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Understanding the optimal temperature range for foliar development of neotropical forest species during the seedling
Lais Mello Araujo1, Fabrina Bolzan Martins2, Gustavo Bastos Lyra1
1Departmento de Ciências Ambientais, Instituto de Florestas, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, BR-465 Km 7, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, 23897-000, Brazil.
Abstract:
Thermal requirements is a tool to predict plant leaf development. This study aimed to estimate the cardinal temperatures and phyllochron for the foliar development of seedlings from four neotropical forest species native to Brazilian biomes. An experiment was conducted using various sowing dates to provide a wide range of temperature regimes, to estimate the base (Tb), optimum (Topt), and maximum (TB) temperature and phyllochron of Handroanthus heptaphyllus, Tabebuia roseoalba, Ceiba speciosa, and Schinus terebinthifolia. The results indicated significant variations in the cardinal temperatures and phyllochron among the four species. The cardinal temperatures for leaf development for H. heptaphyllus, T. roseoalba, C. speciosa, and S. terebinthifolia were, respectively: (i) Tb: 11.3 °C, 10.0 °C, 11.5 °C and 9.8 °C; (ii) TB: 50.3 °C, 53.2 °C, 57.6 °C and 52.6 °C; and (iii) Topt: 24.3 °C, 24.5 °C, 22.7 °C and 24.8 °C. The H. heptaphyllus was more sensitive to extreme temperatures due to higher Tb values and lower TB values. Furthermore, disparities were observed between species and sowing times concerning the determination of the phyllochron, ranging from 88.5 (H. heptaphyllus) to 298.4 (C. speciosa) °C day- 1, indicating that differences in the early development behavior of these species. These provide important insights into seedlings of neotropical biological and ecological aspects and enhance our understanding of crucial parameters for modelling vegetal development. This study successfully estimates the cardinal temperatures and phyllochron for foliar development of four important forest species native to Brazilian biomes, thereby contributing to the knowledge base of forestry research.
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