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1. Lianas, a key component of tropical forests, can limit growth of trees, impacting both the structure and functioning of forests, and are expected to benefit from fragmentation and potentially from global climatic changes. While it is critical to understand the impacts of liana infestation on contemporary tropical forests across large geographical areas, to date most liana studies have been focussed on single or few sites. 2. We measured and quantified liana infestation of 16,066 trees with diameter ≥10 cm in 27 plots distributed across southern Amazonia, a region characterized by substantial ecological and environmental variation and environmental change. We examined the influence of potential drivers of liana infestation at the plot, species and individual tree level. Additionally, we evaluated the effect of liana infestation on tree growth. 3. More than half of all trees had lianas in their crown. At the plot level, infestation by lianas was driven by forest structure but not by the studied climate or soil fertility variables, though low levels of liana infestation were found in seasonally flooded forests. 4. At the tree level, larger and stouter trees had a greater proportion of their crown infested with lianas. At the species level, trees belonging to intrinsically slow‐growing, dense‐wooded species were more susceptible to liana infestation. 5. Liana infestation had a negative impact on tree growth, with growth of heavily infested trees reduced by 33% compared to non‐infested. The impact of liana infestation on tree growth was strongest for the best‐lit tree crowns, indicating that lianas act to reduce the large competitive advantage that well‐lit trees otherwise hold over their neighbours. 6. Synthesis. Lianas are a pervasive and influential feature of the extensive forests at the southern edge of Amazonia. The degree of liana infestation in forests was closely linked to species‐level variables such as potential growth and wood density as well as the size of the individual tree. The growth of heavily infested trees was particularly restricted by lianas, and especially so for trees growing in otherwise favourable conditions, indicating the potential for lianas not only to reduce forest growth rates overall, but also to modify competitive hierarchies among trees within tropical forests.

Tropical forests are some of the most biodiverse ecosystems in the world, yet their functioning is threatened by anthropogenic disturbances and climate change. Global actions to conserve tropical forests could be enhanced by having local knowledge on the forestsʼ functional diversity and functional redundancy as proxies for their capacity to respond to global environmental change. Here we create estimates of plant functional diversity and redundancy across the tropics by combining a dataset of 16 morphological, chemical and photosynthetic plant traits sampled from 2,461 individual trees from 74 sites distributed across four continents together with local climate data for the past half century. Our findings suggest a strong link between climate and functional diversity and redundancy with the three trait groups responding similarly across the tropics and climate gradient. We show that drier tropical forests are overall less functionally diverse than wetter forests and that functional redundancy declines with increasing soil water and vapour pressure deficits. Areas with high functional diversity and high functional redundancy tend to better maintain ecosystem functioning, such as aboveground biomass, after extreme weather events. Our predictions suggest that the lower functional diversity and lower functional redundancy of drier tropical forests, in comparison with wetter forests, may leave them more at risk of shifting towards alternative states in face of further declines in water availability across tropical regions.

The link between functional traits and changes in the environment are challenging, especially in systems of high diversity, such as transitional regions between savannas and tropical forests that are considered unstable and highly vulnerable to climate change. Here we evaluate a series of anatomical traits, key morphological traits, and nutrient concentration for the most representative woody species of four vegetation types (i.e. semideciduous seasonal forest, transition forest, typical cerrado and rocky cerrado) in the Amazonia-Cerrado transition. Our aim was to understand how trees respond to the distinct and unique environmental conditions in each area. Overall, species growing in closed-canopy environments exhibited acquisitive strategies (i.e., higher leaf water content and higher specific leaf area). On the other hand, species from open-canopy environments have adopted conservative strategies (i.e., higher leaf thickness and higher trichomes density). These differences represent a divergence in the adaptive strategies of woody species of the Amazonia-Cerrado transition and are important indicators of how vegetation can respond to future climate change and water availability. Despite these differences, stomatal density and leaf nutrient concentration at a mass basis was surprisingly similar across trees from all vegetation types, suggesting some common environmental drivers, such as likely similar nutrient limitation and climate seasonality.

SummaryOver recent decades, biomass gains in remaining old-growth Amazonia forests have declined due to environmental change. Amazonia’s huge size and complexity makes understanding these changes, drivers, and consequences very challenging. Here, using a network of permanent monitoring plots at the Amazon–Cerrado transition, we quantify recent biomass carbon changes and explore their environmental drivers. Our study area covers 30 plots of upland and riparian forests sampled at least twice between 1996 and 2016 and subject to various levels of fire and drought. Using these plots, we aimed to: (1) estimate the long-term biomass change rate; (2) determine the extent to which forest changes are influenced by forest type; and (3) assess the threat to forests from ongoing environmental change. Overall, there was no net change in biomass, but there was clear variation among different forest types. Burning occurred at least once in 8 of the 12 riparian forests, while only 1 of the 18 upland forests burned, resulting in losses of carbon in burned riparian forests. Net biomass gains prevailed among other riparian and upland forests throughout Amazonia. Our results reveal an unanticipated vulnerability of riparian forests to fire, likely aggravated by drought, and threatening ecosystem conservation at the Amazon southern margins.

Tropical disturbed forests play an important role in global carbon sequestration due to their rapid post-disturbance biomass accumulation rates. However, the accurate estimation of the carbon sequestration capacity of disturbed forests is still challenging due to large uncertainties in their spatial distribution. Using Google Earth Engine (GEE), we developed a novel approach to map cumulative disturbed forest areas based on the 27-year time-series of Landsat surface reflectance imagery. This approach integrates single date features with temporal characteristics from six time-series trajectories (two Landsat shortwave infrared bands and four vegetation indices) using a random forest machine learning classification algorithm. We demonstrated the feasibility of this method to map disturbed forests in three different forest ecoregions (seasonal, moist and dry forest) in Mato Grosso, Brazil, and found that the overall mapping accuracy was high, ranging from 81.3% for moist forest to 86.1% for seasonal forest. According to our classification, dry forest ecoregion experienced the most severe disturbances with 41% of forests being disturbed by 2010, followed by seasonal forest and moist forest ecoregions. We further separated disturbed forests into degraded old-growth forests and post-deforestation regrowth forests based on an existing post-deforestation land use map (TerraClass) and found that the area of degraded old-growth forests was up to 62% larger than the extent of post-deforestation regrowth forests, with 18% of old-growth forests actually being degraded. Application of this new classification approach to other tropical areas will provide a better constraint on the spatial extent of disturbed forest areas in Tropics and ultimately towards a better understanding of their importance in the global carbon cycle.

Tropical forest ecosystems are undergoing rapid transformation as a result of changing environmental conditions and direct human impacts. However, we cannot adequately understand, monitor or simulate tropical ecosystem responses to environmental changes without capturing the high diversity of plant functional characteristics in the species-rich tropics. Failure to do so can oversimplify our understanding of ecosystems responses to environmental disturbances. Innovative methods and data products are needed to track changes in functional trait composition in tropical forest ecosystems through time and space. This study aimed to track key functional traits by coupling Sentinel-2 derived variables with a unique data set of precisely located in-situ measurements of canopy functional traits collected from 2434 individual trees across the tropics using a standardised methodology. The functional traits and vegetation censuses were collected from 47 field plots in the countries of Australia, Brazil, Peru, Gabon, Ghana, and Malaysia, which span the four tropical continents. The spatial positions of individual trees above 10 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) were mapped and their canopy size and shape recorded. Using geo-located tree canopy size and shape data, community-level trait values were estimated at the same spatial resolution as Sentinel-2 imagery (i.e. 10 m pixels). We then used the Geographic Random Forest (GRF) to model and predict functional traits across our plots. We demonstrate that key plant functional traits can be accurately predicted across the tropicsusing the high spatial and spectral resolution of Sentinel-2 imagery in conjunction with climatic and soil information. Image textural parameters were found to be key components of remote sensing information for predicting functional traits across tropical forests and woody savannas. Leaf thickness (R2 = 0.52) obtained the highest prediction accuracy among the morphological and structural traits and leaf carbon content (R2 = 0.70) and maximum rates of photosynthesis (R2 = 0.67) obtained the highest prediction accuracy for leaf chemistry and photosynthesis related traits, respectively. Overall, the highest prediction accuracy was obtained for leaf chemistry and photosynthetic traits in comparison to morphological and structural traits. Our approach offers new opportunities for mapping, monitoring and understanding biodiversity and ecosystem change in the most species-rich ecosystems on Earth.

The sizes and shapes of tree crowns are of fundamental importance in ecology, yet understanding the forces that determine them remains elusive. A cardinal question facing ecologists is the degree to which general and non-specific versus ecological and context-dependent processes are responsible for shaping tree crowns. Here, we test this question for the first time across diverse tropical ecosystems. Using trees from 20 plots varying in elevation, precipitation, and ecosystem type (savanna-forest transitions) across the paleo- and neo-tropics, we test the relationship between crown dimensions and tree size. By analyzing these scaling relationships across environmental gradients, biogeographic regions, and phylogenetic distance, we extend Metabolic Scaling Theory (MST) predictions to include how local selective pressures shape variation in crown dimensions. Across all sites, we find strong agreement between mean trends and MST predictions for the scaling of crown size and shape, but large variation around the mean. While MST explained approximately half of the observed variation in tree crown dimensions, we find that local, ecosystem, and phylogenetic predictors account for the half of the residual variation. Crown scaling does not change significantly across regions, but does change across ecosystem types, where savanna tree crowns grow more quickly with tree girth than forest tree crowns. Crowns of legumes were wider and more voluminous than those of other taxa. Thus, while MST can accurately describe the central tendency of tree crown size, local ecological conditions and evolutionary history appear to modify the scaling of crown shape. Importantly, our extension of MST incorporating these differences accounts for the mechanisms driving variation in the scaling of crown dimensions across the tropics. We present allometric equations for the prediction of crown dimensions across tropical ecosystems. These results are critical when scaling the function of individual trees to larger spatial scales or incorporating the size and shape of tree crowns in global biogeochemical models.

Less than half of the original two million square kilometers of the Cerrado vegetation remains standing, and there are still many uncertainties as to how to conserve and prioritize remaining areas effectively. A key limitation is the continuing lack of geographically-extensive evaluation of ecosystem-level properties across the biome. Here we sought to address this gap by comparing the woody vegetation of the typical cerrado of the Cerrado–Amazonia Transition with that of the core area of the Cerrado in terms of both tree diversity and vegetation biomass. We used 21 one-hectare plots in the transition and 18 in the core to compare key structural parameters (tree height, basal area, and above-ground biomass), and diversity metrics between the regions. We also evaluated the effects of temperature and precipitation on biomass, as well as explored the species diversity versus biomass relationship. We found, for the first time, both that the typical cerrado at the transition holds substantially more biomass than at the core, and that higher temperature and greater precipitation can explain this difference. By contrast, plot-level alpha diversity was almost identical in the two regions. Finally, contrary to some theoretical expectations, we found no positive relationship between species diversity and biomass for the Cerrado woody vegetation. This has implications for the development of effective conservation measures, given that areas with high biomass and importance for the compensation of greenhouse gas emissions are often not those with the greatest diversity.

The sensitivity of tropical forest carbon to climate is a key uncertainty in predicting global climate change. Although short-term drying and warming are known to affect forests, it is unknown if such effects translate into long-term responses. Here, we analyze 590 permanent plots measured across the tropics to derive the equilibrium climate controls on forest carbon. Maximum temperature is the most important predictor of aboveground biomass (-9.1 megagrams of carbon per hectare per degree Celsius), primarily by reducing woody productivity, and has a greater impact per °C in the hottest forests (>32.2°C). Our results nevertheless reveal greater thermal resilience than observations of short-term variation imply. To realize the long-term climate adaptation potential of tropical forests requires both protecting them and stabilizing Earth's climate., Our plot monitoring networks havebeen supported by multiple grants from a large number of funding bodies: European Research Council; Natural Environment Research Council; European Union’s Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Framework Programme; Royal Society, Leverhulme Trust; Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; David and Lucile Packard Foundation; State of São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP); National Council for Science and Technology Development of Brazil (CNPq); Agence Nationale de la Recherche; Conservation International; Missouri Botanical Garden; Smithsonian Institution; Wildlife Conservation Society; National Geographic Society; Centre for International Forestry; and Gabon’s National Park Agency.

The carbon sink capacity of tropical forests is substantially affected by tree mortality. However, the main drivers of tropical tree death remain largely unknown. Here we present a pan-Amazonian assessment of how and why trees die, analysing over 120,000 trees representing > 3800 species from 189 long-term RAINFOR forest plots. While tree mortality rates vary greatly Amazon-wide, on average trees are as likely to die standing as they are broken or uprooted—modes of death with different ecological consequences. Species-level growth rate is the single most important predictor of tree death in Amazonia, with faster-growing species being at higher risk. Within species, however, the slowest-growing trees are at greatest risk while the effect of tree size varies across the basin. In the driest Amazonian region species-level bioclimatic distributional patterns also predict the risk of death, suggesting that these forests are experiencing climatic conditions beyond their adaptative limits. These results provide not only a holistic pan-Amazonian picture of tree death but large-scale evidence for the overarching importance of the growth–survival trade-off in driving tropical tree mortality., Tree mortality has been shown to be the dominant control on carbon storage in Amazon forests, but little is known of how and why Amazon forest trees die. Here the authors analyse a large Amazon-wide dataset, finding that fast-growing species face greater mortality risk, but that slower-growing individuals within a species are more likely to die, regardless of size.

Monodominant forests are characterized by the strong influence of a single species on the structure and diversity of the community. In the tropics, monodominant forests are rare exceptions within the generally highly diverse tropical forest biome. Some studies have shown that tree monodominance may be a transient state caused by successional and demographic variation among species over time. Working in a Brosimum rubescens Taub. (Moraceae) monodominant forest at the southern edge of Amazonia, we tested the hypotheses that local-scale variation in intra- and interspecific spatial patterns of dominant tree species is affected by i) demographic rates of recruitment and mortality following severe droughts, ii) local variation in edaphic properties, and iii) occupation of species in the vertical layer of the forest. We quantified intra- and interspecific spatial patterns and edaphic associations of the five most abundant species using aggregation and association distance indices, and examined changes over time. We found some support for all hypotheses. Thus, intra- and interspecific spatial patterns of most species varied over time, principally after severe drought, emphasizing species-level variability and their interactions in sensitivity to this disturbance, even as B. rubescens monodominance was maintained. While positive and negative spatial associations with edaphic properties provide evidence of habitat specialization, the absence of negative spatial associations of B. rubescens with edaphic properties indicates that this species experiences little environmental restriction, and this may be one of the factors that explain its monodominance. Spatial repulsion and attraction between species in the same and in different vertical layers, respectively, indicates niche overlap and differentiation, while changes over time indicate that the relationships between species are dynamic and affected by drought disturbance.

Resumo A necromassa é um importante componente da decomposição e ciclagem de nutrientes nos ecossistemas naturais. Nosso objetivo foi avaliar o estoque e perda de necromassa da comunidade e das espécies em um gradiente fitofisionômico de cerrado típico, cerradão e floresta estacional semidecidual, na transição Amazônia-Cerrado. Calculamos, para cada fitofisionomia, o estoque de necromassa, por meio dos diâmetros dos indivíduos mortos em pé em 2005, 2008, 2011 e 2013. Também calculamos a perda de necromassa da comunidade e das espécies por meio dos diâmetros dos indivíduos que permaneceram mortos em pé entre, pelo menos, dois censos (2002-2005; 2005-2008; 2008-2011 ou 2011-2013). O cerrado típico apresentou estoque e perda de necromassa significativamente inferior ao cerradão e à floresta estacional. Ao nível de espécie, a taxa de decomposição de necromassa não apresentou correlação com a densidade da madeira. Maiores estoque e perda de necromassa na floresta estacional em relação ao cerrado típico podem estar relacionados ao maior porte dos indivíduos, que pode propiciar maior cobertura do dossel e microclima mais favorável à ação de organismos decompositores. Dessa forma, características intrínsecas de cada fitofisionomia podem estar relacionadas diretamente ao estoque e perda de necromassa em formações savânicas e florestais da transição Amazônia-Cerrado. Abstract Necromass is an important component of the decomposition and nutrients cycling in natural ecosystems. Our objective was to evaluate the stock and loss of necromass of the community and of the species in a vegetation gradient of cerrado típico, cerradão and floresta estacional semidecidual, in the Amazônia-Cerrado transition. We estimate, for each vegetation type, the necromass stock, through the diameters of the dead standing trees in 2005, 2008, 2011 and 2013. We also estimate the loss of necromass at both, community and species level, through the diameters of trees who remained standing dead between at least two inventories (2002-2005, 2005-2008, 2008-2011 or 2011-2013). The cerrado típico showed lower stock and loss of necromass than cerradão and floresta estacional. At the species level, there was no relationship between necromass decomposition rates and wood density. The greater stock and loss of necromass in the floresta estacional semidecidual in relation to the cerrado típico can be related to the greater size of the trees, which can provide more canopy cover and favorable microclimate to the action of decomposing organisms. Thus, intrinsic characteristics of each vegetation type may be directly related to the stock and loss of necromass in savanna and forest formations of the Amazônia-Cerrado transition.

In the “Cerrado”–Amazon ecotone in central Brazil, recent studies suggest some encroachment of forest into savanna, but how, where, and why this might be occurring is unclear. To better understand this phenomenon, we assessed changes in the structure and dynamics of tree species in three vegetation types at the “Cerrado”–Amazon ecotone that are potentially susceptible to encroachment: open “cerrado” (OC), typical “cerrado” (TC) and dense woodland (DW). We estimated changes in density, basal area and aboveground biomass of trees with diameter ≥ 10 cm over four inventories carried out between 2008 and 2015 and classified the species according to their preferred habitat (savanna, generalist, or forest). There was an increase in all structural parameters assessed in all vegetation types, with recruitment and gains in basal area and biomass greater than mortality and losses. Thus, there were net gains between the first and final inventories in density (OC: 3.4–22.9%; TC: 1.8–12.6%; DW: 0.2–8.3%), in basal area (OC: 8.3–18.2%; TC: 2–12.7%; DW: 2.3–8.9%), and in biomass (OC: 10.6–16.4%; TC: 1–12%; DW: 5.2–18.7%). Furthermore, all vegetation types also experienced net gains in forest and generalist species relative to savanna species. A decline in recruitment of savanna species was a likely consequence of vegetation encroachment and environmental changes. Our results indicate, for the first time based on quantitative and standardized multi-site temporal data, that concerted structural changes caused by vegetation encroachment are occurring at the ecotone between the two largest biomes in Brazil.

Background: The remaining forests in the extensive contact zone between southern Amazonia (seasonal rain forest) and the Cerrado (savanna) biomes are at risk due to intense land-use and climate cha...

The original version of this Article contained an error in Table 2, where the number of individuals in the “All Amazonia” row was reported as 11,6431 instead of 116,431. Also, the original version of this Article contained an error in the Methods, where the R2 for the proportion of broken/uprooted dead trees increase per year was reported as 0.12, the correct value being 0.06. The original version of this Article contained errors in the author affiliations. The affiliation of Gerardo A. Aymard C. with UNELLEZGuanare, Herbario Universitario (PORT), Portuguesa, Venezuela Compensation International Progress S.A. Ciprogress–Greenlife.

The savanna formations of the Brazilian “Cerrado” present a high degree of resistance and resilience to the impacts of fire, although little is known of its forest formations. Given this, the present study evaluated the resistance and resilience of the “Cerradao” to fire impacts over a 7-year period. In March 2008, we established 50 permanent plots of 10 m × 10 m and measured all the woody individuals with a base diameter ≥5 cm. Six months later, all plots were burned by an accidental fire. In March 2012 and March 2015, we re-measured all surviving individuals, and measured the recruits. Species richness, the density of individuals, and the basal area were all significantly greater (P

Tropical forests are experiencing unprecedented high‐temperature conditions due to climate change that could limit their photosynthetic functions. We studied the high‐temperature sensitivity of photosynthesis in a rainforest site in southern Amazonia, where some of the highest temperatures and most rapid warming in the Tropics have been recorded. The quantum yield (F v /F m ) of photosystem II was measured in seven dominant tree species using leaf discs exposed to varying levels of heat stress. T 50 was calculated as the temperature at which F v /F m was half the maximum value. T 5 is defined as the breakpoint temperature, at which F v /F m decline was initiated. Leaf thermotolerance in the rapidly warming southern Amazonia was the highest recorded for forest tree species globally. T 50 and T 5 varied between species, with one mid‐storey species, Amaioua guianensis , exhibiting particularly high T 50 and T 5 values. While the T 50 values of the species sampled were several degrees above the maximum air temperatures experienced in southern Amazonia, the T 5 values of several species are now exceeded under present‐day maximum air temperatures.

Understanding variation in key functional traits across gradients in high diversity systems and the ecology of community changes along gradients in these systems is crucial in light of conservation and climate change. We examined inter- and intraspecific variation in leaf mass per area (LMA) of sun and shade leaves along a 3330-m elevation gradient in Peru, and in sun leaves across a forest–savanna vegetation gradient in Brazil. We also compared LMA variance ratios (T-statistics metrics) to null models to explore internal (i.e., abiotic) and environmental filtering on community structure along the gradients. Community-weighted LMA increased with decreasing forest cover in Brazil, likely due to increased light availability and water stress, and increased with elevation in Peru, consistent with the leaf economic spectrum strategy expected in colder, less productive environments. A very high species turnover was observed along both environmental gradients, and consequently, the first source of variation in LMA was species turnover. Variation in LMA at the genus or family levels was greater in Peru than in Brazil. Using dominant trees to examine possible filters on community assembly, we found that in Brazil, internal filtering was strongest in the forest, while environmental filtering was observed in the dry savanna. In Peru, internal filtering was observed along 80% of the gradient, perhaps due to variation in taxa or interspecific competition. Environmental filtering was observed at cloud zone edges and in lowlands, possibly due to water and nutrient availability, respectively. These results related to variation in LMA indicate that biodiversity in species rich tropical assemblages may be structured by differential niche-based processes. In the future, specific mechanisms generating these patterns of variation in leaf functional traits across tropical environmental gradients should be explored. Fil: Neyret, Margot. Ecole Normale Supérieure; Francia Fil: Bentley, Lisa Patrick. University of Oxford; Reino Unido. Sonoma State University; Estados Unidos Fil: Oliveras, Imma. University of Oxford; Reino Unido. Wageningen University; Alemania Fil: Marimon, Beatriz S.. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul; Brasil Fil: Marimon-Junior, Ben Hur. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul; Brasil Fil: Almeida de Oliveira, Edmar. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul; Brasil Fil: Barbosa Passos, Fabio. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul; Brasil Fil: Castro Ccoscco, Rosa. Universidad San Antonio Abad de Cusco; Perú Fil: Santos, Josias dos. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul; Brasil Fil: Matias Reis, Simone. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul; Brasil Fil: Morandi, Paulo S.. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul; Brasil Fil: Rayme Paucar, Gloria. Universidad San Antonio Abad de Cusco; Perú Fil: Robles Caceres, Arturo. Universidad San Antonio Abad de Cusco; Perú Fil: Valdez Tejeira, Yolvi. Universidad San Antonio Abad de Cusco; Perú Fil: Yllanes Choque, Yovana. Universidad San Antonio Abad de Cusco; Perú Fil: Salinas, Norma Beatriz. University of Oxford; Reino Unido. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Perú; Perú Fil: Shenkin, Alexander. University of Oxford; Reino Unido Fil: Asner, Gregory P.. Carnegie Institution for Science. Department of Global Ecology; Estados Unidos Fil: Díaz, Sandra Myrna. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; Argentina Fil: Enquist, Brian J.. Arizona State University; Estados Unidos Fil: Malhi, Yadvinder. University of Oxford; Reino Unido

http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/1980509821061As florestas de galeria vêm sendo fragmentadas, levando à perda de sua elevada diversidade, tornando-se imprescindíveis estudos que avaliem o comportamento ecológico de suas espécies arbóreas. O presente estudo teve como objetivo testar a hipótese de que a produção de mudas de Copaifera langsdorffii é influenciada pela luminosidade do ambiente, apresentando maior qualidade e desenvolvimento inicial em níveis intermediários de luz. As plantas foram testadas em pleno sol, 30%, 50%, 70% e 90% de sombreamento, avaliando-se número de folhas, altura e diâmetro aos 60, 90, 120 e 191 dias após a emergência (DAE) e massa seca aérea e radicular e, índice de qualidade de Dickson ao final do experimento (191 DAE). O efeito dos níveis de sombreamento foi analisado por meio de análise de regressão. As plantas apresentaram boa plasticidade de crescimento nos diferentes níveis de luminosidade, mas com melhor desenvolvimento e qualidade (IQD) em 50% de sombreamento, corroborando a hipótese testada. A luminosidade ou sombreamento excessivo devem ser evitados para garantir a produção de mudas mais vigorosas de C. langsdorffii. Assim, recomenda-se a produção de mudas desta espécie sob 50% de sombreamento para favorecer a sua qualidade e possivelmente garantir melhor sobrevivência em campo.

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de biochar aplicado com os macronutrientes N e P, para a formação de substratos, no desenvolvimento de mudas de angico (Anadenanthera colubrina) para a restauração florestal. Os experimentos foram realizados em viveiro florestal, em delineamento inteiramente casualizado. Estudaram-se interações entre concentrações crescentes de biochar e de N, na forma de ureia, e de biochar e P, na forma de superfosfato simples, adicionados a Latossolo Amarelo. Determinaram-se os parâmetros de crescimento, qualidade e nutrição das mudas, e os resultados foram submetidos ao estudo de regressão polinomial (superfície de resposta). A interação entre biochar e N beneficiou a qualidade e a concentração foliar de Mg das mudas de angico, apesar de não influenciar o crescimento das plantas. As mudas de angico submetidas à aplicação de biochar e P mostraram maior qualidade e eficiência de uso dos nutrientes Ca e K. A adição de biochar ao substrato, junto com N e P, apresenta potencial de uso para a produção de mudas de qualidade, o que favorece o sucesso de práticas de restauração florestal em regiões com baixa fertilidade do solo e sujeitas a períodos de estresse hídrico.

The occurrence of cerrado (as tree and shrub savanna is called in Brazil) and forest formations side by side is common at the southern margin of the Brazilian Amazonian Forest, and previous studies have demonstrated the advance of forests over cerrado areas. The aim of the present study is to provide an accurate documentation of the transition process between the two major biomes. Tree data (≥ 5 cm diameter at 0.3 m above soil level) from three plots of cerrado sensu stricto lying near three of cerradão (the taller, denser form of cerrado) were inventoried starting in 2002 in an area of 1.5 ha made up of 150 subplots of 10 × 10 m (50 in each area). This showed that the most important species of the cerradão were invading areas previously occupied by smaller, lower forms of cerrado (although it is sometimes difficult to define which are ‘forest’ and which ‘cerrado’ species as many are flexible in size – for instance Emmotum nitens can often be intermediate, establishing in cerrado that develops into cerradão and on to forest). Some typical species such as Eriotheca gracilipes and Emmotum nitens, established since the first inventories, have increased their populations (between 27 and 210%). Tachigali vulgaris, a typical, weedy, adventive species of the Cerrado–Amazonian Forest transition, showed the largest increase in abundance in areas of cerrado sensu stricto (between 100 and 1200%), and is probably the most important pioneer species in the initial advance of the forest into cerrado at the Southern Amazonian border.

O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a distribuição das sí­ndromes de polinização e dispersão entre borda e interior e entre os estratos verticais de um fragmento de cerrado sentido restrito, Ribeirão Cascalheira, Mato Grosso, Brasil. Foram estabelecidas cinco transecções de 100 x 4m, paralelas e distantes 100m entre si, onde foram medidos a altura e distância da borda de todos os indiví­duos com diâmetro altura do solo ââ?°¥ 5cm, considerando borda (primeiros 50m) e interior (últimos 50m) do fragmento. Os indiví­duos foram classificados quanto posição vertical que ocupam (estratos inferior, intermediário e superior) e quanto s sí­ndromes de polinização e dispersão. Entre as 69 espécies amostradas, as sí­ndromes de polinização e dispersão mais frequentes foram melitofilia e zoocoria, respectivamente. Ambas foram predominantes tanto na borda como no interior. Em geral, mais de 50% dos indiví­duos localizados na borda e no interior e nos estratos inferior, médio e superior do fragmento tinham sí­ndromes de polinização realizada por abelhas e dispersão por animais. A semelhança entre as sí­ndromes de polinização e dispersão entre borda e interior se deve elevada similaridade florí­stica entre estes ambientes. A predominância das sí­ndromes de polinização e dispersão realizadas por animais ressalta a importância de corredores ecológicos interligando e consequentemente mantendo a biodiversidade dos fragmentos.

Riparian and gallery forests located at the “arc of deforestation” have been undergoing fast degradation. With the implementation of the new Brazilian Forest Code (Law 12,651 of 2012), these can be reduced further. Thus, new studies on seedling production for ecological restoration should be carried out using native species from the Amazon and Cerrado. The objective of the present study was to assess under which shading levels the seedlings of Calophyllum brasiliense, a tree species typical of humid environments, show the highest values of growth and nutrient use efficiency, aiming at using these seedlings for restoration. The study was carried out in a plant nursery of the State University of Mato Grosso in Nova Xavantina, Brazil. We assessed seedling growth in diameter, height, number of leaves, production of shoot and root dry mass, Dickson quality index (DQI), and efficiency in the internal use of nutrients (EIUN) in greenhouses at 0 (full sunlight), 30, 50, 70, and 90% shading. The treatments at 50 and 70% shading showed the best results. Ecologically, the species responds well under both gap conditions (50% shading) and canopy or closing gap conditions (70% shading). Our results showed that the ideal conditions to produce seedlings of this species with high EIUN are obtained in greenhouses with 70% shading. RESUMO As florestas ciliares e de galeria localizadas no “arco do desmatamento”, vêm sofrendo degradação acelerada e, com a implantação do novo Código Florestal Brasileiro (Lei nº 12.651 de 2012), essas poderão ser reduzidas ainda mais. Diante desse fato, novos estudos acerca da produção de mudas para recuperação de áreas degradadas devem ser realizados com espécies nativas do domínio Amazônico e também do Cerrado. Por conseguinte, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi verificar em quais níveis de sombreamento, mudas de Calophyllum brasiliense, espécie típica de ambientes úmidos, apresentam os valores mais adequados de crescimento e eficiência de uso interno de nutrientes, visando a recomposição de áreas perturbadas. O estudo foi desenvolvido em viveiro florestal da UNEMAT de Nova Xavantina-MT. Avaliamos o crescimento das mudas em diâmetro, altura, número de folhas, produção de massa seca aérea e radicular, Índice de Qualidade de Dickson (DQI) e a Eficiência no Uso Interno de Nutrientes (EIUN) em casas de vegetação a 0 (pleno sol), 30, 50, 70 e 90% de sombreamento. De forma geral, os melhores resultados foram obtidos nos sombreamentos a 50 e 70%. Ecologicamente, a espécie responde melhor tanto em condições de clareira (50% de sombreamento) quanto em condições de dossel ou fechamento de clareira (70%). Nossos resultados demonstraram que as condições ideais para a produção de mudas desta espécie e maior EIUN, podem ser obtidas em condições de viveiro com 70% de sombreamento.

As populações de plantas se distribuem naturalmente nas formas agregada, aleatória ou uniforme. Estes padrões podem variar conforme as condições ambientais e ao longo do tempo. O presente estudo teve por objetivo avaliara distribuição espaço-temporal das cinco principais espécies de um cerradão no leste Mato-grossense para verificar se a incidência de fogo e eventos de seca resultam em mudanças e até que ponto tais mudanças são detectáveis nos padrões espaciais destas populações. Os levantamentos foram conduzidos em uma área de cerradão no Parque Municipal do Bacaba, Nova Xavantina-MT, em fevereiro de 2002, 2005, 2008, 2010 e 2012, em 50 parcelas permanentes de 10 x 10 m. Hirtella glandulosa demonstrou resiliência aos distúrbios em relação às demais espécies durante a década de estudo. Tachigali vulgaris e Xylopia aromatica, apesar de apresentarem mudanças na densidade entre os anos, mantiveram o mesmo padrão de distribuição espacial ao longo do tempo. As alterações na estrutura populacional e espacial de Roupala montana e Myrcia splendens podem indicar sensibilidade dessas populações aos distúrbios. Palavras-chave: densidade, fogo, padrões espaciais, seca. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18561/2179-5746/biotaamazonia.v3n3p1-14

The dynamics of the natural process of recuperation of the structure and diversity of native vegetation following anthropogenic disturbance has been the subject of a great deal of controversy in restoration ecology research. The present study evaluates the natural regeneration of savanna forest ( cerradao ) 32 and 36 years after the clear-cutting of the vegetation. We compared species diversity, and the structure and dynamics of the vegetation in two communities, one representing preserved cerradao (PC), and the other, the regenerating cerradao (RC), which was clear-cut in 1976. Surveys were conducted in 2008 and 2012, 32 and 36 years after clear-cutting, respectively. In 2008, we demarcated 81 permanent 10 m x 10 m plots, 50 in the RC and 31 in the PC, and measured all live plants with a diameter at soil level > 5 cm. In 2012, the plots were resampled, including the original plants and all the recruits. The species were classified as specialists in savanna (SA) or forest habitat (FO), or as generalists (SA/FO). The RC presented the highest species richness and diversity, density, annual increment, and mortality rates. However, no significant differences were found between communities in the distribution of specialist or generalist species, or between years (2008 and 2012) in basal area or recruitment rates. While the species composition of the two communities is highly similar, the RC was characterized by a higher frequency of SA species, and was more similar to nearby savanna communities (cerrado sensu stricto ). Trees in the RC were smaller and suffered higher rates of mortality than those in the PC, but also higher annual increments. While the RC demonstrated a high degree of resilience following clear-cutting, it was still found to be at an intermediate stage of succession, even after almost four decades, indicating that regeneration is a slow process.

Fire can change the species composition, diversity, and structure of savanna vegetation, thus altering growth and mortality rates. Such changes in the woody vegetation of burned savanna forest were evaluated over four years in comparison to unburned savanna forest. All woody plants with a diameter at breast height > 10 cm were measured in 100 permanent plots. Six months later, 38 of these plots were burned. Three and a half years later, all surviving individuals were re-sampled. Species richness, diversity, and the number of individuals did not change in the burned plots, although they had significantly higher (p < 0.05) increases in basal area and mortality rates (5.1% year-1) than the unburned plots (3.0% year-1).Tachigali vulgarishad the greatest post-fire increase in basal area (53%). The results indicate that fire alters the dynamics and structure of the savanna forest, excluding the less fire-tolerant species and smaller individuals (? 15cm). Tachigali vulgaris is a key species for the recovery of savanna forest biomass due to its considerable post-fire gains in basal area, at least over the short term due to its short life cycle. It follows that frequent burning of savanna forest would result in a marked change in the species composition and structure of its woody vegetation.