PHYTOSOCIOLOGY AND EDAPHIC EFFECT IN A MESOTROPHIC CERRADÃO WITHIN A SAVANNA–FOREST ECOTONE IN ITUIUTABA, MINAS GERAIS

Abstract

This study was conducted in a forest fragment located in Ituiutaba, Minas Gerais, known as Parque do Goiabal. The objective was to understand how edaphic factors influence the floristic composition and structural patterns of a mesotrophic cerradão within a transition zone to seasonal forest. A phytosociological survey was carried out in 18 plots of 100 m², including all woody individuals with a height ≥ 1.5 m and a diameter > 0.51 cm. Soil samples were collected from each plot for physicochemical analysis. The hypotheses tested were: (Ha1) proximity to a semideciduous seasonal forest increases the floristic influence of forest species within the cerradão; and (Ha2) soil is a key factor in defining species distribution patterns. Sampled species were classified into three ecological groups: generalist, forest, and savanna. Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) was performed using species abundance and edaphic variables. The results confirmed a greater influence of forest species on the cerradão’s floristic composition, distinguishing Goiabal from other remnants. Although the CCA explained a limited portion of the species–environment relationships, the correlations indicated the importance of edaphic components—especially fine sand and magnesium (Mg)—in shaping the distribution of tree species in the cerradão.