RESUMO
The study of above- and below-ground organ plant coordination is crucial for understanding the biophysical constraints and trade-offs involved in species' performance under different environmental conditions. Environmental stress is expected to increase constraints on species trait combinations, resulting in stronger coordination among the organs involved in the acquisition and processing of the most limiting resource. To test this hypothesis, we compared the coordination of trait combinations in 94 tree seedling species from two tropical forest systems in Mexico: dry and moist. In general, we expected that the water limitation experienced by dry forest species would result in stronger leaf-stem-root coordination than light limitation experienced by moist forest species. Using multiple correlations analyses and tools derived from network theory, we found similar functional trait coordination between forests. However, the most important traits differed between the forest types. While in the dry forest the most central traits were all related to water storage (leaf and stem water content and root thickness), in the moist forest they were related to the capacity to store water in leaves (leaf water content), root efficiency to capture resources (specific root length), and stem toughness (wood density). Our findings indicate that there is a shift in the relative importance of mechanisms to face the most limiting resource in contrasting tropical forests.
Assuntos
Plântula , Árvores , México , Clima Tropical , Florestas , ÁguaRESUMO
Bertholletia excels is a species is frequently used in reforestation due to its high degree of adaptability and its excellent initial growth. Thus, this work aimed to study the growth of B.excelsa according to different types and concentrations of fertilization, seeking to contribute to the silvicultural development of this species. For this purpose, seedlings of B. excelsa were planted in the Madre de Dios region on a property near the province of Puerto Maldonado in Peru. The seedlings were selected when they presented an average height of 22 cm for all treatments, being T1: Dolomite + SPT; T2: Dolomite + NPK; T3: Dolomite + SPT + Agricultural plaster; T4: Dolomite + NPK + Agricultural plaster, and T5: A control treatment without fertilization modifications. The experimental design was randomized blocks with five treatments and four replicates of six seedlings each. Once the ANOVA assumptions were met, the data were subjected to analysis of variance, with significant differences between the data, the means were compared using the Tukey test (p <0.05). Survival (%) was evaluated from the number of live individuals in two years of measurement. The treatment T4 presented great silvicultural potential, as the fertilization provided the development in height and diameter. Treatments T1 and T3 did not perform well when compared to the control, presenting the lowest growth rates in height and diameter, and the lowest survival rate. The control treatment did not differ statistically from T4, thus concluding that pre-plant fertilization of B. excelsa is not necessary.
A espécie Bertholletia excelsa é frequentemente utilizada em reflorestamentos pelo alto grau de adaptabilidade e seu ótimo crescimento inicial. Com isso, esse trabalho objetivou estudar o crescimento de B. excelsa de acordo com diferentes tipos e concentrações de adubação, buscando contribuir para o desenvolvimento silvicultural dessa espécie. Para isso, foram plantadas mudas de Bertholletia excelsa na região de Madre de Dios em uma propriedade próxima a província de Puerto Maldonadono Peru. As mudas foram selecionadas quando apresentaram altura média de 22 cm para todos os tratamentos, sendo T1: Dolomita + SPT; T2: Dolomita + NPK; T3: Dolomita + SPT + Gesso agrícola; T4: Dolomita + NPK + Gesso agrícola e o tratamento controle sem modificações por adubação. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi em blocos ao acaso com cinco tratamentos e quatro repetições de 6 plântulas cada. Uma vez atendidos os pressupostos da ANOVA, os dados foram submetidos à análise de variância, havendo diferenças significativas entre os dados, as médias foram comparadas pelo teste de Tukey (p <0,05). A sobrevivência (%) foi avaliada a partir do número de indivíduos vivos em dois anos de medição. O tratamento T4 apresentou grande potencial silvicultural pelo que a adubação proporcionou ao desenvolvimento em altura e em diâmetro. Os tratamentos T1 e T3 não obtiveram um bom desempenho quando comparado ao controle, apresentando as menores taxas de crescimento em altura e em diâmetro, e as menores taxa de sobrevivência. O tratamento controle obteve um bom resultado não diferindo estatisticamente de T4, assim concluindo que não é necessário a adubação pré-plantiode B.excelsa.
Assuntos
Florestas , Lecythidaceae/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Bertholletia/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Brotos de PlantaRESUMO
In many deforested regions of the tropics, afforestation with native tree species could valorize a growing reservoir of degraded, previously overused and abandoned land. The inoculation of tropical tree seedlings with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AM fungi) can improve tree growth and viability, but efficiency may depend on plant and AM fungal genotype. To study such effects, seven phylogenetically diverse AM fungi, native to Ecuador, from seven genera and a non-native AM fungus (Rhizophagus irregularis DAOM197198) were used to inoculate the tropical potential crop tree (PCT) species Handroanthus chrysanthus (synonym Tabebuia chrysantha), Cedrela montana, and Heliocarpus americanus. Twenty-four plant-fungus combinations were studied in five different fertilization and AMF inoculation treatments. Numerous plant growth parameters and mycorrhizal root colonization were assessed. The inoculation with any of the tested AM fungi improved seedling growth significantly and in most cases reduced plant mortality. Plants produced up to threefold higher biomass, when compared to the standard nursery practice. AM fungal inoculation alone or in combination with low fertilization both outperformed full fertilization in terms of plant growth promotion. Interestingly, root colonization levels for individual fungi strongly depended on the host tree species, but surprisingly the colonization strength did not correlate with plant growth promotion. The combination of AM fungal inoculation with a low dosage of slow release fertilizer improved PCT seedling performance strongest, but also AM fungal treatments without any fertilization were highly efficient. The AM fungi tested are promising candidates to improve management practices in tropical tree seedling production.