Congruência entre grupos biológicos em uma planície de inundação neotropical

Abstract

The congruence analysis in communities is used for check if biological groups show the same patterns of distribution along an environmental gradient. When occurs congruence between groups is possible the selection of one biological group for to monitor others, called surrogate. In this context, I evaluated the congruence between seven biological groups for selection of one possible group. I also evaluated the influence of spatial and environment factors in pattern of congruence between of these groups. Datasets was collected in a longterm research site in the Brazilian Pantanal in 2006 and 2007 during dry season. The biological groups used were: herbaceous plants, woody plants, frogs, birds, bats, spiders and small mammals. The congruence between groups was evaluated using Mantel test, and one who showed the bigger average of correlation coefficient (r) was considered the best surrogate. Through of partitioning of variation, evaluated the influence of spatial and environmental factors in community structure and your influence in congruence. How environmental variables, I used the physical structure data of soil (silt and clay), flood (duration and amplitude), altitude and stratum of vegetation, and as spatial predictors used maps eigenvectors Moran. The woody plants group showed the better average of correlation coefficient, followed for herbaceous, spiders, frogs, birds and small mammals. The higher value of congruence was found between herbaceous and woody plants, and the lower, between bats and herbaceous. The environmental predictors that has more influence in the community structure are linked the flood, and groups of fauna showed higher influence of vegetation. This way, I conclude that woody plants group is able of represent the biodiversity of others groups, simplifying the environmental monitoring.