The effect of canopy cover on the tree community in a transition area between woodland savanna and semideciduous seasonal forest
Keywords:
Woody Encroachment., Biodiversity., Hemispherical photography., Luminosity.Abstract
The advancement of forest formations into savannas is a global phenomenon. In recent decades, woody encroachment has been frequent in the state of São Paulo, and several areas previously classified as woodland savanna are now considered ecotones between woodland savanna and semideciduous seasonal forest. One of the possible factors for this phenomenon is the increase in canopy cover provided by typical forest and generalist species, restricting the occurrence of savanna species that require greater sunlight exposure. Canopy cover estimation refers to the amount of area covered by tree canopies in a vegetation area and is crucial for assessing sunlight availability in the ecosystem. Our aim was to determine whether the canopy cover index in a transition area between woodland savanna and semideciduous seasonal forest affects the richness and abundance of the tree community. We measured the abundance of savanna, forest, and generalist species, as well as the average canopy cover during the dry and rainy seasons, in 50 permanent plots in a transition area between woodland savanna and semideciduous seasonal forest, located in Glebe II of the Aimorés Wildlife Refuge, in Bauru, middle-west region of São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil. Multivariate analyzes of correlation, regression, and clustering did not indicate significant results between average canopy cover and the richness and abundance of savanna species. However, we observed strong positive and negative correlations within the tree community, which may indicate a dynamic process of savanna species replacement. Woody encroachment in savanna regions has been widespread among the scientific community. However, the reasons for this phenomenon have not yet been elucidated. It is likely that several factors play a role in woody encroachment, and the main challenge lies in determining the influence of these factors and understanding the degree of interaction among them.
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