Fungos micorrízicos arbusculares e serapilheira como indicadores do efeito de borda em fragmento de floresta estacional

Abstract

Deforestation causes the formation of forest fragments and edges, changing the biotic and abiotic conditions of a forest ecosystem. The edge effects in a forest can be assessed by soil indicators. The objective of this study was to evaluate the litter stock and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community as edge effect indicators in a fragment of a seasonal forest in Vitória da Conquista, Bahia state. Sampling was carried out at the end of each season. Four sampling ranges were established in the edge-interior direction (edge: 0-10 m, range 1: 40-50 m, range 2: 80-90 m, and interior: 400 m). The accumulated litter was collected four times using a wooden template (area 0.25 m2). The soil samples (layer 0-5 cm) for extracting the spores of mycorrhizal fungi were collected from the same litter collection areas. The edge effect in areas of a seasonal forest can change the litter stock, showing a mass reduction closer to the edge. The community of mycorrhizal fungi shows the occurrence of unique species in the gradient of edge-interior fragment.