Dormancy and response to fire in seeds of Albizia niopoides (Spruce ex Benth.) Burkart., a tropical legume

• Grant number: 25/06282-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Botany - Pant Physiology
• Principal Investigator: Ailton Gonçalves Rodrigues Junior
• Grantee: Emanuely Rossi de Paula Silva
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Albizia niopoides, popularly known as farinha-seca, is a tree species found in the Cerrado, Atlantic Forest and Pantanal biomes. As it is a native tropical species distributed in seasonal environments, it is likely that it has a mechanism for regulating germination, such as physical dormancy (PY). However, reports in the literature are inconclusive and provide little detail. PY is a condition characterized to the impermeability of the seed and/or fruit envelope, which is overcome through a specific environmental stimulus, and may also be related to resistance to the heat of fire, an ecological agent that modulates the phytophysiognomies of the Cerrado. In this context, understanding the dormancy mechanism and fire tolerance is essential to understand the biology of the species and its conservation. Thus, the objectives of this work are: i) to identify the dormancy mechanism in A. niopoides, ii) to evaluate the effects of methods for overcoming dormancy, as well as the identification of water entry channels, iii) to evaluate the response to the heat of fire. The chosen methodology includes the morphophysiological characterization of seeds, germination tests and overcoming dormancy, investigation of the permeability of the tegument, identification of "water gaps" and evaluation of resistance to the heat of fire at different temperatures and exposure times. Expected to understand the mechanism regulating the germination of A. niopoides, as well as the resistance of its seeds to fire.