Photomorphogenesis and phenotypic plasticity of four Atlantic Forest native species exposed to different levels of solar radiation

• Grant number: 21/11140-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2022
• End date: June 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Forestry Resources and Forestry Engineering - Forestry
• Principal Investigator: Ciro Abbud Righi
• Grantee: Joyce Goulart dos Santos
• Host Institution: Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The planting of native tree species is a way to meet the market's need for wood. However, the planting of these forest essences is still low in Brazil. The insufficiency of studies on native wood species and silvicultural technologies restricted to exotic species are limiting factors for planting on a commercial scale. In Brazil, the existing tropical forest plantations are marked by monoculture and plantations in full sun. On the other hand, studies show that intercropping may be a more appropriate strategy for environmental, social, and economic issues. The choice of native species can be based on the ability of forest essences to adapt to the light environment altered by the presence of other plants. Solar radiation is the most important factor in plant productivity and growth, as it influences the accumulation of biomass, the determination of its architecture, the perpetuation of the species, and the anatomy and physiology of plants. There are few studies carried out around the world verifying the responses of plants to the luminous environment, much less with native species. Thus, this study aims to analyze the morphological changes of native tree species with the potential for timber in response to different intensities of solar radiation and its wavelength. The architectural modifications of four native tree species will be evaluated under full four treatments: 1 sun; 2) natural shading in the forest; 3) 35% black shade screen and; 4) 35% red screen. The psychometric characteristics of the plants will be analyzed, such as stem and total height, crown width and neck diameter, the distance between internodes, number of leaves, leaf area, etc. throughout the project. Photographic monitoring of the development and growth of the seedlings will also be carried out over time, as well as schematic drawings to visually and comparatively verify the architectural changes of the plants submitted to the different environments. At the end of the project, the biomass of the plants will be evaluated by separating them into their components: stem with bark, branches, and leaves. The results will be evaluated in contrast, seeking to identify the changes induced in each treatment/light environment. With this, it is expected to advance the silviculture of native species by verifying the changes caused in response to different light conditions in the juvenile plant.(AU)