INFLUENCE OF CLIMATE AND MIGRATION ROUTES OF TREE SPECIES ON THE PHYTOGEOGRAPHY PATTERNS OF FORESTS IN SOUTHERN BRAZIL

Abstract

http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/1980509812338This study aimed to evaluate the influence of bioclimatic variables and tree species migration routes onthe phytogeographic pattern of different forest physiognomy in southern Brazil. For this proposal, floristiccheck-lists of tree species of Araucaria Forest (AF), Subtropical Rain Forest (SRF), Seasonal DeciduousForest (SDF) and Seasonal semi-deciduous Forest (SSF) were extracted from the scientific literature.The vegetation matrix went through a detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and, subsequently, theenvironmental matrix was adjusted to the ordination axes. The significant environmental variables (p ≤0.001) were plotted as vectors in the ordination diagram. A Multivariate Regression Tree (MRT) was used inorder to analyze the floristic relationship among areas in function of bioclimatic variables. The eigenvaluesfor axis 1 and 2 of the DCA were, respectively, 0.49 and 0.25, which indicated high species turnover alongaxis 1, strongly associated with mean temperature of the wettest quarter, minimum temperature of thecoldest month, altitude and annual average temperature. The results allowed the conclusion that (i) thereis greater floristic similarity between Araucaria Forest and Seasonal Forests, and (ii) the tree component ofsouthern Brazil forests shows physiognomic and floristic variation in response to bioclimatic heterogeneityand migration routes.

Keywords

• Floresta Ombrófila Mista
• Floresta Ombrófila Densa
• Florestas Estacionais