Biogeoquímica comparativa de ecossistemas de floresta sucessional e Virola surinamensis na região dos tabuleiros costeiros do estuário guajarino, Amazônia oriental, Brasil

Abstract

Studies of comparative biogeochemistry of Virola surinamensis (VSU) and successional forest ecosystems (FSU) in the coastal tableland region of eastern Amazonia were carried out to studies on i) factors that cause differences in fluxes and stocks of organic matter and chemical elements, such as potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) within the biogeochemical matrix of litterfall, the forest floor and pedochemical matrix stocks, and ii) factors that control the variation in soil carbon dioxide (CO2) flux within the VSU and FSU ecosystems. The major flux of the biogeochemical matrix (organic matter) from the trees to the forest floor was higher (p < 0,001) in the successional forest ecosystem (FSU) than in the Virola surinamensis ecosystem (VSU). This was due to higher floristic diversity in the FSU, as well as the elevatedlevel of ecosystem manipulation in the VSU, where the burning of phytomass released K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn oxides, causing in situ enrichment of the soil bases. The K, Mn and Zn fluxes were significantly higher (p < 0,001) in the FSU, although Fe flux was higher (p < 0,001) in the VSU. These results show the effect of high floristic diversity of the biogeochemical matrix in the successional ecosystem, while in the Virola surinamensis ecosystem, results indicate the possibility of biogenic Fe accumulation as a genotypic character of Virola tree species. The Mg, Ca and Cu fluxes were similar (p <.0,05) between ecosystems, as demonstrated by the semivariogram nugget effect. This indicated the absence of spatial influence on the processes controlled by the biogeochemical matrix flux. The geochemical matrix flux occurred with similar patterns at the mesoscale level, or across the biogeochemical provinces. The element use efficiency (EUE) for Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn was greater (p < 0,001) in the FSU than in the VSU. This indicates a significant biogeochemical matrix flux effect in the successional forest ecosystem, contrary to the Virola surinamensis ecosystem with relatively low floristic diversity. Potassium (K) occurred with similar EUE values (p > 0,05) in both biological systems suggesting that the VSU ecosystem was an efficient K cycler. The forest floor stocks of K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn were higher (p < 0,001) in the FSU than in the VSU. This may be explained by the more diversified biogeochemical matrix control in the forest successional ecosystem. The overall water holding capacity was similar (p > 0,05) between ecosystems, although forest floor storage was higher (p < 0,001) in the FSU, indicating that the VSU ecosystem has recovered its structure and function over time. The biogeochemical matrix mean residence times for forest floor organic matter and K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn were higher (p < 0,001) in the successional ecosystem (FSU) than in the Virola surinamensis ecosystem (VSU). This suggests that in FSU the influence of forest floor stocks worked as a proximal factor, associated with the more distal factor of higher floristic diversity, which likely introduced recalcitrant substances into the system to minimize the decomposition process. The dispersion models illustrated in semivariograms for Al, Na, Fe and Cu in the Yellow Latosol dystrophic (LAd), and Ca in the Yellow Latosol dystrophic endocrecionary (LAdc) showed a nugget effect. In the LAd soil pedochemical system, the semivariograms models demonstrated spatial dependence, including H+ (spherical, r2 =0.92); Na (gaussian, r2 =0.49); K (gaussian r2=0.98); Ca (exponential, r2= 0.82); Mg (gaussian, r2 = 0.87); Mn (exponential, r2 = 0.86), Zn (gaussian, r2 =0.79). In the LAdc soil, cations that showed spatial dependence were Al (gaussian, r2 = 082); H+ (gaussian, r2 = 092); Na (gaussian, r2 = 0.87); K (gaussian, r2 = 0.86), Mn (gaussian, r2 0.96) and Fe (gaussian, r2 = 0.87); Cu (gaussian, r2 = 0.80) and Zn (gaussian, r2 = 0.79). Carbon dioxide (CO2) flux from soils in the were similar (p > 0,05) with values of 4,03 μmol C m-2 s-1 and 4,37 μmol C m-2 s-1 in the VSU and FSU, respectively. Based on the CO2 soil efflux, I conclude that the Virola surinamensis ecosystem attained similar metabolic processes in relation to the successional forest ecosystem over time.