We compared the reproductive phenology and fl oral visitors of Eschweilera tetrapetala growing along the edge and in the interior of a submontane forest in the Chapada Diamantina mountains, Bahia State, Brazil. We sought to determine if there were inter-annual diff erences in intensity and seasonality associated with environmental conditions, and if there were diff erences in fl oral visitors between the two environmental contexts. Phenological observations were performed for three years, and included the occurrence of an El Niño event. We applied circular statistics to detect seasonal trends, performed cross correlations between phenophases and climate, Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests for inter-annual variation, and the Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney test for edge-interior diff erences in the species richness of fl oral visitors. We observed inter-annual variations in the intensity and seasonality of fl ower production that accompanied variations in rainfall, possibly associated with El Niño events. Floral visitor richness diff ered between the forest edge and interior, with seven species recorded for the interior and only one for the edge. Reduced fruit set was also observed at the forest edge. Th is study contributes to our understanding of the infl uence of El Niño and edge eff ects on the reproductive phenologies of tropical plants.

Este estudo propôs uma intervenção ambiental para esclarecer sobre as potencialidades e problemas enfrentados pela mata ciliar do Rio Catolé no município de Itapetinga (BA). A pesquisa foi desenvolvida com 06 turmas do 3º ano do Ensino Médio de uma Unidade de Ensino do município. Métodos: i) aula sobre o conteúdo “Mata ciliar do Rio Catolé: problemas e potencialidades”; ii) aplicação do jogo “Reconquista da Mata Ciliar”; iii) questionários. Verificou-se um aumento no conhecimento após a intervenção ambiental. Este trabalho pode auxiliar: i) Programas de reflorestamento na APP “mata ciliar do Rio Catolé”; ii) Educação Ambiental na Mata Ciliar do Rio Catolé e iii) Projetos políticos pedagógicos que visem conscientizar a respeito dessa temática.

Eschweilera tetrapetala is a tree endemic to Submontane Seasonal Forests in inland Atlantic forest areas of the Chapada Diamantina Mountains, Northeastern Brazil. The effects of climate change on the spatial distribution pattern of that species were investigated to identify priority areas for its conservation. Distribution patterns and population densities were obtained by sampling individuals in ten 200 x 10 m transects, and in thirty additional 10 x 10 m border and interior forest plots. The occurrence data were subjected to Ecological Niche Modelling using Bioclim, Maxent, and Support Vector Machine algorithms. The predicted model for the current distribution of E. tetrapetala, using the Bioclim, Maxent, and Support Vector Machine algorithms, evidenced stable areas of strong environmental suitability in the east of the Chapada Diamantina. The models also show an expansion of areas with environmental suitability during the Mid-Holocene, with retraction in the present and greater reductions predicted in future global warming scenarios. The number of individuals in the plots varied from zero to 14, indicating an aggregated distribution. Morisita’s index indicated a random distribution along a forest edge but aggregated in the forest interior. Eschweilera tetrapetala is sensitive to climatic change and anthropogenic pressure, at both regional and local scales.

No abstract

We present a case study focusing on the influence of inflorescence position on the relationships between foliar and reproductive phases, focusing on three Leguminoseae tree species in the Chapada Diamantina, Brazil. Both Senna multijuga and Copaifera langsdorffii produce terminal panicles and showed vegetative and reproductive phenophases that were correlated but segregated in time, with the marked concentration of reproductive data. The presence of axillary inflorescences on Inga cayennensis enables the simultaneous production of both flowers and leaves, without the segregation or the correlation of those phases, with a uniform distribution of reproductive data. This study encourages further investigations regarding the effects of inflorescence position on plant phenology.

We investigated the associations of seasonality, dispersal modes and seed germination speeds with the fruiting of Clusia nemorosa, Pleroma fissinervium, and Vochysia pyramidalis in a gallery forest, Chapada Diamantina, Brazil. Observations of mature fruits with dispersing seeds were carried out from 2003 to 2006. Cross-correlation and circular statistics were performed to test the relationships among fruiting and abiotic factors, and phenological seasonality. Dispersion syndromes were defined and germination experiments were performed after seed collection (n =100/species), using four replicates. The species evidenced seasonal fruiting. Clusia nemorosa produced zoochoric seeds and V. pyramidalis anemochoric seeds, which were dispersed during the rainy season and positively correlated with precipitation; P. fissinervium produced autochoric seeds, released during the dry season to early rainy season, being positively correlated with insolation and negatively with humidity. The rotating wing seeds of V. pyramidalis were released in the rainy season and aided floating in watercourses, characterizing hydrochory. Clusia nemorosa and V. pyramidalis germinated (2-6 days) more rapidly than P. fissinervium (9 days). Seasonality, dispersal modes, and optimal germination conditions modulated the fruiting of the species examined, whose reproductive strategies responded to environmental drivers such as precipitation, favoring germination during the rainy season.