Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Australian Journal of Botany Australian Journal of Botany Society
Southern hemisphere botanical ecosystems
Shopping Cart: ( empty )
You are here: Home > Journals > BT > BT04089
RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 55(8)

Responses to light changes in tropical seedlings of the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest tree species Cecropia glazioui (Cecropiaceae) and Cedrela fissilis (Meliaceae)

Maria Terezinha Silveira Paulilo A C , Sonia Regina Duz B , Alexandre Siminski B and Marisa Santos A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, 88 040-900, Brazil.

B Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, 88 040-900, Brazil.

C Corresponding author. Email: paulilo@ccb.ufsc.br

Australian Journal of Botany 55(8) 795-802 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT04089
Submitted: 22 June 2004  Accepted: 23 August 2007   Published: 14 December 2007

Abstract

This study analysed the behaviour of Cecropia glazioui Sneth. and Cedrela fissilis Vell. seedlings across a 2–50% full sun light gradient. The morphological adjustments of the seedlings to the different light regimes were interpreted as means of light interception in low light and avoidance of water stress in high light conditions. Cecropia seedlings showed greater trait plasticity at the 2–15% light interval, whereas Cedrela seedlings showed a slight tendency to present greater trait plasticity at the 15–30% light interval than the 2–15% interval. The seedlings of both species did not fully acclimate to decreasing light, showing lower values for the mean relative growth rate (RGR) components, leaf area ratio (LAR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) than seedlings under constant low light, but acclimated to increasing light, showing higher values for RGR components than seedlings under constant high light. The general responses to light gradient in these two species indicate their relative tolerance and ability to grow at low and high light and provide traits used in coping with gap dynamics. The results also indicated that the two species differed in their shade tolerance.


Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento do Ensino Superior (CAPES) for their financial support. S.R. Duz thanks CAPES, and A. Siminski thanks the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq) for scholarships.


References


Ayres M , Ayres Júnior M , Ayres DL , Santos AS (2003) ‘BioEstat 3.0: aplicações estatísticas nas áreas das ciências biológicas e médicas.’ (Sociedade Civil Mamirauá/CNPq: Belém, Brazil)

Balaguer L, Martinez-Ferri E, Valladares F, Perez-Corona E, Baquedano J, Castillo FH, Manrique E (2001) Population divergence in the plasticity of the response of Quercus coccifera to light environment. Functional Ecology 15, 124–135.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Ballaré CL, Scopel AL, Sánchez RA (1997) Foraging for light: photosensory ecology and agricultural implications. Plant, Cell & Environment 20, 820–825.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Bazzaz FA, Carlson RW (1982) Photosynthetic acclimation to variability in the light environment of early and late successional plants. Oecologia 54, 313–316.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Bloor JMG, Grubb PJ (2004) Morphological plasticity of shade-tolerant tropical rainforest tree seedlings exposed to light changes. Functional Ecology 18, 337–348.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Claussen JW (1996) Acclimation abilities of three tropical rainforest seedlings to an increase in light intensity. Forest Ecology and Management 80, 245–255.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Dalling JW, Winter K, Hubbell SP (2004) Variation in growth responses of neotropical pioneers to simulated forest gaps. Functional Ecology 18, 725–736.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Duz SR, Siminski A, Santos M, Paulilo MTS (2004) Crescimento de três espécies arbóreas da Floresta Atlântica em resposta a variação na quantidade de luz. Revista Brasileira de Botânica 27, 587–596. open url image1

Eastman JR (1997) ‘Idrisi for Windows. Version 2.0.’ (Clark University: Worcester, USA)

Ellum DS , Ashton PMS , Berlyn GP (2004) Between and within genera comparisons of morphological plasticity for Betula and Acer seedlings grown under varying light conditions. In ‘Forestry across borders: proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters, 84th Winter conditions’. Forestry Meeting General Technical Report NE-314. (Eds JS Ward, MJ Twery) pp. 33–36.

Fetene M, Feleke Y (2001) Growth and photosynthesis of seedlings of four tree species from a dry tropical afromontane forest. Journal of Tropical Ecology 17, 269–283.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Hilton-Taylor C (Compiler) (2000) ‘2000 IUCN red list of threatened species.’ (IUCN: Gland, Switzerland)

Houter N , Steege H (2000) The importance of seed mass and canopy openness for the early growth responses of tree seedlings of eight tropical rain forest species. In ‘Seeds, seedlings and gaps—size matters: a study in the tropical rain forest of Guyana’ Tropenbos–Guyana Series 9. (Ed. S Rose) pp. 19–39. (Georgetown)

Huante P, Rincón E (1997) Responses to light changes in tropical deciduous woody seedlings with contrasting growth rates. Oecologia 113, 53–66.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Hunt R (1982) ‘Plant growth curves. The functional approach to plant growth analysis.’ (Edward Arnold: London)

Inoue MT (1980) Photosynthesis and transpiration in Cedrela fissilis Vell. seedlings in relation to light intensity and temperature. Turrialba 30, 280–283. open url image1

Kageyama PY, Sebbenn AM, Ribas LA, Gandara FB, Castellen M, Perecim MB, Vencovsky R (2003) Genetic diversity in tropical species from different successional stages determined with genetic markers. Scientia Forestalis 64, 93–107. open url image1

Lee DW, Baskaran K, Mansor M, Mohamad H, Yap SK (1996) Light and spectral quality affect Asian tropical rain forest tree seedlings development. Ecology 77, 568–580.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Myers N, Mittermeier RA, Mittermeir CG, da Fonseca GA, Kent J (2000) Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403, 853–858.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Osunkoya OO, Ash JE (1991) Acclimation to a change in light regime in seedlings of six Australian rainforest tree species. Australian Journal of Botany 39, 591–605.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Poorter L (1999) Growth responses of 15 rain-forest tree species to a light gradient, the relative importance of morphological and physiological traits. Functional Ecology 13, 396–410.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1

Popma J, Bongers F (1991) Acclimation of seedlings of three Mexican tropical rain forest tree species to a change in light availability. Journal of Tropical Ecology 7, 85–97. open url image1

Santos DL, Rakocevic M, Takaki M, Ribaski J (2006) Morphological and physiological responses of Cedrela fissilis Vellozo (Meliaceae) seedlings to light. Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology 49, 171–172. open url image1

Sokal RR , Rohlf FJ (1981) ‘Biometry. The principles and practice of statistics in biological research.’ 2nd edn. (WH Freemann and Company: New York)

Tabarelli M, Vilani JP, Mantovani W (1993) Aspectos da sucessão secundária em trecho da Floresta Atlântica no Parque Estadual da Serra do Mar, SP. Revista do Instituto Florestal 5, 99–102. open url image1

Valladares F, Hernández LG, Dobarro I, García-Perez C, Sanz R, Pugnaire FI (2003) The ratio of leaf to total photosynthetic area influences shade survival and plastic response to light of green-stemmed leguminous shrub seedlings. Annals of Botany 91, 577–584.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | open url image1

Vieira RF (2002) Conservação de recursos genéticos de plantas medicinais e aromáticas brasileiras: um desafio para o futuro. Acta Horticulturae 569, 61–68. open url image1

Yamashita N, Ishida A, Kushima H, Tanaka N (2000) Acclimation to sudden increase in light favoring an invasive over native trees in subtropical islands, Japan. Oecologia 125, 412–419.
| Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | open url image1