Desiccation tolerance of four seedlots from Euterpe edulis Mart.

In order to identify the desiccation tolerance of E. edulis seeds, four fruitlots were collected from the Campinas Agronomic Institute Palmae collection, located at Ubatuba, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and taken in moisture-proof containers to the College of Agriculture in Botucatu, state of Sao Paulo. There, the fruits were shelled and the seeds were dried, either under silica gel conditions or in a drying chamber. The effects of dehydration were evaluated by measurements of the germination, embryo protrusion, germinative button, plumule, speed of emergence, seedling length, seed dry matter and water content. Differences among seedlots and between harvest season for most of the traits were observed. Euterpe edulis seedlots seem to tolerate water content reductions until 39% without significant reduction in germination and vigor. Below this value, most of the evaluated traits were negatively affected. Total loss of germination was observed whenever seed water content was reduced to values below 21%.

Differential seed germination of a keystone palm (Euterpe edulis) dispersed by avian frugivores

The effectiveness of seed dispersal by vertebrates has been analysed by examining both quantitative and qualitative components (Jordano & Schupp 2000, Schupp et al. 2010). While the quantitative component is relatively easily assessed in the field (e.g. visitation rate, number of fruits eaten per visit), the qualitative component (e.g. fate of dispersed seeds, seed treatment in the digestive system of the disperser) is rarely studied under natural conditions, because it is difficult to measure the effects on seeds once ingested by the dispersers (Cortes et al. 2009). © Cambridge University Press 2012.

Can overharvesting of a non-timber-forest-product change the regeneration dynamics of a tropical rainforest? The case study of Euterpe edulis

The exploitation of non-timber forest products is often considered a low-impact activity in tropical forests. However, assessments of the impacts of such activity are mostly focused on the harvested species and not on the plant community, thus limiting our understanding for establishing forest management recommendations. We investigated the consequences of Euterpe edulis palm heart harvesting on the seed rain in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest. We compared the density of E. edulis individuals, as well as the density of E. edulis seeds, and the density, richness and functional composition of seed rain of the whole plant community, before and after palm heart harvesting in a 10 ha permanent plot. This assessment was carried out in preserved (typical old-growth Atlantic rainforest) and in disturbed (more open habitat dominated by the native bamboo Guadua tagoara) forest patches. Palm harvesting reduced the E. edulis population from 202.16 to 25.67 ind/ha and its seed rain density from 0.362 to 0.3 seeds/m2 and from 2.395 to 0.15 seeds/m2 in preserved and disturbed forest patches, respectively. Seed density of light-dependent climbers, pioneer trees, bamboo and animal-dispersed seeds increased after palm harvesting, especially in the disturbed forest patches, where palm harvesting was more intense and may have changed the light regime of the understory. On the other hand, species richness of the plant community declined by half. We observed a remarkable decline in the number of animal-dispersed species, especially for those with large seeds, suggesting that the activity of seed dispersers, including many species attracted by E. edulis fruits, was reduced. Therefore, harvesting of E. edulis palm heart may change the regeneration dynamics of the Atlantic rainforest, both due to shifts in forest structure, mediated by the removal of individuals from the forest canopy, and in community functioning, mediated by the interference on the activity of seed dispersers. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Variação espacial nas interações entre o palmito Euterpe edulis e as aves frugívoras: implicações para a dispersão de sementes

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Respostas fisiológicas e morfológicas de sementes de palmito juçara (Euterpe edulis Mart.) à luz, temperatura, desidratação e aplicação de giberelinas

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Limitações bióticas afetando o recrutamento da palmeira Euterpe edulis em uma ilha continental da Mata Atlântica

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Variação espaço-temporal na fenologia e frugivoria do palmito juçara Euterpe edulis Martius (Arecaceae) em três tipos de floresta atlântica

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

Germinação de sementes de Passiflora setacea DC: temperatura, luz e reguladores vegetais

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação de progênies interespecíficas de maracujazeiro e estaquia de espécies potenciais como porta-enxerto

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Produção Vegetal) - FCAV

Armazenamento das sementes associado a embebição, hormônios e 'KNO IND. 3' na germinação e desenvolvimento inicial de mudas de Passiflora alata Dryander

Pós-graduação em Agronomia - FEIS

Aspectos fenológicos e de produção de maracujá-granadilla (Passiflora ligularis Juss.) nas condições da Serra da Cantareira - SP

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Produção Vegetal) - FCAV

Calagem, adubação orgânica e mineral no crescimento de mudas de Passiflora alata Ait

Pós-graduação em Agronomia - FEIS

Enriquecimento com Campomanesia phaea (Berg.) Landr. e Euterpe edulis Martius em fragmentos de floresta ombrófila densa em estádio secundário

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação do armazenamento de plântulas como alternativa na propagação de palmiteiro Euterpe edulis Martius

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Fenologia reprodutiva da palmito Euterpe edulis (Arecaceae) e sua influência na abundância de aves frugívoras na floresta Atlântica

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)