Effects of experimental lightgaps and topography on enrichment plantings in a central Amazonian secondary forest

Enrichment plantings into secondary forest are an important option in restoring species diversity and ecosystem services. However, little attention has been given to environmental requirements for species performance. This study evaluated the effects of lightgaps and topographic position on the growth and survival of four native tree species (Pouteria caimito, Garcinia macrophylla, Dipteryx odorata and Cynometra bauhiniaefolia) planted into a 26-year old secondary forest originating from abandoned pastures in the central Amazon Basin. Artificial lightgaps and control plots under closed canopy were uniformly distributed on plateaus and bottomlands near water bodies. Seedlings were planted randomly into the plots and monitored for 28 months. Seedling survival rate was high (93%) and did not differ among species. Overall, lightgaps produced a 38% increase in seedling height relative to the controls. Although the four species naturally occur in mature forest, two of the four grew significantly more in lightgaps than in closed canopy secondary forest. Overall, bottomlands facilitated greater seedling growth in height (38%) relative to plateaus, but only one species exhibited a significant increase. This study shows the importance of the environmental variability generated with canopy openings along the topographic gradient, suggesting that both the selection of species and microsite conditions of planting sites have to be considered important criteria in the recovery of degraded areas. (AU)

Allelopathic evidence in exotic guava (Psidium guajava L.)

The allelopathic activity of the leaf aqueous extract of guava (Psidium guajava L.) on seed germination and root growth in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) was studied in an experiment consisting of four replicates with 10 seeds each and extract concentrations of 5, 10, and 20 percent. Guava allelopathic activity occurred during the germination and growth of lettuce roots at 20 percent extract concentration, as shown by ANOVA. This result suggested the allelopathic potential of the species. Therefore, the success of P. guajava in invading environments could be partially due to allelopathy. Further studies using other plant parts and field experiments should be conducted.

Com a finalidade de avaliar a atividade alelopática do extrato aquoso de folha da goiabeira (Psidium guajava L.) sobre a germinação e crescimento de raiz de alface (Lactuca sativa L.) foi aplicado um experimento com concentrações de extrato à 5, 10 e 20 por cento, com 4 repetições e 10 sementes cada uma. Por meio de uma ANOVA, foi verificado atividade alelopática da goiabeira sobre a germinação e crescimento da raiz de alface na concentração de 20 por cento, indicando o potencial alelopático da espécie. Desta forma, o sucesso de Psidium guajava em invadir ambientes pode ser atribuído, em parte, à alelopatia. Recomendamos mais estudos com outras partes da planta e experimentos em campo.