Papers by Bruno Henrique Pimentel Rosado
Questions: We test the hypothesis that soil water availability operates as an
ecological filter o... more Questions: We test the hypothesis that soil water availability operates as an
ecological filter on water economy plant traits, particularly in savanna stands,
with consequences for species distribution and the functional profile of plant
assemblages across a savanna–forest mosaic.
Location: A savanna–forest mosaic, northeastern Atlantic forest, Para ıba state,
Brazil.
Methods: We sampled all trees and shrubs in 11 forest and 12 savanna plots in
the same climatic region. Soil water storage capacity was measured, as well as
the following traits: specific leaf area (SLA), internode mass fraction (IMF), max-
imum height (Hmax), wood density (WD), presence of trichomes (LT) and pres-
ence of abiotic seed dispersal (DD). Differences in trait values and water soil
content between forest and savanna plots were assessed using Wilcoxon tests.
Standardized effect size of functional richness and functional dispersion (SESF-
Ric and SESFDis, respectively) were compared between forest and savanna plots
with Wilcoxon tests, and the relationships between both functional indices of
each trait and soil water content assessed using simple linear regression. We also
used null models to test for habitat filtering in each plot, considering species
assemblage (SESFRic) and abundance (SESFDis).
Results: Vegetation types differed in terms of soil water availability, with
savanna soils having, on average, half the content of forest soils. Compared to
forest, savanna plants had heavier internodes (30% increment), lower SLA
(about 42% lower) and more plants with trichomes, but plants were much
smaller across savanna assemblages. Savanna assemblages also exhibited a
higher probability of trait convergence (i.e. reduced functional diversity) than
forest assemblages in terms of SLA and maximum height, but savannas were less
prone to trait convergence in terms of leaf trichomes, considering species abun-
dance. Considering both vegetation types, a variable proportion of assemblages
exhibited significant values of either FRic or FDis, but soil water availability did
not correlate with functional diversity measures.
Conclusions: Habitat filtering not related to soil water availability favours the
occurrence of conservative resource-use plants across savanna stands, reinforc-
ing the notion that filtering is able to act as an assembly force by affecting the
abundance/frequency of particular traits, thus contributing to the occurrence of
spatially organized mosaics of vegetation.
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A number of recognized shortfalls currently exist in biology. Th ey are related to 1) a disparity... more A number of recognized shortfalls currently exist in biology. Th ey are related to 1) a disparity between the species
described and the actual number of species; 2) uncertainties in species ’ geographical distribution; 3) scarcity of species
abundance data and 4) a lack of evolutionary data. Here, we discuss how attempts to solve the Eltonian shortfall (scarcity
of knowledge about intra- and interspecifi c interactions, responses of species to environment and the eff ects of species on
ecosystems) based on functional ecology must be aware of the pitfalls of using a Grinnellian view (broad scale) to address
local questions (Eltonian scale). Since the characterization of species ’ requirements and their eff ects on the environment
(Eltonian niche) is based on functional traits, it is important to recognize that the Grinnellian niche is focused on the
requirements but not the eff ect of species on a given habitat. By neglecting the dichotomy between the Eltonian and
Grinnellian niches, choosing traits based on large-scale datasets to address local questions to describe the niche of a species
may lead to two pitfalls. Th e fi rst applies to situations where traits that may predict potential distribution and coexistence
at large scales (Grinnellian view) are often not suitable for explaining coexistence at local scales (Eltonian view). Since the
Eltonian niche comprises the requirements and impacts of species at a local scale, the second pitfall is that the selection
of traits only based on their signifi cance at coarse scales may ignore the distinction between response and eff ect traits.
We present a theoretical framework that explores the Eltonian shortfall, and discuss possible solutions. We provide a
conceptual basis to aid in the choice of traits with respect to niche concepts and population ecology for dealing with the
Eltonian shortfall.
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Natureza & Conservação, 2013
ABSTRACT Striking progress has been made on conceptual and methodological aspects linking species... more ABSTRACT Striking progress has been made on conceptual and methodological aspects linking species traits to community and ecosystem responses to environmental change. However, the first step when using a trait-based approach (i.e., choosing the adequate traits reflecting species response to a given environmental driver) deserves much more attention. The first broad comparative studies, using worldwide datasets, have identified a number of traits that are, for example, good indicators of plant responses to water and nutrient availability, or good indicators of plant species defense against herbivory and plant effects on litter decomposition. Due to the successful explanation of global patterns of trait variation and the relatively easy measurements, some functional traits have become widely used. However, it is starting to be questioned whether the status of such "fashionable traits" is always justified; especially considering that particular traits might be the result of underlying traits that respond to distinct environmental factors. Some global trade-offs between traits reflecting contrasting resource use strategies do not hold under changing environmental conditions. Therefore, the choice of traits to up-scale responses of individuals to communities and ecosystems should be based on their adequacy for a specified ecological context. Here, we present a framework that helps identifying objective criteria for the choice of functional traits for studies on community assembly and ecosystem processes and services. This framework comprises five steps: 1) identification of the main environmental drivers; 2) identification of the relevant physiological processes allowing species to cope with the environment; 3) selection of traits that are involved in such physiological processes; 4) validation of the select traits at community level and; 5) evaluation of possible consequences for ecosystem processes/services.
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pdbff.inpa.gov.br
1. INTRODUÇÃO Ecólogos de comunidades têm, há muito tempo, se interessado por questões como: quan... more 1. INTRODUÇÃO Ecólogos de comunidades têm, há muito tempo, se interessado por questões como: quantas espécies as comunidades podem suportar? Por que as comunidades possuem uma organização particular? Existem padrões previsíveis de co-ocorrência de espécies? ...
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Using a trait-based approach, we have identified
that tropical trees are vulnerable to decreases... more Using a trait-based approach, we have identified
that tropical trees are vulnerable to decreases in water
availability, especially in montane areas, where higher ra-diation and vapor pressure deficits lead to higher water loss
from trees. Changes to functional traits are useful de-scriptors of the response of species to variation in resource
availability and environmental conditions. However, how
these trait-environment relationships change with altitude
remains unclear. We investigated changes in xylem sap
flow along an altitudinal variation and evaluated the con-tribution of morphological traits to total plant water use.
We hypothesize that (1) at the Montane forest, plant spe-cies will show a more conservative water use and (2)
seasonally, there will be a much greater increase in con-servative water use during the dry season at the Lowland
site, since the climate conditions in the Montane site im-pose constraints to water use throughout the year. Re-markably, although water is assumed to be a non-limiting
resource for Atlantic rainforest in general, we observed
ecophysiological adjustments for more conservative water
use in Montane forest. Our findings demonstrate that
changes to water supply and demand as determined by
rainfall, VPD and soil water storage can impose restrictions
to water loss which differ across spatio-temporal scales.
We suggest that the next steps for research in Montane
forest should focus on traits related to hydraulic failure and
carbon starvation to address the question whether the
higher conservative water use observed at the Montane
Forest translates into a higher or lower susceptibility to
intensification of drought which might arise due to climate
change.
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Nighttime transpiration (NT) has been documented in many plant species but we do not yet have a t... more Nighttime transpiration (NT) has been documented in many plant species but we do not yet have a thorough understanding of the abiotic and biotic controls of this phenomenon. In this study we examined interspecific variation in NT behaviors in plants with distinct crown exposures (CE) and occurring at lowland (100 m) and montane forests (1000 m) in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest to answer the following questions: are there different NT behaviors in plants subjected to distinct conditions associated with degree of CE and/or altitude? Are there higher rates of NT relative to daily maximum values at the montane forest due to higher vapor pressure deficit (VPD)? Taking into account that low VPD should generally produce low relative NT fluxes, should we expect that understory species in both altitudes will have quite uniform low relative rates of NT in comparison to overstory species owing to the buffered nature of within-canopy microclimate? NT did show differences between altitude and species. Of most significance was a prominent non-linear relationship between the NT and VPD, observed at the montane site. This non-linearity is in contrast to most previously published NT kinetics and suggests stomatal and/or leaf energy balance controls on NT. Our findings raise a new perspective concerning thermodynamic contributions to non-linear NT kinetics and some possible reasons for this interesting behavior are discussed.► Functional meanings of nighttime transpiration in plants are still controversial. ► We evaluated the nighttime transpiration of tropical trees at distinct altitudes. ► We observed changes in nighttime transpiration behavior according to altitude. ► Detection of nighttime transpiration behaviors may improve transpiration models.
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Numerous studies in materials science and chemistry have expanded our understanding of the repell... more Numerous studies in materials science and chemistry have expanded our understanding of the repellency of water droplets from surfaces. Much of the inspiration for the development of synthetic water-repellent materials came from the examination of water-repellent properties of animals and plants in the natural environment. The hydrological significance of water repellency in the natural environment remains an underexplored research topic. Although the hydrological significance of soil water repellency has become well established in the ecohydrology and water resources literature, fewer studies have examined the significance of leaf water repellency. This review examines the properties of leaf water repellency, the methodologies used to calculate leaf water repellency, the leaf surface properties that promote leaf water repellency, and the significance of leaf water repellency in ecohydrological research. The repellency of a water droplet by a leaf surface is functionally important among plant species and may reflect selective strategies that either favour leaf water uptake in drought-prone environments or promote higher photosynthetic efficiency during prolonged periods of precipitation through higher repellency. Information on the functional significance of leaf water repellency in hydrologic models could enhance our understanding of the delivery of water resources to municipal reservoirs and fill in a missing gap in our understanding of leaf water repellency as a process that influences discharge, and by extension, water resources. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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Livro do curso de …, Jan 1, 2004
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Biota …, Jan 1, 2011
Fine roots, <2 mm in diameter, are responsible for water and nutrient uptake and therefore have a... more Fine roots, <2 mm in diameter, are responsible for water and nutrient uptake and therefore have a central role in carbon, nutrient and water cycling at the plant and ecosystem level. The root length density (RLD), fine root biomass (FRB) and vertical fine root distribution (VRD) in the soil profile have been used as good descriptors of resource-use efficiency and carbon storage in the soil. Along altitudinal gradients, decreases in temperature and radiation inputs (depending on the frequency of fog events) may reduce decomposition rates and nutrient availability what might stimulate plants to invest in fine roots, increasing acquisition of resources. We evaluated the seasonal variation of fine root parameters in a Lowland and Montane forest at the Atlantic Rain Forest. We hypothesized that, due to lower decomposition rates at the Montane site, the FRB and RLD at soil surface will be higher in this altitude, which can maximize the efficiency of resource absorption. FRB and RLD were higher in the Montane forest in both seasons, especially at the 0-5 layer. At the 0-5 soil layer in both sites, RLD increased from dry to wet season independently of variations in FRB. Total FRB in the top 30 cm of the soil at the Lowland site was significantly lower (334 g.m-2 in the dry season and 219 g.m-2 in the wet season) than at the Montane forest (875 and 451 g.m-2 in the dry and wet season, respectively). In conclusion, despite the relevance of FRB to describe processes related to carbon dynamics, the variation of RLD between seasons, independently of variations in FRB, indicates that RLD is a better descriptor for studies characterizing the potential of water and nutrient uptake at the Atlantic Rain Forest. The differences in RLD between altitudes within the context of resource use should be considered in studies about plant establishment, seedling growth and population dynamics at the Atlantic Rain Forest. At the ecosystem level, RLD and it seasonal variations may improve our understanding of the Atlantic rain forest functioning in terms of the biogeochemical fluxes in a possible scenario of climate change and environmental changes.
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Acta Botanica Brasilica, Jan 1, 2007
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Acta Oecologica, Jan 1, 2010
Environmental conditions can have major influences in shaping biophysical properties of leaf surf... more Environmental conditions can have major influences in shaping biophysical properties of leaf surfaces. In moist environments, high leaf water repellency (LWR) is expected because the presence of a water film on leaf surfaces can block stomatal pores, reduce the diffusion of CO 2 , ...
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Books by Bruno Henrique Pimentel Rosado
A geração e a disseminação de conhecimento sobre a biodiversidade são ações críticas para a mudar... more A geração e a disseminação de conhecimento sobre a biodiversidade são ações críticas para a mudar a percepção sobre os ecossistemas brasileiros. Com acesso à informação de qualidade, a natureza, muitas vezes percebida como um obstáculo ao desenvolvimento do país, se revela uma vantagem competitiva em um mundo cada vez mais dependente de serviços ambientais que somente os ecossistemas naturais podem oferecer. É importante que esse conhecimento chegue ao grande público, especialmente aos tomadores de decisão que atuam nas escalas municipal, estadual e federal.
Este livro procura contribuir para que o conhecimento sobre a biodiversidade brasileira chegue a mais pessoas. Resultado de um projeto intelectual de cientistas e equipes do Programa de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade (PPBio) e da Rede Temática de Pesquisa em Modelagem Ambiental da Amazônia (Geoma), seu conteúdo e foco foram discutidos em março de 2015 em encontro que reuniu os coordenadores de redes desses programas e técnicos do Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Informação (MCTI) e do Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq). Não se trata, porém, de um livro do PPBio/ Geoma, e sim de uma proposta de diálogo com a sociedade.
A divulgação científica em diferentes formatos é uma prática usual no PPBio desde o seu estabelecimento, principalmente no que tange a atividades voltadas para conservação e uso sustentável da biodiversidade e à busca de soluções para melhorar a qualidade de vida, temáticas presentes em vários dos 43 projetos vinculados às redes. Cursos, oficinas, cartilhas, guias de identificação de plantas, animais e fungos, livros e vídeos são alguns dos instrumentos utilizados pelos pesquisadores das redes em suas práticas de divulgação do conhecimento e capacitação de recursos humanos. Porém, um produto planejado e realizado de forma conjunta pelas redes atualmente vinculadas ao PPBio/Geoma ainda não havia sido feito.
A expressiva riqueza e diversidade de animais, plantas e fungos e a diversidade de ambientes no território brasileiro torna o estudo da biodiversidade um imenso desafio. Esse desafio vem sendo enfrentado com competência por pesquisadores, professores e estudantes vinculados às redes PPBio em um processo dinâmico, responsável, capaz de se autogerenciar e promover pesquisa de alto nível. As ciências da biodiversidade se destacam entre aquelas que mais têm contribuído para o crescimento e qualificação da produção científica nacional, com participação ativa dessas redes de pesquisa. Assim, este é um livro sobre o Brasil que aborda experiências pretéritas e atuais em áreas dos seis biomas - Pampa, Mata Atlântica, Cerrado, Pantanal, Caatinga e Amazônia - sua biodiversidade e as transformações naturais ou provocadas pela ação humana na paisagem; sobre espaços do território brasileiro que ganharam novas configurações através dos séculos de ocupação humana. Os 11 capítulos foram escritos de forma colaborativa por integrantes das redes e passaram por revisões por seus pares, especialmente revisões cruzadas, realizadas por membros de diferentes equipes, o que além de proporcionar um espaço adicional de discussão de métodos e técnicas, funcionou como excelente ambiente de integração.
O primeiro capítulo aborda principalmente a implantação do PPBio, os desafios do estabelecimento de atividades e metas frente aos compromissos do país com o conhecimento e a conservação da biodiversidade. Os seis capítulos seguintes, com grande diversidade de recortes, tratam dos biomas brasileiros. Essa parte do livro privilegia o diálogo entre diferentes ciências da biodiversidade, como a ecologia, a botânica e a zoologia, com outros campos da ciência e suas interseções com as sociedades humanas que viveram ou vivem nesses ambientes. Os quatro capítulos finais abordam alguns temas das ciências da biodiversidade, escolhidos entre muitos outros elencados quando do planejamento da obra.
A organização deste livro trouxe imenso ganho de interlocução e trocas entre os seus autores e revisores. Permitiu a articulação entre diferentes disciplinas científicas, não apenas como convergências temáticas, mas gerando debates intelectuais que ao mesmo tempo que contribuíram para o livro em si, animaram as diferentes redes em suas produções e levaram a discussão a diferentes fóruns nos quais as abordagens sobre biodiversidade eram compartilhadas com outros temas. Esperamos que a obra ofereça ao leitor uma boa visão das ações de pesquisa e inovações geradas no país, somando-se a diversos outros livros sobre biodiversidade como leitura chave para compreender a imensa riqueza natural do Brasil e a sua importância para as gerações atuais e futuras.
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Papers by Bruno Henrique Pimentel Rosado
ecological filter on water economy plant traits, particularly in savanna stands,
with consequences for species distribution and the functional profile of plant
assemblages across a savanna–forest mosaic.
Location: A savanna–forest mosaic, northeastern Atlantic forest, Para ıba state,
Brazil.
Methods: We sampled all trees and shrubs in 11 forest and 12 savanna plots in
the same climatic region. Soil water storage capacity was measured, as well as
the following traits: specific leaf area (SLA), internode mass fraction (IMF), max-
imum height (Hmax), wood density (WD), presence of trichomes (LT) and pres-
ence of abiotic seed dispersal (DD). Differences in trait values and water soil
content between forest and savanna plots were assessed using Wilcoxon tests.
Standardized effect size of functional richness and functional dispersion (SESF-
Ric and SESFDis, respectively) were compared between forest and savanna plots
with Wilcoxon tests, and the relationships between both functional indices of
each trait and soil water content assessed using simple linear regression. We also
used null models to test for habitat filtering in each plot, considering species
assemblage (SESFRic) and abundance (SESFDis).
Results: Vegetation types differed in terms of soil water availability, with
savanna soils having, on average, half the content of forest soils. Compared to
forest, savanna plants had heavier internodes (30% increment), lower SLA
(about 42% lower) and more plants with trichomes, but plants were much
smaller across savanna assemblages. Savanna assemblages also exhibited a
higher probability of trait convergence (i.e. reduced functional diversity) than
forest assemblages in terms of SLA and maximum height, but savannas were less
prone to trait convergence in terms of leaf trichomes, considering species abun-
dance. Considering both vegetation types, a variable proportion of assemblages
exhibited significant values of either FRic or FDis, but soil water availability did
not correlate with functional diversity measures.
Conclusions: Habitat filtering not related to soil water availability favours the
occurrence of conservative resource-use plants across savanna stands, reinforc-
ing the notion that filtering is able to act as an assembly force by affecting the
abundance/frequency of particular traits, thus contributing to the occurrence of
spatially organized mosaics of vegetation.
described and the actual number of species; 2) uncertainties in species ’ geographical distribution; 3) scarcity of species
abundance data and 4) a lack of evolutionary data. Here, we discuss how attempts to solve the Eltonian shortfall (scarcity
of knowledge about intra- and interspecifi c interactions, responses of species to environment and the eff ects of species on
ecosystems) based on functional ecology must be aware of the pitfalls of using a Grinnellian view (broad scale) to address
local questions (Eltonian scale). Since the characterization of species ’ requirements and their eff ects on the environment
(Eltonian niche) is based on functional traits, it is important to recognize that the Grinnellian niche is focused on the
requirements but not the eff ect of species on a given habitat. By neglecting the dichotomy between the Eltonian and
Grinnellian niches, choosing traits based on large-scale datasets to address local questions to describe the niche of a species
may lead to two pitfalls. Th e fi rst applies to situations where traits that may predict potential distribution and coexistence
at large scales (Grinnellian view) are often not suitable for explaining coexistence at local scales (Eltonian view). Since the
Eltonian niche comprises the requirements and impacts of species at a local scale, the second pitfall is that the selection
of traits only based on their signifi cance at coarse scales may ignore the distinction between response and eff ect traits.
We present a theoretical framework that explores the Eltonian shortfall, and discuss possible solutions. We provide a
conceptual basis to aid in the choice of traits with respect to niche concepts and population ecology for dealing with the
Eltonian shortfall.
that tropical trees are vulnerable to decreases in water
availability, especially in montane areas, where higher ra-diation and vapor pressure deficits lead to higher water loss
from trees. Changes to functional traits are useful de-scriptors of the response of species to variation in resource
availability and environmental conditions. However, how
these trait-environment relationships change with altitude
remains unclear. We investigated changes in xylem sap
flow along an altitudinal variation and evaluated the con-tribution of morphological traits to total plant water use.
We hypothesize that (1) at the Montane forest, plant spe-cies will show a more conservative water use and (2)
seasonally, there will be a much greater increase in con-servative water use during the dry season at the Lowland
site, since the climate conditions in the Montane site im-pose constraints to water use throughout the year. Re-markably, although water is assumed to be a non-limiting
resource for Atlantic rainforest in general, we observed
ecophysiological adjustments for more conservative water
use in Montane forest. Our findings demonstrate that
changes to water supply and demand as determined by
rainfall, VPD and soil water storage can impose restrictions
to water loss which differ across spatio-temporal scales.
We suggest that the next steps for research in Montane
forest should focus on traits related to hydraulic failure and
carbon starvation to address the question whether the
higher conservative water use observed at the Montane
Forest translates into a higher or lower susceptibility to
intensification of drought which might arise due to climate
change.
Books by Bruno Henrique Pimentel Rosado
Este livro procura contribuir para que o conhecimento sobre a biodiversidade brasileira chegue a mais pessoas. Resultado de um projeto intelectual de cientistas e equipes do Programa de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade (PPBio) e da Rede Temática de Pesquisa em Modelagem Ambiental da Amazônia (Geoma), seu conteúdo e foco foram discutidos em março de 2015 em encontro que reuniu os coordenadores de redes desses programas e técnicos do Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Informação (MCTI) e do Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq). Não se trata, porém, de um livro do PPBio/ Geoma, e sim de uma proposta de diálogo com a sociedade.
A divulgação científica em diferentes formatos é uma prática usual no PPBio desde o seu estabelecimento, principalmente no que tange a atividades voltadas para conservação e uso sustentável da biodiversidade e à busca de soluções para melhorar a qualidade de vida, temáticas presentes em vários dos 43 projetos vinculados às redes. Cursos, oficinas, cartilhas, guias de identificação de plantas, animais e fungos, livros e vídeos são alguns dos instrumentos utilizados pelos pesquisadores das redes em suas práticas de divulgação do conhecimento e capacitação de recursos humanos. Porém, um produto planejado e realizado de forma conjunta pelas redes atualmente vinculadas ao PPBio/Geoma ainda não havia sido feito.
A expressiva riqueza e diversidade de animais, plantas e fungos e a diversidade de ambientes no território brasileiro torna o estudo da biodiversidade um imenso desafio. Esse desafio vem sendo enfrentado com competência por pesquisadores, professores e estudantes vinculados às redes PPBio em um processo dinâmico, responsável, capaz de se autogerenciar e promover pesquisa de alto nível. As ciências da biodiversidade se destacam entre aquelas que mais têm contribuído para o crescimento e qualificação da produção científica nacional, com participação ativa dessas redes de pesquisa. Assim, este é um livro sobre o Brasil que aborda experiências pretéritas e atuais em áreas dos seis biomas - Pampa, Mata Atlântica, Cerrado, Pantanal, Caatinga e Amazônia - sua biodiversidade e as transformações naturais ou provocadas pela ação humana na paisagem; sobre espaços do território brasileiro que ganharam novas configurações através dos séculos de ocupação humana. Os 11 capítulos foram escritos de forma colaborativa por integrantes das redes e passaram por revisões por seus pares, especialmente revisões cruzadas, realizadas por membros de diferentes equipes, o que além de proporcionar um espaço adicional de discussão de métodos e técnicas, funcionou como excelente ambiente de integração.
O primeiro capítulo aborda principalmente a implantação do PPBio, os desafios do estabelecimento de atividades e metas frente aos compromissos do país com o conhecimento e a conservação da biodiversidade. Os seis capítulos seguintes, com grande diversidade de recortes, tratam dos biomas brasileiros. Essa parte do livro privilegia o diálogo entre diferentes ciências da biodiversidade, como a ecologia, a botânica e a zoologia, com outros campos da ciência e suas interseções com as sociedades humanas que viveram ou vivem nesses ambientes. Os quatro capítulos finais abordam alguns temas das ciências da biodiversidade, escolhidos entre muitos outros elencados quando do planejamento da obra.
A organização deste livro trouxe imenso ganho de interlocução e trocas entre os seus autores e revisores. Permitiu a articulação entre diferentes disciplinas científicas, não apenas como convergências temáticas, mas gerando debates intelectuais que ao mesmo tempo que contribuíram para o livro em si, animaram as diferentes redes em suas produções e levaram a discussão a diferentes fóruns nos quais as abordagens sobre biodiversidade eram compartilhadas com outros temas. Esperamos que a obra ofereça ao leitor uma boa visão das ações de pesquisa e inovações geradas no país, somando-se a diversos outros livros sobre biodiversidade como leitura chave para compreender a imensa riqueza natural do Brasil e a sua importância para as gerações atuais e futuras.
ecological filter on water economy plant traits, particularly in savanna stands,
with consequences for species distribution and the functional profile of plant
assemblages across a savanna–forest mosaic.
Location: A savanna–forest mosaic, northeastern Atlantic forest, Para ıba state,
Brazil.
Methods: We sampled all trees and shrubs in 11 forest and 12 savanna plots in
the same climatic region. Soil water storage capacity was measured, as well as
the following traits: specific leaf area (SLA), internode mass fraction (IMF), max-
imum height (Hmax), wood density (WD), presence of trichomes (LT) and pres-
ence of abiotic seed dispersal (DD). Differences in trait values and water soil
content between forest and savanna plots were assessed using Wilcoxon tests.
Standardized effect size of functional richness and functional dispersion (SESF-
Ric and SESFDis, respectively) were compared between forest and savanna plots
with Wilcoxon tests, and the relationships between both functional indices of
each trait and soil water content assessed using simple linear regression. We also
used null models to test for habitat filtering in each plot, considering species
assemblage (SESFRic) and abundance (SESFDis).
Results: Vegetation types differed in terms of soil water availability, with
savanna soils having, on average, half the content of forest soils. Compared to
forest, savanna plants had heavier internodes (30% increment), lower SLA
(about 42% lower) and more plants with trichomes, but plants were much
smaller across savanna assemblages. Savanna assemblages also exhibited a
higher probability of trait convergence (i.e. reduced functional diversity) than
forest assemblages in terms of SLA and maximum height, but savannas were less
prone to trait convergence in terms of leaf trichomes, considering species abun-
dance. Considering both vegetation types, a variable proportion of assemblages
exhibited significant values of either FRic or FDis, but soil water availability did
not correlate with functional diversity measures.
Conclusions: Habitat filtering not related to soil water availability favours the
occurrence of conservative resource-use plants across savanna stands, reinforc-
ing the notion that filtering is able to act as an assembly force by affecting the
abundance/frequency of particular traits, thus contributing to the occurrence of
spatially organized mosaics of vegetation.
described and the actual number of species; 2) uncertainties in species ’ geographical distribution; 3) scarcity of species
abundance data and 4) a lack of evolutionary data. Here, we discuss how attempts to solve the Eltonian shortfall (scarcity
of knowledge about intra- and interspecifi c interactions, responses of species to environment and the eff ects of species on
ecosystems) based on functional ecology must be aware of the pitfalls of using a Grinnellian view (broad scale) to address
local questions (Eltonian scale). Since the characterization of species ’ requirements and their eff ects on the environment
(Eltonian niche) is based on functional traits, it is important to recognize that the Grinnellian niche is focused on the
requirements but not the eff ect of species on a given habitat. By neglecting the dichotomy between the Eltonian and
Grinnellian niches, choosing traits based on large-scale datasets to address local questions to describe the niche of a species
may lead to two pitfalls. Th e fi rst applies to situations where traits that may predict potential distribution and coexistence
at large scales (Grinnellian view) are often not suitable for explaining coexistence at local scales (Eltonian view). Since the
Eltonian niche comprises the requirements and impacts of species at a local scale, the second pitfall is that the selection
of traits only based on their signifi cance at coarse scales may ignore the distinction between response and eff ect traits.
We present a theoretical framework that explores the Eltonian shortfall, and discuss possible solutions. We provide a
conceptual basis to aid in the choice of traits with respect to niche concepts and population ecology for dealing with the
Eltonian shortfall.
that tropical trees are vulnerable to decreases in water
availability, especially in montane areas, where higher ra-diation and vapor pressure deficits lead to higher water loss
from trees. Changes to functional traits are useful de-scriptors of the response of species to variation in resource
availability and environmental conditions. However, how
these trait-environment relationships change with altitude
remains unclear. We investigated changes in xylem sap
flow along an altitudinal variation and evaluated the con-tribution of morphological traits to total plant water use.
We hypothesize that (1) at the Montane forest, plant spe-cies will show a more conservative water use and (2)
seasonally, there will be a much greater increase in con-servative water use during the dry season at the Lowland
site, since the climate conditions in the Montane site im-pose constraints to water use throughout the year. Re-markably, although water is assumed to be a non-limiting
resource for Atlantic rainforest in general, we observed
ecophysiological adjustments for more conservative water
use in Montane forest. Our findings demonstrate that
changes to water supply and demand as determined by
rainfall, VPD and soil water storage can impose restrictions
to water loss which differ across spatio-temporal scales.
We suggest that the next steps for research in Montane
forest should focus on traits related to hydraulic failure and
carbon starvation to address the question whether the
higher conservative water use observed at the Montane
Forest translates into a higher or lower susceptibility to
intensification of drought which might arise due to climate
change.
Este livro procura contribuir para que o conhecimento sobre a biodiversidade brasileira chegue a mais pessoas. Resultado de um projeto intelectual de cientistas e equipes do Programa de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade (PPBio) e da Rede Temática de Pesquisa em Modelagem Ambiental da Amazônia (Geoma), seu conteúdo e foco foram discutidos em março de 2015 em encontro que reuniu os coordenadores de redes desses programas e técnicos do Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Informação (MCTI) e do Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq). Não se trata, porém, de um livro do PPBio/ Geoma, e sim de uma proposta de diálogo com a sociedade.
A divulgação científica em diferentes formatos é uma prática usual no PPBio desde o seu estabelecimento, principalmente no que tange a atividades voltadas para conservação e uso sustentável da biodiversidade e à busca de soluções para melhorar a qualidade de vida, temáticas presentes em vários dos 43 projetos vinculados às redes. Cursos, oficinas, cartilhas, guias de identificação de plantas, animais e fungos, livros e vídeos são alguns dos instrumentos utilizados pelos pesquisadores das redes em suas práticas de divulgação do conhecimento e capacitação de recursos humanos. Porém, um produto planejado e realizado de forma conjunta pelas redes atualmente vinculadas ao PPBio/Geoma ainda não havia sido feito.
A expressiva riqueza e diversidade de animais, plantas e fungos e a diversidade de ambientes no território brasileiro torna o estudo da biodiversidade um imenso desafio. Esse desafio vem sendo enfrentado com competência por pesquisadores, professores e estudantes vinculados às redes PPBio em um processo dinâmico, responsável, capaz de se autogerenciar e promover pesquisa de alto nível. As ciências da biodiversidade se destacam entre aquelas que mais têm contribuído para o crescimento e qualificação da produção científica nacional, com participação ativa dessas redes de pesquisa. Assim, este é um livro sobre o Brasil que aborda experiências pretéritas e atuais em áreas dos seis biomas - Pampa, Mata Atlântica, Cerrado, Pantanal, Caatinga e Amazônia - sua biodiversidade e as transformações naturais ou provocadas pela ação humana na paisagem; sobre espaços do território brasileiro que ganharam novas configurações através dos séculos de ocupação humana. Os 11 capítulos foram escritos de forma colaborativa por integrantes das redes e passaram por revisões por seus pares, especialmente revisões cruzadas, realizadas por membros de diferentes equipes, o que além de proporcionar um espaço adicional de discussão de métodos e técnicas, funcionou como excelente ambiente de integração.
O primeiro capítulo aborda principalmente a implantação do PPBio, os desafios do estabelecimento de atividades e metas frente aos compromissos do país com o conhecimento e a conservação da biodiversidade. Os seis capítulos seguintes, com grande diversidade de recortes, tratam dos biomas brasileiros. Essa parte do livro privilegia o diálogo entre diferentes ciências da biodiversidade, como a ecologia, a botânica e a zoologia, com outros campos da ciência e suas interseções com as sociedades humanas que viveram ou vivem nesses ambientes. Os quatro capítulos finais abordam alguns temas das ciências da biodiversidade, escolhidos entre muitos outros elencados quando do planejamento da obra.
A organização deste livro trouxe imenso ganho de interlocução e trocas entre os seus autores e revisores. Permitiu a articulação entre diferentes disciplinas científicas, não apenas como convergências temáticas, mas gerando debates intelectuais que ao mesmo tempo que contribuíram para o livro em si, animaram as diferentes redes em suas produções e levaram a discussão a diferentes fóruns nos quais as abordagens sobre biodiversidade eram compartilhadas com outros temas. Esperamos que a obra ofereça ao leitor uma boa visão das ações de pesquisa e inovações geradas no país, somando-se a diversos outros livros sobre biodiversidade como leitura chave para compreender a imensa riqueza natural do Brasil e a sua importância para as gerações atuais e futuras.