Arquitetura de copas de espécies da caatinga: Um reflexo do estresse hídrico na vegetação do semiárido brasileiro

Abstract

The crown architecture is influenced by genetic and environmental factors, which are intermediated by plant hormones. In order to avoid radiation excess and water loss through transpiration, the species from arid lands such as Caatinga developed survival strategies. In Caatinga lands, the species were grouped according to their leaf phenology and it’s expected that the different phenologic patterns be related to the morphologic characteristics of the plant, including its crown. In this case, this study aimed to characterize the crown architecture of groups having different leaf phenologies from Caatinga and understand the existing relations. Nine crown species were represented, being three evergreen, three 2- to 3-month deciduous and three 4- to 6-month, and for each species three individuals were analyzed, totaling up 27. For each individual, it was accounted the number of connectors, regular, final and emission nodes, besides the distances between the different kinds of nodes. The results showed that among the analyzed groups, the greatest averages to the number of nodes and connectors were found in the 2- to 3-month-old deciduous group, followed by the evergreen group, and finally the 4- to 6-month-old deciduous group. What concerns the distances, only the distance between the final adjoining nodes differed among the groups, in a way that the evergreen trees showed the lowest average. The less segmented deciduous canopies of 4-6 months facilitate the quick distribution of resources throughout the plant, while canopies more segmented, as 2-3 months avoid self-shading of leaves along the branches. Evergreen species showed complexity of canopy reduced with self-shading avoiding excessive water loss, indicating a relationship between leaf phenology and canopy architecture in species of the Caatinga.