Diversidade funcional de espécies arbóreas dominantes na borda e interior de um fragmento de mata atlântica em Pernambuco

Abstract

The creation of edges generates a rapid response of primary ecosystem, which is known as edge effect. Edge effects are many physical and biological phenomena associated with abrupt artificial limits of fragmented habitat. Understanding the responses of communities to environmental changes can be quite complex in rich communities in species. Thus some of these estimates may be based on functional properties among different species. To investigate the effect of this fragmentation research aimed to study the functional diversity of dominant tree species on the edge and inside an Atlantic Forest fragment in Pernambuco in order to identify its main strategies for attracting and use of resources in the environment. As to whether the light influences the community functioning were measured six functional characteristics: leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content, maximum height and wood density. Applied the t test and to see if there was a difference between values of the functional characteristics of environments. The functional diversity was calculated using the indices: functional richness, evenness functional and functional divergence and compared between the edge and the interior. The identification of functional strategies between environments was obtained by hierarchical clustering analysis using the method of Ward and dissimilarity matrix Gower. To check the great number of environmental groups was carried out by simulation between two and five groups for environment, considered the optimal number of group one who possessed increase in variance explained more than 15%. Were assessed 27 species on the edge and 24 interior the fragment, representing 74% and 77% relative density in environments. It was found that the average values of the functional characteristics leaf thickness and density of the wood were the ones who showed a significant difference between gradients, however, other features although not present significant difference corroborated with the statements made in this study. When added to the abundances of species in functional characteristics it was found distinct pattern, where only the content of leaf dry matter was not different means. The functional richness showed higher on edge when compared to the interior, but no significant difference between environments. Indexes evenness functional and functional divergence significant difference. In identifying use strategies and fundraising there was so much on the edge as inside the predominance of intermediate species. We conclude that there is a different behavior between the edge and inside the fragment to the features leaf thickness and wood density. In the studied fragment is experiencing a functional change between edge and interior environments. The functional diversity and functional strategies, there is functional difference between the environments and the functional structure of the community is suffering strong influences of competitive interactions.