The mortality of Caryocar brasiliense in northern Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT. The purpose of this work was to study the percentage of healthy trees, living trees and healthy branches and the renewal (natural propagation) of Caryocar brasiliense associated with the properties of soil, the floristic diversity and the canopy size of this plant. Lower proportions of live C. brasiliense trees and of healthy branches were found in the Savanna of Ibiracatu, where only 30% of the trees were healthy and without visible signs of attack by wood borers and by Phomopsis sp. We observed that C. brasiliense trees in areas where the soils contained higher levels of summed chemical bases and total sand (fine + gross) were less healthy. Moreover, the areas whose soils contained higher levels of aluminum and clay had a higher percentage of healthy C. brasiliense trees and branches. Smaller percentages of live and healthy trees and healthy branches were noted in areas with higher floristic diversity. Overall, the higher mortality of C. brasiliense trees may be associated with a higher pH and a lower content of aluminum, silt and clay, with competition with other tree species for nutrients, water and light, with the attack of Cossidae and particularly with the attack of fungi, Phomopsis sp.

Diversity of Hemiptera (Arthropoda: Insecta) and Their Natural Enemies onCaryocar brasiliense(Malpighiales: Caryocaraceae) Trees in the Brazilian Cerrado

“…Second, C. brasiliense trees presented wider and higher crowns (complexity in the structure) in the pasture than in the other 2 areas, increasing food resources (Leite et al 2006a). Third, soil characteristics in the pasture were most favorable to C. brasiliense trees-increasing their crown and consequently their fruit production (Leite et al 2006a(Leite et al , 2011a(Leite et al , 2012, which indirectly benefitted hemipteran herbivores and natural enemies. The large numbers of aphids, whiteflies, and mealybugs and their natural enemy green lacewings on C. brasiliense trees in the anthropic area may be due to its proximity to vegetable production areas (i.e., okra, tomato).…”

Seasonal Abundance of Galling Insects (Hymenoptera) onCaryocar brasiliense(Malpighiales: Caryocaraceae) Trees in the Cerrado

“…(Malpighiales: Caryocaraceae) is a flag species of the Cerrado, presents wide distribution (Brandão & Gavilanes 1992;Bridgewater et al 2004;Leite et al 2006a) and can reach up to 10 m high while the canopy may reach 6 m wide (Leite et al 2006a(Leite et al , 2011a(Leite et al , 2012a. The leaves of C. brasiliense are alternate, trifoliate and have high trichome density; the flowers are hermaphrodite but mostly cross pollinated.…”

<b>Effects of environmental and architectural diversity of <i>Caryocar brasiliense</i> (Malpighiales: Caryocaraceae) on <i>Edessa ruformaginata</i> (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and its biology

“…The higher numbers of E. rufomarginata were observed on the C. brasiliense trees that had the largest canopies. The larger C. brasiliense trees had more food resources than other trees did for insects to increase diversity and abundance, as was observed for woodborers (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) and populations of defoliators (Coleoptera and Lepidoptera) (Leite et al, 2011d;2012c;.…”

“…Natural enemies have been reared on C. brasiliense to support pest management programs for this plant and to study their spatial distribution within individual trees. Some hypotheses were advanced to explain the different levels of insect abundance and diversity and include the following: 1) environments with increased complexity increase the diversity of herbivorous species associated with a host plant and, generally, decrease their abundance (Auslander, Nevo, & Inbar, 2003;Lazo, Valdes, Sampaio, & Leite, 2007); 2) host plants attributes, such as complex architecture, increase the diversity and abundance of herbivorous insects (Espírito-Santo, Neves, Andrade-Neto, & Fernandes, 2007;Leite et al, 2011c;2012c;; and 3) soil characteristics that favor trees indirectly effect the abundance of herbivorous insects (e.g. nutritional quality) (Auslander et al, 2003;Espírito-Santo et al, 2007;Leite et al, 2011d;2012c;.…”