Effects of flooding and shading on growth and gas exchange of Vochysia divergens Pohl (Vochysiaceae) of invasive species in the Brazilian Pantanal

Vochysia divergens Pohl (commonly known as cambara) is a pioneer tree species that is native to the Amazon Basin but has been invading the seasonally flooded wetlands of the Brazilian Pantanal, forming monospecific communities. The physiological aspects associated with cambara invasion, including the effects of flooding and shading on growth and leaf gas exchange, are unknown but may shed light on why cambara is able to invade this novel habitat so rapidly. Thus, we conducted a manipulative experiment to quantify the effects of shading and flooding on the growth, gas exchange and leaf nutrient...