Flooding drives tropical dry forest tree community assembly in southeast Brazil

In this study, we characterized and compared vegetation types associated with geomorphological units susceptible to distinct flooding levels. Differences in vegetation are related to landform variations. We aimed to (i) characterize the vegetation structure and quantify community compositional differences among landforms and (ii) compare landforms soil characteristics and how these correlate with the tree vegetation. The study area is located in the Brazilian Caatinga Domain, near the Verde Grande River, a tributary of São Francisco River (coordinates 14º 54’ 38’’ S 43º 42’ 53’’ W). We allocated six plots in each landform sampled from wettest to driest sites: (i) Marginal Dike (RF – Riparian Forest), (ii) Upper terrace (RWF – Riparian Wetland Forest), (iii) Lower Terrace (WF – Wetland Forest), (iv) Lower Plain (OFF – Occasionally Flooded Forest), and (v) Upper Plain (UF - Unflooded Forest). We conducted multivariate analyses (non-metric multidimensional scaling and Principal component a..., Study site and sampling
Our study was conducted near the Verde Grande River, in northern Minas Gerais, near the state of Bahia in Brazil (coordinates 14º 54’ 38’’ S 43º 42’ 53’’ W). The Verde Grande River (557 km of extension), which belongs to the São Francisco river basin (area of 641.000 km²), begins in the village of Alto Belo in the Bocaiúva municipality, northern Minas Gerais, and flows into the São Francisco River in Malhada, Bahia state (Inema). According to Köppen’s climate classification, the region falls into the Aw category (hot and humid tropical climate), experiencing hot summers and dry winters with mild temperatures. Seasonality is another important factor in the basin’s climate, with well-defined rainy (October to March) and dry seasons (April to September) (ANA). The average total annual precipitation is 785 mm, with values ranging from 700 mm in certain parts of the basin to over 1,300 mm at the headwaters (ANA).
The study sites belong to the Caatinga biogeographic do..., , # FLOODING DRIVES TROPICAL DRY FOREST TREE COMMUNITY ASSEMBLY IN SOUTHEAST BRAZIL

Cite this dataset

Madeira, Denise et al. (2023). Flooding drives tropical dry forest tree community assembly in southeast Brazil [Dataset]. Dryad. [https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.rjdfn2zjq](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.rjdfn2zjq)

## Abstract

In this study, we characterized and compared vegetation types associated with landform units susceptible to distinct flooding levels, from tropical dry forests fragments located in the Brazilian *Caatinga* Domain. Each response variable was measured during plot sampling in sites.

## Methods

Our study was conducted near the Verde Grande River, in northern Minas Gerais, near Bahia state in Brazil. We allocated six plots in each woody vegetation type sampled from wettest to driest sites where differences in vegetation are related to landform variations. More specifically, sites are located in flood-prone areas of the Verde Grande River that can be differentiated int...