Are the ecological strategies of woody species in a reforested area equivalent to those of native vegetation?

• Grant number: 18/05570-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2018
• End date: May 31, 2019
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Raquel Carolina Miatto
• Grantee: Letícia Lopes de Sousa dos Santos Dias
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The recognition that species lists are not necessary fair descriptors of biodiversity is not recent in Ecology. Although considerable efforts have been made to understand plant strategies in the last few years, there are still scarce studies that applied this kind of information into reforestation policies and practices. Considering that the vast majority of restoration projects are still based on species lists or simplistic and artificial information, such as successional classification, they may not necessarily encompass the adequate functional diversity to sustain the functions once sustained by the deforested native vegetation. Therefore, we will study whether the strategies of woody species planted in two adjacent reforested areas are equivalent to those of neighboring native vegetation. We will use a globally calibrated method to calculate plant strategies, "Stratefy", which is based on the CSR strategies ordination. We will test whether the species importance values reflect the same strategies in both reforested and native vegetation. We will also calculate decomposition rates within the reforested communities by using the Tea Bag Index. We will compare the decomposition rates in these areas to those found in a neighboring native vegetation. Hence, we will be able to evaluate whether the reforestation is effective to sustain the ecosystem functioning similarly to native vegetation when it is based on a species list and on their successional classification.