Phenological study of populations of Cnidoscolus quercifolius in the Western Seridó, Paraiba state, Brazil

Abstract

The phenological patterns of two populations of Cnidoscolus quercifolius were evaluated in the western Seridó region of Paraiba state, Brazil, from March 2009 to February 2011, with data collected monthly. The evaluations have addressed the quantitative method of analysis that represents the activity indices for both populations growing seasons (fall and sprout) and reproductive (flowering and fruiting), and also studied the intensity index Borchert, who evaluated the flow leaves. The stages were evaluated with respect to variations in rainfall, water potential of plant and quantum efficiency of photosystem II. The bud in the two populations occurred in the late dry season and transition into the rainy season, with peak leafing in January and November 2010 and was negatively correlated with rainfall (rs = -0.54 p <0.05). Leaf fall showed the peak phase in October 2009 and 2010, showing a direct relationship with water potential and photosynthetic quantum efficiency. The flowering and fruiting had greater synchrony in the seasonal rainy period, fruit set was positively correlated with precipitation values during the study period (rs = 0.56 p <0.05). The phenological events of C. quercifolius show marked seasonality in relation to precipitation, water potential and the quantum efficiency of photosystem II.

Edge creation changes the timing and intensity of phenological reproductive patterns and species activities in forest tree communities

“…Recent studies have revealed marked abiotic differences between forest edges and interiors (Riutta et al 2014;Wicklein et al 2012) that can affect the reproductive patterns of plant communities and their associated species (Athayde & Morellato 2014). Phenological studies in anthropogenic landscapes, however, have largely been limited to population studies (e.g., Vogado et al 2016;Matias-Palafox et al 2017;Oliveira et al 2019), whereas the few studies with a community approach have showed increased phenological intensities of trees at forest edges (Fortunato & Quirino 2016), with synchronize different from those in the forest interior (Cunningham 2000;Reznik et al 2012). Phenological changes at the species level in response to habitat modifications can vary among functional groups and successional stages (Xiao et al 2016).…”