This research aimed to characterize the topography and to assess its relationship with the distribution of the 20 most abundant tree species sampled on a forest gradient (gallery, semideciduous forest and "cerradão") in the Ecological Station of Panga, municipality of Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Using a level tube, the differences in topographic levels were measured between points of 211 plots situated in eight transects. The forest gradient occurs on a predominantly convex slope, facing Northeast, with inclination ranging from about 4% on the top to more than 40% on lateritic outcrops at the bottom. The overlay of topographic and species distribution maps showed that species may be or are dependent, tolerant or intolerant to different levels of soil hydric saturation related to variations of topography. Other species showed association to edaphic factors and/or light condition at the forest edges or in gaps.
Topography; tree distribution; gallery forest; semideciduous forest; cerradão
