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Do the phenology and functional stem attributes of woody species allow for the identification of functional groups in the semiarid region of Brazil?

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Abstract

The phenology of tree species in environments that are subject to strong climatic seasonality is mainly determined by water availability, which may vary as a function of wood density. The relationship among phenology, water potential, wood density and the capacity of water storage in the stem were determined for woody species of caatinga vegetation (dry forest) in the semiarid region of NE Brazil. Leaf flush and fall, flowering and fruiting events were recorded over a 31-month period, and the water potential was measured over a two-year period. These data were related to precipitation, water availability in the soil and photoperiod. Seven deciduous species exhibited low wood density (DLWD, <0.5 g cm−3), high capacity of water storage in the stem (until 250 % of the dry weight) and high water potential during the year, as opposed to 15 deciduous species that showed high wood density (DHWD, ≥0.5 g cm−3). Leaf flush, flowering and the fruiting of DHWD species were related to precipitation, whereas these phenological events occurred at the end of the dry season and/or the beginning of the rainy season for DLWD species and were related to the photoperiod. The two evergreen species showed variations of water potential that were intermediate between those of DHWD and DLWD deciduous species, leaf flush during the dry season and flowering at the end of dry season. These results suggest the existence of three functional groups: evergreen species, DHWD deciduous species and DLWD deciduous species.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Empresa Pernambucana de Pesquisa Agropecuária (IPA) for its support during the field work and the Brazilian National Research Council (CNPq) and the State of Pernambuco Research Council (FACEPE-Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco) for their financial support. This study is part of the first author’s PhD thesis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Unidade Acadêmica de Serra Talhada (UAST), Fazenda Saco s/n, Caixa Postal 063, 56900-000, Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil

    André Luiz Alves de Lima & André Laurênio de Melo

  2. Centro de Tecnologia, Departamento de Energia Nuclear, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPE), Av. Prof. Luís Freire 1000, Cidade Universitária, 50740-540, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

    Everardo Valadares de Sá Barretto Sampaio & Antônio Celso Dantas Antonino

  3. Departamento de Biologia/Área de Botânica, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco (UFRPE), Rua Dom Manoel de Medeiros s/n, Dois Irmãos, 52171-900, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

    Maria Jesus Nogueira Rodal

  4. Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Unidade Acadêmica de Garanhuns, Avenida Bom Pastor, s/n-Boa Vista, 55296-901, Garanhuns, Pernambuco, Brazil

    Cibele Cardoso de Castro

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  1. André Luiz Alves de Lima
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  2. Everardo Valadares de Sá Barretto Sampaio
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  3. Cibele Cardoso de Castro
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  4. Maria Jesus Nogueira Rodal
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Correspondence to André Luiz Alves de Lima.

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Communicated by H. Pfanz.

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de Lima, A.L.A., de Sá Barretto Sampaio, E.V., de Castro, C.C. et al. Do the phenology and functional stem attributes of woody species allow for the identification of functional groups in the semiarid region of Brazil?. Trees 26, 1605–1616 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-012-0735-2

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