Ecophysiological leaf traits of native and exotic palm tree species under semi-arid conditions

ABSTRACT The main goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of two palm species under semi-arid conditions during the rainy and dry periods: the semi-arid native Syagrus coronata and a native to tropical America, Acrocomia aculeata. The leaf water potential, gas exchange, leaf soluble sugars, starch, free amino acids, total soluble protein content and morphological traits were measured. The highest leaf water potential and CO2 assimilation values in both species were achieved during the rainy period. In response to the low soil moisture content during the dry period, gas exchange decr...