Do seedling functional groups reflect ecological strategies of woody plant species in Caatinga?
AUTOR(ES)
Menezes, Tatiane Gomes Calaça, Rodal, Maria Jesus Nogueira, Lima, André Luiz Alves de, Lima, Lucivania Rodrigues, Pinto, Monalisa Alves Diniz S. C., Melo, André Laurênio de
FONTE
Acta Bot. Bras.
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO
06/11/2017
RESUMO
ABSTRACT It is assumed that morphological traits of seedlings reflect different strategies in response to environmental conditions. The ecological significance of this has been widely documented in rainforests, where habitat structure and species interactions play an important role in community assembly. However, in seasonally dry ecosystems, where environmental filtering is expected to strongly influence community structure, this relationship is poorly understood. We investigated this relationship between functional groups of seedlings and life history traits and tested whether functional group predicts the ecological strategies employed by woody species to deal with the stressful conditions in seasonally dry ecosystems. Seedling functional groups, life history traits and traits that reflect ecological strategies for occupying seasonally dry environments were described for twenty-six plant species. Seedlings of species from the Caatinga vegetation exhibited a functional profile different from that observed in rainforests ecosystems. Phanerocotylar-epigeal seedlings were the most frequently observed groups, and had the largest range of ecological strategies related to dealing with seasonally dry environments, while phanerocotylar-hypogeal-reserve seedlings exhibited an increase in frequency with seasonality. We discuss these results in relation to those observed in other tropical forests and their ecological significance in seasonally dry environments.
Documentos Relacionados
- Ecological strategies of Al-accumulating and non-accumulating functional groups from the cerrado sensu stricto
- Seedling morphology of fourteen Cerrado woody species
- A COMUNIDADE DE MICROLIQUENS CROSTOSOS SOFRE ALTERAÇÃO AO LONGO DE GRADIENTES AMBIENTAIS NA CAATINGA?
- Anatomia ecolÃgica foliar de espÃcies da caatinga
- Where are the Brazilian ethnobotanical studies in the Atlantic Forest and Caatinga?