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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Litter and soil arthropod colonization in reforested semi-deciduous seasonal Atlantic forests

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Author(s):
Meloni, Fernando [1, 2] ; Varanda, Elenice M. [1]
Total Authors: 2
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, CEEFLORUSP Ctr Estudos & Extensao Florestal USP, Dept Biol, Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil
[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Rib Preto, Dept Fis, BR-14049 Ribeirao Preto, SP - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 2
Document type: Journal article
Source: RESTORATION ECOLOGY; v. 23, n. 5, p. 690-697, SEP 2015.
Web of Science Citations: 5
Abstract

The recovery of soil ecological processes during the restoration of tropical forests is greatly influenced by arthropods that live in the litter and soil. However, these communities present complex dynamics, and their colonization patterns are not well understood. In this study, we examined the response patterns of litter and soil arthropods to the ecosystem regeneration process by assessing reforestation sites from two regions of Sao Paulo State, Brazil, and we compared the data obtained from these sites with data from mature forests. We assessed the arthropod communities using similarity indices and high-level taxa abundance, with the level of forest succession and the locations of the restoration areas as factors. Forest succession correlated with the species composition as communities from the reforestation sites gradually became more similar to communities from the mature forests, while their quantitative patterns were minimally related. Forest maturation positively affected the richness of the litter community and the abundance of some minor groups, such as Protura, Diplura, and Symphyla. The region influenced the species composition but did not influence the manner in which the communities changed during the maturation process. We also found a convergent soil colonization pattern as arthropod communities from different sites became more similar during forest succession. This finding is consistent with both empirical data and theoretical predictions from the specialized literature, although the subject has been poorly explored until now. We conclude that reforestation allows the colonization of soil and litter fauna in a biased manner. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 13/06196-4 - Study of edaphic and epigeic communities as self-organized complex systems
Grantee:Fernando Meloni
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral