Structure of the understory community in four stretches of Araucaria forest in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

Author(s)

Polisel, Rodrigo Trassi ^[1] ; Ivanauskas, Natalia Macedo ^[2] ; de Assis, Marta Camargo ^[3] ; Shepherd, George John ^[4] ; Yamamoto, Kikyo ^[4]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Inst Biol, Programa Posgrad Biol Vegetal, Campinas, SP - Brazil

^[2] Inst Florestal, Sec Ecol Florestal, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[3] EMBRAPA Meio Ambiente, Jaguariuna, SP - Brazil

^[4] Univ Estadual Campinas, Dept Biol Vegetal, Campinas, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Acta Botanica Brasilica; v. 28, n. 1, p. 86-101, JAN-MAR 2014.
• Web of Science Citations: 6

Abstract

We analyzed the structure of the understory community in the Atlantic Forest sensu lato, for which phytosociological descriptions of the understory are lacking. We delineated 50 plots of 10 × 20 m each at four sites within an Araucaria forest (a subtype of Atlantic Forest), located in the municipalities of Bananal, Campos do Jordão, Itaberá and Barra do Chapéu, all of which are in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. To sample the resident species of the understory, we randomly selected five 1 × 1 m subplots within each plot, resulting in a total sampling area of 250 m² at each site. We identified differences among the locations, mostly due to proportional differences in growth forms, in terms of species richness and the importance values within the community. Factors potentially influencing the understory structure include macroclimatic and microclimatic conditions, as well as forest fragmentation, the abundance of deciduous trees in the canopy, the surrounding vegetation and geographic location. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 01/05146-6 - Plant biodiversity and soil organisms associated to natural and disturbed Araucaria angustifolia ecosystems of the State of São Paulo
• Grantee: Elke Jurandy Bran Nogueira Cardoso
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants