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Hydrological variability and long-term floristic-structural modifications in different habitats of a tropical semi-deciduous forest

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Abstract

Shifts in hydrological regimes alter river flow rates and flood pulses, decrease environmental heterogeneity and the floristic-structural complexity of associated plant communities. We tested the hypothesis that drought events affect plant community composition and structure at a small-scale within a riparian fragment towards a reduction in floristic-structural complexity. The tree community was sampled in three habitats (wet, transitional and dry) and monitored in seven inventories carried out between 1991 and 2018. Hydrological variations were evaluated through annual rainfalls, river flow rates and water level data. The species richness and the detrended correspondence analysis axes were used to characterise the temporal modifications in floristic composition. Community structure was described in terms of biomass: accumulated, growth of survivors, mortality and recruitment. Generalised linear mixed models were fitted to evaluate the effects of time and environment in community. It was concluded that the climate has become drier in recent years due to declining precipitation that has affected flow rates and water levels. The floristic-structural complexity of the study fragment was maintained during the monitoring period. However, prolonged and extreme drought events displayed the potential to impact floristic-structural patterns.

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Adapted from Oliveira-Filho et al. (1994)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Forestry Sciences, Federal University of Lavras, Campus Universitário, C.P. 3037, Lavras, Brazil

    Alisson Borges Miranda Santos, Vinicius Andrade Maia, Cléber Rodrigo de Souza, Natália de Aguiar-Campos, Wilder Bento da Silva, Jean Daniel Morel & Rubens Manoel dos Santos

  2. Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Natural Resources, Zambeze University, Chimoio, C.P. 2400, Mozambique

    Aurélio de Jesus Rodrigues Pais

  3. Biological Sciences, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Unidade Ituiutaba, Av. Antônio Carlos 6627, Ituiutaba, 31270-901, Brazil

    Nathalle Cristine Alencar Fagundes

  4. Department of Biology, Federal University of Lavras, University campus, C.P. 3037, Lavras, 37200-000, Brazil

    Nathalle Cristine Alencar Fagundes

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  1. Alisson Borges Miranda Santos
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Correspondence to Alisson Borges Miranda Santos.

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Project funding: The work was supported by the CAPES (Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel), CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, National Council for Scientific and Technological Development), FAPEMIG (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais, Foundation for Supporting Research of the State of Minas Gerais) and scholarship grant of the Federal University of Lavras (Universidade Federal de Lavras).

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Santos, A.B.M., Maia, V.A., de Souza, C.R. et al. Hydrological variability and long-term floristic-structural modifications in different habitats of a tropical semi-deciduous forest. J. For. Res. 33, 801–811 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11676-021-01408-7

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