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Canopy dynamics in a tropical Atlantic forest mosaic in southeastern Brazil

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Abstract

The influence of seasonality on leaf production and canopy dynamics was evaluated in four areas in the Rio Doce State Park—RDSP, which is part of the Atlantic Forest Biosphere Reserve in Marliéria city, Minas Gerais State, southeastern Brazil. Leaf production was determined during a period of two years (2007 I and 2008 II) and on a monthly basis (25 collectors of 0.25 m2) to determine dry mass and specific leaf area at four different areas (Preta, Central, Garapa, and Aníbal). Leaf area index of canopy values (LAI-canopy) was determined using hemispheric canopy photographs in October 2008 and March 2009. Specific leaf area of the leaf litter samples (LAI-SLA) was calculated during November (2008) and March (2009). Leaf production followed a seasonal rhythm, with higher cumulative production between the middle of the dry season and beginning of the rainy season (August to November). The LAI-canopy values did not have significant variations between the four areas evaluated; however, significant difference between seasons was observed in the Aníbal and Central areas. The LAI-SLA was higher in Aníbal while Preta, Central, and Garapa presented similar values. Our results evidenced the possible influence of the leaf fraction on canopy dynamics and LAI and revealed the rapid leaf renewal characteristics of seasonal semideciduous forests. We observed spatial heterogeneity of semideciduous forests maintaining a partial canopy cover even in the season with the greatest leaf fall. This explains to the absence of any significant correlation between leaf production and LAI-canopy as observed in the present study.

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  • 30 June 2020

    In the initial online publication, the name of the third author was missing. The original article has been corrected.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Ensino Superior for the doctoral grants awarded to F.P.N. and a S.A.B.C, the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico for financing this project (Pesquisas Ecológicas de Longa Duração (PELD), Process 520031/98-9), and the Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre and the Departamento de Botânica da UFMG for their support. Q.S.G. received research productivity scholarship from CNPq. Funding was provided by SOCIEDADE BOTÂNICA DE SÃO PAULO - SBSP (Grant No. 3055).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação Ecologia, Conservação e Manejo da Vida Silvestre, ICB, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, Brazil

    Flávia P. Nunes & Silvana A. B. Castro

  2. Departamento de Botânica, ICB, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Caixa postal 486, Belo Horizonte, MG, CEP 31270-970, Brazil

    J. P. Lemos-Filho & Queila S. Garcia

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  1. Flávia P. Nunes
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  2. Silvana A. B. Castro
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  3. J. P. Lemos-Filho
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  4. Queila S. Garcia
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection and analysis were performed by Flávia Peres Nunes and Silvana Aparecida Barbosa de Castro. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Flávia Peres Nunes and Silvana Aparecida Barbosa de Castro and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Flávia P. Nunes.

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The original version of this article was revised: In the initial online publication the name of the third author was missing. The original article has been corrected.

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Nunes, F.P., Castro, S.A.B., Lemos-Filho, J.P. et al. Canopy dynamics in a tropical Atlantic forest mosaic in southeastern Brazil. Braz. J. Bot 43, 655–661 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40415-020-00592-w

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