Seasonally dry tropical forest temporal patterns are marked by floristic stability and structural changes

Souza, Cléber Rodrigo de; Santos, Alisson Borges Miranda; Maia, Vinícius Andrade; Paula, Gabriela Gomes Pires de; Fagundes, Nathalle Cristine Alencar; Coelho, Polyanne Aparecida; Santos, Paola Ferreira; Morel, Jean Daniel; Garcia, Paulo Oswaldo; Santos, Rubens Manoel dos

doi:10.1590/01047760202127012355

ABSTRACT

Background:

Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests (SDTF) are recognized by their great biological diversity, but little is known about their temporal patterns, which may be crucial in a changing world. Here we aimed to characterize the SDTF dynamic patterns in floristic and structural changes, and also to evaluate shifts in dynamic rates and structural attributes such as richness, number of trees and biomass. Our hypothesis is that SDTF tree communities have their dynamic characterized by temporal fluctuations related to an instability pattern, in according to the already found for others tropical forests. For this we used a data of 42 400 m² plots in three fragments in the Brazilian Arboreal Caatinga, measured in 2005, 2010 and 2015. We evaluated temporal changes in richness, species composition, trees density, biomass and rates of tree mortality and recruitment; and also rates of biomass gain and loss.

Results:

We found a pattern of floristic composition stability, but with changes in structure and dynamics. There was a tree density decrease driven by constant mortality and by recruitment decrease, and biomass increase due to decrease in biomass loss and to increase in biomass gain. The biomass increase was main related to a small set of dominant species that are the most representative in the community dynamics.

Conclusion:

SDTF dynamics are related to stability in species composition, but with structural changes towards higher biomass stocks. The results are main related to community dynamics and to SDTF attributes such as climatic seasonality that drives the local ecological processes.

Keywords:
Biomass increase; Caatinga Domain; Communities stability; Ecological dominance

HIGHLIGHTS

Seasonally dry tropical forests dynamic is marked by relative stability and tree increase.

Local temporal changes occurred towards trees density decrease and biomass increase.

Tree communities in tropical dry forests were not related to short-time floristic changes.

The biomass increase occurred by indicator species due to its competitive advantage.