Effects of Environmental Changes in Degraded Areas on the Establishment of Plant Communities in the Brazilian Cerrado

Understanding the interrelationships between plant communities and soil attributes in gully erosion can make valuable contributions to strategies focused on the conservation and recovery of degraded areas. Thus, we aimed to evaluate how the composition and structure of different plant communities are affected by soil attributes in a degraded area by gullies in the Brazilian Cerrado. A total of 39 plots were allocated in representative areas of the landscape: gullies and their surrounding native fragments, such as savanna forest and gallery forest. In each plot, soil samples were taken and subjected to chemical and physical analyses, moisture, and characterization of the plant community. Overall, 1475 individuals that belong to 118 species, 89 genera, and 41 families were sampled. Fabaceae showed greater representation in relation to the number of species. The soils were generally dystrophic and very acidic, but environmental differences were observed between the areas: The gullies had more acidic soils, with a higher clay and silt content and lower natural fertility than the areas of native vegetation. These environmental differences were reflected in the composition and structure of the community. Twenty‐five species were identified as having a preference for specific environments, with four of them being exclusive to gully environments. Although most species are shared and do not show responses to variations in soil attributes, some stand out in relation to environmental changes. Our study revealed abiotic filters exerted crucial fine‐scale effects on plant communities in gullies. We indicate some species that may play an important role in conservation and restoration strategies for degraded areas in the Cerrado.