High levels of genetic differentiation and selfing in the Brazilian cerrado fruit tree Dipteryx alata Vog. (Fabaceae)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Biometria de frutos e sementes, crescimento e produção de mudas de Campomanesia adamantium Blume e Campomanesia pubescens O. Berg

Campomanesia adamantium and Campomanesia pubescens are morphologically similar, occur in the same regions of the Cerrado, are difficult to differentiate and exhibit naturally slow growth and development. The objectives of this study were to analyze fruit and seed biometric data, emergence capacity and seedling growth characteristics. Fruit from both species was collected and used to measure biometric data of the fruit and seeds and to set up two emergence and two seedling growth experiments. C. adamantium fruit is round and has wider, pale yellow seeds while C. pubescens fruit is ellipsoidal to pyriform with yellow gold seeds. C. adamantium’s greater fresh fruit mass and biometric variability favors selection of promising material for commercialization. Seed drying reduced the speed and rate of seedling emergence of C. adamantium, but had no effect on C. pubescens. Leaf number, height, shoot dry weight and the ratio of shoot dry weight to root dry weight were greater in C. adamantium than in the slower growing C. pubescens. Increases in substrate volume favor seedling development. Slow-release fertilizer application at 1g per 115 cm3 substrate increased leaf formation, plant height and shoot dry weight of seedlings of both species and lateral budding in C. adamantium. Until 120 days after transplant, lateral budding was not observed in C. pubescens seedlings. For all traits evaluated in this experiment, C. adamantium seedling growth was greater than that of C. pubescens.

Seed predation and fruit damage of Solanum lycocarpum (Solanaceae) by rodents in the cerrado of central Brazil

Although neotropical savannas and grasslands, collectively referred to as cerrado, are rich in seed-eating species of rodents, little is known about seed predation and its determinants in this habitat. In this study, we investigated seed predation and damage to fruits of the widespread shrub Solarium lycocarpurn. In addition, the influence of two possible determinants (distance from the parental plant and total crop size) on the feeding behaviour of Oryzorrys scotti (Rodentia, Sigmodontinae) was also examined. O. scotti were captured more frequently close to the shrubs or on shrub crops, indicating that these rodents were attracted to the shrubs and that seed predation was probably distance-dependent. Moreover, the proportion of damaged fruit on the plant decreased as the total crop size increased; consequently, more productive plants were attacked proportionally less by rodents. This pattern of fruit damage may reflect predator satiation caused by the consumption of a large amount of pulp. Alternatively, secondary metabolites in S. lycocarpum fruits may reduce the pulp consumption per feeding event, thereby limiting the number of fruits damaged. (c) 2006 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Fruit color and contrast in seasonal habitats - a case study from a cerrado savanna

Communication contributes to mediate the interactions between plants and the animals that disperse their genes. As yet, seasonal patterns in plant-animal communication are unknown, even though many habitats display pronounced seasonality e.g. when leaves senescence. We thus hypothesized that the contrast between fruit displays and their background vary throughout the year in a seasonal habitat. If this variation is adaptive, we predicted higher contrasts between fruits and foliage during the fruiting season in a cerrado-savanna vegetation, southeastern Brazil. Based on a six-year data base of fruit ripening and a one-year data set of fruit biomass, we used reflectance measurements and contrast analysis to show that fruits with distinct colors differed in the beginning of ripening and the peak of fruit biomass. Black, and particularly red fruits, that have a high contrast against the leaf background, were highly seasonal, peaking in the wet season. Multicolored and yellow fruits were less seasonal, not limited to one season, with a bimodal pattern for yellow ones, represented by two peaks, one in each season. We further supported the hypothesis that seasonal changes in fruit contrasts can be adaptive because fruits contrasted more strongly against their own foliage in the wet season, when most fruits are ripe. Hence, the seasonal variation in fruit colors observed in the cerrado-savanna may be, at least partly, explicable as an adaptation to ensure high conspicuousness to seed dispersers. © 2013 The Authors.

Anthropogenic edges, isolation and the flowering time and fruit set of Anadenanthera peregrina, a cerrado savanna tree

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Underutilized Annona Species from the Brazilian Cerrado and Amazon Rainforest: A Study on Fatty Acids Profile and Yield of Seed Oils

Annona (Annonaceae) is an important source of fruits in the Brazilian Cerrado and the Amazon Rainforest. Some Annona species are widely commercialized as fresh fruit or as frozen pulp. Seeds are accustomedly discarded. Our main goal was to analyze fatty acids profile from seeds of A. crassiflora and A. coriacea from Cerrado, A. montana from Amazon Forest, and three cultivars (A. cherimola cv. Madeira, A. cherimola x A. squamosa cv. Pink`s Mammonth and A. cherimola x A. squamosa cv. Gefner). The total oil yield ranged between 20 and 42% by weight of dry mass. The A cherimola x A. squamosa cv. Gefner has significantly higher total lipid yield than all other samples. 100 g of fruit of this species present 6-8 g of seeds. Considering the fruit production of Chile (over 221 ton of fruits/year), more than 1300 ton of seed/year could be obtained, which could provide at least 200 ton of seed oil. Oleic acid was predominant for most samples, but for A. montana linoleic acid was the most abundant FA. Phenotypic variation on FAME profile was observed. These new data are an urgent requirement for supporting conservation programs, mainly for Cerrado areas in Brazil.

Phenology of Caryocar brasiliense in the Brazilian cerrado region

The objective was to study the phenology of Caryocar brasiliense Camb. (Caryocaraceae), a type of fruit of the Brazilian cerrado, in three areas (cerrado, pasture and in the campus of the Federal University of Minas Gerais) of the municipality of Montes Claros, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, during 3 years. The plants of C brasiliense presented linear growth with about 50 cm of height and 35 cm of crown width per year. Soils with loamy texture, dystrophic, rich in aluminum and with low pH favor the production of this species. C. brasiliense produced higher quantity of flowers in the middle third, followed by the apical and basal parts of the crown, while the fruit production was higher in the basal third, followed by the middle and apical parts of the canopy of this species. C brasiliense bloomed during the dry period and produced fruits in the rainy season. Its fruits presented about 6, 8 and 6 cm of width, length and height, respectively, and 160 g of gross weight. The extrativism without control has strong impact on the propagation of C brasiliense because only about 7.96 and 10.65% of plants up to 1.0 m height and 59.58 and 44.73% higher than 3.0 m (reproductive phase) was observed in the cerrado and pasture, respectively. This indicates that fruit collectors, practically, remove all fruits of this tree and thus they reduce, considerably, the propagation of C. brasiliense in the cerrado areas of Brazil. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Seed dispersal and spatial distribution of Attalea geraensis (Arecaceae) in two remnants of Cerrado in Southeastern Brazil

The seed dispersal system of Attalea geraensis (Arecaceae), an acaulescent palm, was investigated during one year in two Cerrado fragments in the state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. A. geraensis had inflorescences and infrutescences throughout the year. Two scatter-hoarding rodents (the spiny rat, Clyomys bishopi and agoutis, Dasyptocta azarae) were identified as seed predators/dispersers, able to move seeds up to 30 in from the palms, although most of the fruits (57.5%) were dispersed less than 2 in. The removal rates were high and after 20 days, 97.2% of the fruits were removed. Fruit fate was not related to fruit mass, length and diameter. The application of Morisita's index showed a more clumped distribution of adults in the smaller fragment, probably because of the absence of agoutis. Higher seed removal by rodents in the large Cerrado remnant may decrease seed predation by beetles. (C) 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Fenologia reprodutiva em campo sujo e campo úmido numa área de Cerrado no sudeste do Brasil, Itirapina - SP

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Germination performance of congeneric Styrax species from the Cerrado sensu lato areas and their distribution pattern in different physiognomies

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Bird attributes, plant characteristics, and seed dispersal of Pera glabrata (Schott, 1858), (Euphorbiaceae) in a disturbed cerrado area

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Aves como potenciais dispersoras de sementes de Ocotea pulchella Mart. (Lauraceae) numa área de vegetação de cerrado do sudeste brasileiro

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Factors affecting seed predation of Eriotheca gracipiles (Bombacaceae) by parakeets in a cerrado fragment

Psittacids are important pre-dispersal seed predators. However, little is known about the parameters that may determine seed predation rates by these birds, such as plants' characteristics and microhabitat. Eriotheca gracilipes (Bombacaceae) is a semi-deciduous tree widely distributed in the Brazilian cerrado. The fruits are dehiscent pods and the seeds are wind-dispersed. Some individuals lose their leaves during the fruiting season, getting very conspicuous. Here we tested the hypothesis that the absence of leaves in E. gracilipes during the fruiting season may increase pre-dispersal seed predation by psittacids. We also tested the hypotheses that (1) seed predation intensity increases with increasing plant size and (2) number of fruits, (3) seed predation decreases with the increasing number of conspecific plants in a range of 15 m, and (4) seed predation intensity is lower in plants with higher vegetation cover over their crowns. The small parakeet Brotogeris versicolurus was the only species observed preying upon the seeds of E. gracilipes. The percentage of fruits damaged by the parakeets ranged from 0 to 100% (66.98 +/- 43.11%, n = 72) among the different plants. Our data give weak support to the hypothesis that the absence of leaves may facilitate plants and/or fruits detection by the parakeets. However, seed predation intensity was significantly affected by crop size. The hypothesis that conspecific fruiting plants surrounding the studied individuals may reduce predation rate was not supported. Nevertheless, trees without higher vegetation cover over their crowns were significantly affected by increased seed predation. This suggests that seed predation by parakeets can be a potential selective factor influencing fruit crop sizes in E. gracilipes. (c) 2007 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Microhabitat selection and daily movements of two rodents (Necromys lasiurus and Oryzomys scotti) in Brazilian Cerrado, as revealed by a spool-and-line device

Studies on patterns of habitat use by mammals are necessary for understanding the mechanisms involved in their distribution and abundance. In this study, we used the spool-and-line method to investigate habitat utilization by two sigmodontine rodents from Brazilian Cerrado, Necromys lasiurus and Oryzomys scotti. We conducted the study in a Cerrado area in central Brazil (15 degrees 56'S and e 47 degrees 56'W) where the animals were caught in an area of 7.68 ha of Cerrado sensu stricto. Captured individuals were marked, equipped with a spool-and-Line device, and released at the same capture point. The next day we followed the thread to record their daily movements and find their nests. To investigate microhabitat selection we compared habitat characteristics along traits of each studied species with general habitat characteristics of the study area. Although the mean 24-h distance was greater for N. lasiurus (mean +/- SE: 41.9 +/- 42.2 m, N=3) than for O. scotti (28.7 +/- 14.2 m, N=6) this difference was not significant (Mann-Whitney test, U=26, P>0.6). We detected significant differences among observed microhabitats variables of both species and available microhabitat characteristics as determined by discriminant analysis (Wilks's lambda F=3.001; df=14, 116; P<0.001). Both species were associated to microhabitat characteristics whose values differed markedly from the overall available habitat. Along the first canonical discriminant function of the DFA both them were associated with greater grass height than the mean height available and along the second axis N. lasiurus selected areas with higher fruit availability and more shelters than those selected by 0. scotti. For stronger inferences regarding differential patterns of habitat utilization by Cerrado rodents we suggest the simultaneous use of both spool-and-line and standard trapping methods. (c) 2005 Deutsche Geseltschaft fur Saugetierkunde. Published by Elsevier GmbH. ALL rights reserved.

Effects of environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation on the reproductive phenology of the cerrado savanna tree Xylopia aromatica (Annonaceae)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)