Plant Diversity and Hydrological relations to groundwater in the Riparian Zone of Cerrado in Mato Grosso (Brazil) Dissertation zur Erlangung des mathematisch-naturwissenchaftlichen Doktorgrades “Doctor rerum naturalium“ der Georg-August-Universitat Göttingen im Promotionsprogramm Geowissenschaften/ Geographie der Georg-August University School of Science (GAUSS) Vorgelegt von Taciana Ziembowicz Aus São Luiz Gonzaga, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasilien Göttingen, 2018 1 Betreuunhgsausschuss: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Gerold (Doktorvater), Fachgebiet Landschaftsökologie, Georg-August Universität Göttingen Prof. Dr. Hermann Jungkunst, Abteilung Geoökologie und Physische Geographie, Universität Landau/ Koblenz. Mitglieder der Pruegungskommission: Referent: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Gerold (Doktorvater), Fachgebiet Landschaftsökologie, Georg- August Universität Göttingen Korreferent: Prof. Dr. Hermann Jungkunst, Abteilung Geoökologie und Physische Geographie, Universität Landau/ Koblenz. Weitere Mitglieder der Pruefungskomission: Prof. Dr. Daniela Sauer, Abteilung Physische Geographie, Georg-August Universität Göttingen Dr. Stefan Erasmi, Abteilung Kartographie, GIS & Fernerkundung, Georg-August Universität Goettingen Dr. Steffen Möller, Abteilung Physische Geographie, Georg-August Universität Göttingen Dr. Michael Klinge, Abteilung Physische Geographie, Georg-August Universität Göttingen Tag der müdlichen Prüfung: 05.04.2018 2 “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, not the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” Charles Darwin 3 Table of Contents List of Tables ............................................................................................................................ iii List of figures ........................................................................................................................... iv Summary ................................................................................................................................. vii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................. xi 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background .................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Problems Statement ..................................................................................................... 7 1.3 Aims and hypothesis .................................................................................................. 10 2. Study area and site characteristics ................................................................................... 12 2.1 Introduction .................................................................................................................... 12 2.2 Climate and Hydrology .................................................................................................. 14 2.2.1 Temperature and Humidity ...................................................................................... 15 2.2.2 Rainfall ..................................................................................................................... 16 2.2.3 River characteristics ................................................................................................. 17 2.3 Topography and Soil Characteristics .............................................................................. 17 2.4 Cerrado biome and riparian vegetation .......................................................................... 18 2.5 Site selection and characteristics .................................................................................... 23 3. Materials and methods ....................................................................................................... 27 3.1 Overview ........................................................................................................................ 27 3.1.1 Vegetation phytosociology and floristics ................................................................. 27 3.1.2 Monitoring of groundwater levels ........................................................................... 30 3.1.3 Water nutrient analyses ............................................................................................ 33 3.1.4 Data analyses ........................................................................................................... 35 4. Results .............................................................................................................................. 37 4.1 Phytosociology and floristic composition in the riparian zone (campo de murundus, cerrado stricto sensu and gallery forest) .............................................................................. 37 4.1.1 Campo de murundus floristic composition and phytosociology .............................. 37 4.1.2 Cerrado stricto sensu floristic and phytosociology ................................................. 42 4.1.3 Gallery forest: floristics and phytosociology ........................................................... 49 4.2 Assessment of a riparian zone as an ecosystem service provider in an agro-industrial area of the Cerrado 0F .......................................................................................................... 56 4.2.1 Riparian zone vegetation .......................................................................................... 56 4.2.2 Water quality ............................................................................................................ 59 4.3 Ecohydrological relations between woody plant diversity and groundwater in the Cerrado riparian zone ........................................................................................................... 64 i 4.3.1 Groundwater table depth .......................................................................................... 64 4.3.2 Groundwater nutrient concentration ........................................................................ 68 4.3.3 Vegetation and biodiversity indexes ........................................................................ 75 4.3.4 Relations between plant species, groundwater level and nutrient content ............... 80 5. Discussion ......................................................................................................................... 84 5.1 Floristic and phytosociological characteristics of the riparian zone ............................... 84 5.1.1 Campo de murundus ................................................................................................ 84 5.1.2 Cerrado sensu stricto ................................................................................................ 87 5.1.3 Gallery forest ........................................................................................................... 89 5.2 Assessment of a riparian zone as an ecosystem service provider in an agro-industrial area of the Cerrado biome1F ................................................................................................ 93 5.3 Ecohydrological relations between woody plant diversity and groundwater in the Cerrado riparian zone ........................................................................................................... 97 6. Conclusions .................................................................................................................... 107 References ............................................................................................................................. 110 Appendices ............................................................................................................................ 126 Curriculum vitae .................................................................................................................. 136 ii List of Tables Table 1. Summary of riparian zone areas. Table 2. Species and phytosociological parameters of the campo de murundus plots (5-8, 14- 18), Transect 1 and 2. Table 3. Plant species sampled in the campo de murundus plots (5-8, 14-18), Transect 1 and 2, and their respective occurrence in the phytogeographic domains. Table 4. Species and phytosociological parameters of the cerrado strictu sensu, Transects 3 and 4 (plots 19-38). Table 5. The plant species sampled in the cerrado stricto sensu plots (20-28, 30-38), Transects 3 and 4, and their respective occurrence phytogeographic domains. Table 6. Identified species of the gallery forest formation and their phytosociological parameters. Table 7. The plant species sampled in the gallery forest, Transects 1, 2, 3, 4 (plots 1-4, 9-13, 19, 29), and their respective occurrence in phytogeographic domains. Table 8. Mann-Whitney test results for all nutrients analysed in all hydrological pathways. Table 9. Summary of annual waterlogged days during the two years of measurements and well characteristics. Table 10. Summary of annual groundwater table depths during the two years of measurements with average and standard deviation. Table 11. Nutrient concentrations in each plot. Values represent mean plus standard deviation. Table 12. Nutrient concentrations in each plot. Values represent mean plus standard deviation. Table 13. Total carbon and dissolved carbon parameters in each well. Values represent mean plus standard deviation. Table 14. A complete list of plant species from the