Temporal changes in the tree community of a dry forest on limestone outcrops in Central Brazil: floristic composition, structure and diversity

(Temporal changes in the tree community of a dry forest on limestone outcrops in Central Brazil: floristic composition, structure and diversity). The goal of this work was to investigate the floristic and structural changes in a seasonally dry deciduous forest on limestone outcrops in the municipality of laciara (14 degrees 03'53 '' S; 46 degrees 29'15 '' W), northeast Goias, Central Brazil, after a 6-year interval (2000-2006). Due to the biotic limitations of marked seasonality and stressful edaphic conditions (rocky and shallow soils), we hypothesized that the tree community would show rapid dynamics, but without pronounced changes in floristic composition and structure. Changes in floristics and structure were investigated through comparisons between two consecutive inventories in permanent plots (25 sampling units of 20 x 20 m randomly located in the forest) for the years 2000 and 2006. All trees with dbh >= 5 cm were sampled, measured, and structural, phytosociological and diversity parameters were calculated. Rates of mortality and recruitment were calculated, and indirect gradient analyses (DCA) were applied to test the structural changes between the plots. The rates of mortality (2.77 %.year(-1)) and recruitment (4.43 %.year(-1)) were high showing rapid community dynamics. However, the rapid dynamics did not promote qualitative (species richness) and quantitative (phytosociological structure, diversity and gradient analysis) changes, supporting the hypothesis and showing high stability across the interval.