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Abstract
Background: Natural disturbance is an important factor that contributes to structuring plant communities. In tropical mountain areas, landslides are frequent and could enhance the diversity in mountain forests. However, the spatial scale in which landslide affect diversity is not known.
Aims: To investigate whether landslides affect taxonomic and functional diversity at different spatial scales. We tested if: (1) taxonomic and functional α-diversity were lower in areas with landslide history; (2) the taxonomic β-diversity was high while the functional β-diversity was low in landslide-affected areas; and (3) plants in areas with landslide history would have, on average, smaller and thicker leaves, with greater pubescence, lower specific leaf area and higher dry matter content.
Methods: At five sites in the Atlantic Forest, we sampled five 5 m × 5 m plots in areas with recent landslide history (from 2 to 39 years) and in adjacent control areas. We identified all juvenile trees (30–100 cm in height) and measured their leaf traits.
Results: Taxonomic α-diversity and functional β-diversity and the occurrence of leaves with trichomes were greater in areas affected by landslide.
Conclusion: The habitat heterogeneity in areas subject to recurrent landslides influenced the functional dispersion and the structuring of plant communities.
Acknowledgements
We are thankful to Mayrine Silva for her help in the field work and to Israel Schneiberg for drawing the map. The Brazilian Institute for Biodiversity Conservation (Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade - ICMBio) and the Boticário Foundation (Fundação Grupo Boticário) provided support in the field.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
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Notes on contributors
Luana F. Rodrigues
Luana Rodrigues, Rodolfo Bonaldi and Vanessa Ariati were M.Sc. students, interested in plant ecology.
Pedro Cavalin
Pedro Cavalin is an ecologist interested in functional ecology of plants.
Luciana C. Franci
Luciana Franci is an ecologist interested in population and community ecology of woody plants in the Neotropics.
André A. Padial
André Padial is an ecologist interested in spatial patterns of diversity.
Márcia C. M. Marques
Márcia Marques is a plant ecologist interested in patterns of diversity and regeneration of Atlantic Forest.