Name: ANA CAROLINA SILVA DAL-CÓL
Type: MSc dissertation
Publication date: 23/02/2017
Advisor:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| Luis Fernando Tavares de Menezes | Advisor * |
Examining board:
| Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| Antelmo Ralph Falqueto | Internal Examiner * |
| Geraldo Rogério Faustini Cuzzuol | Internal Alternate * |
| Glória Mattalana Tobón | External Alternate * |
| Luciana Dias Thomaz | Co advisor * |
| Luis Fernando Tavares de Menezes | Advisor * |
| Marcelo da Costa Souza | External Examiner * |
Summary: Studies on the population structure and spatial distribution of a species reveal information about the population regeneration and the species situation in its area of occurrence. Environmental gradients determine the species distribution, interfering in the physiognomy and vegetation structure. As an example, soil saturation can restrict the number and abundance of species that fit, as well as interfere with biotic processes. Species that dominate flooded areas may not exist or be rare in dry environments. However, there are species that inhabit both types of environments, such as Protium icicariba (DC.) Marchand, which can occupy both flooded and non-flooded forests in southeastern Brazil. The way regeneration occurs in a forest is related to the mechanisms that open up for the entry and establishment of individuals, such as rain and seed bank, and seedling bank. The understanding of regeneration and reproduction has also a valuable contribution from the phenological studies, which are related to plant life cycle activities with a long term temporal occurrence. We analyzed the population structure, spatial distribution pattern and phenological behavior of a P. icicariba population in a flooding forest of restinga in the State Park Paulo César Vinha, in Guarapari, Espírito Santo. We verified the spatial distribution pattern of the population and the adult individuals distribution in height and diameter classes. An analysis of seedlings distribution in the area was also carried out. The phenological behavior of P. icicariba was monitored in flooding and non-flooded areas for comparison purposes. The population showed low frequency and density in the flooding restinga and was not observed in the inverted "J" pattern for the height and diameter classes. The seedling survey showed that the germination and establishment processes are occurring, and it can be inferred that an absence of adult individuals in a first height class may have occurred due to the inclusion criterion of kept in the sample. The values of dominance and basal area indicated little soil cover for this species. The distribution pattern was aggregated, indicating a characteristic model of zoocoric plants. With respect to phenology, an absence of flowering and fruiting in the flooding restinga may have occurred due to a phenological adjustment because of an unfavorable environmental condition. Flowering and fructification of the non-flooded open shrub showed similarity with the patterns reported in the literature, with this phenophases occurring during the wetter seasons of the year. The correlation of the phenophases was positive and significant
only for day length, and it is expected that the farther from the equator, the greater the environmental variable influence in the phenology.
Keywords: Spatial distribution, phenology, phytosociology, seedlings, Protium icicariba, restinga.
