Variability of wetlands at different spatial scales and conditioning factors: implications for conservation

• Grant number: 22/08994-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: August 01, 2022
• End date: July 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Giselda Durigan
• Grantee: Andra Carolina Dalbeto
• Host Institution: Instituto de Pesquisas Ambientais (IPA). Secretaria de Meio Ambiente, Infraestrutura e Logística (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/01378-0 - Grasslands in the State of São Paulo: diagnosis, management and conservation, AP.BTA.TEM
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/00125-2 - Cerrado wetlands in São Paulo state: categories, threats and gaps in conservation policies, BE.EP.DD

Abstract

Knowledge about biodiversity at different spatial scales and the factors influencing it is essential for the development of strategies for the conservation of natural ecosystems. Wetlands are still poorly understood and not properly recognized in Brazil, making difficult the decisions about their conservation. The objective of the proposed research is to characterize the floristic composition and structure of the plant community of isolated patched of wet grasslands, to verify how the similarity relationships between these plant communities occur at different spatial scales and to explore the influence of environmental and landscape factors on these plant communities. For this, we will sample the plant community in natural remnants of wet grasslands within and/or around three conservation units (UC) located in different regions of the State of SP. In each protected area and surroundings, we will sample at least five sites. We will carry out the floristic survey, structural characterization, biomass collection and characterization of the hydrological condition (water table depth) and of the landscape. The descriptors of plant communities (richness and structure) will be compared at different scales (plots, sites and UCs) through analysis of variance. We will investigate the influence of water table depth and landscape factors on these descriptors through linear models. We will also explore the influence of those factors on the composition of plant communities through multivariate analysis. We expect that the floristic richness and similarity between the different scales are associated with the distance between them, their position within watersheds or the depth of the water table within the same site. This study will advance the ecology of wetlands and may support conservation policies, as the understanding of the spatial variability of these ecosystems will determine the best strategy to conserve them. (AU)