The increase in rates of habitat loss requires an understanding of how biodiversity is distributed. Campo rupestre is an old, climatically buffered, and infertile landscape located in Brazil. Considered a biodiversity hotspot, the campo rupestre is mainly threatened by mining activity that requires a large operating area. Campo rupestre is known for its restricted distribution area and high abiotic heterogeneity, which modulates species coexistence and richness. To recognise the association between habitat type and plant communities, we propose to describe the floristic composition of herbaceous and shrub components in four habitats of the campo rupestre comprising quartzite and ferruginous substrate. We classified habitat types by the main surface soil features. In each habitat, we sampled ten 100-m2 plots to access information on the shrub and ten 1-m2 plots for the herbaceous component. Altogether we sampled 153 species, belonging to 38 families. The cluster analysis ordered by Sorensen metric indicates a clear distinction of species composition in the shrub component in the four habitats. However, the floristic composition of the herbaceous component was similar between the four habitats but showed a distinction when contrasting with the substrate type. Our results highlight the local taxonomic distinction between habitat types and substrates, indicating that the ecological distinction among substrate types of the campo rupestre cannot be overlooked in conservation and restoration actions.

Given the climate crisis, the search for sustainable production with potential to reduce excess of carbon dioxide (CO₂) in the atmosphere has been the subject of global agreements. Soils are fundamental carbon storage systems, with a relevant role in CO₂ mitigation emissions. Considering coffee as an important commodity for several countries and agroforestry systems (AFSs) as important allies for mitigating greenhouse gases emitted by the agricultural sector, this study aimed to investigate the ability of coffee plantations in AFSs to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, through soil carbon sequestration. For this purpose, we performed a meta-analysis of 45 AFSs, including simple and diversified ones, from a detailed literature search of scientific research investigating soil organic carbon in AFSs including coffee cultivation. Overall, no effect of AFSs on carbon stock change rates was found, but an increment of soil carbon storage was observed when comparing AFSs with conventional coffee cultivation. Generally, climatic variables and soil texture positively affect soil carbon stock. When comparing diversified and simple AFSs, the first had a positive effect on carbon stock change rates. Agroforestry coffee showed capacity to mitigate climate effects through carbon storage in the soil, especially when the system is diversified. This is a climate-smart strategy and should be implemented in preference to conventional coffee cultivation.

Growth and performance of rupestrian grasslands native species in quartzitic degraded areas

Close association of iron mining and ferruginous rupestrian grassland places this ecosystem in a special condition of vulnerability, with a large number of degraded areas requiring restoration. Seedling transplantation and topsoil translocation can be used to recover native vegetation in degraded areas. This study aimed to experimentally test the application of two different topsoil depths (0.20 and 0.40 m) in a degraded area. We assessed the vegetation’s natural recovery and the survival of transplanted native species from rescue operations [...] ABSTRACT Close association of iron mining and ferruginous rupestrian grassland places this ecosystem in a special condition of vulnerability, with a large number of degraded areas requiring restoration. Seedling transplantation and topsoil translocation can be used to recover native vegetation in degraded areas. This study aimed to experimentally test the application of two different topsoil depths (0.20 and 0.40 m) in a degraded area. We assessed the vegetation’s natural recovery and the survival of transplanted native species from rescue operations

Understanding how plant functional traits reflect adaptations to different environmental contexts is crucial for predicting vegetation responses to selection pressures imposed by environmental filters. This study examines the functional strategies of woody plants in riparian forests along the Rio Doce, Brazil, particularly focusing on how these strategies vary between saplings and mature trees in response to soil condition, temperature and precipitation. Using Grime's CSR (Competitor, Stress‐tolerant, Ruderal) model, we analysed functional traits and their relationship with environmental parameters across 15 reference riparian sites spanning 473 km of the river. We found a large variation in species functional traits and ecological strategies in both strata, with significant inter‐site differences reflecting regional environmental gradients. Based on community weighted mean values, there were clear differences in ecological strategies displayed by the multiple riparian forests found along the Rio Doce watershed in both strata. Trait‐environment relationship analyses highlighted how trait syndromes shift with environmental gradients. In general, we found for both strata a clear association between climatic variables and species functional traits, with higher C‐selection and leaf size positively related to higher precipitation and lower temperature. On the other hand, edaphic characteristics related differently to species' functional dimensions in each stratum. Soil chemical quality was fundamental for the tree stratum, reflecting the access of deeper root systems to nutrients in lower soil horizons, while soil texture was the main filter for the juvenile stratum, as it directly regulates the availability of water and oxygen for its more superficial roots. By linking functional traits and ecological strategies to environmental factors, our findings indicate that restoration initiatives in the Doce River watershed should abandon the one‐size‐fits‐all approach. Instead, they require the implementation of multiple region‐specific reference ecosystems, according to different ecological strategies shaped by different climatic and edaphic filters along the river.