Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Distribution of pteridophyte communities along environmental gradients in Central Amazonia, Brazil

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biodiversity and Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Extrapolation of local abundance–environment relationships to broader scales provides species distribution models used for conservation planning. We investigated the importance of environmental heterogeneity and geographic distance on pteridophyte species spatial distribution on 38 plots of 250 × 2.5 m distributed over 90 km2 in Central Amazon. Inclusion of canopy openness in our models increased the capacity of predicting community composition even under the narrow range of canopy openness found in our plots. Nevertheless, there was still a large amount of unexplained variance (55–65%). The response of the community to the light gradient was hierarchical and we did not find evidences of light partitioning. Most species were concentrated in low light plots but a few common and abundant occurred along the entire gradient. Soil properties were the major determinants of community composition. Contrary to similar studies, slope was not a good predictor of pteridophyte community composition, indicating that this relationship may be site-specific. There was no correlation between floristic distances and geographic distances. We concluded that mesoscale turnover is low, although locally environmental variation determines high turnover of species. Studies among different Amazonian physiognomies tend to find high levels of beta-diversity. However, coarse comparisons can not reveal subtle patterns that are relevant for biodiversity conservation planning. This study found some important changes on pteridophyte community within the same type of forest, mainly related to environmental heterogeneity, even in narrow ranges of environmental variation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

BDFFP:

Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project

INPA (The portuguese acronym for National Institute of Amazonian Research):

Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia

RAPELD:

Inventory method that accommodates two sampling scales, Rapid Assessment surveys (RAP) and Long-Term Ecological Research (PELD, the Brazilian acronym for LTER)

CAPES:

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior

PCoA:

Principal coordinates analysis

ANOVA:

Analyses of variance

GPS:

Global positioning system

References

  • Ayob A, Nasrulhaq-Boyce A, Barakbah SS, Mohamed H (1996) Some photosynthetic characteristics of an extreme shade tropical fern Teratophyllum rotundifoliatum (R. Bonap.) Holtt. In: Camus JM, Gibby M, Johns RJ (eds) Pteridology in perspective. Kew, Lond

    Google Scholar 

  • Balmford A, Gaston KJ (1999) Why biodiversity surveys are good value. Nature 398:204–205. doi:10.1038/18339

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Belbin L (1992) PATN: pattern analysis package. CSIRO, Camberra

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown N, Jennings S, Wheeler P, Nabe-Nielsen J (2000) An improved method for the rapid assessment of forest understorey light environments. J Appl Ecol 37:1044–1053. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2664.2000.00573.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chauvel A, Lucas Y, Boulet R (1987) On the genesis of the soil mantle of the region of Manaus, Central Amazonia, Brasil. Experientia 43:234–240. doi:10.1007/BF01945546

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chazdon RL, Fetcher N (1984) Photosynthetic light environments in a lowland tropical rainforest in Costa Rica. J Ecol 72:553–564. doi:10.2307/2260066

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chazdon RL, Pearcy RW, Lee DW, Fetcher N (1996) Photosynthetic responses of tropical forest plants to contrasting light environments. In: Mulkey SS, Chazdon RL, Smith AP (eds) Tropical forest plant ecophysiology. Chapman and Hall, NY

    Google Scholar 

  • Clark DB (2002) Los factores edáficos y la distribución de las plantas. In: Guariguata M, Catan G (eds) Ecología y Conservación de Bosques Neotropicales. Ediciones LUR, Cartago

    Google Scholar 

  • Condit R, Pitman N, Leigh EG Jr, Chave J, Terborgh J, Foster RB et al (2002) Beta diversity in tropical forest trees. Science 295:666–669. doi:10.1126/science.1066854

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Costa FRC, Magnusson WE, Luizão RC (2005) Mesoscale distribution patterns of Amazonian understorey herbs in relation to topography, soil and watersheds. J Ecol 93:863–878. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2745.2005.01020.x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Duivenvoorden JF, Svenning JC, Wright SJ (2002) Beta diversity in tropical forests. Science 295:636–637. doi:10.1126/science.295.5555.636

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Embrapa (1999) Sistema Brasileiro de classificação de solos. Embrapa Solos, RJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Engelbrecht BMJ, Kursar TA, Tyree MT (2005) Drought effects on seedling survival in a tropical moist forest. Trees-Struct Funct 19:312–321

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferrier S, Drielsma M, Manion G, Watson G (2002) Extended statistical approaches to modelling spatial pattern in biodiversity in northeast New SouthWales. II. Community-level modeling. Biodivers Conserv 11:2309–2338. doi:10.1023/A:1021374009951

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fine PVA, Mesones I, Coley PD (2004) Herbivores promote habitat specialization by trees in Amazonian forests. Science 305:663–665. doi:10.1126/science.1098982

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Frazer GW, Canham CD, Lertzman KP (1999) Gap Light Analyzer (GLA), Version 2.0: Imaging software to extract canopy structure and gap light transmission indices from true-colour fisheye photographs, users manual and program documentation. Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, and the Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY

  • Guisan A, Thuiller W (2005) Predicting species distribution: offering more than simple habitat models? Ecol Lett 8:993–1009. doi:10.1111/j.1461-0248.2005.00792.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guisan A, Zimmermann NE (2000) Predictive habitat distribution models in ecology. Ecol Modell 135:147–186. doi:10.1016/S0304-3800(00)00354-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hopkins MJG (2007) Modelling the known and unknown plant biodiversity of the Amazon Basin. J Biogeogr 34:1400–1411. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2699.2007.01737.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hubbell SP (2001) The unified neutral theory of biodiversity and biogeography. Princeton University Press, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Hubbell SP, Foster RB, O’Brien ST, Harms KE, Condit R, Wechsler B et al (1999) Light-gap disturbances, recruitment limitation, and tree diversity in a neotropical forest. Science 283:554. doi:10.1126/science.283.5401.554

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jones MM, Tuomisto H, Clark DB, Olivas P (2006) Effects of mesoscale environmental heterogeneity and dispersal limitation on floristic variation in rain forest ferns. J Ecol 94:181–195. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2745.2005.01071.x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Karst J, Gilbert B, Lechowicz MJ (2005) Fern community assembly: The roles of chance and the environment at local and intermediate scale. Ecology 86:2473–2486. doi:10.1890/04-1420

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kramer KU, Schneller JJ, Wollenweber E (1995) Farne und farnverwandte, erste auflage. Thieme Verlag, Stuttgart

    Google Scholar 

  • Kruijt B, Malhi Y, Lloyd J, Nobre AD, Miranda AC, Pereira MGP et al (2000) Turbulence statistics above and within two Amazon Rain Forest Canopies. Bound-Layer Meteorol 94:297–331. doi:10.1023/A:1002401829007

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Legendre P, Legendre L (1998) Numerical ecology. Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Legendre P, Dale MRT, Fortin M-J, Gurevitch J, Hohn M, Myers D (2002) The consequences of spatial structure for the design and analysis of ecological field surveys. Ecography 25:601–615. doi:10.1034/j.1600-0587.2002.250508.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacKenzie DI, Nichols JD, Royle JA, Pollock KH, Bailey LL, Hines JE (2006) Occupancy estimation and modeling—inferring patterns and dynamics of species occurrence. Academic Press, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • Magnusson WE, Lima AP, Luizão RCC, Luizão F, Costa FRC, Castilho CV, et al (2005) RAPELD: a modification of the Gentry method for biodiversity surveys in long-term ecological research sites. Biota Neotropica 5 http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v5n2/pt/download?point-of-view+bn01005022005+abstract

  • Margules CR, Pressey RL, Williams PH (2002) Representing biodiversity: data and procedures for identifying priority areas for conservation. J Biosci 27:309–326. doi:10.1007/BF02704962

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mehltreter K, Rojas P, Palácios-Rios M (2003) Moth larvae-damaged giant leather-fern Acrostichum danaeifolium as host for secondary colonization by ants. Amer Fern J 93:49–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mertens J (2004) The characterization of selected physical and chemical soil properties of the surface soil layer in the ‘Reserva Ducke’, Manaus, Brazil, with emphasis on their spatial distribution. Bachelor thesis, Humboldt University, Berlin

  • Montgomery RA, Chazdon RL (2002) Light gradient partitioning by tropical tree seedlings in the absence of canopy gaps. Oecologia 131:165–174

    Google Scholar 

  • Nelson BW, Fereira AC, da Silva MF, Kawasaki ML (1990) Endemism centres, refugia and botanical collection density in Brazilian Amazonia. Nature 345:714–716. doi:10.1038/345714a0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Page C (2002) Ecological strategies in fern evolution: a neopteridological overview. Rev Palaeobot Palynol 119:1–33. doi:10.1016/S0034-6667(01)00127-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pitman NCA, Terborgh JW, Miles R, Silman PNV, Neill DA, Cerón CE et al (2001) Dominance and distribution of tree species in upper Amazonian terra firme forests. Ecology 83:2101–2117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • RADAMBRASIL (1978) Levantamento de Recursos Naturais, vol 1–18. Ministério das Minas e Energia. Departamento Nacional de Produção Mineral, Rio de Janeiro

    Google Scholar 

  • Ranal MA (1995) Estabelecimento de pteridófitas em mata mesófila semidecídua do Estado de São Paulo. 2. Natureza dos substratos. Rev Bras Biol 55:583–594

    Google Scholar 

  • Roxburgh JR, Kelly D (1995) Uses and limitations of hemispherical photography for estimating forest light environments. New Zeal J Ecol 19:213–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruokolainen K, Tuomisto H (2002) Beta-diversity in tropical forests. Science 297:1439. doi:10.1126/science.297.5586.1439a

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sonoike K (1996) Photoinhibition of photosystem I: Its physiological significance in the chilling sensitivity of pants. Plant Cell Physiol 37:239–247

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • ter Steege H, Pitman N, Sabatier D, Castellanos H, van der Hout P, Daly DC et al (2003) A spatial model of tree a-diversity and tree density for the Amazon. Biodivers Conserv 12:2255–2277. doi:10.1023/A:1024593414624

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Svenning J-C (1999) Microhabitat specialization in a species-rich palm community in Amazonian Equador. J Ecol 87:55–65. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2745.1999.00329.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Svenning J-C, Engelbrecht BMJ, Kinner DA, Kursar TA, Stallard RF, Wright SJ (2006) The relative roles of environment, history and local dispersal in controlling the distributions of common tree and shrub species in a tropical forest landscape, Panama. J Trop Ecol 22:575–586. doi:10.1017/S0266467406003348

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuomisto H, Poulsen A (1996) Influence of edaphic specialization on the distribution of pteridophyte in neotropical forests. J Biogeogr 23:283–293. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2699.1996.00044.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tuomisto H, Ruokolainen K, Yli-Halla M (2003a) Dispersal, environmental, and floristic variation of Western Amazonian forests. Science 299:241–244. doi:10.1126/science.1078037

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tuomisto H, Ruokolainen K, Aguilar M, Sarmiento A (2003b) Floristic patterns along a 43-km long transect in an Amazonian rain forest. J Ecol 91:743–756. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2745.2003.00802.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vormisto J, Tuomisto H, Oksanen J (2004) Palm distribution patterns in Amazonian rainforests: what is the role of topographic variation? J Veg Sci 15:485–494. doi:10.1658/1100-9233(2004)015[0485:PDPIAR]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson L (1998) Systat: the system for statistics. Systat Inc, Evanston

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolf PG, Schneider H, Ranker T (2001) Geographic distributions of homosporous ferns: does dispersal obscure evidence of vicariance? J Biogeogr 28:263–270. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2699.2001.00531.x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zaniewski AE, Lehmann A, Overton JMC (2002) Predicting species spatial distributions using presence-only data: a case study of native New Zealand ferns. Ecol Modell 157:261–280. doi:10.1016/S0304-3800(02)00199-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank many field assistants for their invaluable help, especially Ocírio Juruna, Osmaíldo Ferreira Costa and José Tenaçol Andes Junior. Maria Luziene and Tânia Pimentel provided support on laboratorial soil analyses and Marina Antongiovanni helped with Fig. 1. This work is part of the first author’s master dissertation at INPA. CAPES provided the postgraduate scholarship. Financial support came from Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project, Long-Term Ecological Research, Fundação O Boticário de Proteção à Natureza, and Fundação Vitória Amazônica. Alexandre Adalardo de Oliveira, Bruce Nelson, Nigel Pitman and William E. Magnusson improved early drafts of this paper. This is publication 518 from the Biological Dynamics of Forest Fragments Project’s technical series.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia, Coordenação de Pesquisas em Ecologia, Av. André Araújo, Manaus, AM, 69083-000, Brazil

    Gabriela Zuquim, Flávia R. C. Costa & Ricardo Braga-Neto

  2. Instituto de Botânica, Herbário, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Jefferson Prado

Authors
  1. Gabriela Zuquim
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Flávia R. C. Costa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jefferson Prado
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ricardo Braga-Neto
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gabriela Zuquim.

Appendix: Pteridophyte species abundance and frequency

Appendix: Pteridophyte species abundance and frequency

Appendix 1 List of all pteridophyte species found in 38 plots of the reserves of BDFFP, Manaus, Brazil
Full size table

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zuquim, G., Costa, F.R.C., Prado, J. et al. Distribution of pteridophyte communities along environmental gradients in Central Amazonia, Brazil. Biodivers Conserv 18, 151–166 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-008-9464-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-008-9464-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation