Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Remnants and Mycorrhizal Symbiosis – Implications for Reforestation A case study in Sergipe, Northeast Brazil Dissertation Zur Erlangung des Grades eines Doktors der Naturwissenschaften - Dr. rer. nat. - dem Fachbereich Biologie / Chemie der Universität Bremen Vorgelegt von Myrna Friederichs Landim de Souza Aus Rio de Janeiro/Brasilien Bremen Januar 2003 Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Remnants and Mycorrhizal Symbiosis – Implications for Reforestation A case study in Sergipe, Northeast Brazil Dissertation submitted as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Natural Science (Dr. rer. nat.) Myrna Friederichs Landim de Souza Faculty of Biology and Chemistry Bremen University, Germany Bremen 2003 Die vorliegende Arbeit wurde in der Zeit vom April 1999 bis Januar 2003 am Zentrum für Umweltforschung und Umwelttechnologie (UFT) in Bremen angefertigt. 1. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. W. Heyser (Universität Bremen) 2. Gutachter: Prof. Dr. M. Diekmann (Universität Bremen) Tag des öffentlichen Kolloquiums: 03 März 2003 Eu não tenho filosofia; tenho sentidos... Se falo na Natureza não é porque saiba o que ela é, Mas porque a amo, e amo-a por isso Porque quem ama nunca sabe o que ama Nem sabe por que ama, nem o que é amar... Alberto Caeiro, em "O Guardador de Rebanhos", 8-3-1914 A meus pais, Iza e Samuel Contents Acknowledgments i List of figures iii List of tables v Summary vi Resumo viii Zusammenfassung x 1 Introduction...................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1. Tropical forests..........................................................................................................................1 1.1.1. The Brazilian Atlantic forest..............................................................................................2 1.2. Forest fragmentation and constraints for reforestation..............................................................5 1.3. Mycorrhizas...............................................................................................................................7 1.3.1. Definition...........................................................................................................................7 1.3.2. Types of mycorrhizas.........................................................................................................7 1.3.2.1. Arbuscular mycorrhizas...........................................................................................7 1.3.2.2. Ectomycorrhizas......................................................................................................8 1.3.2.3. Dark septate endophytes as a mycorrhizal partner?................................................9 1.3.3. Effects of the mycorrhizal symbiosis on plant fitness......................................................10 1.3.4. Role of mycorrhizas in forest ecology and reforestation..................................................11 1.4. Objectives of this work.............................................................................................................11 1.5. Outline of this work..................................................................................................................12 2. Study area 13 2.1 Geology and geomorphology.....................................................................................................13 2.2. Soil types...................................................................................................................................15 2.3. Climate......................................................................................................................................17 2.4 Vegetation..................................................................................................................................24 3. Soil properties and vegetation structure in a rainforest remnants and adjacent degraded areas in Sergipe, Northeast Brazil 27 3.1 Introduction...............................................................................................................................27 3.2 Methods.....................................................................................................................................28 3.2.1 Study sites........................................................................................................................28 3.2.2 Sampling design..............................................................................................................28 3.2.3 Sampling parameters.......................................................................................................28 3.2.3.1 Climate and microclimate.......................................................................................28 3.2.3.2 Soil chemical and physical parameters ..................................................................29 3.2.3.3 Litter biomass and nutrient content.........................................................................31 3.2.3.4 Root biomass...........................................................................................................31 3.2.3.5 Floristic composition and vegetation structure.......................................................31 3.2.4 Statistical analysis.............................................................................................................31 3.3 Results........................................................................................................................................32 3.3.1 Climate and microclimate.................................................................................................32 3.3.2 Soil physical and chemical parameters.............................................................................33 3.3.1.1 Texture...................................................................................................................34 3.3.1.2 Particle density......................................................................................................34 3.3.1.3 Water content.........................................................................................................35 3.3.1.4 Soil pH...................................................................................................................36 3.3.1.5 Aluminum..............................................................................................................37 3.3.1.6 Phosphorus.............................................................................................................38 3.3.1.7 Sodium...................................................................................................................40 3.3.1.8 Potassium...............................................................................................................41 3.3.1.9 Calcium..................................................................................................................42 3.3.2.10 Magnesium............................................................................................................43 3.3.2.11 Correlation between soil parameters.....................................................................44 3.3.2 Litter biomass................................................................................................................45 3.3.3 Root biomass.................................................................................................................47 3.3.4 Floristic composition....................................................................................................50 3.3.5 Vegetation structure......................................................................................................55 3.4 Discussion..................................................................................................................................58 3.4.1 Climate and microclimate................................................................................................58 3.4.2 Soil physical and chemical parameters............................................................................59 3.4.3 Litter biomass...................................................................................................................67 3.4.4 Root biomass....................................................................................................................69 3.4.5 Floristic composition and vegetation structure................................................................70 3.5 Conclusions...............................................................................................................................72 4 Spatial and temporal distribution of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in soils of forest remnants and adjacent degraded areas 73 4.1 Introduction................................................................................................................................73 4.2 Material and methods..........................................................................................................74 4.2.1 Study sites.........................................................................................................................74 4.2.2. Sampling design...............................................................................................................74 4.2.3 Data analysis.....................................................................................................................74 4.3 Results........................................................................................................................................74