A heterogeneidade ambiental em uma floresta tropical sazonalmente seca pode ser evidenciada a partir de seus diásporos?

Abstract

Environmental heterogeneity is responsible for biological diversity and community structuring. The Phytogeographic Domain of the Caatinga integrates a set of phytophysiognomies called Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests, which extend across Latin America. The Caatinga is highly anthropized, and this influences the increase in the heterogeneity of the mosaics that compose it; reflecting the susceptibility to deleterious biotic and abiotic factors. The high biodiversity and environmental complexity found in these environments generates speculations about the processes that guide the structuring of the phytophysiognomies of the Caatinga, especially those related to diaspores; that are related to diverse processes at the community and species level. Thus, this work sought to answer whether the environmental heterogeneity, in different phytophysiognomies of the Caatinga, is reflected on a local scale, in variations in the characteristics of diaspores of woody species. For this, a hypothesis was raised that the environmental heterogeneity in the Phytogeographic Domain of the Caatinga, a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest influences the intra and interspecific variations of diaspore characteristics. The results obtained are diverse arising from the large variability in the diaspora characteristics of phytophysiognomies. It was found positive between volume and mass. Indicating different strategies used by the species of the Caatinga in the face of environmental heterogeneity. From cluster analyses, it was possible to verify the influence of altitude, precipitation and temperature in the structuring of communities.