Soil factors effects on life history attributes of Leiothrix spiralis and Leiothrix vivipara (Eriocaulaceae) on rupestrian grasslands in Southeastern Brazil

Abstract

In this study, we hypothesized that the life history traits of Leiothrix spiralis and L. vivipara would be linked to soil factors of the rupestrian grasslands and that rosette size would be influenced by soil moisture. Soil analyses were performed from five populations of L. spiralis and four populations of L. vivipara. In each area, three replicates were employed in 19 areas of occurrence of Leiothrix species, and we quantified the life history attributes. The microhabitats of these species show low favorability regarding to soil factors. During the dry season, their rosettes decreased in diameter due the loss of its most outlying leaves. The absence of seedlings indicated the low fecundity of both species. However, both species showed rapid population growth by pseudovivipary. Both L. spiralis and L. vivipara exhibit a kind of parental care that was quantified by the presence of connections between parental-rosettes and ramets. The findings of the present study show that the life history traits are linked to soil factors.Keywords: life history, mountain habitats, pseudovivipary, soil factors; water scarcity. Efeitos de fatores do solo nos atributos de história de vida deLeiothrix spiralis e Leiothrix vivipara (Eriocaulaceae) nos campos rupestres no Sudeste do Brasil.

Plant density influence on life history traits of a perennial herb in rocky outcrops, southeastern Brazil

“…It is also possible that plants of V. albiflora allocated in densely crowded conditions presented higher number of flowers and greater flower scapes length because they also presented larger plant sizes. Body size is one of the most important factors regarding herbaceous perennial plant life-histories and several fitness components of these organisms are related to size (Méndez and Karlsson 2004), since it plays an important role on plants reproduction (Cheplick 2005, Demetrio et al 2014.…”

“…Various studies focusing on plant ecology in Brazilian tropical rocky outcrops have been done (Porembski et al 1998, Ribeiro & Fernandes 2000, Scarano et al 2001, Medina et al 2006, Coelho et al 2014, Demetrio et al 2014b, and despite one of them showed the relationship between Vellozia height and flowers number to herbivores abundance (Landau et al 1998), none of them addressed plants life history traits and relations with density. Our study aimed to evaluate the density-dependent responses of life history traits of a perennial herb, Vellozia albiflora Pohl (Velloziaceae), by testing the following hypotheses: (i) The number of reproductive structures (flowers and flower scapes) will be higher in high plant densities, and (ii) The flower scapes length will be lower in high plant densities and, (iii) The height and diameter of the plants will be lower in high plant densities.…”

Biodiversity hotspots and Ocbil theory

“…Binks et al (2015) x A u s t Tas Giant eucalypts (Myrtaceae) Tng et al (2012) x Gond Rfor Plant genera Acacia (Mimosaceae) and Daviesia (Fabaceae), mammals, hylid frogs, myobatrachid frogs, passerine birds, and camaenid land snails Laity et al (2015) x Leiothrix (Eriocaulaceae) Coelho et al (2014) glob Ring formation across many taxa Bonanomi et al (2014) Gond Rfor Patterns of rain forest plant endemism in subtropical Australia relate to stable mesic refugia and species dispersal limitations.…”

Dry soil determines the pseudoviviparous reproduction in Comanthera nivea (Eriocaulaceae) in the Campos Rupestres in south‐eastern Brazil

“…Thus, pseudovivipary increases the chances of survival of individuals under harsh environmental conditions and may increase competitiveness in stressful habitats (Coelho, Martins, Figueira, & Demetrio, ; Sinclair et al, ). In spite of its ecological importance, pseudovivipary in the Eriocaulaceae, a typical family of the Campos Rupestres vegetation, has not received much attention, except in Leiothrix species (Coelho et al, , ; Figueira & Del Sarto, ).…”

“…Coelho et al () suggest that for some species, pseudovivipary is an ecological phenomenon that depends on environmental and edaphic influences. Thus, based on the premise that the Campos Rupestres have a predominance of soils with low water‐holding capacity (Coelho et al, ; Ribeiro & Fernandes, ), we hypothesized that the seasonal timing of pseudoviviparous reproduction in Comanthera nivea would be linked to water scarcity in the soil. This species also is associated with shallow, sandy or rocky soils, especially those derived from quartzitic or sandstone rocks (Parra et al, ).…”