Supporting Information to the paper Sousa J. B. D. et al. Effects of grazing on functional diversity along secondary succession in a tropical dry forest Applied Vegetation Science.

Question: Livestock production is among the main anthropogenic disturbances in seasonally dry tropical forests. However, their effects on plant functional composition in dry forests are poorly understood. Our goal was to analyze the variations in both functional composition and functional diversity of plant communities under goat grazing and fallow age scenarios in a tropical dry forest.Location: Brazilian dry forest (Caatinga) in Rio Grande do Norte State, northeastern Brazil.Methods: We measured the height, leaf area, and specific leaf area of all shrub-tree and herbaceous species along a gradient varying in stocking rate, years of grazing, and fallow age. Additionally, we quantified the foliar contents of nitrogen, phosphorus, and tannins in the tree shrub layer. We tested the effects of grazing and deforestation using linear mixed models. Results: Our findings suggest that the functional diversity of plant communities in the Caatinga is not altered when goat grazing and secondary succession are examined independently. However, a combined consideration of both factors have affected the functional diversity only in the herbaceous layer. Although grazing influenced specific traits in the shrub-tree layer, the overall functional diversity remained unaltered by grazing, succession, or their interaction.Conclusions: Grazing does not interfere with the natural succession process nor diminish the functional diversity of plant communities in the Caatinga. Therefore, with appropriate management, grazing can coexist with the conservation goals of the Caatinga.