Phenology of the multi-use tree species Carapa guianensis in a floodplain forest of the Amazon Estuary

Abstract

Carapa guianensis is a multi-use tree species that is used for the production of timber and non-timber forest products (NTFPs) that are used and sold by rural Amazonian populations. Here we aimed to evaluate the phenophases of C. guianensis in várzea forest and relate them to climatic seasonality. Phenophases of fl owering (fl ower buds and open fl owers), fruiting (unripe and ripe fruits), and leaf fl ush and leaf fall were recorded for 30 individual trees during a 25 month period. Relationships between rainfall and the proportion of trees in each phenophase were tested using Generalised Linear Models with quasi-binomial errors. Flowering was found to peak in the driest months of the year (September to December), while fruiting peaked during the wettest months of the year when river levels are at their highest (January to May). Leaf fl ush and leaf fall occurred simultaneously throughout the year, regardless of seasonality. Strong seasonality in fl owering and fruiting of C. guianensis likely represents a reproductive strategy that maximizes pollination and hydrochorous seed dispersal. Th is study has the potential to aid in planning the timing of seed collection and oil extraction activities, thus contributing to the sustainable exploitation of this tree.

Hydrodynamics and seed dispersal in the lower Amazon

“…The conditions in this sampling period (rainy season, spring tide) represent the most favourable for seed dispersal. In the study region, May is also the period of highest seed production and main dispersal period for Carapa guianensis , the species used in the experiments (Cunha et al., ; Dantas, Lira‐Guedes, Mustin, Aparício, & Guedes, ). In both experiments, the total maximum dispersal distance was evaluated during one full tidal cycle.…”

“…In the second experiment, 500 andiroba seeds were launched from a single location (Figure d, “SLS‐Down” = “downstream launching site”), approximately 2.3 km from the river mouth, at the beginning of flood tide. In both experiments, the seeds originated from the 2012 harvest period (March to May) which is when most seeds mature and would then be dispersed under natural conditions (Dantas et al., ). The seeds were sorted and damaged and immature seeds were discarded, such that only mature, fully formed seeds were used.…”

“…Carapa guianensis (Andiroba) is a tree species that occurs throughout the Amazon Basin (Kenfack, ) and dependent upon long‐distance dispersal events. In the estuarine várzeas of the River Amazon, C. guianensis flowers in the period of lowest precipitation and disperses its seeds during the period of highest precipitation, when the variation in water level of the main channel of the Amazon is greatest, and its tributaries are subject to the effects of the tides (Dantas et al., ). Seeds of this species float on the surface of the water and are highly adapted to hydrochory (Scarano et al., ).…”

Wild Edible Fruits: A Systematic Review of an Under-Researched Multifunctional NTFP (Non-Timber Forest Product)

“…For example, debarking of Himatanthus trees increases fruiting [77], but debarking of Lannea trees reduces fruiting [78]. As in the case of the baobab [79], where debarking does not affect fruiting, the vitality and reproduction of some species of NTFPs remain unchanged under harvest [80][81][82][83]. Gaoue et al (2016) [72] prescribe an empirical 40% optimal harvest level, while sustainable harvest levels for some NTFP species have been estimated to be 50% of their leaves [84], 75% of their stems [85], and up to and 90% [69] of their fruits.…”

CARACTERIZAÇÃO FENOLÓGICA DA ARNICA (Solidago microglossa DC.)

“…Evidenciando que S. microglossa tem preferência para florescer em períodos menos chuvosos. Comportamentos fenológicos, em que o pico de floração ocorre na estação seca, são similares ao padrão encontrado em florestas tropicais, a floração no período mais seco parece ser uma estratégia reprodutiva das espécies tropicais (JUSTINIANO;FREDERICKSEN, 2000;DANTAS, 2016). Segundo Medeiros et al (2016), estimando a frequência dos eventos fenológicos da espécie Quassia amara L., relacionando-os com as condições pluviométricas e de temperatura da área, em Belém do Pará, observaram que houve a presença de flores no período avaliado, sendo o pico registrado em agosto e estes valores sucederam com os baixos índices de chuva (mm).…”