Floodplains provide fertile soils and essential ecosystem services, including water purification and nutrient cycling, yet they face intense human pressure. We investigated the diversity, structure, and functional traits of a tropical floodplain across five eco-units: Marginal Levee, Lower Terrace, Higher Terrace, Lower Plain and Higher Plain. NMDS analysis showed that species composition is strongly shaped by the flooding regime, with Inga vera dominant in most eco-units and Machaerium villosum prevailing in the Higher Plain. The Higher Plain also exhibited the highest aboveground biomass (AGB) and structural heterogeneity. Diameter class distributions differed significantly among eco-units, and terraces showed a higher proportion of sprouting individuals, reflecting adaptive responses to water stress. GLMM models indicated that species adopt conservative strategies under stress, producing thicker, more durable leaves, while stem density and specific stem density respond to soil fertility. These results reveal how hydrological and edaphic factors govern community structure and functional strategies, providing essential insights for the conservation and management of floodplain forests under increasing anthropogenic and climatic pressures.
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Bernardes et al. (2026) studied this question.
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