Edaphically distinct habitats shape the crown architecture of Lychnophora ericoides Mart. (Asteraceae) on tropical mountaintops.
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Date
2017
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Abstract
Different architectural arrangements may
represent contrasting morphological solutions to different
environmental pressures. This work aims to
elucidate whether the crown architecture of Lychnophora
ericoides (Asteraceae) modifies in
response to harsh soil conditions (nutrient poor and
heavy metal rich) and how its crown architecture
affects its reproduction. One hundred and sixty L.
ericoides individuals were randomly sampled from
eight populations, four on quartzite and four on iron
canga rocky complexes in the Iron Quadrangle,
southeastern Brazil. We performed soil analyses to
characterize edaphic differences and used eight morphometric
parameters to describe the crown architecture
of the plants. We calculated the population
density and reproductive potential to verify the
relationship between habitat, architecture, and fitness.
Canga soils were more nutrient rich than quartzite
soils and plants were architecturally distinct in each
habitat. Plants established on canga soils were shorter,
had a thinner main branch, and a smaller leaf than
those established on quartzite soils. Moreover, plants
on canga soils had a larger crown diameter and a
greater number of branches and inflorescences. There
was no difference in population density but the
reproductive potential varied among populations and
habitats. The crown architecture of L. ericoides
closely relates to reproductive potential and may favor
the reproduction of more architectonically complex
plants, regardless of habitat.
Description
Keywords
Harsh habitats, Rocky complexes, Soil adaptation, Plant architecture
Citation
BUENO, A. P. et al. Edaphically distinct habitats shape the crown architecture of Lychnophora ericoides Mart. (Asteraceae) on tropical mountaintops. Plant Ecology, v. 218, p. 773–784, 2017. Disponível em: <https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11258-017-0728-8>. Acesso em: 25 ago. 2017.