Efeitos da limitação nutricional do solo sobre a população de Heliconia acuminata na Amazônia central

Abstract

In the Central Amazon, terra firma forests are located on soils with the lowest concentrations of mineral nutrients; nutritional limitations can influence plant population dynamics. This study investigated the effects of fertilization with Phosphorus (P), Nitrogen (N), and Cations on the performance of the herbaceous species H. acuminata, which is naturally common and abundant in the Amazon basin. We observed the impact of these nutrients on vegetative, reproductive, and demographic characteristics after five years of fertilization. The results indicated that the addition of Cations resulted in lower values of leaf mass per area (LMA), that is, individuals with more significant potential for investment in carbon acquisition, which can be attributed to the improvement in the availability of nutrients in the soil. Furthermore, P increased the reproductive potential of individuals, while the addition of Cations resulted in the opposite effect. Adding N decreased the number of seedlings, suggesting that excess N may have negative impacts. The basal area of forest trees and the leaf area index (LAI) affected H. acuminata individuals. These results expanded our understanding of the effects of nutritional limitation in Central Amazonian soils on plants, especially in the herbaceous stratum of the forest. Furthermore, it highlighted the importance of considering species-specific responses to fertilization and the complex interactions between nutrients, light, and plant demography in tropical ecosystems. In conclusion, we could understand more about the implications of nutritional limitations on biogeochemical cycles in the Central Amazon.