Ferns influence on the woody species seedling bank in semi-deciduous forest, Southern Brazil

Autor: Eloisa de Souza Carvalho, José Antonio Pimenta, Edmilson Bianchini
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2016
Předmět:
Zdroj: Acta Scientiarum: Biological Sciences, Vol 38, Iss 3 (2016)
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1679-9283
1807-863X
DOI: 10.4025/actascibiolsci.v38i3.31135
Popis: Different species of plants can act as environmental filters affecting the composition, structure and spatial distribution of seeds and seedlings of forest species. This study aimed to examine whether the presence of the fern stratum acts as a biotic environmental filter on the woody species seedling bank in a semi-deciduous forest remnant (Atlantic biome), Southern Brazil. Two experiments were developed in areas with ferns (F) and ferns-free (NF): a) richness and abundance of woody seedling bank were determined in 10 plots (25 m2) in each area; b) seedlings abundance of Actinostemon concolor (Spreng.) Müll. Arg., Aspidosperma polyneuron Müll. Arg., Euterpe edulis Mart., Guarea kunthiana A. Juss. and Inga marginata Kunth were monitored for a year in three areas F, NF and an area with ferns whose fronds were cut (CF). In this experiment, it was used five plots (4 m2) in each area. The abundance of seedlings (considering all species) was higher in F areas and ferns positively and negatively affected the abundance of A. polyneuron and G. kunthiana, respectively. It is possible to conclude that ferns worked as a selective environmental filter for some woody species.
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