Ecology and Conservation of Mountain-Top Grasslands in Brazil

This Book Is A Pioneer Attempt To Bring Forward The First Synthesis On The Most Diverse And Threatened Mountain Top Vegetation Of South America, The Rupestrian Grasslands. It Brings To Light The State Of The Art Information On This Ecosystem Geology, Soil Formation And Distribution, Environmental Filters That Lead To Biodiversity, Species Interactions And Their Fine Tuned Adaptations To Survive The Harsh Mountain Environment. The Human Dimensions Of The Rupestrian Grassland Are Also Addressed, Including The Anthropogenic Threats That May Irreversibly Impact Biodiversity And Ecosystem Services. The Book Also Highlights The Ongoing Studies On Ecological Restoration And First Attempt To Model The Impacts Of Climate Change On Its Speciose Biota--page 4 Of Cover. 1. The Megadiverse Rupestrian Grassland / Geraldo Wilson Fernandes -- 2. The Physical Environment Of Rupestrian Grasslands (campos Rupestres) In Brazil : Geological, Geomorphological And Pedological Characteristics, And Interplays / Carlos E.g.r. Schaefer [and Ten Others] -- 3. Soils Associated With Rupestrian Grasslands / Carlos E. Schaefer [and Four Others] -- 4. Thermic And Hydric Dynamics Of Ironstone (canga) And Quartzite Rupestrian Grasslands In The Quadrilátero Ferrífero : The Ecological Importance Of Water / Lucas Teixeira Ferrari [and Six Others] -- 5. Water Resources In The Rupestrian Grasslands Of The Espinhaço Mountains / Marcos Callisto, José Francisco Gonçalves And Raphael Ligeiro -- 6. Rupestrian Grassland Vegetation, Diversity And Origin / Abel A. Conceição [and Six Others] -- 7. Archipelago Of Montane Forests Surrounded By Rupestrian Grasslands : New Insights And Perspectives / Marcel S. Coelho [and Seven Others] --^ 8. Arbuscular Mycorrhiza And Endophytic Fungi In Ruspestrian Grasslands / Yumi Oki [and Eleven Others] -- 9. Succession On The Rocky Outcrop Vegetation : A Rupestrian Grassland Scheme / Abel A. Conceição And José R. Pirani -- 10. Seed Germination Ecology In Rupestrian Grasslands / Flávia Peres Nunes [and Seven Others] -- 11. Ecophysiology Of Campos Rupestres Plants / Rafael S. Oliveira [and Six Others] -- 12. Phenology Patterns Across A Rupestrian Grassland Altitudinal Gradient / Nathália Miranda Walter Bretas Rocha [and Five Others] -- 13. Mutualistic Interactions Among Free-living Species In Rupestrian Grasslands / Tadeu J. Guerra [and Four Others] -- 14. Antagonistic Interactions In The Rupestrian Grasslands : New Insights And Perspective / Frederico S. Neves [and Six Others] -- 15. Cerrado To Rupestrian Grasslands : Patterns Of Species Distribution And The Forces Shaping Them Along An Altitudinal Gradient / G. Wilson Fernandes [and Eleven Others] --^ 16. Termite Role In Soil Nutrient Cycling In Ironstone Rupestrian Grasslands (canga) In Carajás, Brazilian Amazonia / Carlos Ernesto G.r. Schaefer [and Four Others] -- 17. Afforestation In The Rupestrian Grasslands : The Augmenting Presssure Of Eucalyptus / Rodrigo Pinheiro Ribas [and Three Others] -- 18. Fire In Rupestrian Grasslands : Plant Response And Management / José Eugênio Côrtes Figueira [and Nine Others] -- 19. Challenges In The Restoration Of Quarzitic And Ironstone Rupestrian Grasslands / G. Wilson Fernandes [and Three Others] -- 20. The People Of The Mountains : The Biocultural Heritage Of Espinhaço Range In Minas Gerais State, Brazil / Emmanuel Duarte Almada, Felisa Cançado Anaya And Fernanda Testa Monteiro -- 21. The Human Dimension In The Espinhaço Mountains : Land Conversion And Ecosystem Services / Ana Carolina De Oliveira Neves [and Six Others] -- 22. Rupestrian Grassland : Past, Present And Future Distribution / Newton P.u. Barbosa And G. Wilson Fernandes --^ 23. The Shady Future Of The Rupestrian Grassland : Major Threats To Conservation And Challenges In The Anthropocene / G. Wilson Fernandes. Geraldo Wilson Fernandes, Editor. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. Front Matter....Pages i-xxiii Front Matter....Pages 1-2 The Megadiverse Rupestrian Grassland....Pages 3-14 The Physical Environment of Rupestrian Grasslands (Campos Rupestres) in Brazil: Geological, Geomorphological and Pedological Characteristics, and Interplays....Pages 15-53 Soils Associated with Rupestrian Grasslands....Pages 55-69 Thermic and Hydric Dynamics of Ironstone (Canga) and Quartzite Rupestrian Grasslands in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero: The Ecological Importance of Water....Pages 71-85 Water Resources in the Rupestrian Grasslands of the Espinhaço Mountains....Pages 87-102 Front Matter....Pages 103-104 Rupestrian Grassland Vegetation, Diversity, and Origin....Pages 105-127 Archipelago of Montane Forests Surrounded by Rupestrian Grasslands: New Insights and Perspectives....Pages 129-156 Arbuscular Mycorrhiza and Endophytic Fungi in Ruspestrian Grasslands....Pages 157-179 Succession on the Rocky Outcrop Vegetation: A Rupestrian Grassland Scheme....Pages 181-206 Seed Germination Ecology in Rupestrian Grasslands....Pages 207-225 Ecophysiology of Campos Rupestres Plants....Pages 227-272 Front Matter....Pages 273-274 Phenology Patterns Across a Rupestrian Grassland Altitudinal Gradient....Pages 275-289 Mutualistic Interactions Among Free-Living Species in Rupestrian Grasslands....Pages 291-314 Antagonistic Interactions in the Rupestrian Grasslands: New Insights and Perspectives....Pages 315-343 Cerrado to Rupestrian Grasslands: Patterns of Species Distribution and the Forces Shaping Them Along an Altitudinal Gradient....Pages 345-377 Termite Role in Soil Nutrient Cycling in Ironstone Rupestrian Grasslands (Canga) in Carajás, Brazilian Amazonia....Pages 379-391 Front Matter....Pages 393-394 Fire in Rupestrian Grasslands: Plant Response and Management....Pages 395-414 Challenges in the Restoration of Quartzitic and Ironstone Rupestrian Grasslands....Pages 415-448 The People of the Mountains: The Biocultural Heritage of the Espinhaço Range in Minas Gerais State, Brazil....Pages 449-477 Front Matter....Pages 479-499 The Human Dimension in the Espinhaço Mountains: Land Conversion and Ecosystem Services....Pages 393-394 Rupestrian Grassland: Past, Present and Future Distribution....Pages 501-530 The Shady Future of the Rupestrian Grassland: Major Threats to Conservation and Challenges in the Anthropocene....Pages 531-544 Back Matter....Pages 545-561 ....Pages 563-567