ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF AÇAÍ (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) IN ANTHROPIZED AREAS OF THE DENSE ATLANTIC FOREST: GENETIC IDENTIFICATION & ITS INTERSPECIFIC HYBRIDS

• Grant number: 23/16140-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: November 01, 2024
• End date: October 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology - Ecosystems Ecology
• Principal Investigator: José Rubens Pirani
• Grantee: João Henrique Servilha
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

There is evidence that the Atlantic Forest and the Amazon were connected in wetter periods of the past, having common floristic elements, such as the genus Euterpe (Arecaceae). These palm trees play a fundamental role in neotropical forests, both in ecological and economic terms. However, one of the main threats to these ecosystems is represented by invasive species, in particular congeneric species, as is the case with the presence of Euterpe oleracea Mart. in the humid forests of the Atlantic Forest, which may result in changes in the population structure of Euterpe edulis Mart. and its ecosystem dynamics. This study aims to understand the factors that favor the establishment of E. oleracea and its effects on E. edulis, in addition to investigating the origin of the cespitose morphotype present in Hyleia Baiana, which may be the result of past hybridization with E. oleracea. The elucidation of the invasive potential of E. oleracea will be done through mapping, population analysis, phenological studies, abiotic requirements, biotic interactors, genetic analyses, artificial pollination experiments, and, finally, taxonomic classification and identification. In this way, we will provide vital information for elucidating the biological invasion potential of congeneric species, their effects and interactions in Atlantic Forest communities, and the role of these relationships in evolutionary processes.