Landscape environmental heterogeneity shaping tree community composition and structure in riparian forests

Israel Marinho Pereira; Soraya Alvarenga Botelho; Eduardo van den Berg; Eric Bastos Gorgens; Evandro Luiz Mendonça Machado; Marcio Leles Romarco de Oliveira; Luciano Cavalcante de Jesus França; Múcio Mágno de Melo Farnezi; Anne Prinscila Dias Gonzaga; Everardo Valadares de Sá Barretto Sampaio; Ary Teixeira de Oliveira Filho

doi:10.53661/1806-9088202549263747

Authors

Israel Marinho Pereira Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1035-1253
Soraya Alvarenga Botelho Universidade Federal de Lavras, Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4178-465X
Eduardo van den Berg Universidade Federal de Lavras, Departamento de Ecologia e Conservação, Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0843-6437
Eric Bastos Gorgens Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2517-0279
Evandro Luiz Mendonça Machado Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9301-5257
Marcio Leles Romarco de Oliveira Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8097-1135
Luciano Cavalcante de Jesus França Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Monte Carmelo, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8885-972X
Múcio Mágno de Melo Farnezi Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2699-9487
Anne Prinscila Dias Gonzaga Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, Faculdade Interdisciplinar em Humanidades, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9360-6498
Everardo Valadares de Sá Barretto Sampaio Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Departamento de Energia Nuclear, Recife, Pernambuco, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4745-016X
Ary Teixeira de Oliveira Filho Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Departamento de Botânica, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6766-1407

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53661/1806-9088202549263747

Keywords:

Alluvium forest, Topographic gradient, Microenvironment, Relationship species-environment, Edaphic conditions, Quantitative ecology

Abstract

Although riparian vegetation is widely recognized for its positive impact on soil and water quality and its role in ecological conservation, there is still a gap in understanding the effect of environmental heterogeneity on tree community composition and structure in riparian landscapes. Riparian forests are ecosystems with abrupt variations in topographic, edaphic, and hydrological features, resulting in the formation of microenvironments with specific plant compositions. We evaluated the influence of the topographical gradient on edaphic and hydrological attributes and their association with tree species composition, diversity, and structure in three remnants of riparian forests in Minas Gerais, at high slope, low slope and alluvium positions. Ten 400 m² plots were set up in each area. All trees and shrubs within the plots with diameter at breast height (DBH) greater than 5 cm were recorded. The abundance was correlated with the topographic, edaphic, and hydrological variables of the plots through multivariate analysis. The highest species richness (122) and diversity (H' 3.99) were associated with the low slope, while the alluvium had the highest tree density (3005 trees ha^-1) and basal area (43.99 m² ha^-1). Cluster analysis and canonical correspondence indicated that the species distribution is mainly influenced by soil moisture and fertility. Understanding the dynamics of riparian forests is essential for strategic decision-making in tropical forest management towards the promotion of ecosystem services, forest restoration and sustainable development goals.

Keywords: Alluvium forest; Ttopographic gradient; Microenvironment; Relationship species-environment; Edaphic conditions; Quantitative ecology