Dataset Information

Sugarloaf Land in south-eastern Brazil: a tropical hotspot of lowland inselberg plant diversity.

ABSTRACT: Background:Isolated monoliths of granitic and/or gneissic rock rising abruptly from the surrounding landscape are known as inselbergs. Dome-shaped inselbergs are common throughout the Atlantic Forest in south-eastern Brazil, a region known as Sugarloaf Land (SLL). This study aimed to create the first checklist of vascular plant species occurring on lowland inselbergs in SLL, with a focus on vegetation islands. We used information from online databases, our own field sampling and data from previously-published studies. We found 548 vascular plant species (505 angiosperms; 43 ferns and lycophytes) belonging to 69 families and 212 genera. Of all identified species, 536 are native and 12 are naturalised. New information:We updated the information currently available in Flora do Brasil 2020, as 59% of the angiosperms and 63% of the ferns and lycophytes on our checklist were not previously characterised as occurring on rock outcrops. As a first step towards generating a Virtual Herbarium of lowland inselberg vascular plants, we added barcode vouchers with images available online for 75% of the total number of vascular species. In the official lists of endangered species, 115 angiosperms and five ferns and lycophytes are mentioned. However, the conservation status of many species have not yet been evaluated (77% angiosperms; 88% ferns and lycophytes), thus this list is an important step towards their conservation. The information provided herein is essential for management programmes related to rock outcrops in Brazil as they are facing serious threats to conservation.

SUBMITTER: de Paula LFA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7320030 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Sugarloaf Land in south-eastern Brazil: a tropical hotspot of lowland inselberg plant diversity.

de Paula Luiza F A LFA de Paula Luiza F A LFA Azevedo Luísa O LO Mauad Luana Paula LP Cardoso Leandro Jorge Telles LJT Braga João Marcelo Alvarenga JMA Kollmann Ludovic J C LJC Fraga Claudio N CN Menini Neto Luiz L Labiak Paulo H PH Mello-Silva Renato R Porembski Stefan S Forzza Rafaela Campostrini RC

Biodiversity data journal 20200619

<h4>Background</h4>Isolated monoliths of granitic and/or gneissic rock rising abruptly from the surrounding landscape are known as inselbergs. Dome-shaped inselbergs are common throughout the Atlantic Forest in south-eastern Brazil, a region known as Sugarloaf Land (SLL). This study aimed to create the first checklist of vascular plant species occurring on lowland inselbergs in SLL, with a focus on vegetation islands. We used information from online databases, our own field sampling and data fro ...[more]

PMID: 32617070

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Project description:Deforestation and agricultural expansion in the tropics affect local and regional climatic conditions, leading to synergistic negative impacts on land ecosystems. Climatic changes manifest in increased inter- and intraseasonal variations and frequency of extreme climatic events (i.e., droughts and floods), which have evident consequences for aboveground biodiversity. However, until today, there have been no studies on how land use affects seasonal variations below ground in tropical ecosystems, which may be more buffered against climatic variation. Here, we analyzed seasonal variations in soil parameters, basal respiration, microbial communities, and abundances of soil invertebrates along with microclimatic conditions in rainforest and monocultures of oil palm and rubber in Sumatra, Indonesia. About 75% (20 out of 26) of the measured litter and soil, microbial, and animal parameters varied with season, with seasonal changes in 50% of the parameters depending on land use. Land use affected seasonal variations in microbial indicators associated with carbon availability and cycling rate. The magnitude of seasonal variations in microbial parameters in the soil of monocultures was almost 40% higher than in the soil of rainforest. Measured parameters were associated with short-term climatic conditions (3-day period air humidity) in plantations, but not in rainforest, confirming a reduced soil buffering ability in plantations. Overall, our findings suggest that land use temporally shifts and increases the magnitude of seasonal variations of the belowground ecosystem compartment, with microbial communities responding most strongly. The increased seasonal variations in soil biota in plantations likely translate into more pronounced fluctuations in essential ecosystem functions such as nutrient cycling and carbon sequestration, and these ramifications ultimately may compromise the stability of tropical ecosystems in the long term. As the observed seasonal dynamics is likely to increase with both local and global climate change, these shifts need closer attention for the long-term sustainable management of plantation systems in the tropics.

Dataset Information

Sugarloaf Land in south-eastern Brazil: a tropical hotspot of lowland inselberg plant diversity.

Publications

Sugarloaf Land in south-eastern Brazil: a tropical hotspot of lowland inselberg plant diversity.

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