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Free keywords:
floodplain; forest; flood gradient; distribution; Pantanal
Abstract:
The woody vegetation of the northern Pantanal of Mato Grosso near Poconé
can be divided into Cerrado, Cerradão, and semi-deciduous and deciduous
forests occurring on non-flooded habitats, and different types of
floodplain forests occurring in periodically inundated habitats. An
analysis of a transect of 440 m length and an area of 8,800 m2 crossing
a levee at Cassange River, a right-hand affluent of Cuiabá River, showed
50 tree species. 12 species occurred only in areas of prolonged
flooding, 24 species showed a wide distribution on the topographic
gradient, and 14 species occurred only on dry habitats that become
flooded for short periods only during extreme flood events. Species
distribution on the flood gradient is shown, and the impact of the flood
pulse on phenology and community structure is discussed. The low number
of highly flood-adapted species is interpreted as the result of
pronounced, long-lasting paleoclimatic dry periods. A broad ecological
amplitude with respect to flooding seems to be the most efficient
strategy of tree occupation in the Pantanal under the actual
hydrological and climatic conditions. Data from other inventories are
used to present a general model of tree distribution in the northern
part of the Pantanal of Mato Grosso
