Floristic structuring of woody plants from the Chaco in light of abiotic factors

Abstract

Abstract The phytogeographic domains are structured by different geoclimatic (abiotic) factors, such as altitude, temperature and precipitation. Thus, our goal was to investigate the possible abiotic factors that are related to the floristic richness of the tree-shrub component throughout the Chaco remnants. This study is based on data of the presence and absence of species in different remnants related to geoclimatic data. In addition, World Wildlife Fund shapes were used to differentiate dry and wet Chaco. The database aggregated 36 areas and 522 species. The different clusters obtained by floristic affinity between groups in Chaco was mainly related to temperature, altitude and seasonality of precipitation. In remnants where the seasonality of precipitation and altitude were more evident, there is greater dissimilarity in the composition of the tree-shrub vegetation. On the other hand, the temperature gradient explained the floristic homogeneity in the humid Chaco. Thus, the richness of the tree-shrub component of the Chaco is mainly attributed to three geoclimatic factors. Dry Chaco presents greater floristic dissimilarity compared to Humid Chaco. Still, the seasonality of the precipitation and the altitude play a dominant role in the structuring of trees and shrubs in the Dry Chaco and the temperature in the most homogeneous formations that integrate the humid Chaco.