Abstract Disturbances caused by land management via fire and cattle grazing can alter the populat... more Abstract Disturbances caused by land management via fire and cattle grazing can alter the population structure of keystone species that change the output of vegetation dynamics. Adult araucaria trees (Araucaria angustifolia) can facilitate the establishment of other woody plants and, thus, influence the expansion of forests over grasslands in the highlands of southern Brazil. Here we aimed to check araucaria population structure under two types of management – with or without fire and grazing– and in three habitat types: forests, shrublands and grasslands. We sampled araucaria populations in 40 transects (100×4 m), half of each located in the forest, and the other half, in variable extensions of shrublands or grasslands. Of the 40 transects, 18 were under management with fire and grazing and 22 in a protected area where the two disturbances are prevented (Sao Joaquim National Park). Overall, we sampled 339 araucaria seedlings, 59 saplings, 44 juveniles and 128 adults. Population structure differed both among habitats, between types of management, and between the same habitats but under distinct types of management. Population density was 1.4 times higher in areas with fire and grazing than without such disturbances, which was caused mostly by a larger number of seedlings. Under fire and grazing, we found 1.4 times more adults in forests, 5.7 times more seedlings in shrublands and 5.3 times more seedlings in the grassland than in the same habitat but without disturbances. Our results indicate that araucarias reach and germinate under all conditions but rarely surpass the seedling stage in grasslands and shrublands where fire and grazing is used. Consequently, fire and grazing disturbances should slow down forest expansion over shrublands and grasslands. In contrast, when disturbances are barred, araucarias can grow large enough to trigger their facilitative effect and then gear up the pace of forest expansion.
Protected areas are a crucial tool for halting the loss of biodiversity. Yet, the management of p... more Protected areas are a crucial tool for halting the loss of biodiversity. Yet, the management of protected areas is under resourced, impacting the ability to achieve effective conservation actions. Effective management depends on the application of the best available knowledge, which can include both scientific evidence and the local knowledge of onsite managers. Despite the clear value of evidence-based conservation, there is still little known about how much scientific evidence is used to guide the management of protected areas. This knowledge gap is especially evident in developing countries, where resource limitations and language barriers may create additional challenges for the use of scientific evidence in management. To assess the extent to which scientific evidence is used to inform management decisions in a developing country, we surveyed Brazilian protected area managers about the information they use to support their management decisions. We targeted on-ground managers wh...
O objetivo do presente estudo foi realizar uma análise exploratória de padrões estruturais e de d... more O objetivo do presente estudo foi realizar uma análise exploratória de padrões estruturais e de diversidade, relacionando-os com variáveis ambientais em uma área de floresta ribeirinha. A amostra 100 unidades amostrais (UAs), foi alocada nas margens do rio Uruguai, Parque Estadual do Turvo, Rio Grande do Sul (27º09' S e 53º53' W). Todos os indivíduos arbóreos com PAP >15 cm foram registrados. Para a descrição da vegetação foram estimados os principais parâmetros fitossociológicos, além do índice de diversidade de Shannon. Foram mensuradas variáveis ambientais edáficas, topográficas e a cobertura do dossel. As relações entre a abundância das espécies nas UAs e as variáveis ambientais foram avaliadas por meio de análises de correspondência canônica - CCA e CCA "parcial". Foram encontradas 82 espécies pertencentes a 30 famílias. A CCA exibiu um gradiente vegetacional nítido, relacionado hierarquicamente com a cota de elevação e, assim, com a suscetibilidade à inund...
A dispersão de diásporos é um evento de elevada importância para as espécies vegetais, que dispõe... more A dispersão de diásporos é um evento de elevada importância para as espécies vegetais, que dispõem de diversas estratégias para este fim. O presente estudo teve por objetivos conhecer e caracterizar o espectro das diferentes estratégias de dispersão do componente arbóreo em uma floresta estacional de Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil (próximo às coordenadas 53º54'W e 29º38'S) e, a partir desses dados, investigar sua relação com os estratos verticais da floresta. Foram amostrados todos os indivíduos com perímetro à altura do peito > 15 cm, em 100 unidades amostrais de 10×10 m. A caracterização das estratégias de dispersão foi realizada por meio de observações a campo de frutos e potenciais dispersores, e consulta à bibliografia especializada. Foram amostradas 58 espécies pertencentes a 26 famílias botânicas. Dessas espécies, 74% apresentaram estratégia de dispersão zoocórica; 24%, estratégia de dispersão anemocórica e apenas Gymnanthes concolor Spreng. apresentou a es...
Diásporos são as unidades de dispersão das plantas e sua morfologia está relacionada a adaptações... more Diásporos são as unidades de dispersão das plantas e sua morfologia está relacionada a adaptações às estratégias de dispersão e estabelecimento. Neste estudo, foram avaliadas características morfológicas de diásporos de 64 espécies de árvores e arvoretas adaptadas ao consumo por vertebrados, no Parque Estadual de Itapuã, sul do Brasil, com o objetivo de relacionar características relevantes para a dispersão, como tamanho, formato e cor dos diásporos, com aspectos relacionados ao estabelecimento de plântulas, como massa e quantidade de sementes. Foram considerados dispersos por vertebrados aqueles diásporos que apresentaram estruturas carnosas. O comprimento médio dos diásporos das espécies analisadas foi 1,7 ± 1,67 cm (N = 1.402). Baseando-se em um diagrama de ordenação, produzido com o comprimento e massa dos diásporos e número e massa de sementes por diásporo, as espécies foram separadas em quatro grupos morfológicos. Espécies com poucas sementes por diásporo foram associadas à di...
Florestas ribeirinhas são caracterizadas por alta heterogeneidade ambiental, onde diferentes fato... more Florestas ribeirinhas são caracterizadas por alta heterogeneidade ambiental, onde diferentes fatores físicos e bióticos regulam o mosaico vegetacional. Embora sejam áreas prioritárias à conservação, devido a sua fragilidade e importância, poucos estudos vêm sendo desenvolvidos nestes ambientes, em especial no Rio Grande do Sul. O objetivo do presente estudo é caracterizar a composição florística e a estrutura fitossociológica de um trecho de floresta ribeirinha em Santa Maria, RS. Para o levantamento, foram demarcadas 100 parcelas de 10x10m cada, dispostas paralelamente ao curso do rio, onde todos os indivíduos arbóreos PAP > 15cm foram amostrados. Foram amostrados 2.195 indivíduos vivos e mais 137 mortos ainda em pé. Os indivíduos vivos pertencem a 57 espécies de 47 gêneros distribuídos em 26 famílias. As espécies com maiores valores de importância foram Gymnanthes concolor Spreng, Sebastiania commersoniana (Baill.) Smith…
Mesadenella cuspidata é uma orquídea terrícola encontrada no interior de florestas no Sul do Bras... more Mesadenella cuspidata é uma orquídea terrícola encontrada no interior de florestas no Sul do Brasil. Apesar de seu valor ecológico e ornamental, pouco se conhece sobre a biologia desta espécie. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram identificar o padrão de distribuição espacial de M. cuspidata e verificar se há correlação entre o número de indivíduos jovens e adultos em uma floresta ribeirinha. Para o levantamento, foram amostradas 60 parcelas de 16m² cada. Durante agosto e setembro/2001 foram inventariados os indivíduos jovens e adultos das parcelas. Para identificar-se o padrão de distribuição espacial, utilizaram-se o índice de Morisita (MI) e a razão de variância/média (R). Foram encontrados 463 indivíduos jovens e 178 adultos. Indivíduos jovens e adultos apresentaram distribuição espacial agrupada, sendo que os adultos (IM = 2,17; R = 4,52) estão mais agrupados que os jovens (IM = 1,82; R = 7,82). O coeficiente de correlação linear encontrado r = 0,61, demonstrou que a densidade de ...
The spatial distribution of tree species often appears as a non-random pattern resulting from the... more The spatial distribution of tree species often appears as a non-random pattern resulting from the interaction with biotic and abiotic factors. The present work aims to describe tree spatial structure in a seasonal forest in S outhern Brazil. To analyze spatial patterns, species with density equal or higher than 30 individuals ha -1 were sampled in 100 contiguous sampling units, that were placed over an uneven topographic area. Declivity patterns were assessed to obtain a topographic representation of the studied area. Spatial analyses resulted in indexes of clustering, which values were interpolated by kriging methods. Almost all species showed grouped distributions, with clusters occurring in favorable sites, where requirements needed to species maintenance were certainly present. Population structure can be used as an important tool to choose adequate species for different sites in restoration of deforested areas.
This study examines the relationship between climate and species richness and distribution of pal... more This study examines the relationship between climate and species richness and distribution of palms (Arecaceae) in the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina. We use data from the Floristic and Forest Inventory of Santa Catarina and WorldClim - Global Climate Data. We hypothesized that low temperature and precipitation limit palm species richness and distribution in Santa Catarina. For modeling palm species richness, we used a generalized linear model for zero inflated data and to assess reasons behind differences in palm species abundance and species richness across the state, we used a canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP). We found that only the distribution of Euterpe edulis Mart. and Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassman showed significant effects of climate, largely because they were the most abundant and frequent species found in sampled plots. Modelling results pinpointed minimum temperature of the coldest month as the strongest predictor of palm species richness and...
Honeybees visiting flowers is such a common picture that it is hard to remember it is just a part... more Honeybees visiting flowers is such a common picture that it is hard to remember it is just a part of the pollination story. First, not all pollinators are honeybees. Pollination stands as one of the most important classes of animal–plant interaction, as ~85% of angiosperms are pollinated by animals (Ollerton et al., 2011). Such interactions were key drivers of the evolutionary radiation of both angiosperms and insects across the world (Crepet et al., 1991; Grimaldi, 1999). Within Hymenoptera, one of the largest insect orders, honeybees and other bee species are frequently cited as major pollinators (Cardinal et al., 2012; Kevan & Baker, 1983; Potts et al., 2010), but other insects such as wasps are also important pollinators (Heithaus, 1979; Freitas & Sazima, 2006; Sühs et al., 2009; Abstract Basic research assessing environmental effects on entire pollinator communities are still uncommon, particularly for rare and commercially unattractive plantpollinator partners. We investigated...
Regional species assemblages have been shaped by colonization, speciation and extinction over mil... more Regional species assemblages have been shaped by colonization, speciation and extinction over millions of years. Humans have altered biogeography by introducing species to new ranges. However, an analysis of how strongly naturalized plant species (i.e. alien plants that have established self-sustaining populations) affect the taxonomic and phylogenetic uniqueness of regional floras globally is still missing. Here, we present such an analysis with data from native and naturalized alien floras in 658 regions around the world. We find strong taxonomic and phylogenetic floristic homogenization overall, and that the natural decline in floristic similarity with increasing geographic distance is weakened by naturalized species. Floristic homogenization increases with climatic similarity, which emphasizes the importance of climate matching in plant naturalization. Moreover, floristic homogenization is greater between regions with current or past administrative relationships, indicating that...
Land use change is a global threat to biodiversity. Besides converting natural landscapes into mo... more Land use change is a global threat to biodiversity. Besides converting natural landscapes into monocultures, the use of genetically modified organisms is increasing, even though their effects on natural assemblages are still poorly known. The possible effects of transgenic crops on ecosystems can be studied using ecological indicators, such as dung beetles. We assessed the effect of creole, conventional, and transgenic maize crops on dung beetle assemblages in a landscape that also contained forest fragments in southern Brazil. We established 15 blocks, five on each type of maize fields. Each block consisted of a landscape with native forests and maize fields. A total of 2126 dung beetles were captured, belonging to 38 species. The forest-crop landscape associated with creole maize had a greater richness of dung beetle species. Conversely, an impoverished assemblage was detected in the transgenic maize crop landscape. The reduction of indicator insect diversity in landscapes influen...
Understanding how wetland plant communities are organized in different ecosystems and spatial sca... more Understanding how wetland plant communities are organized in different ecosystems and spatial scales is essential to support conservation. Studies that have addressed this primary need, however, are exceptionally scarce. Here, we compared the diversity (alpha, beta and gamma) and composition of herbaceous and woody communities (treated separately and jointly) in ponds, streambanks and riverbanks in the upper Uruguay River Basin, southern Brazil. Results showed that each wetland ecosystem exhibited unique community patterns, depending on the plant group, data property (e.g., presence-absence or abundance), and community parameter. All ecosystem types had exclusive species, beta diversity explained by high rates of species turnover and balanced variation in abundance components, and particular floristic composition, revealing that each wetland type and site contributes fundamentally to the overall wetland plant diversity. These findings indicate that safeguarding wetland plant diversity depends on the adoption of holistic conservation measures.
Abstract Disturbances caused by land management via fire and cattle grazing can alter the populat... more Abstract Disturbances caused by land management via fire and cattle grazing can alter the population structure of keystone species that change the output of vegetation dynamics. Adult araucaria trees (Araucaria angustifolia) can facilitate the establishment of other woody plants and, thus, influence the expansion of forests over grasslands in the highlands of southern Brazil. Here we aimed to check araucaria population structure under two types of management – with or without fire and grazing– and in three habitat types: forests, shrublands and grasslands. We sampled araucaria populations in 40 transects (100×4 m), half of each located in the forest, and the other half, in variable extensions of shrublands or grasslands. Of the 40 transects, 18 were under management with fire and grazing and 22 in a protected area where the two disturbances are prevented (Sao Joaquim National Park). Overall, we sampled 339 araucaria seedlings, 59 saplings, 44 juveniles and 128 adults. Population structure differed both among habitats, between types of management, and between the same habitats but under distinct types of management. Population density was 1.4 times higher in areas with fire and grazing than without such disturbances, which was caused mostly by a larger number of seedlings. Under fire and grazing, we found 1.4 times more adults in forests, 5.7 times more seedlings in shrublands and 5.3 times more seedlings in the grassland than in the same habitat but without disturbances. Our results indicate that araucarias reach and germinate under all conditions but rarely surpass the seedling stage in grasslands and shrublands where fire and grazing is used. Consequently, fire and grazing disturbances should slow down forest expansion over shrublands and grasslands. In contrast, when disturbances are barred, araucarias can grow large enough to trigger their facilitative effect and then gear up the pace of forest expansion.
Protected areas are a crucial tool for halting the loss of biodiversity. Yet, the management of p... more Protected areas are a crucial tool for halting the loss of biodiversity. Yet, the management of protected areas is under resourced, impacting the ability to achieve effective conservation actions. Effective management depends on the application of the best available knowledge, which can include both scientific evidence and the local knowledge of onsite managers. Despite the clear value of evidence-based conservation, there is still little known about how much scientific evidence is used to guide the management of protected areas. This knowledge gap is especially evident in developing countries, where resource limitations and language barriers may create additional challenges for the use of scientific evidence in management. To assess the extent to which scientific evidence is used to inform management decisions in a developing country, we surveyed Brazilian protected area managers about the information they use to support their management decisions. We targeted on-ground managers wh...
O objetivo do presente estudo foi realizar uma análise exploratória de padrões estruturais e de d... more O objetivo do presente estudo foi realizar uma análise exploratória de padrões estruturais e de diversidade, relacionando-os com variáveis ambientais em uma área de floresta ribeirinha. A amostra 100 unidades amostrais (UAs), foi alocada nas margens do rio Uruguai, Parque Estadual do Turvo, Rio Grande do Sul (27º09' S e 53º53' W). Todos os indivíduos arbóreos com PAP >15 cm foram registrados. Para a descrição da vegetação foram estimados os principais parâmetros fitossociológicos, além do índice de diversidade de Shannon. Foram mensuradas variáveis ambientais edáficas, topográficas e a cobertura do dossel. As relações entre a abundância das espécies nas UAs e as variáveis ambientais foram avaliadas por meio de análises de correspondência canônica - CCA e CCA "parcial". Foram encontradas 82 espécies pertencentes a 30 famílias. A CCA exibiu um gradiente vegetacional nítido, relacionado hierarquicamente com a cota de elevação e, assim, com a suscetibilidade à inund...
A dispersão de diásporos é um evento de elevada importância para as espécies vegetais, que dispõe... more A dispersão de diásporos é um evento de elevada importância para as espécies vegetais, que dispõem de diversas estratégias para este fim. O presente estudo teve por objetivos conhecer e caracterizar o espectro das diferentes estratégias de dispersão do componente arbóreo em uma floresta estacional de Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil (próximo às coordenadas 53º54'W e 29º38'S) e, a partir desses dados, investigar sua relação com os estratos verticais da floresta. Foram amostrados todos os indivíduos com perímetro à altura do peito > 15 cm, em 100 unidades amostrais de 10×10 m. A caracterização das estratégias de dispersão foi realizada por meio de observações a campo de frutos e potenciais dispersores, e consulta à bibliografia especializada. Foram amostradas 58 espécies pertencentes a 26 famílias botânicas. Dessas espécies, 74% apresentaram estratégia de dispersão zoocórica; 24%, estratégia de dispersão anemocórica e apenas Gymnanthes concolor Spreng. apresentou a es...
Diásporos são as unidades de dispersão das plantas e sua morfologia está relacionada a adaptações... more Diásporos são as unidades de dispersão das plantas e sua morfologia está relacionada a adaptações às estratégias de dispersão e estabelecimento. Neste estudo, foram avaliadas características morfológicas de diásporos de 64 espécies de árvores e arvoretas adaptadas ao consumo por vertebrados, no Parque Estadual de Itapuã, sul do Brasil, com o objetivo de relacionar características relevantes para a dispersão, como tamanho, formato e cor dos diásporos, com aspectos relacionados ao estabelecimento de plântulas, como massa e quantidade de sementes. Foram considerados dispersos por vertebrados aqueles diásporos que apresentaram estruturas carnosas. O comprimento médio dos diásporos das espécies analisadas foi 1,7 ± 1,67 cm (N = 1.402). Baseando-se em um diagrama de ordenação, produzido com o comprimento e massa dos diásporos e número e massa de sementes por diásporo, as espécies foram separadas em quatro grupos morfológicos. Espécies com poucas sementes por diásporo foram associadas à di...
Florestas ribeirinhas são caracterizadas por alta heterogeneidade ambiental, onde diferentes fato... more Florestas ribeirinhas são caracterizadas por alta heterogeneidade ambiental, onde diferentes fatores físicos e bióticos regulam o mosaico vegetacional. Embora sejam áreas prioritárias à conservação, devido a sua fragilidade e importância, poucos estudos vêm sendo desenvolvidos nestes ambientes, em especial no Rio Grande do Sul. O objetivo do presente estudo é caracterizar a composição florística e a estrutura fitossociológica de um trecho de floresta ribeirinha em Santa Maria, RS. Para o levantamento, foram demarcadas 100 parcelas de 10x10m cada, dispostas paralelamente ao curso do rio, onde todos os indivíduos arbóreos PAP > 15cm foram amostrados. Foram amostrados 2.195 indivíduos vivos e mais 137 mortos ainda em pé. Os indivíduos vivos pertencem a 57 espécies de 47 gêneros distribuídos em 26 famílias. As espécies com maiores valores de importância foram Gymnanthes concolor Spreng, Sebastiania commersoniana (Baill.) Smith…
Mesadenella cuspidata é uma orquídea terrícola encontrada no interior de florestas no Sul do Bras... more Mesadenella cuspidata é uma orquídea terrícola encontrada no interior de florestas no Sul do Brasil. Apesar de seu valor ecológico e ornamental, pouco se conhece sobre a biologia desta espécie. Os objetivos deste trabalho foram identificar o padrão de distribuição espacial de M. cuspidata e verificar se há correlação entre o número de indivíduos jovens e adultos em uma floresta ribeirinha. Para o levantamento, foram amostradas 60 parcelas de 16m² cada. Durante agosto e setembro/2001 foram inventariados os indivíduos jovens e adultos das parcelas. Para identificar-se o padrão de distribuição espacial, utilizaram-se o índice de Morisita (MI) e a razão de variância/média (R). Foram encontrados 463 indivíduos jovens e 178 adultos. Indivíduos jovens e adultos apresentaram distribuição espacial agrupada, sendo que os adultos (IM = 2,17; R = 4,52) estão mais agrupados que os jovens (IM = 1,82; R = 7,82). O coeficiente de correlação linear encontrado r = 0,61, demonstrou que a densidade de ...
The spatial distribution of tree species often appears as a non-random pattern resulting from the... more The spatial distribution of tree species often appears as a non-random pattern resulting from the interaction with biotic and abiotic factors. The present work aims to describe tree spatial structure in a seasonal forest in S outhern Brazil. To analyze spatial patterns, species with density equal or higher than 30 individuals ha -1 were sampled in 100 contiguous sampling units, that were placed over an uneven topographic area. Declivity patterns were assessed to obtain a topographic representation of the studied area. Spatial analyses resulted in indexes of clustering, which values were interpolated by kriging methods. Almost all species showed grouped distributions, with clusters occurring in favorable sites, where requirements needed to species maintenance were certainly present. Population structure can be used as an important tool to choose adequate species for different sites in restoration of deforested areas.
This study examines the relationship between climate and species richness and distribution of pal... more This study examines the relationship between climate and species richness and distribution of palms (Arecaceae) in the Brazilian State of Santa Catarina. We use data from the Floristic and Forest Inventory of Santa Catarina and WorldClim - Global Climate Data. We hypothesized that low temperature and precipitation limit palm species richness and distribution in Santa Catarina. For modeling palm species richness, we used a generalized linear model for zero inflated data and to assess reasons behind differences in palm species abundance and species richness across the state, we used a canonical analysis of principal coordinates (CAP). We found that only the distribution of Euterpe edulis Mart. and Syagrus romanzoffiana (Cham.) Glassman showed significant effects of climate, largely because they were the most abundant and frequent species found in sampled plots. Modelling results pinpointed minimum temperature of the coldest month as the strongest predictor of palm species richness and...
Honeybees visiting flowers is such a common picture that it is hard to remember it is just a part... more Honeybees visiting flowers is such a common picture that it is hard to remember it is just a part of the pollination story. First, not all pollinators are honeybees. Pollination stands as one of the most important classes of animal–plant interaction, as ~85% of angiosperms are pollinated by animals (Ollerton et al., 2011). Such interactions were key drivers of the evolutionary radiation of both angiosperms and insects across the world (Crepet et al., 1991; Grimaldi, 1999). Within Hymenoptera, one of the largest insect orders, honeybees and other bee species are frequently cited as major pollinators (Cardinal et al., 2012; Kevan & Baker, 1983; Potts et al., 2010), but other insects such as wasps are also important pollinators (Heithaus, 1979; Freitas & Sazima, 2006; Sühs et al., 2009; Abstract Basic research assessing environmental effects on entire pollinator communities are still uncommon, particularly for rare and commercially unattractive plantpollinator partners. We investigated...
Regional species assemblages have been shaped by colonization, speciation and extinction over mil... more Regional species assemblages have been shaped by colonization, speciation and extinction over millions of years. Humans have altered biogeography by introducing species to new ranges. However, an analysis of how strongly naturalized plant species (i.e. alien plants that have established self-sustaining populations) affect the taxonomic and phylogenetic uniqueness of regional floras globally is still missing. Here, we present such an analysis with data from native and naturalized alien floras in 658 regions around the world. We find strong taxonomic and phylogenetic floristic homogenization overall, and that the natural decline in floristic similarity with increasing geographic distance is weakened by naturalized species. Floristic homogenization increases with climatic similarity, which emphasizes the importance of climate matching in plant naturalization. Moreover, floristic homogenization is greater between regions with current or past administrative relationships, indicating that...
Land use change is a global threat to biodiversity. Besides converting natural landscapes into mo... more Land use change is a global threat to biodiversity. Besides converting natural landscapes into monocultures, the use of genetically modified organisms is increasing, even though their effects on natural assemblages are still poorly known. The possible effects of transgenic crops on ecosystems can be studied using ecological indicators, such as dung beetles. We assessed the effect of creole, conventional, and transgenic maize crops on dung beetle assemblages in a landscape that also contained forest fragments in southern Brazil. We established 15 blocks, five on each type of maize fields. Each block consisted of a landscape with native forests and maize fields. A total of 2126 dung beetles were captured, belonging to 38 species. The forest-crop landscape associated with creole maize had a greater richness of dung beetle species. Conversely, an impoverished assemblage was detected in the transgenic maize crop landscape. The reduction of indicator insect diversity in landscapes influen...
Understanding how wetland plant communities are organized in different ecosystems and spatial sca... more Understanding how wetland plant communities are organized in different ecosystems and spatial scales is essential to support conservation. Studies that have addressed this primary need, however, are exceptionally scarce. Here, we compared the diversity (alpha, beta and gamma) and composition of herbaceous and woody communities (treated separately and jointly) in ponds, streambanks and riverbanks in the upper Uruguay River Basin, southern Brazil. Results showed that each wetland ecosystem exhibited unique community patterns, depending on the plant group, data property (e.g., presence-absence or abundance), and community parameter. All ecosystem types had exclusive species, beta diversity explained by high rates of species turnover and balanced variation in abundance components, and particular floristic composition, revealing that each wetland type and site contributes fundamentally to the overall wetland plant diversity. These findings indicate that safeguarding wetland plant diversity depends on the adoption of holistic conservation measures.
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