Interspecific variation in leaf pigments and nutrients of five tree species from a subtropical forest in southern Brazil

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze the seasonal variation in the nutrient and pigment content of leaves from fi ve tree species -of which three are perennial (Cupania vernalis, Matayba elaeagnoides and Nectandra lanceolata) and two are deciduous (Cedrela fi ssilis and Jacaranda micrantha) -in an ecotone between a Deciduous Seasonal Forest and a Mixed Ombrophilous Forest in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. Leaf samples were collected in the four seasons of the year to determine the content of macronutrients (N, K, P, Mg, Ca, S) and photosynthetic pigments (Chl a , Chl b , Chl tot , Car tot , Chl a :Chl b and Car tot :Chl tot ). The principal component analysis showed that leaf pigments contributed to the formation of the fi rst axis, which explains most of the data variance for all species, while leaf nutrient contribution showed strong interspecifi c variation. These results demonstrate that the studied species have different strategies for acquisition and use of mineral resources and acclimation to light, which are determinant for them to coexist in the forest environment.

Changes in the leaf nutrient and pigment contents of Berberis microphylla G. Forst. in relation to irradiance and fertilization

“…The results indicate that seasonal and climatic variations play a key role in determining foliar nutrient and pigment content. Photosynthetic pigments are indicators of the level of plant acclimation to the environment, and for many species, there is a consistent relationship between pigment content and environmental variables (Bündchen et al, 2016). According to our results, B. microphylla can quickly acclimate to changes of light, nutrient input, and seasonal climate variations by shifting the foliar pigment content.…”

Phenotypic Plasticity and Genetic Variation of Leaf Pigment Content in a Southern Beech

“…High interspecific variation has been also reported for carotenoids (e.g. Asner et al, 2009;Bündchen et al, 2016). In turn, intraspecific variation has been also reported for leaf pigments (e.g.…”

Leaf-based characterization of intermediate forms between Cuban and Honduran mahogany

“…Sampling of all individuals was conducted from March to early May 2023, before the onset of spring in Cuba. For each individual, 3 leaves were selected (Gillies et al, 1999;Curtu et al, 2007;Enescu et al, 2013;Bündchen et al, 2015;Apostol et al, 2017;Des et al, 2020;Olvera Moreno et al, 2022) from the eastern side of the tree, to avoid possible errors in the parameters evaluated based on the development morphological and photosynthetic capacity of the leaf. Since these species have compound leaves with more than 4 to 5 pairs of leaflets per compound leaf, this number of selections was considered representative and sufficient, and a total of 771 leaves were sampled.…”

“…Furthermore Bündchen et al (2015) investigated in a subtropical forest in southern Brazil the leaf structure of woody species in the canopy and understory, where they reported that Cedrela fissilis, Cupania vernalis, Matayba elaeagnoides and Nectandra lanceolata had lower specific leaf area, but higher density of stomata and thickness of palisade parenchyma. While the rest of the evaluated species, Allophylus guaraniticus, Lantana brasiliensis and Gymnanthes concolor, presented a greater thickness of the spongy parenchyma and relative percentage of intercellular spaces in the spongy parenchyma.…”