É possível detectar grupos emergentes em taxocenose de plantas anuais?

Abstract

The emerging groups correspond to one type of classification based species functional trait. Functional trait corresponds to any morphological, physiological or phenological characteristic that affects growth, reproduction and survival. To verify if there are Emerging Groups in annual plants, as well as if there is greater differentiation among the groups or greater neutrality within them, we selected a taxocenosis of annual plants from a seasonally dry ecosystem. We collect seed bank and monitor the development of plants in a greenhouse. We measured vegetative attributes: plant height, leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf width, leaf thickness and leaf mass per area, and reproductive: mass ratio of seed / fruit mass, size and shape of the dispersion unit, pollination syndromes and dispersion. We made a Canonical Correspondence Analysis and test the consistency of the groups Permutation Multiple Response Procedure. The results of the CCA were presented cluster in dendrogram by UPGMA. Vegetative and reproductive attributes exhibited variation functional between species. Species did not form Emerging Groups, but a gradient of continuous variation. These species differed functionally by trait syndromes, with values overlapping in the same trait. This overlapping allows species to share resources and, consequently, a greater diversity of annual plants occurs in dry seasonal environments.