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Hail impact on leaves and endophytes of the endemic threatened Coccoloba cereifera (Polygonaceae)

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Abstract

There is increasing evidence that some natural disturbances are increasing in frequency and intensity with global change, but the effects of these changes on plant populations is poorly understood. It is estimated that for every 1°C increase in the summer mean minimum temperature, there is a 40% increase in hail damage. Severe hailstorms can cause large impacts on biological communities. In 2008, a strong hailstorm hit the speciose and endemic rupestrian vegetation in Serra do Cipó, Brazil. This event prompted us to record its effects on the narrowly distributed and threatened species Coccoloba cereifera (Polygonaceae). About 33 to 60% of the leaves on the 246 individuals surveyed were lost. The disturbance also influenced some of the physiological traits of C. cereifera, increasing the concentration of photosynthetic pigments (chlorophyll and carotenoid) and polyphenols in the leaves. The most pronounced increase of chlorophyll was in young leaves (ca. 60%). Carotenoid content increased by ca. 50% in all leaf ages, while polyphenols increased tenfold. Contrarily, the endophyte richness decreased drastically after the event (from 104 to 33 species), only 12% of similar species remain. The hail storm strongly influenced all variables evaluated in this study, i.e., structure, physiology, and associated fungi. These results show that hailstorm had a dramatic and immediate impact on C. cereifera and may also severely affect other endemic or threatened plant species. Therefore, it is imperative that we broaden our knowledge on global climate change impacts for the conservation of native species.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank D. Goodsman, D. Negreiros, S. Castro and M. Storquio for their valuable assistance. This research was supported by National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq Proc. 476178/2008-8, 303352/2010-8, 474292/2010-0, 559279/2008-6, 558250/2009-2, 151817/2008-1), Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG Proc. APQ 01278-08, EDT 465/07, RDP-00048-10), Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES Proc. BEX 323710-9, Proc. 02/2009 DRI/CGCI), The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), and the Inter American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI) Collaborative Research Network Program CRN-II funded under the U.S. National Science Foundation Grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade/DBG, ICB/Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), CP 486, Belo Horizonte, MG, 30161-970, Brazil

    G. Wilson Fernandes, Yumi Oki, Gabriela Faccion & Hélica C. Amaro-Arruda

  2. Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, Centre for Earth Observation Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2R3, Canada

    Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa

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  1. G. Wilson Fernandes
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Correspondence to G. Wilson Fernandes.

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Fernandes, G.W., Oki, Y., Sanchez-Azofeifa, A. et al. Hail impact on leaves and endophytes of the endemic threatened Coccoloba cereifera (Polygonaceae). Plant Ecol 212, 1687–1697 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-011-9941-z

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