1. Strong floristic distinctiveness across Neotropical successional forests
- Author
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Jakovac, C.C., Meave, J.A., Bongers, F., Letcher, S.G., Dupuy, J.M., Piotto, D., Rozendaal, D.M.A., Peña-Claros, M., Craven, D., Santos, B.A., Siminski, A., Fantini, A.C., Rodrigues, A.C., Hernández-Jaramillo, A., Idárraga, A., Junqueira, A.B., Zambrano, A.M.A., De Jong, B.H.J., Pinho, B.X., Finegan, B., Castellano-Castro, C., Zambiazi, D.C., Dent, D.H., García, D.H., Kennard, D., Delgado, D., Broadbent, E.N., Ortiz-Malavassi, E., Pérez-García, E.A., Lebrija-Trejos, E., Berenguer, E., Marín-Spiotta, E., Alvarez-Davila, E., De Sá Sampaio, E.V., Melo, F., Elias, F., França, F., Oberleitner, F., Mora, F., Williamson, G.B., Dalla Colletta, G., Cabral, G.A.L., Derroire, G., Fernandes, G.W., Van Der Wal, H., Teixeira, H.M., Vester, H.F.M., García, H., Vieira, I.C.G., Jiménez-Montoya, J., De Almeida-Cortez, J.S., Hall, J.S., Chave, J., Zimmerman, J.K., Nieto, J.E., Ferreira, J., Rodríguez-Velázquez, J., Ruíz, J., Barlow, J., Aguilar-Cano, J., Hernández-Stefanoni, J.L., Engel, J., Becknell, J.M., Zanini, K., Lohbeck, M., Tabarelli, M., Romero-Romero, M.A., Uriarte, M., Veloso, M.D.M., Espírito-Santo, M.M., Van Der Sande, M.T., Van Breugel, M., Martínez-Ramos, M., Schwartz, N.B., Norden, N., Pérez-Cárdenas, N., González-Valdivia, N., Petronelli, P., Balvanera, P., Massoca, P., Brancalion, P.H.S., Villa, P.M., Hietz, P., Ostertag, R., López-Camacho, R., César, R.G., Mesquita, R., Chazdon, R.L., Muñoz, R., DeWalt, S.J., Müller, S.C., Durán, S.M., Martins, S.V., Ochoa-Gaona, S., Rodríguez-Buritica, S., Aide, T.M., Bentos, T.V., Moreno, V.D.S., Granda, V., Thomas, W., Silver, W.L., Nunes, Y.R.F., Poorter, L., Environmental Sciences, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina = Federal University of Santa Catarina [Florianópolis] (UFSC), Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen] (WUR), Centro de Investigacion Cientifica de Yucatan (CICY), Botanique et Modélisation de l'Architecture des Plantes et des Végétations (UMR AMAP), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Sud])-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE)-Université de Montpellier (UM), Federal University of Pernambuco [Recife], Ecologie des forêts de Guyane (UMR ECOFOG), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-AgroParisTech-Université de Guyane (UG)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université des Antilles (UA)-Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), Département Environnements et Sociétés (Cirad-ES), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad), New York Botanical Garden (NYBG), University of California [Berkeley] (UC Berkeley), University of California (UC), Universidade Estadual de Montes Claros, and Environmental Sciences
- Subjects
Multidisciplinary ,Land ,Evolution ,America ,Dispersal ,[SDV.BV.BOT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Vegetal Biology/Botanics ,PE&RC ,[SDV.BID.SPT]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Biodiversity/Systematics, Phylogenetics and taxonomy ,Forest Ecology and Forest Management ,[SDV.EE.ECO]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Ecology, environment/Ecosystems ,Plant Production Systems ,Plant diversity ,Size ,Plantaardige Productiesystemen ,Life Science ,Bosecologie en Bosbeheer ,[SDE.BE]Environmental Sciences/Biodiversity and Ecology ,Crop and Weed Ecology - Abstract
International audience; Forests that regrow naturally on abandoned fields are important for restoring biodiversity and ecosystem services, but can they also preserve the distinct regional tree floras? Using the floristic composition of 1215 early successional forests (≤20 years) in 75 human-modified landscapes across the Neotropic realm, we identified 14 distinct floristic groups, with a between-group dissimilarity of 0.97. Floristic groups were associated with location, bioregions, soil pH, temperature seasonality, and water availability. Hence, there is large continental-scale variation in the species composition of early successional forests, which is mainly associated with biogeographic and environmental factors but not with human disturbance indicators. This floristic distinctiveness is partially driven by regionally restricted species belonging to widespread genera. Early secondary forests contribute therefore to restoring and conserving the distinctiveness of bioregions across the Neotropical realm, and forest restoration initiatives should use local species to assure that these distinct floras are maintained.
- Published
- 2022