Abstract
Topography is a key abiotic factor for plant performance and, despite the well-known effects of topographic features on tree growth and traits in mature and secondary forests, less attention has been paid to early-stage restoration areas. We aimed to test whether and how elevation, slope, and slope aspects affect tree growth rates, and morpho-physiological traits in restoration. In this scenario, we asked which traits correlate with tree growth? How do species adjust their growth and traits to topography? And how does intraspecific variation change with topography? This study was carried out on a hill of ca. 70 m, with a former history of use for pasture. Six tree species were monitored over a one-year sampling interval. Principal component analysis, simple regressions, and ANOVA tests were applied. More growth was observed in the north-facing aspect. Traits related to photoprotection (non-photochemical quenching, and total carotenoids) were the ones that most correlated with growth rates, most notably stem diameter, which suggests that strategies for dealing with photoinhibition are crucial for tree growth in degraded pastures. Four out of six species showed a great differentiation between slope aspects. Physiological traits were more plastic and responsive to topography than was specific leaf area. While significant relationships between species and topographic features were an indication that intraspecific variation is influenced by topography, the direction of changes in intraspecific variation was not common to all species (except for total chlorophyll). The results indicate that species selection processes for restoration in degraded pastures should consider the interaction between functional traits (including pigments, and chlorophyll a fluorescence) and local topography.
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Data availability
The datasets generated during the current study are available in the Zenodo repository (https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8380269).
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Acknowledgements
We are grateful to Luís Paulo Marques Ferraz, and the Golden Lion Tamarin Association for allowing access to the restored site, providing details on the planting design, and assisting us during fieldwork campaigns. We also thank Jônatha Reis and Gustavo Freitas for helping with data collection and processing.
Funding
This work was supported by FAPERJ – Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro through a post-doctoral fellowship and scientific grant for José Luiz Alves Silva [E-26/204.257/2021], and by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq – through a grant for Angela Pierre Vitória [nº 302325/2022–0].
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JLAS analyzed the data and led the writing of the manuscript. APV conceived the idea. Data collection was performed by ALPMS, MFMS, CAPJ, and QCS. All authors contributed critically to the drafts and gave final approval for publication.
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Silva, J.L.A., da Silva, A.L.P.M., dos Santos, Q.C. et al. Topography imposes an abiotic filter on tree growth in restored areas. Theor. Exp. Plant Physiol. 35, 363–377 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40626-023-00294-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40626-023-00294-0