area. The most vulnerable species were Semaphyllanthe megistocaula (K. Krause) L. Andersson (Rubiaceae) (39%), Chrysophyllum colombianum (Aubrev.) T.D. Penn. (Sapotaceae) (34%), Lacunaria jenmanii (Oliv.) Ducke (Quiinaceae) (32%), Brosimum parinarioides Ducke (Moraceae) (32%) and Xylopia benthamii R.E. Fr. (Annonaceae) (30%). These results indicate an additive effect of human disturbances such that artificial flooding, when combined with deforestation, has an overall effect by orders of magnitude. SDMs can be effectively used as a predictive tool in the assessment of human impacts on rare tree species in tropical forests. The results also showed different vulnerability among the rare species, and these results may indicate that some species are more seriously threatened by the extreme loss of potential distribution areas.

Research regarding biodiversity and ecosystem services has been demonstrating a positive correlation among the ecosystem processes, such as the carbon sink into plant biomass and the quantity of carbon in natural vegetation. Nonetheless, it is hard to understand the biodiversity measurements, because they involve gene, phenotypic, population, species, community and ecosystem diversity. The functional diversity refers to the species richness and variety, their characteristics and how that affects the functioning of an ecosystem. Primary productivity is a key factor that affects the functioning of a forest ecosystem. Thus, the aim of this paper was to evaluate the influence of functional diversity on the woody volume productivity (as a proxy for primary production) in the Brazilian savanna. We used six functional characteristics, and to verify the relation between forest production and functional diversity facets, we tested many models. Regarding wood volume, the best models were the exponential and logarithmic. None of the linear models showed significant regression parameters as there was no additive relationship among the multifaceted aspects of functional diversity and wood volume. We found a positive correlation between the functional diversity and primary productivity, which can be used to forecast the effects of diversity variation on ecosystem services.

Rocky outcrops usually have a peculiar vegetation which differs from that of the surrounding vegetation matrix. In Brazil, a savanna type (cerrado rupestre) is particularly characterized by rocky outcrops and is one of eleven vegetation types which occur throughout Cerrado biome. It has been scarcely studied in detail. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the phytogeographical patterns of the woody species in ten areas of the rocky outcrop savanna in the Brazilian Central Plateau. The difference in spatial distribution of the species was assessed through indicator species and CCA ordination analyses. Ten indicator species showed significantly different distribution. The first axis of the ordination showed association with the edaphic gradient, based on maximum temperature, pH and physical properties of the soils (eigenvalue 0.63). The second axis showed an eigenvalue 0.46, associated with poor rainfall and land declivity. It appears that the woody flora of the rocky outcrop savanna areas of the Brazilian Central Plateau is relatively homogeneous, with low β diversity. Apparently, the size of the woody species populations is what distinguishes the ten investigated areas. Therefore, initiatives and actions for the Cerrado biome conservation must consider not only the size of the protected areas but also that of the populations to be protected, especially the woody species on rocky outcrops.

The present study analyzed the influence of edaphic variables on the floristic compositions and structures of the arboreal and shrub vegetation of typical cerrado (TC) and rocky outcrop cerrado (RC) communities in the Serra Negra mountain range in Piranhas Municipality, Goiás State, Brazil. Ten 20 × 50 m plots were established in each community, and all individuals with minimum diameters ≥ 5 cm measured at 30 cm above soil level were sampled. Composite soil samples were collected at 0-20 cm depths in each plot for physical and chemical analyses. The proportions of above-ground rock cover work also estimated in each RC plot. A total of 2,009 individuals (83 species, 69 genera, and 34 families) were recorded. Qualea parviflora was the only species consistently among the 10 most structurally important taxa in both communities, and was considered a generalist species. The observed and estimated species richnesses were greater in RC than in TC, although plant basal areas and heights did not differ between them. There were positive correlations between rock cover × plant density and rock cover × basal areas. TWINSPAN and PCA analysis separated the TC and RC plots, and three RC habitat specialist species (Wunderlichia mirabilis, Norantea guianensis, and Tibouchina papyrus) were identified. Soil variables were found to have greater effects on the species compositions of the TC and RC sites than the geographic distances between sampling plots. According to CCA analysis, the exclusive (or more abundant species) of each community were correlated with soil variables, and these variables therefore determined the selection of some species and influenced the differentiation of the vegetation structures of the communities studied.

Foram determinadas a composição florística e a estrutura da vegetação arbustivo-arbórea, incluindo monocotiledôneas, em uma comunidade de cerrado rupestre, no município Alto Paraíso de Goiás, Goiás. Os objetivos desse estudo foram: 1. Comparar os aspectos florísticos e estruturais da área estudada com aqueles de outros 14 estudos com comunidades arbustivo-arbóreas, com e sem a presença de monocotiledôneas, 2. Avaliar os padrões fitogeográficos das 15 áreas comparadas. Foram amostradas 71 espécies, sendo cinco espécies de monocotiledôneas (três Velloziaceae e duas Arecaceae). Considerando as monocotiledôneas, a comunidade inventariada foi a mais densa (1.977 indivíduos ha-1) e apresentou a segunda maior área basal (11,25 m2 ha-1), entre as áreas comparadas. No entanto, sem as monocotiledôneas a densidade e área basal reduziram para 892 indivíduos ha-1 e 7,55 m2 ha-1, respectivamente. Os índices de diversidade (H’ = 2,81) e equabilidade (J’ = 0,66) foram baixos com a presença das monocotiledôneas, mas se elevaram, com a exclusão das espécies desse grupo (H = 3,63, J’ = 0,86). Os aumentos nos valores de riqueza, densidade e área basal, com a inclusão das monocotiledôneas indicaram elevada importância das famílias Velloziaceae e Arecaceae na comunidade de cerrado rupestre estudada. A flora foi representada predominantemente por espécies de cerrado sentido restrito sobre solos profundos. No entanto, cinco das dez espécies com maiores VI são consideradas habitat especialistas de cerrado rupestre (Vellozia variabilis Mart. ex Schult. f., Wunderlichia cruelsiana Taub., Schwartzia adamantium (Cambess.) Bedell ex Giraldo-Cañas, Hyptis pachyphylla Epling e Vellozia tubiflora (A. Rich.) Kunth). Além do mais, foi observada baixa similaridade florística entre a área de estudo e as áreas comparadas, sugerindo particularidade florística do cerrado rupestre de Alto Paraíso de Goiás. Os padrões fitogeográficos, revelados por análises de agrupamento (UPGMA) e ordenação (DCA), indicaram influência da altitude, da proximidade geográfica entre áreas e de suas localizações em relação aos biomas adjacentes ao Cerrado (Floresta Amazônica, Mata Atlântica e Caatinga). The floristic composition and the structure of a savanna on rocky soil (cerrado rupestre) tree-shrub community, including monocots, in the municipality of Alto Paraíso de Goiás, state of Goiás, were determined. Our objectives were: 1. To compare floristic and structural aspects between the tree-shrub community studied and 14 other cerrado sensu stricto areas, with and without monocots. 2. To evaluate phytogeography patterns of the 15 compared areas. We sampled 71 species, including five monocots (Velloziaceae = 3; Arecaceae = 2). Including monocots, the studied community was the most dense (1,977 individuals ha-1) and showed the second basal area (11.25 m2 ha-1) among the 15 compared areas. On the other hand, excluding monocots, density and basal area decreased to 892 individuals ha-1 e 7.55 m2 ha-1, respectively. The diversity and equability indices were low (H’ = 2.81; J’ = 0.66, respectively) when monocots were included; however, excluding species of this group, H’ and J’ increased to 3.63 and 0.86, respectively. Increases in richness, density and basal area, with the inclusion of monocots, suggested high importance of Velloziaceae and Arecaceae families in the studied community. The flora was mostly represented by deep-soil cerrado species. Nevertheless, five of the ten highest IV species are considered cerrado rupestre habitat specialists (Vellozia variabilis Mart. ex Schult. f., Wunderlichia cruelsiana Taub., Schwartzia adamantium (Cambess.) Bedell ex Giraldo-Cañas, Hyptis pachyphylla Epling and Vellozia tubiflora (A. Rich.) Kunth). Moreover, the low floristic similarities between the studied community and the others suggest floristic particularity of the Alto Paraíso de Goiás rocky cerrado. The phytogeographical patterns revealed through cluster (UPGMA) and ordination (DCA) analyses indicated the influence of altitude, of geographical closeness between the areas and of their location in relation to the Cerrado neighboring biomes (Amazonian Forest, Atlantic Forest and Caatinga).

This study was accomplished in two fragments of the gallery forest located in the Parque Canjerana in Brasília, DF, to characterize the structure and the floristic composition of the arboreal flora. Strips of 10 m of width, with varying lengths, depending on the limits of the forest, were systematically allocated perpendicularly to the water stream, distant 60 m from each other. Each strip was subdivided in continuous parcels of 10 x 20 m, so, in each fragment it was possible to allocate 14 parcels. The individuals with CHD ≥ 5 cm were identified and had their values of total height and CHD registered. It was sampled a total of 747 alive individuals distributed in 79 species and 43 botanical families. The estimated forest basal area was approximately 31.29 m2.ha-1 and the density was 1,475 ind.ha-1. There was low similarity among the fragments. One of the fragments, denominated of fragment II, was characterized as a inundated gallery forest and the species Protium spruceanum and Tapirira guianensis were considered the most important. The other fragment, denominated fragment IV, was characterized as a non-inundated gallery forest and the species Anadenanthera colubrina and Qualea dichotoma stood out with high importance. The diversity of the fragment IV was larger than the one of the fragment II (index of Shannon=3.698 and 2.571nats.ind-1, respectively). The specificity of identified species in each fragment can be used to define restoration and conservation strategies of the Gallery Forest of the Parque Canjerana.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the correlations between environmental variables related to the substrate (soil and topography) and the distribution of tree species in a valley forest in the Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, Mato Grosso State, Brazil. The forest lies in the Cerrado Domain of Central Brazil where the dominant vegetation cover is cerrado (woody savanna). A survey of the tree community registered all live individuals with circumference at breast height (cbh)≥15cm found in eighteen 600m2 plots (total area 1.08ha). The substrate variables used in the gradient analyses were obtained from a topographic survey and from analyses of the chemical and physical properties of soil samples. A principal components analysis of soil and topography variables and a canonical correspondence analysis of the species–environment relationships produced similar results, separating both the substrate variables and the tree species abundances, mainly according to the two types of bedrock, sandstone or slate, underlying their soils, and secondly to the three topographic sectors recognized: Streamside, Mid Slope and Upper Slope. The differences in soil fertility and texture (related to the bedrocks) and the soil water regime (related to both soil texture and topography) were probably the chief factors determining the distribution of tree species in the forest.

Processes driving the assembly of swamp forest communities have been poorly explored. We analyzed natural regeneration and adult tree communities data of a swamp gallery forest in Central Brazil to discuss the role of ecological filters in shaping plant species turnover in a successional gradient. Species data of 120 plots were used to assess species turnover between natural regeneration and adult tree communities. Our analyses were based on 4995 individuals belonging to 72 species. Community patterns were discerned using ordination analyses. A clear floristic turnover among plant life stages was distinguished. Regeneration community of swamp forests was richer in species composition than the adult community. Tree species commonly found in nonflooded gallery forests were present in the regeneration plots but not in the adult community. Differences in the floristic composition of these two strata suggest that not all species in the seedling stage can stand permanent flooding conditions and only a few tolerant species survive to become adult trees. We propose that natural disturbances play an important role by altering limiting resources, allowing seeds of nonflooded forest species to germinate. This paper elucidates the turnover between plant life stages in swamp forests and suggests mechanisms that may shape these communities.

O conhecimento dos períodos reprodutivos e vegetativos das plantas é de extrema importância para coletas de sementes e produção de mudas. No Cerrado, as interações da biota com o fogo são de grande interesse, já que esses fatores estão intimamente relacionados e podem ser determinantes na manutenção das populações vegetais. Durante 12 meses, foi estudada a fenologia de duas espécies nativas do Cerrado (Enterolobium gummiferum (Mart.) J.F.Macbr. e Caryocar brasiliense Cambess.) em dois regimes de queima: em sítio mantido sob queima bienal modal no mês de agosto (PBM) e em sítio controle, livre de fogo há 14 anos (PC). Os testes de uniformidade foram realizados para verificar a sazonalidade das fases fenológicas. A seleção de modelos por critério de informação de Akaike foi realizada utilizando as variáveis climáticas da área de estudo para identificar quais delas são melhores preditoras das fases fenológicas. A produção de frutos foi estimada nos dois tratamentos. Praticamente, todas as fenofases apresentaram picos de produtividade, com exceção da brotação foliar de C. brasiliense em PC, queda foliar da mesma espécie nos dois tratamentos e E. gummiferum na PC. Em geral, o comportamento fenológico de ambas as espécies não diferiu de outros estudos. Porém, o fogo retardou a troca de folhas e inibiu as fases reprodutivas de C. brasiliense, o que corrobora o comportamento já observado em outras espécies nativas do Cerrado em áreas com incidência de queimadas. The knowledge of plant reproductive and vegetative periods is extremely important for seed harvesting and seedling production. Interactions between the Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna) biota and fire are of extreme interest because these factors are intimately related and could be determinant in plant populations maintenance. For 12 months, we studied the phenology of two Cerrado native species (Enterolobium gummiferum (Mart.) J.F.Macbr. and Caryocar brasiliense Cambess.) under two fire regimes: the first was burned every two years on August (PBM) in a control site without fire for 14 years (PC). Uniformity tests were made to verify seasonality of each phenological phase. The model selection with Akaike information criterion was made using climatic variables of the study region to identify which variables better describe the phenological phases. Fruit production was estimated for both treatments. Almost every phenophase showed production peaks, except for leaf sprout of C. brasiliense in PC and leaf fall of C. brasiliense in the two treatments, and E. gummiferum in PC. In general, the phenological behaviour of both species did not differ from other studies. However, fire retarded the leaf renewal and inhibited the reproductive phases of C. brasiliense, similar to previous results for other Cerrado native species in regions with burn incidence.

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo descrever variações na riqueza, na diversidade e na contribuição dos grupos ecológicos para a composição florística da vegetação arbustiva e arbórea (DAP ≥ 5 cm) na Floresta de Vale no Véu de Noiva (FVVN), localizada no Parque Nacional da Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso, Brasil, num período de 14 anos, com base em cinco inventários (1996, 1999, 2003, 2006 e 2010). Todas as espécies arbustivas e arbóreas (DAP ≥ 5 cm) foram amostradas sistematicamente em 18 parcelas de 600 m² distribuídas em três transecções no vale. As mudanças na riqueza de espécies resultaram em aumento, porém não significativos, nos intervalos menores (1996–1999, 1999–2003, 2003–2006 e 2006–2010) enquanto no intervalo maior (1996 a 2010) o aumento foi significativo (comparações entre contagens de Poisson, p < 0,05) e caracterizado por acréscimo líquido de 20 espécies. Apesar disso, a manutenção da equabilidade determinou ausência de alterações significativas na diversidade de espécies ao longo do período estudado (teste t de Hutcheson, p > 0,05). A contribuição dos grupos ecológicos para a composição florística também não apresentou mudanças significativamente durante os 14 anos de monitoramento. Estes resultados sugerem uma comunidade com dinâmica acelerada na composição florística, porém com manutenção temporal da diversidade e da distribuição das espécies entre os grupos ecológicos. The goal of this study was evaluate changes in richness, diversity and the contribution of successional groups to tree species composition of a Valley Forest in the Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, Mato Grosso State, Brazil, over 14 years (1996 – 2010) from five surveys intervals (1996–1999, 1999–2003, 2003–2006, 2006–2010, 1996–2010). All tree species (dbh ≥ 5 cm) were sampled systematically in a total of 18 plots (600 m²) established into three transects in valley. Whereas the changes in species richness were positive, but barely noticeable when analyzed in shorter intervals, the range considering the whole interval (1996–2010) was significant (comparisons of Poisson counts) with a net increase of 20 species. Despite the observed species turnover, maintaining evenness seems to have given the absence of significant changes in diversity over the period studied (Hutcheson t test). The contribution of successional groups to the tree species composition of tree community also did not show significant changes during 14 years of monitoring. These results suggest that tree community dynamics of a Valley forest is accelerated in tree species composition, although maintaining temporal diversity and distribution of species among successional groups.