Atmospheric evaporative demand and water deficit on the ecophysiology of Rubber seedlings

The search for genetic materials resistant to adverse weather conditions has been a major focus in studies on species of economic interest. The objective of the present study was to assess the growth and photosynthesis of rubber seedlings clones under two conditions of atmospheric evaporative demand, characterized by fluctuations in temperature (TEMP) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD), associated to two water regimens. Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg (RRIM 600 and FX 3864) clones were assessed in two microclimates, at low (TEMP 21.2 ºC and VPD 0.29 Kpa) and high (TEMP 26.9 ºC and VPD 1.49 Kpa) atmospheric evaporative demand, under two water regimens: water deficit and well-watered. Water deficit 50% water availability was sufficient to reduce the net CO2 assimilation rate, leaf area and total chlorophyll of the clones studied that impacted growth in both microclimates. The effects of water deficit on growth and net carbon assimilation rate were intensified under high atmospheric evaporative demand. However, when comparing the two clones studied, RRIM 600 showed greater growth and photosynthesis without water restriction. The FX 3864 clone, despite the high CO2 assimilation values under high atmospheric demand and without water restriction, showed a reduced growth. The results of this study form an important basis for the selection of genotypes with the potential to develop in adverse climatic conditions. In this sense, the RRIM 600 genotype is recommended as a promising material that would best adapt under adverse climatic conditions.

Scenario-modelling for the sustainable management of non-timber forest products in tropical ecosystems / Modelagem de cenários para o manejo sustentável de produtos florestais não-madeireiros em ecossistemas tropicais

Abstract Ecosystems degradation, and consequently biodiversity loss, has severe impacts on people around the world. The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) is one of the international initiatives that have emerged to inform policy makers and aid decisions to prevent further global biodiversity loss, focusing on the interdependence between natural systems and human culture. IPBES promotes the use of scenarios and modelling approaches as a fundamental tool to advance the understanding of the relationships between drivers of change, Nature's Contributions to People (NCP), and social systems. Local-scale case studies with a system approach demonstrating how current knowledge can be used to inform decision-making are still scarce. Here, we present a comprehensive conceptual model and a series of four scenarios under different policies for shea tree species management, as a case-study of applying systems thinking and the NCP concept to a local-scale socio-ecological system. We first characterized the central processes, NCP, drivers and pressures affecting the shea tree system, to investigate the impacts of the multiple uses of the shea tree species on the system as a whole. We then described potential policy options, developed four scenarios, and evaluated them by a Bayesian Belief Network (BBN). We predicted qualitative outcomes of the proposed scenarios: Business-as-usual (BAU), "Conservation and fair trade", "Agroforestry and fair trade" and "Industrial development". We found that the scenarios focussing on conservation, fair trade and agroforestry, can improve the conservation status of shea trees, and enhance wellbeing in the local communities. In this case study, we demonstrate that the development of a comprehensive conceptual model at a local scale can be a useful exercise to identify opportunities for effective policy strategies and social innovation. The shea tree case study can provide an example for modelling non-timber forest products in other regions around the world that face similar drivers and pressures. Species for which this model could be adapted include Central and South American species such as the Brazilian nut (Bertholletia excelsa), cocoa (Theobroma cacao), andiroba (Carapa guianensis), açai (Euterpe oleracea) and the wax palm (Ceroxylon quindiuense). The model and workflow applied here may thus be used to understand similar socio-ecological systems with local and international economic value across the Neotropical region.

Resumo A degradação dos ecossistemas e sua consequente perda de biodiversidade apresentam graves impactos sobre as pessoas em todo o mundo. A Plataforma Intergovernamental de Biodiversidade e Serviços Ecossistêmicos (IPBES) é uma das iniciativas internacionais que surgiram para informar tomadores de decisão e o desenvolvimento de políticas para evitar mais perdas globais de biodiversidade, com foco na interdependência entre sistemas naturais e a cultura humana. O IPBES promove o uso de cenários futuros e abordagens de modelagem como uma ferramenta fundamental para avançar no entendimento das relações entre fatores motivadores de mudança (vetores), as Contribuições da Natureza para as Pessoas (NCP) e sistemas sociais. Estudos de caso em escala local com uma abordagem de sistemas mostrando como o conhecimento atual pode ser usado para informar a tomada de decisão ainda são poucos. Neste trabalho, apresentamos um modelo conceitual abrangente e um conjunto de quatro cenários sob diferentes políticas para o manejo da árvore de karité, como estudo de caso para a aplicação de uma abordagem de sistemas e do conceito de NCP em um sistema socioecológico em escala local. Primeiro nós caracterizamos os processos centrais, os NCP, e os vetores e pressões que afetam o sistema da árvore de karité, para então, investigar os impactos dos múltiplos usos da espécie no sistema como um todo. Em seguida, descrevemos opções de políticas possíveis, a partir das quais desenvolvemos quatro cenários e os avaliamos por Redes Bayesianas baseadas em Crenças (BBN). Nós avaliamos os resultados qualitativos dos quatro cenários de manejo propostos: "business-as-usual" (BAU), "Conservação e Fair Trade", "Agrofloresta e Fair Trade", e "Desenvolvimento Agroindustrial". Verificamos que os cenários que incluíam medidas de conservação e comércio justo, assim como o que previa práticas agroflorestais indicaram potenciais melhorias no status de conservação das árvores de karité e aprimoramento do bem-estar das comunidades locais. Neste estudo de caso, demonstramos que o desenvolvimento de um modelo conceitual mais completo na escala local pode ser útil na identificação de oportunidades para a proposição de estratégias políticas efetivas e inovação social. O estudo de caso da árvore de karité pode fornecer um exemplo de modelagem de produtos florestais não-madeireiros para outras regiões do mundo que enfrentam vetores de mudança e pressões semelhantes. As espécies para as quais esse modelo pode ser adaptado incluem espécies da América Central e do Sul, como a castanha-do-brasil (Bertholletia excelsa), cacau (Theobroma cacao), andiroba (Carapa guianensis), açaí (Euterpe oleracea) e a palma da cera (Ceroxylon quindiuense). O modelo e a proposta de trabalho aplicados aqui podem, portanto, ser usados para entender sistemas socio-ecológicos semelhantes com espécies de valor econômico local e internacional em toda a região neotropical.

Carbon and nutrient stocks of three Fabaceae trees used for forest restoration and subjected to fertilization in Amazonia

ABSTRACT Amazonia is crucial to global carbon cycle. Deforestation continues to be one of the main causes of the release of C into the atmosphere, but forest restoration plantations can reverse this scenario. However, there is still diffuse information about the C and nutrient stocks in the vegetation biomass. We investigated the carbon and nutrient stocks of Fabaceae trees (Inga edulis, Schizolobium amazonicum and Dipteryx odorata) subjected to fertilization treatments (T1 - no fertilization; T2 - chemical; T3 - organic; and T4 - organic and chemical fertilization) in a degraded area of the Balbina Hydroelectric Dam, AM - Brazil. As an early successional species, I. edulis stocked more C and nutrients than the other two species independent of the fertilization treatment, and S. amazonicum stocked more C than D. odorata under T1 and T4. The mixed species plantation had the potential to stock 4.1 Mg C ha-1 year-1, while I. edulis alone could stock 9.4 Mg C ha-1 year-1. Mixing species that rapidly assimilate C and are of significant ecological and commercial value (e.g., Fabaceae trees) represents a good way to restore degraded areas. Our results suggest that the tested species be used for forest restoration in Amazonia.

Inter-site variation in allometry and wood density of Goupia glabra Aubl. in Amazonia / Variação entre-sítios na alometria e densidade da madeira de Goupia glabra Aubl. na Amazônia

Abstract The present study aims to compare the allometry and wood density of Goupia glabra Aubl. (Goupiaceae) in two different terra-firme sites in Amazonian forest. A total of 65 trees ≥ 10 cm DBH was sampled in both sites, with 39 trees in Nova Olinda do Norte (NOlinda, near the Amazon River) and 29 trees in Apuí (near the southern edge of the Amazon forest). Except for the relationship between DBH (diameter at breast height) and Ht (total height), allometric relationships for G.glabra differed significantly between sites. Apuí had lower intercept and greater slope for log10 (DBH) versus log10 (Hs – stem height), and, conversely, greater intercept and lower slope for log10 (DBH) versus log10 (Ch – crown height). The slope differed significantly between the sites for DBH versus Cd (crown diameter), with greater slope found for NOlinda. Mean basic wood density in Apuí was 8.8% lower than in NOlinda. Our findings highlight the variation in adaptive strategy of G. glabra due to environmental differences between sites. This is probably because of different canopy-understory light gradients, which result in differentiation of resource allocation between vertical and horizontal growth, which, in turn, affects mechanical support related to wood density. We also hypothesize that differences in soil fertility and disturbance regimes between sites may act concomitantly with light.

Resumo O presente estudo tem como objetivo comparar a alometria e a densidade da madeira de Goupia glabra em dois diferentes sítios de floresta de terra firme na Amazonia. Um total de 65 árvores com DAP ≥ 10 cm foi amostrado em ambos os sítios, sendo 39 árvores em Nova Olinda do Norte (NOlinda, próximo ao rio Amazonas) e 29 em Apuí (próximo à borda sul da Amazônia). Exceto para a relação entre o DBH (diâmetro a altura do peito) e a Ht (altura total), as relações alométricas para G. glabra diferiu significativamente entre os sítios. Apuí apresentou menor intercepto e maior inclinação para a relação log10 (DBH) versus log10 (Hs – altura do fuste) e, ao contrário, maior intercepto e menor inclinação para log10 (DBH) versus log10 (Ch – altura da copa). A inclinação diferiu significativamente entre os sítios para DBH versus Cd (diâmetro da copa), com maior inclinação encontrada para NOlinda. A densidade básica média da madeira in Apuí foi 8.8% menor do que em NOlinda. Os resultados deste estudo destacam a variação na estratégia adaptativa de G. glabra devido às diferenças ambientais entre os sítios. Isto é provavelmente consequência dos diferentes gradientes de luz o que resulta na diferenciação na alocação de recursos entre o crescimento vertical e horizontal o que, por sua vez, afeta o suporte mecânico relacionado à densidade da madeira. Nós também levantamos a hipótese de que as diferenças em termos de fertilidade e regimes de distúrbios entre os sítios podem agir concomitantemente com o regime de luz.

Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus (Gomes) L.R. Landrum (Myrtaceae): stem and leaf anatomy of a medicinal plant

O estudo de plantas medicinais envolve várias áreas da ciência. Neste contexto, a anatomia contribui para a identificação da espécie e consequentemente, com a qualidade do produto da planta. Este trabalho descreve a anatomia do caule e da folha de Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus (Gomes) L.R. Landrum (Myrtaceae), coletada em Floresta Estacional Semidecidual. Os órgãos estudados apresentaram epiderme unisseriada, recoberta com cutícula espessa, e cavidades secretoras. O caule apresentou anel contínuo de tecido vascular ao redor da medula, com o floema em ambos os lados do xilema. A folha foi hipoestomática com tricomas na face abaxial, com mesofilo bifacial e feixe vascular anficrival circundado por periciclo esclerenquimático no pecíolo e na nervura principal. Entre os testes histoquímicos, resultados positivos foram obtidos para lipídeos, compostos fenólicos, amido e oxalato de cálcio (drusas). A espécie apresentou aspectos anatômicos típicos da família e as cavidades secretoras presentes nas folhas foram relacionadas aos compostos secundários detectados.

The study of medicinal plants involves several areas of science. Anatomy contributes to species identification and consequently, with quality control of plant product. This paper describes the leaf and stem anatomy of Pimenta pseudocaryophyllus (Gomes) L.R. Landrum (Myrtaceae), collected in Seasonal Semideciduous Forest. The studied organs presented uniseriate epidermis covered by a thick cuticle and secretory cavities. The stem showed a continuous ring of vascular tissues around the pith, with phloem on both sides of the xylem. The leaf was hypostomatic, with trichomes on the abaxial face, with bifacial mesophyll and amphicrival vascular bundle, surrounded by a sclerenchymatous pericycle in the petiole and in the midrib. Among the histochemical tests, positive results were obtained for lipids, phenolic compounds, starch and calcium oxalate (druses). The species had anatomical features typical of the family and the secretory cavities present in leaves and stems were related to the secondary metabolites detected.

Demography and structures population of Actinostemon concolor (Spreng.) Müll. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) in flooded areas in Southern Brazil

The aim of this work was to analyze the size and spatial structures and demography of Actinostemon concolor (Spreng.) Müll. Arg. (Euphorbiaceae) in the flooded areas of Mata dos Godoy State Park. Fifty plots of 100 m² were established and three surveys were conducted. All the individuals were measured, mapped and divided into categories as seedlings, juveniles and adults. The coefficient of skewness, L-function of Ripley, and the matrix population models were used in the study. The population showed positive coefficient of skewness and the individuals were distributed in groups. The population growth rates (λ) were equal or lower than 1.0 and the adult survival and recruitment of juvenile to adult were the vital rates that most affected the values of λ. Considering these results and the unpredictability of the environment, it could be concluded that the individual numbers of A. concolor would fluctuate over time, but the species would remain as one of the most important in the Park.

Climate Change Effects on Southern Subtropical and Tropical Tree Species in Ganzhou City, China.

Aims: To confirm climate warming changes that have taken place in Gannan Arboretum and Ganzhou City by the expect success of introduced tropical tree species as a response to climatic warming scenarios. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Study Site and Duration: Survey and observational sites were located in 1) Gannan Arboretum and 2) Ganzhou City, Jiangxi Province, China. The survey and observations of introduced tree species were conducted from October, 2009, to November, 2010. Additional growth records were obtained for a period prior to and including the 1970s to assist in the investigation. Methodology: 1) The meteorological data (1951–2009) record was used to analyse climatic change patterns. 2) Growth and development of introduced tree species were examined to evaluate effects of introduction. 3) Climate zone attributes of introduced tree species were determined in order to establish place of origin. Effects of introduced tree species were coupled with climatic change scenario data to analyze associative relationships. Results: 1) A trend in climate warming has been evident in Ganzhou City since the1950s. Based on metrological records from 1951 to 2009, a steady rise in annual average temperature has occurred in the region, increasing from 0.2ºC to 0.3ºC each 20 year period. This trend has been especially evident by changes to average temperature during the coldest month (January) as well as changes in annual minimum temperatures. 2) According to observations and measurements, 39 introduced tropical tree species have successfully established themselves in the Ganzhou region through natural domestication. Among these, 24 tree species were considered basically successful with normal growth patterns while the remaining 15 species achieved preliminary success. 3) Stem analysis data on the five primary introduced tree species indicate that growth patterns were normal and vigorous, suggesting that these tropical tree species have successfully established themselves. It was therefore determined that the successful northward migration of the 39 tree species investigated was chiefly the result of a climate warming trend taking place in the region.

Heliocarpus popayanensis Kunth (Malvacea) tolera a hipoxia dosubstrato? / Does Heliocarpus popayanensis Kunth (Malvaceae) tolerate substract’s hypoxy?

(Heliocarpus popayanensis Kunth (Malvaceae) tolera a hipoxia do substrato?) Aespécie Heliocarpus popayanensis é muito utilizada em recomposição florística de áreasdegradadas, cujo solo pode apresentar hipoxia. Considerando esses aspectos, este trabalhovisou avaliar resposta desta espécie ao alagamento. Indivíduos com 70 dias foramsubmetidos a substrato drenado(D) e alagado (A) por 30 e 60 dias e a alagado, 30 dias, e adrenado mais 30 dias (A/D). Foram determinados os comprimentos da raiz principal e docaule, a área foliar e o número de folhas, a biomassa e a taxa de crescimento relativo (TCR)de raízes, caules e folhas e o conteúdo nutricional das folhas. Até 60 dias de alagamentohouve redução percentual média na biomassa (38%), na TCR (77%) e área foliar (24%),além de redução no diâmetro do caule e da raiz (70%) e na lignificação de célulasfloemáticas. Nenhuma alteração anatômica ocorreu nas folhas, mas houve redução naconcentração dos nutrientes N, P, K, Fe, Cu e B. Portanto, em condições experimentais,Heliocarpus popayanensis sobrevive a períodos de alagamento, provavelmente pelas alteraçõesmorfoanatômicas. A raridade desta espécie em área alagável deve estar relacionada comoutras etapas do ciclo de vida, como germinação das sementes ou estabelecimento deplântulas e juvenis em competição com outras espécies.

The species Heliocarpus popayanensis is used on floristic recomposition of degradedareas, wich’s soil might present hypoxy. Considering these aspects, this studies evaluatesthis species answers to flooding. Young plants were submitted to drained and floodedsubstract for 30 and 60 days, then flooded for 30 days and then drained for more 30 days.Main root and stem length, area and number of leaves, biomass and relative growth rate ofroots, stems and leaves and the nutritional content of leaves were determined. Until 60 daysof flooding there was a percentual reduction in biomass (38%), in RGR (77%) and in thearea of leaves, including reduction in root and stem’s diameter (70%), and in thelignification of floematic cells. There was no anatomic alteration in leaves, but there wasreduction of nutrients concentration (N, P, K, Fe, Cu, B). Therefore, young plants of thespecies Heliocarpus popayanensis survive to the flooding period considered above, probablydue to anatomical and morphologic alterations. The rarity of this species in flooded area isprobably related to other stages of the life cycle, such as seeds germination or competitionwith other species in the environment.

Sementes e plântulas de andiroba (Carapa guianensis Aubl. e Carapa procera D. C.): aspectos botânicos, ecológicos e tecnológicos

In the Amazon Basin occur both species of the genus Carapa (Meliaceae). Roba-mahogany is well known for the quality of its timber and the oil extracted from its seeds. The provision of basic information on seed and seedlings to subsidize scientific studies and the propagation and management of these species was the objective of this study. Bio-morphology of the fruits, seeds and seedlings, and a comparative botanical description, allow the distinction of both species. The natural distribution, abundance and phenology are presented, as well as factors which may influence the natural regeneration, as the high seed predation and the infestation by Hypsipyla grandella. Roba-mahogany trees have large seeds (with an average weight of 25 g - C. guianensis and 16 g - C. procera) with a regular fructification. However, there are difficulties in seedling production due to desiccation and chilling sensitivity of the seeds. The thickness of the seed coat may cause dormancy of C. guianensis, which may delay the germination until six months. Seeds of C. procera, which normally have a thinner seed coat need in average only one month to germinate. Nursery practices and planting, as well as the use of these species are commented.

Na Amazônia, encontram-se ambas espécies do gênero Carapa (Meliaceae), conhecidas pela qualidade da madeira e pelo óleo extraído das sementes. O objetivo deste trabalho foi apresentar informações sobre sementes e plântulas de uma maneira abrangente para subsidiar interesses científicos e aplicados à propagação e manejo das espécies. Para tanto são apresentadas a bio-morfologia dos frutos, sementes e plântulas e uma descrição botânica comparativa, permitindo a distinção das duas espécies. A distribuição natural, abundância e fenologia são apresentados; como também fatores que afetam a regeneração natural, relacionados com as altas taxas de predação de sementes e o ataque da broca-do-ponteiro (Hypsipyla grandella). Andiroba produz sementes grandes e regularmente (em média com peso de 25 g - C. guianensis el6 g -C. procera), porém a produção de mudas enfrenta dificuldades devido a intolerância das sementes ao dessecamento e resfriamento. A espessura do tegumento das sementes de C. guianensis pode causar dormência e prolongar a germinação em até seis meses. O tegumento das sementes de C. procera é normalmente mais delgado e elas necessitam em média apenas um mês para germinar. Práticas de viveiro e plantio, assim como o uso destas espécies são abordados.