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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.)

Groundwater depth as a constraint on the woody cover in a Neotropical Savanna

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Author(s):
Leite, Marcelo Boccia [1] ; Xavier, Rafael Oliveira [1] ; Sanches Oliveira, Paulo Tarso [2] ; Gomes Silva, Fernanda Kelly [3] ; Silva Matos, Dalva Maria [1]
Total Authors: 5
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Dept Hydrobiol, Ecol & Conservat Lab, BR-13565905 Sao Carlos, SP - Brazil
[2] Univ Fed Mato Grosso do Sul, CxP 549, BR-79070900 Campo Grande, MS - Brazil
[3] Univ Fed Ceara, Dept Biol, Phytogeog Lab, BR-60020181 Santa Catarina, CE - Brazil
Total Affiliations: 3
Document type: Journal article
Source: PLANT AND SOIL; v. 426, n. 1-2, p. 1-15, MAY 2018.
Web of Science Citations: 7
Abstract

Aims To identify the role of soil properties and groundwater depth on the structure of a fire-protected neotropical savanna. We aimed to address: i) What is the contribution of soil properties and groundwater depth to the physiognomic variation? ii) Are these factors associated with patterns in woody structure? iii) Are open physiognomies maintained by shallow groundwater? Methods We measured soil properties, tree basal area, density, richness, and monitored groundwater depth in two types of grassland and three types of savanna during two years. We also investigated vegetation dynamics over three decades using remote sensing. Results There were no differences in soil properties between physiognomies, except for a greater soil organic matter content in flood-prone grasslands. Woody structure attributes were related to groundwater depth and clay content at coarse spatial scales (1 ha) and to groundwater depth and organic matter at fine spatial scales (100 m). Open savannas and grasslands remained unchanged and occurred where the groundwater depth was lower than 4 m. Conclusion Soil fertility did not drive the spread of closed physiognomies. Low clay content and shallow groundwater depth tended to decrease the woody cover, favoring the occurrence of open savannas and grasslands. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 11/21019-6 - Determinant factors to the dominance of African grasses in two tropical seasonally dry ecosystems
Grantee:Rafael de Oliveira Xavier
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
FAPESP's process: 15/05134-0 - Hydrological processes in the Brazilian Cerrado
Grantee:Paulo Tarso Sanches de Oliveira
Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral