Ecologia funcional de quatro espécies de fabaceae da vegetação ripária da bacia hidrográfica do Rio Tarumã-Açu

Abstract

Riparian vegetation plays important ecosystem services such as climate regulation, water balance maintenance, and soil integrity, in addition to providing shelter and food for fauna. The biota in this environment exhibits functional adaptations to ensure reproductive success. The objective of the research was to analyze the functional ecology of plant species in the lower course of the Tarumã-Açu River Basin. Fertile material from Hymenaea courbaril, Macrolobium multijugum, Ormosia excelsa, and Tachigali hypoleuca was collected and sent to LABPRAD – UEA. For biometric analysis, 30 fruits and seeds from each species were used, with water contente determination and morphological description of the propagules. To assess temporal aspects of germination, four replicates of 25 seeds each were sown in plastic trays filled with washed sand and covered with vermiculite, in a 50% shaded nursery. For the morphology of fruits, seeds, and seedlings, descriptors from the literature were used. The fruits of H. courbaril are indehiscent, and the seeds have a rigid seed coat that protects the embryo. O. excelsa and T. hypoleuca also have indehiscent fruits, while M. multijugum has dehiscent fruits and seeds with a permeable seed coat. The species exhibited differences in fruit types, propagule dispersal syndromes, germination timing, and seedling architecture, yet all displayed traits adapted to their shared environment. These adaptive characteristics are well-suited to the seasonal igapó (floodplain forest) environment and aid in colonizing new areas and ensuring successful seedling establishment