Variação funcional em espécies de Rubiaceae em um gradiente ambiental na Floresta Atlântica

Abstract

The coexistence of related species is an important component for the understanding of plant diversity and distribution in tropical forests. Among the factors that influence the plant coexistence and distribution, light stands out because it exerts a strong influence on the survival, growth and distribution of plant species. In order to evaluate the effects of the light gradient on a Rubiaceae community with an aggregated distribution, a survey of individuals organized in an aggregated way was carried out along a topographical gradient (divided in valley, slope and ridge) and of light. Ten traits related to light were evaluated in 85 individuals belonging to nine species of Rubiaceae. The low range of photosynthetic rates, dark respiration, light compensation and light saturation point found evidenced the condition of tolerance to the shade of the evaluated species.