The role of topography, climate, soil and the surrounding matrix in the distribution of Veredas wetlands in central Brazil

• Published in: Wetlands ecology and management Vol. 30; no. 6; pp. 1261 - 1279
• Main Authors: Gonçalves, Rogério Victor S., Cardoso, João Custódio F., Oliveira, Paulo Eugênio, Raymundo, Diego, de Oliveira, Denis Coelho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dordrecht Springer Netherlands 01-12-2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Carbon capture and storage; Carbon sequestration; Cation exchange; Cation exchanging; Cations; Climate; Conservation Biology/Ecology; Data analysis; Data processing; Endemic plants; Endemic species; Environmental Law/Policy/Ecojustice; Exchange capacity; Freshwater & Marine Ecology; Groundwater table; Hydrology; Hydrology/Water Resources; Illustrations; Land use; Life Sciences; Marine & Freshwater Sciences; Original Paper; Plant species; Protected areas; Remote sensing; River water; Rivers; Seasonal variations; Seasonality; Soil; Soil temperature; Soil water; Soils; Statistical analysis; Statistical methods; Topography; Water flow; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Water table; Wetlands; Wildlife conservation; Brazil; Cerrado Biome; Cerrado; Vegetation drivers; Remote sensing; Landscape ecology; Abiotic variables
• ISSN: 0923-4861; 1572-9834
• DOI: 10.1007/s11273-022-09895-z

Wetlands are among the most important ecosystems in the world in terms of endemic biodiversity, carbon storage and hydrological process.
Veredas
wetlands are distributed across the Brazilian savanna (i.e. Cerrado biome) and are permanently protected areas.
Veredas
wetlands have a hydromorphic soil, providing water to the main rivers of central Brazil and allowing the occurrence of several endemic species of plants and animals. Although recent studies on biotic and abiotic characteristics have been conducted in several areas of
Veredas
, the studies are local and there is a lack of information about large-scale patterns. Here we used remote sensing data to explore the role of climate, soil, topography and surrounding matrix explaining
Veredas
occurrence in the
Triângulo Mineiro
and
Alto Paranaíba
(TMAP), a mesoregion of the State of
Minas Gerais
, Southeastern Brazil.
Veredas
were more frequent in the western region of TMAP, in areas with lower altitudes, temperature and precipitation seasonality, soil cation exchange capacity, silt and sand content, and slope. Moreover, farming was the most frequent land use in areas surrounding
Veredas
.
Veredas
are associated with recharging of the water table and water flow that maintains rivers in the Upper Paraná River water basin. We trust the present assessment will be of help for the development of conservation strategies and biodiversity studies.
Graphical abstract
Research questions, data processing, statistical analysis and illustration of the outputs generated.