Navegando por Autor "Villa, Pedro Manuel"

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Ecological drivers of tree diversity and ecosystem functioning during succession in Amazon: forest resilience after indigenous shifting cultivation
(Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 2018-04-05) Villa, Pedro Manuel; Martins, Sebastião Venâncio; http://lattes.cnpq.br/2943038330953932
The Amazon forest is being threatened by land use changes for the agricultural expansion, causing a taxonomic and functional simplification, and consequently generating negative impacts on the relation of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Thus, the main objective of this research was to evaluate the effects of ecological drivers on taxonomic and functional diversity (alpha and beta) and their relationship with ecosystem functioning during the secondary succession of an Amazon forest, in Amazonas state, Venezuela. For this reason, this research was divided into seven chapters, two chapters to describe the effects of the land use pattern on the recovery of diversity and loss of forest resilience, two chapters to explain the effects of environmental and anthropogenic drivers on taxonomic diversity and functional (alpha and beta) and effects on ecosystem functioning during the succession, and three chapters as recommendations for the management and conservation of Amazonian forests. We used plant inventory data from 63 plots (1000 m 2 , 20 x 50 m) at six sites with five and 10 year regeneration secondary forests after one to six cycles of shifting cultivation to evaluate the effect of different intensities of use land, as well as soil fertility in the recovery of forest diversity and structure. We also analyzed changes in the diversity and composition of tree species after a single cycle of shifting cultivation, using data from 45 plots distributed in four secondary forests (5, 10, 15, and 20 years old after cultivation) and a mature forest (> 100 years). Within each sampling area three plots of 1000 m2 (20 x 50 m for trees with DBH> 5 cm) were established. In each area a soil sample was collected at different depths (0-10 cm). Thus, we analyzed ecological and environmental drivers and patterns of taxonomic and functional diversity (alpha and beta), and the effects of stand age and soil quality (fertility and texture) on the storage of above-ground biomass through functional diversity and functional dominance during the secondary succession. We use different statistical methods and types of models to test these ecological relationships. In this study, we show how the intensity of land use induces a loss of forest resilience. On the contrary, it is evident that with intermediate disturbances after a single cycle of agriculture a rapid recovery of diversity occurs, reaching 70% of the richness of one mature forest after 20 years. However, the recovery of the species composition in the same period reached an average of 25% in relation to the mature forest. Our study shows that beta diversity accounts for up to 70% of the variation in total species richness among sites, probably because deforested patches are embedded within a mature forest matrix. This ecological context also justifies the high taxonomic turnover during the succession. Thus, the functional diversity was lower than the taxonomic beta diversity, probably due to a lower functional turnover in comparison to the taxonomic turnover. Our results provide important evidence on the relation between biodiversity and ecosystem function (BEF) during the secondary succession of a tropical forest. Thus, the structural equation models (SEM) tested on functional dominance and functional diversity allowed to explain variations in the above-ground biomass individually. The succession time was the best predictor to explain above- ground biomass variations in all SEM models, followed by soil texture that had significant positive effects on above-ground biomass compared to soil fertility that had negative effects and not significant. Our study contributes to the understanding of the BEF relationship throughout the secondary succession, and may help predict how tropical forests will respond to future scenarios of climate change. For this reason, we have argued that in order to increase the efficiency in the implementation of REDD+ strategies in Amazonian forests, it is necessary to simultaneously understand the relationship of patterns and processes of forest ecosystems with the socio-ecological system, through the analysis of biophysical and anthropogenic predictors, from a local level to a regional scale.
Phylogenetic structure is determined by patch size in rock outcrop vegetation on an inselberg in the northern Amazon region
(Acta Amazonica, 2018-07) Villa, Pedro Manuel; Gastauer, Markus; Martins, Sebastião Venâncio; Carrión, Juan Fernando; Campos, Prímula Viana; Heringer, Gustavo; Meira-Neto, João Augusto Alves; Rodrigues, Alice Cristina
Although inselbergs from around the world are iconic ecosystems, little is known on the underlying mechanisms of community assembly, especially in their characteristic patchy outcrop vegetation. Environmental constraints are expected to cause phylogenetic clustering when ecological niches are conserved within evolutionary lineages. We tested whether vegetation patches from rock outcrops of the Piedra La Tortuga Natural Monument, in the northern Amazon region, are phylogenetically clustered, indicating that environmental filtering is the dominant driver of community assemblage therein. We classified all patches according to their size as very small (< 1 m 2 ), small (1-4 m 2 ), medium-sized (4-8 m 2 ), and large patches (8-15 m 2 ). From each class, we randomly selected 10 patches, totalizing 40 patches covering 226 m 2 . All individuals found in the 40 isolated patches were identified to the species level. We also correlated measurements of phylogenetic community structure with patch size. We found that species from patches are restricted to the clades monocots, fabids, malvids, and lamiids. We conclude that vegetation in this rock outcrop is phylogenetically clustered. Furthermore, we found that phylogenetic turnover between pairs of patches increases with patch size, which is consistent with a scenario of higher environmental stress in smaller patches. Further research is necessary to identify nurse species in inselberg vegetation, which is pivotal for conservation and restoration of this particular ecosystem.
Phytosociology of weeds after potato cultivation (Solanum tuberosum L.) in the Venezuelan andes:an agroecological approach
(Tropical and Subtropical Agroecosystems, 2017-05-30) Villa, Pedro Manuel; Rodrigues, Alice Cristina; Márquez, Nelson; Rodrigues, Alisson Lopes; Martins, Sebastião Venâncio
Weeds represent one problem for potato cultivation in the Venezuelan Andes; however ecological studies to improve their management are limited. This study has aimed to carry out a phytosociological survey of weed community after potato cultivation in Mérida, Mérida state, Venezuela. The experiment was carried out under a completely randomized design with 20 plots (2x2 m). The weeds surveys were conducted at two month intervals, randomly selecting five plots per session during June 2006 and February 2007, to 60 days after cultivation (DDC), 120, 180, and 240 DDC. The phytosociological survey was performed involving identification and quantification of numbers of individuals the weeds in each plot. After were estimated of phytosociological parameters such as density, frequency, abundance to calculate the importance value index. A multivariate non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) was performed using species abundances; also was used the unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) with presence absence data. Seventeen families, 32 genera and 35 species of weeds were identified, with the Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Poaceae families showed higher importance within the community. The most important species in the all stages were Pennisetum clandestinum, Paspalum decumbens, Desmodium adscendens, Aldama dentata, Borreria laevis, and Jaegeria hirta. Significant differences in phytosociological parameters were observed among weed species at each stage and among the different stages after potato cultivation.