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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Bibliographic Details
Published inPlant ecology Vol. 222; no. 3; pp. 349 - 360
Main Authors Mori, Gisele Biem, Poorter, Lourens, Schietti, Juliana, Piedade, Maria Teresa Fernandez
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01.03.2021
Springer
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Applied Ecology
Biodiversity
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Community & Population Ecology
Community ecology
Ecology
Environmental factors
Environmental gradient
Flooding
Floodplains
Forests
Forests and forestry
Kurtosis
Leaves
Life Sciences
Mathematical analysis
Nutrients
Plant Ecology
Terrestial Ecology
Trees
Tropical forests
White water
Tropical forests
Functional ecology
Tree communities
Environmental gradients
Central amazonia
Floodplains
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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.
ISSN:1385-0237
1573-5052
DOI:10.1007/s11258-020-01110-4