Modificações temporais na paisagem em zonas de ecótonos no Mato Grosso do Sul e sua relação com a chegada de propágulos nos fragmentos

Abstract

This study was conducted in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul and is structured in two chapters, in ecotone regions where different ecosystems converge. In Chapter 1, we examined how landscape fragmentation affects the diversity of seed rain. It was concluded that the size and complexity of fragments do not affect seed rain diversity, but connectivity influences species richness. We suggest that forest restoration studies focus on creating ecological corridors to promote gene flow among species. In Chapter 2, we investigated how land-use changes over time affect the vegetation structure of the landscape and its implications for forest restoration. We found that pastures were converted to agriculture, but this did not significantly impact vegetation during the analyzed periods. However, the landscape structure in terms of configuration exhibited higher edge density and irregular shape in the 2012 period. Therefore, it is recommended that future work involving forest restoration concentrate on the boundary areas of fragments and on the effects of livestock intensification over the years on plant communities.