Phenology and dispersal modes of wood species in the Carrasco, a tropical deciduous shrubland in the Brazilian semiarid

Abstract

We provide, for the first time, data on phenology and dispersal modes for the Carrasco, a tropical deciduous shrubland in the Brazilian semiarid. The study was con- ducted in the Serra das Almas Reserve (5 804500S, 40 5504300W), northeastern Brazil. We sampled 2,790 individuals from 39 species, 30 genera, and 17 families. Fabaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Myrtaceae were the most representative. All species lose leaves, fully or partially, during the dry season. Leaf flush was observed to increase at the end of the dry season with a peak during the rainy season. Similarly, the peak of flowering/fruiting occurred at the end of the dry and the beginning of the rainy season. Air humidity and maximum temperature were the only variables correlated with leaf flush. Most species showed annual flowering/fruiting. Flowering lasted 2–5 months, but even longer fruiting periods were observed. Zoochory was the most frequent dispersal mode, followed by autochory. Zoochoric, barochoric, and autochoric species fruited throughout the year, while for anemochorics fruiting occurred at the end of the rainy and/or during dry season. Despite both, the Carrasco and the Caatinga are deciduous, the Carrasco has a greater intensity and duration of phenological events and a higher frequency of zoochory, thus being more similar to less arid ecosystems. We discuss the local implications of these patterns, as well as how our results are in accordance with other regional and global studies with similar approaches.