Resource availability shapes fire‐filtered savannas

Resource availability, particularly water and nutrient levels mediated by soil clay content, plays a pivotal role in shaping the functional and phylogenetic structure of fire-filtered savanna communities. The study, conducted in Emas National Park within Brazil's Cerrado biome, found that these resource gradients drive spatial community turnover, with soil texture accounting for the largest fraction of this structure. Additionally, factors such as soil nitrogen availability, pH, altitude, and fire frequency interact to influence community attributes, including species trait values. The research combined individual-based functional trait data, phylogenetic information, and environmental variables using Mantel correlograms and maximum rank correlation approaches to assess these dynamics across a large savanna landscape.

Dantas, V. d. L., Batalha, M. A., França, H., & Pausas, J. G. (2014). Resource availability shapes fire‐filtered savannas. Journal of Vegetation Science, 26(2), 395–403. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvs.12247