Correlações entre características do solo e da vegetação na Ilha do Cardoso, Cananeia, Brasil

ABSTRACT

(Correlations between soil and vegetation characteristics in Cardoso Island, Cananeia, Brazil). In the Atlantic Forest of Cardoso Island, Brazil southeast, soil samples were collected from five areas, located in restinga (high and low), slope (1 and 2) and lowland forest. The physical and chemical characteristics of the soils were related to the phytosociological variables: Shannon’s diversity index (H'), equability (J), average height (h), diameter at breast height (DAP), density (D), basal area.ha⁻¹ (AB) and volume.ha⁻¹ (Vol). The simple correlation coefficients were determined using analysis of variance and F-tests were carried out. Our results show that there is an increasing gradient of H', h, DAP, AB and Vol from the restinga forests to the lowland and slope forests, while D decreases in the same direction. Density increases in less fertile soils with lower clay content, while biometric variables and diversity increase in clayey soils with higher fertility. In general, factors that improve soil fertility favor species diversity and decrease equability.

Keywords:
Diversity; equability; fertility; Atlantic Forest; phytosociological variables