Herb-subshrub diversity in open savanna sites with distinct fire regimes in the Jalapao region, Brazil

Autor(es)

Antar, Guilherme Medeiros ; Pivello, Vania Regina ; Gerolamo, Caian Souza ; Nogueira, Anselmo ; Sano, Paulo Takeo

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY; v. N/A, p. 9-pg., 2022-05-23.

Resumo

The fire regime is essential in creating a mosaic of plant structure and diversity in South American open savannas, especially favouring herbs. However, studies investigating diversity patterns in Neotropical savannas rarely focus on the herb-subshrub layer. This study investigated the variation of the herb-subshrub layer under contrasting fire regimes in the most conserved site within the Cerrado Domain, the Jalapao region, Brazil. We selected four sites of open savanna physiognomy with similar topographic, climatic and edaphic features: three burned every 2 years, while the fourth site has remained unburned for at least the last 10 years. We randomly distributed 15 plots of 4 m(2) in each site and identified all herbs and subshrubs in each plot to estimate density, richness, alpha diversity and species composition. The unburned site had lower herb-subshrub density, richness and diversity than the frequently burned sites. Species composition varied between frequently burned and unburned sites, partially explained by the fire frequency across sites. Although other ecological factors may explain the patterns detected, we cannot rule out the importance of fire in structuring plant communities in the Jalapao region. As in other savannas, our study in the Cerrado Domain reinforces the essential role of the fire regimes in modifying and maintaining the diversity of herbaceous plants at the landscape scale. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 16/05843-4 - O Programa BIOTA-FAPESP na educação básica: possibilidades de integração curricular
• Beneficiário: Nelio Marco Vincenzo Bizzo
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa BIOTA - Temático
• Processo FAPESP: 14/01851-7 - Composição florística de campo sujo e diversidade do estrato herbáceo-subarbustivo em áreas sujeitas à ação do fogo e áreas protegidas na região do Jalapão, TO
• Beneficiário: Guilherme de Medeiros Antar
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Mestrado
• Processo FAPESP: 19/19544-7 - Efeitos sinérgicos de múltiplos mutualistas nas plantas: como bactérias, formigas e abelhas contribuem para a evolução de um grupo de leguminosas
• Beneficiário: Anselmo Nogueira
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Programa BIOTA - Jovens Pesquisadores