Levels of tolerance of species of the Atlantic Forest to the excess of metals and elevation of the temperature

• Grant number: 19/03001-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: March 01, 2019
• End date: July 31, 2021
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: Marisa Domingos
• Grantee: Geane Martins Barbosa
• Host Institution: Instituto de Botânica. Secretaria de Meio Ambiente, Infraestrutura e Logística (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/50341-0 - Challenges for biodiversity conservation facing climate changes, pollution, land use and occupation (PDIp), AP.PDIP

Abstract

Most of the remaining Atlantic Forest exists in small fragments that are isolated from each other and are composed by second-growth forests in early to medium stages of succession. This fragmentation can affect the properties of forests and cause increased mortality of many species and the subsequent proliferation of other species such as pioneers and lianas. Sequestration and maintenance of carbon stocks in the atmosphere depend on the functioning of ecosystems and loss of species can contribute to changes in climate. Moreover, fragmented forests in urban areas have also been affected by a diversity of pollutants, such as heavy metals adsorbed in the atmospheric particulate matter. These pollutants are a threat to vegetation due to high metal toxicity, the inability to transform into less toxic forms and persistence in the environment, which can induce metabolic changes characteristic of oxidative stress. The toxicity of metals in ecosystems depends on the intensity of stress and sensitivity of the species. Therefore, in this study three species of different functional groups will be submitted to the excess of Cu, Zn and Ni and temperature increase to temporarily verify the profile of the antioxidant defenses and the indicators of cellular damage in roots and leaves. The interactions between the efficiency of antioxidant defenses and the accumulation of metals in leaves, stems and roots will also be verified. (AU)