Soil pH accounts for differences in species distribution and leaf nutrient concentrations of Brazilian woodland savannah and seasonally dry forest species |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Biotechnology and Plant and Animal Production, Center of Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of São Carlos, CP 153, 13600-970 Araras, SP, Brazil;2. Department of Biological Sciences, “Luiz de Queiroz” College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, CP 9, 13418-900 Piracicaba, SP, Brazil;3. Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA;4. School of Plant Biology (MO84), University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, Perth, WA 6009, Australia;5. Department of Plant Biology, Biology Institute, University of Campinas, CP 6109, 13083-970 Campinas, SP, Brazil;1. Debrecen University, Department of Ecology, Egyetemtér 1, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary;2. Department of Soil Science and Water Management, Corvinus University of Budapest, Villányi út 29-43, H-1118 Budapest, Hungary;3. College of Nyíregyháza, Institute of Environmental Sciences, Sóstói út 31, H-4400 Nyíregyháza, Hungary;4. Oregon State University, Department of Crop and Soil Science, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA;5. MTA-DE Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Research Group, P.O. Box 71, Debrecen, H-4010, Hungary;1. CREAF, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, 08193, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain;2. CREAF, 08913 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain;3. Modelling and Ecotoxicology of Air Pollution, CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense 22 (edif. 70), Madrid 28040, Spain;1. Forest and Nature Lab, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, B-9090 Melle-Gontrode, Belgium;2. Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Gaverstraat 4, B-9500 Geraardsbergen, Belgium;3. Division Forest, Nature and Landscape, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, Box 2411, BE-3001 Leuven, Belgium;1. Buesgen Institute – Soil Science of Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems, Georg-August University of Goettingen, Buesgenweg 2, 37077 Goettingen, Germany |
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| Abstract: | Understanding the environmental factors shaping savannah and tropical forest boundaries is important to predict tropical vegetation responses to climate change and other human-mediated disturbances. To better understand the soil characteristics affecting the distribution of Cerradão (Brazilian woodland savannah) and seasonally dry forest (SDF), two vegetation types occurring next to each other in a similar seasonal climate in south-eastern Brazil, we compared several leaf chemical and morphological traits associated with soil pH and resource availability of Cerradão and SDF woody species. Leaf functional traits were measured for 25 Cerradão and 27 SDF species. We performed between-site comparisons with either all species pooled using phylogenetically independent contrasts or species shared between Cerradão and SDF, as well as congeneric pairs. We found higher specific leaf area and leaf nitrogen, potassium, calcium and sulfur concentrations for SDF species. We did not find higher concentrations for leaf phosphorus and manganese (Mn) for SDF species, despite a higher concentration of these nutrients in SDF soil. Cerradão plants had higher leaf iron (Fe), Mn and aluminium (Al) concentrations. For most of the traits assessed, variance was higher among species and genera than between sites. Nutrients with greater availability in the SDF soil did not invariably exhibit higher concentrations in the leaves of SDF species, indicating that these were not limiting for plant productivity. Higher concentrations in the leaves of Cerradão species for Al, Fe and Mn are probably a consequence of lower soil pH, which increases the availability of these elements. In spite of the differences in belowground resources and the divergence for some traits between Cerradão and SDF, our results show high diversity in leaf functional traits within communities and a similarity of leaf functional traits in closely related species in the contrasting habitats. Besides, we surmise that soil pH is an important factor affecting Cerradão and SDF species distribution, excluding SDF species from more acidic soils, because of the toxic effects of Al, and possibly also Mn and Fe. |
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| Keywords: | Atlantic forest Cerrado Micronutrients Nutrient availability Soil fertility Tropical ecology |
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