Morphophysiology responses of tree species to edaphic conditions of wet grassland in Cerrado areas

• Grant number: 15/24093-3
• Support type: Regular Research Grants
• Duration: October 01, 2016 - September 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Pant Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Rosana Marta Kolb
• Grantee: Rosana Marta Kolb
• Home Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil
• Assoc. researchers: Giselda Durigan

Abstract

Wet grasslands are herbaceous-shrubby physiognomies subjected to seasonal or permanent flooding. They can occur in ecotonal positions between savanna and forest formations. Little is known about the soil factors that regulate the wet grasslands and prevent their colonization by woody species. Thus, we aimed to understand how the edaphic variations of wet grassland interfere in the strategies of establishment of functionally different tree species in areas of Cerrado. Plantings will be done in line, in three different wet grassland areas, which are located between the dense savanna and the gallery forest, at Assis, São Paulo state, Brazil. The species to be used are Calophyllum brasiliense (exclusive of humid environments), Hymenaea stigonocarpa (intolerant to humid environments) and Tapirira guianensis (indifferent to soil moisture). Along the gradient between the savanna, through the wet grassland and until the gallery forest, we will evaluate the influence of physical and chemical properties of the soil and of the water table depth on the emergence and survival of seedlings and survival and growth of saplings. The leaf physiological responses to the same abiotic variations will also be evaluated. We will use regressions to verify the relationship between the abiotic factors of the wet grassland and the analyzed parameters. In laboratory, seed germination and seedling emergence under different humidity conditions. In greenhouse, plant growth will be analyzed in different types of soil (savanna and gallery forest) and water regimes (flooding, waterlogging, water deficit and in soil without excess or water restriction). We will use analysis of variance (ANOVA) to verify the influence of the treatments on the establishment of the species. (AU)