Tree species composition and similarity in semideciduous forest fragments of southeastern Brazil

• Published in: Biological conservation Vol. 135; no. 2; pp. 268 - 277
• Main Authors: dos Santos, Karin, Kinoshita, Luiza Sumiko, Santos, Flávio A.M. dos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Conservation; Conservation, protection and management of environment and wildlife; Disturbance; Diversity of life; Forestry; Fragment area; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General forest ecology; Generalities. Production, biomass. Quality of wood and forest products. General forest ecology; Habitat fragmentation; Livets mångfald; NMS ordination; Parks, reserves, wildlife conservation. Endangered species: population survey and restocking; Species loss; South America; Brazil; America; Habitat fragmentation; NMS ordination; Fragment area; Species loss; Conservation; Disturbance; Forests; Tree; Habitat; Ecological abundance; Fragmentation; Environmental protection; Habitat fragmentation;Fragment area;Conservation;Disturbance;Species loss;NMS ordination
• ISSN: 0006-3207; 1873-2917; 1873-2917
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2006.10.027

This study investigates the influence of fragment size on tree species composition, species richness and on individual groups of species within 11 semideciduous forest fragments in southeastern Brazil. We compared same-sized samples of 500 trees from 10 fragments <100
ha, allocated to three size categories, with three 500-tree samples collected in different areas within a large forest, used as a reference forest. The variation in species richness, in the proportion of species/individuals in dispersal modes, and in the proportion of rare species was not related to fragment size. Nonetheless, comparisons between the mean values of these variables of each fragment size categories, using 95% confidence intervals, showed a wider range of variation within the category of small-sized fragments than in the other size categories. NMS ordination plot also suggested the absence of a relationship between fragment area and tree species composition. However, multiple regressions using the scores from the NMS ordination as response variables, and area and disturbance intensities as predictor variables, suggested that the interaction of area and disturbance might be a good predictor of species composition. Pre-existing environmental heterogeneity and geographical proximity also appeared to play a role in the variations of forest composition among the fragments studied. Our results demonstrated the high conservation value of small forest fragments.