Floristic diversity and edaphic filters in an urban forest under Cerrado domain, in Cuiabá, Central Western Brazil

Diversidade florística e filtros edáficos em uma floresta urbana sob o domínio do Cerrado, em Cuiabá, no Centro Oeste do Brasil

Abstract

We aimed to characterize the adult and regenerating tree components and their relationships with soil characteristics of a native vegetation remnant in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The area of the fragment is stratified into “dry area” (lithic neosoil) and “damp area” (gleisoil). We conducted a forest inventory with a random distribution of 25 parcels. We analyzed the physical and chemical components of the soil. We evaluated the vegetation's horizontal structure, diversity, and sample sufficiency using the Bootstrap richness estimator. We classified the species according to dispersal syndrome and ecological group. Overall, we found 93 species in the adult layer and 70 species in the regenerating layer. The similarity dendrograms based on the two evaluated indices demonstrated the existence of the two initially stratified environments in both strata. The IndVal (%) indicated that the set of indicator species differed between the strata. Thereby, the fragment is in an intermediate stage of successional progression. PCA showed that plots in the wet area had higher pH values and Ca, Zn, and Fe levels, while plots in the dry area did not clearly distinguish, varying in terms of K, B, and organic matter content. In CCA, a set of species that occurred exclusively in the damp area showed a strong relationship with the analyzed variables. The area is a diverse ecosystem that efficiently provides ecosystem services to society and should be the subject of long-term conservation and research.

Keywords:
urban forest; climate changes; conservation; urban ecology