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Does ecophysiological behaviour explain habitat occupation of sympatric Clusia species in a Brazilian Atlantic rainforest?

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Plasticity of ecophysiological acclimation determines habitat occupation of species of Clusia in an Atlantic rainforest of Brazil. Ecophysiological performance is not sufficient for explaining widespread versus locally restricted distribution of species among physiognomic sub-sites within the forest.

Abstract

Four species of Clusia were studied that have distinct habitat distribution patterns within an Atlantic rainforest research reserve, in Espírito Santo state, southeast Brazil, throughout five sites: a riverine forest, a hill forest, two rock outcrops and an ecotone hill forest/rock outcrop. Clusia aemygdioi Gomes da Silva & B. Weinberg and Clusia intermedia G. Mariz were locally widespread among the sites while Clusia marizii Gomes da Silva & B. Weinberg and Clusia spiritu-sanctensis G. Mariz & B.Weinberg were locally restricted. Clusia spiritu-sanctensis was the only obligate crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) species, showing low 13C-discrimination (δ 13C −16.5 to −19.2  ‰) and nocturnal acid accumulation. Data of 13C discrimination and photosynthetic performance show that C. marizii, C. intermedia and C. aemygdioi performed C3 photosynthesis. The latter may have some intrinsic capacity for CAM, which needs to be further studied. Because of local abundance Tibouchina heteromalla (D. Don) Cogn. (Melastomaceae) and Kielmeyera occhioniana Saddi (Clusiaceae) were included for comparison with the Clusia species and for typical obligate C3-photosynthesis behaviour. We asked whether the habitat occupation patterns of the studied species could be explained by ecophysiological performance especially with respect to photosynthesis. The hill forest with a denser tree cover was the most shaded site, and the plants there had shade-plant characteristics, while at all the other sites the plants showed sun-plant features. Clusia intermedia consistently had an inferior performance. Nevertheless, it is equally abundant as C. aemygdioi in one of the sun-exposed, and probably most stressful rock outcrop sites. The obligate C3-species T. heteromalla performed remarkably well. The CAM in C. spiritu-sanctensis did not appear to be directly related to habitat occupation although it conferred plasticity by flexible expression of CAM phases. Flexibility of acclimation determined habitat occupation of the plants performing C3 photosynthesis. Ecophysiological performance of the four Clusia species was only slightly related to widespread versus restricted occurrence patterns. Thus, ecophysiological performance alone is not sufficient for explaining the local distribution and abundance of these species, and aspects related to reproductive output deserve future examination.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the editor and three reviewers for helpful suggestions. We are grateful to V. G. Demuner (Museu Mello Leitão, Santa Teresa), C. Ducatti (Instituto de Biociências, Universidade do Estado de São Paulo) and J.A. Marchese (Laboratório de Bioquímica e Fisiologia Vegetal, Faculdade de Agronomia, Pato Branco) for various highly appreciated contributions to this study and J. F. Baumgratz and F. Z. Saiter for additional taxonomic support. We also thank Zilma Lóss and staff at Pousada Paradiso for hospitality and friendship; Prof. Hélio Q. B. Fernandes and staff at Museu de Biologia Mello Leitão, and Mr. and Mrs. Molino at Reserva Biológica Santa Lúcia for logistic support; Escola Superior São Francisco de Assis (ESFA) and Prof. Selma A. Hebling for laboratory facilities; Thiago Senna for laboratory assistance at ESFA; CNPq (Brazilian Research Council) for productivity grants to FRS, EAM, TW and ACF, and for research funds to TW through the Programa Mata Atlântica no.690149/01-8; CAPES (Brazilian Education Council) for research grants to ATCD (Bolista CAPES/BRASIL); and Volkswagen Stiftung, Germany, for funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Darmstadt University of Technology, Schnittspahnstrasse 3-5, 64287, Darmstadt, Germany

    Ulrich Lüttge & Norbert Uehlein

  2. Fundação Brasileira Para o Desenvolvimento Sustentável, Rua Engenheiro Álvaro Niemeyer, 76, CEP 22610-180, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Fabio R. Scarano

  3. Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), CCS, IB, Caixa Postal 68020, CEP 21941-970, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Fabio R. Scarano & Eduardo A. de Mattos

  4. Departamento de Botânica, Universidade de Brasília, Caixa Postal 04457, CEP 70904-970, Brasília, DF, Brazil

    Augusto C. Franco

  5. Instituto de Biociências, Universidade do Estado de São Paulo, CEP 18618-000, Botucatu, SP, Brazil

    Fernando Broetto

  6. Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio der Janeiro, Av. São Francisco Xavier 524, PHLC 2° andar, sala 220, CEP 20550-013, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    André T. C. Dias

  7. Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento Sócio-Ambiental de Macaé, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro (NUPEM/UFRJ), Avenida São José do Barreto, 764, CEP 27965-045, Macaé, RJ, Brazil

    Heitor M. Duarte

  8. Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, CEP 21941-590, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

    Tânia Wendt

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  1. Ulrich Lüttge
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  2. Fabio R. Scarano
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  3. Eduardo A. de Mattos
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  4. Augusto C. Franco
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  9. Tânia Wendt
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Correspondence to Ulrich Lüttge.

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Lüttge, U., Scarano, F.R., de Mattos, E.A. et al. Does ecophysiological behaviour explain habitat occupation of sympatric Clusia species in a Brazilian Atlantic rainforest?. Trees 29, 1973–1988 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-015-1277-1

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