Edaphic characteristics drive functional traits distribution in Amazonian floodplain forests
Understanding how environmental factors drive community assembly remains a major challenge in community ecology, especially in biodiverse tropical forests. We investigated how environmental filters affect functional trait distribution in two contrasting types of floodplain forest in the Brazilian Am...
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Published in | Plant ecology Vol. 222; no. 3; pp. 349 - 360 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Dordrecht
Springer Netherlands
01.03.2021
Springer Springer Nature B.V |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Understanding how environmental factors drive community assembly remains a major challenge in community ecology, especially in biodiverse tropical forests. We investigated how environmental filters affect functional trait distribution in two contrasting types of floodplain forest in the Brazilian Amazon: white-water forest (
várzea
) and black-water forest (
igapó
). We placed 40 plots of 625 m
2
along a flooding gradient in Central Amazonia and measured for edaphic variables and 11 functional traits related to use of resources and flooding tolerance/avoidance. We assessed functional distribution by calculating community-trait mean values and trait kurtosis. Analysis of community mean trait values showed that nutrient-rich white-water forests favored trees with productive leaves and fast growth, whereas nutrient-poor black-water forests favored trees with nutrient conservation traits and slow growth. Functional diversity was not related to environmental gradients. Edaphic characteristics act, therefore, as a strong environmental filter leading to trait convergence in these floodplain tree communities. |
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ISSN: | 1385-0237 1573-5052 |
DOI: | 10.1007/s11258-020-01110-4 |