Nutrition of tree species in tropical dry forest and rainforest environments

Abstract

Knowledge of the nutritional efficiency of species can help revegetation of forest areas, guiding the use of species that best adapt to environmental humidity, altitude and diversity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutrient utilization efficiency of N, P, K, Ca and Mg of dominant species in tropical dry forest and rainforest environments. The work was carried out in two areas, both in Pernambuco state, characterized as: Tropical Dry Forest of Caatinga and Tropical Rainforest of Atlantic Forest. A floristic and phytosociological survey was carried out. Species with highest density were evaluated, four from the dry forest and three from the rainforest. For each species, leaves of five healthy individuals of similar size were sampled and nutrient contents were determined. Leaf biomass was estimated by allometric equations. Rainforest species were more efficient in the use of N and K, and dry forest species in the use of P and K. In the dry forest environment, the species Pilocarpus spicatus and Guapira oposita stored more nutrients, and in the rainforest, the species Dialuim guianese was more efficient. These species are essential for the balance of ecosystems and the continuous and sustainable cycling of nutrients.

Regional and local determinants of drought resilience in tropical forests

“…Thus, these two types of forests are marked by differences in species composition and structure (Figure 2 ), as well as ecosystem processes (Dexter et al, 2018 ; Esquivel‐Muelbert et al, 2017 ). Furthermore, there are differences in soil fertility between these two forest types (Figure 2 ), with dry forests occurring on more fertile soils (Dexter et al, 2018 ; Pennington et al, 2000 ; Raulino et al, 2020 ). Therefore, forest classification (dry vs. moist tropical forest) is mainly driven by regional components, such as altitude, latitude, and longitude, that lead to differences in regional climate (precipitation and temperature) (Figure 2 ).…”

“…Pioneer species occurring in those secondary forests present high mortality during drought periods (Rocha et al, 2020 ), but high recovery rates after a drought event (Gazol et al, 2017 ; Poorter et al, 2016 ). Those evidences may suggest that the type of forest is an important factor controlling drought resilience because dry and wet forests distinguish in vegetation structure and soil nutrients (Dexter et al, 2018 ; Raulino et al, 2020 ; Figure 2 ), both important components affecting tree growth and mortality (Gessler et al, 2017 ; Hollunder et al, 2021 ).…”

Edaphic Influences on Tree Species Composition and Community Structure in a Secondary-Lowland Dipterocarp Forest of Kota Damansara Forest Reserve, Selangor

“…The available phosphorus in most native soils is low, ranging from 0.001 µg/g to 1 µg/g (Weil & Nyle, 2017). Low availability of phosphorus compounds in soils because they are mostly unavailable for plant uptake, due to their insolubility and phosphorus loss from leaching (Raulino & Fortes, 2020). For instance, low available phosphorus concentrations were demonstrated in various tropical forests such as Lesong Forest Reserve (5.49 ± 0.15 µg/g) and Kluang Forest Reserve (8.64 ± 0.38 µg/g) (Nik Norafida et al, 2018).…”