Daniel Piotto
Research
A major challenge regarding secondary forest succession relies on the understanding of processes affecting species composition and species spatial distributions. My research is designed to investigate temporal patterns of species spatial distributions in secondary forests of southern Bahia, a center of endemism and diversity for plants and animals in the Atlantic forest of Brazil. Preliminary fieldwork showed that tree species composition in secondary forests was strongly affected by distance from remnant forests. In addition, similarity in tree species composition across the distance gradient decreased with stand age. A more comprehensive study on established vegetation, tree establishment mechanisms, and the environmental variables that may affect tree species composition will be conducted to describe patterns and assess processes driving spatial distribution of tree species over time in the study region. Most scientific studies conducted in forests of southern Bahia have been concentrated in old-growth stands. Little has been done to understand the ecological processes driving composition and structure of secondary forests in this region. This is the first study designed to compare species spatial distributions across a chronosequence of forest stands in the Atlantic forest of Brazil. Results of this research will provide both theoretical and applied contributions to the field of restoration ecology and can be used for designing conservation schemes in the region as well in other regions with similar conditions.
