Functional Biogeography and Ecological Strategies of Trees Across the Amazon–Cerrado Transition

作者：Wesley Jonatar Alves da Cruz, Beatriz Schwantes Marimon, Ben Hur Marimon, Paulo S. Morandi, Silvio Gonçalves Longhi, Nayane Cristina Candida dos Santos Prestes, Norberto Gomes Ribeiro Júnior, Simone Matias Reis, Marina Corrêa Scalon, Edmar Almeida de Oliveira, Aurora Levesley, Oliver L. Phillips · 发表于：Journal of Vegetation Science · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1111/jvs.70076 · 被引用次数：3 · 研究领域：Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies、Plant Diversity and Evolution、Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management

ABSTRACT Question We asked how community functional traits differ among vegetation types at the transition zone between the Amazon forest and Cerrado savanna biogeographic domains, and which environmental variables best predict these changes in functional structure. Location The large transition zone between the Amazon and Cerrado biogeographic domains. Methods We field‐collected and analyzed an extensive new database of 182 tree species from six vegetation types, resulting in 55,895 records of functional traits. We selected 15 traits that affect different aspects of ecosystem processes and ecological strategies of trees. Then we compared the distribution of functional traits among vegetation types and assessed their association with edaphic and macroclimatic variables. Results We recorded a functional continuum between the extremes of Cerrado (Typical Cerrado) and the Amazon (Open Ombrophilous Forest), with most traits forming a gradient along the vegetation types. Our data also indicate that tree‐dominated Cerrado formations (Cerradão) are functionally intermediate between savannas and forests, reinforcing the importance of accounting for the full floristic and structural variation of neighboring biogeographic domains. Our work revealed that CEC, soil pH, mean temperature, maximum temperature, total precipitation, and climatic water deficit are consistently related to key functional traits across the Amazon–Cerrado transition. Conclusions Functional traits can be used to ef...