Species composition, diversity, and vegetation structure in a gallery forest-cerrado sensu stricto transition zone in eastern Mato Grosso, Brazil

We investigated the existence of an ecotone in the species composition, diversity and vegetation structure in the transition between gallery forest and cerrado sensu stricto in central Brazil. We tested two hypotheses: 1) a ecotone can be found between gallery forest and cerrado; 2) a gradient exists in the species composition of the cerrado. We established three parallel transects of 5 m x 350 m running between gallery forest and cerrado, which were divided into subplots of 5 m x 10 m, perpendicular to the margin of the Bacaba stream in Nova Xavantina (Mato Grosso, Brazil). We identified and measured the height and diameter of individual plants in the plots with a diameter of at least 3 cm at 30 cm above the ground. We recorded 140 species, of which 26 were exclusive to the gallery forest, and 95 to the cerrado. The cerrado presented higher species richness (observed and estimated) and diversity (diversity profiles) than the gallery forest. Both hypotheses were accepted: a distinct ecotone was observed between gallery the forest and cerrado, and a pronounced gradient was found in species composition among the cerrado plots, apparently in response to the variation in soil moisture content, probably related to topography.