Growing straight versus growing decumbent: soil quality and allometry in Syagrus glaucescens Becc. (Arecaceae), an endemic and threatened palm of the Espinhaço Mountains, Brazil

Abstract

Syagrus glaucescens is an endemic palm found in the rupestrian grasslands of the Espinhaço Mountains in southeastern Brazil. It is highly associated with quartzitic soils and exhibits strong intra-specific morphological variation in the different areas where it occurs. Allometric traits were used to verify whether there are any significant differences in the morphological traits between populations of this species located in two distinct areas. In the region of the Serra do Cipó individuals exhibit decumbent stems whereas on the Diamantina Plateau stems are straight and perpendicular to the ground. Soil quality was related to plant morphological traits to test the hypothesis that allometric variation is influenced by soil nutritional differences. Stem shape and size differed significantly among individuals inhabiting the two different regions: individuals in Serra do Cipó were shorter and had fewer leaves compared to individuals found in the Diamantina Plateau. Water retention capacity and nutrient absorption of the soils of the two sites were markedly different. In Serra do Cipó the soils were more acid, with higher aluminum saturation and lower sand content compared to the soils in Diamantina. These traits correlated with stem shape and indicate that soil acidity and aluminum saturation influence the architecture of S. glaucescens.

Ecology and evolution of plant diversity in the endangered campo rupestre: a neglected conservation priority

“…Because plants from campo rupestre usually show traits related to greater resource conservation ) compared with those in lowland close relatives in the Atlantic rainforest and cerrado (Lusa et al 2014), many plant traits in the campo rupestre are thought to be adaptations to cope with high irradiance, strong winds, and the seasonal distribution of rainfall. All these filters combine with the nutrient-impoverished shallow soils with a low water-holding capacity that leads to long periods of severe water limitation for plant productivity (Lüttge et al 2007;Morales et al 2014Morales et al , 2015Miola and Fernandes 2015).…”

A metabolomic study of Gomphrena agrestis in Brazilian Cerrado suggests drought-adaptive strategies on metabolism

“…In the rock-field formations of the Cerrado, the soil is shallow and sandy with low water-holding capacity 4 – 6 . The rock-field vegetation is characterized by herbaceous shrubs, with a predominance of endemic and rare species with nutritional and biological specializations to acquire resources from the soil and survive under high irradiance, strong winds, and low water availability in the soil 5 , 7 , 8 . Because of the specific climate (long and short periods of drought), soil physical characteristics, and adapted native flora, the rock fields of Cerrado are a natural resource for studying plant traits and responses under limited water conditions.…”