Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: JOAO PAULO PEREIRA DA CAMARA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : JOAO PAULO PEREIRA DA CAMARA
DATE: 05/08/2025
TIME: 08:00
LOCAL: Google Meet (https://meet.google.com/pqs-moda-sur)
TITLE:

REPRODUCTIVE PHENOLOGY OF TWO PLANT COMMUNITIES AT THE NORTHERN LIMIT OF THE ATLANTIC FOREST: IMPORTANCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND EVOLUTIONARY FACTORS

KEY WORDS:

circular statistics; ground phenology; flowering; fruiting; Fournier; phylogenetic comparative methods.

PAGES: 42
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Ecologia
SUMMARY:

Phenology tracks recurring patterns in living organisms, such as plant flowering and fruiting, and their correlation with both extrinsic (environmental and biotic) and intrinsic (evolutionary and morpho-physiological) factors. Investigations of this nature yield valuable data for the management and conservation of species and landscapes by elucidating resource availability for fauna and human populations. In humid forest ecosystems situated at higher latitudes away from the equator, where seasonal variations are more pronounced, it has been established that plant reproduction is influenced by fluctuations in precipitation, temperature, and particularly photoperiod. Conversely, in less seasonal regions closer to the equator, it is hypothesized that biotic interactions, evolutionary pressures, or other seasonal environmental variables exert a more significant influence on defining periods of resource availability within communities, as opposed to the minimal annual variation in day length. The Atlantic Forest currently represents the Neotropical ecoregion with the highest concentration of phenological research. However, studies focusing on the northern limit of this biodiversity hotspot remain scarce. This master's dissertation aims to address this knowledge gap by rigorously testing ecological and evolutionary hypotheses regarding the underlying triggers of reproductive phenology in the local flora. The derived insights will contribute valuable information for resource provision, species management, and conservation efforts within this region. A comprehensive monitoring program was conducted, involving bi-weekly observations of 1092 individuals belonging to 73 species across 29 families. These observations were carried out in two Conservation Units (CUs) located in the municipalities of Nísia Floresta (593 to 602 individuals, 53 species from 22 families) and Natal (488 to 490 individuals, 52 species from 24 families) within the state of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected for the following reproductive phenophases: flower bud, flower anthesis, immature and mature fruit. By integrating historical climatic data compiled for the study areas with reconstructed evolutionary histories of the plant species, two primary hypotheses were investigated: (i) the presence of phenological seasonality and population synchrony among the observed species, and (ii) the influence of climate and evolutionary history on the reproductive expression of these species. It is expected that climatic factors will be less important for phenology in species at this latitude than in more seasonal regions of the biome, and that phylogenetic structuring will be key to explaining the reproductive patterns of these floras, meaning that closely related species should respond to the same climatic triggers and reproduce during the same period.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 3058386 - VANESSA GRAZIELE STAGGEMEIER
Externa à Instituição - ELIANA GRESSLER
Externa à Instituição - NATALIA COSTA SOARES - UNICAMP