Banca de DEFESA: RAUL MARIO DA SILVA PEIXOTO NETO

Uma banca de DEFESA de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : RAUL MARIO DA SILVA PEIXOTO NETO
DATE: 28/04/2022
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Google Meet
TITLE:

Litter decomposition in a restoration area in the Caatinga: effects of facilitation, neighboring vegetation and seasonality

KEY WORDS:

semi-arid; functional traits; ecosystem functions; drought; trees; herbaceous; nurse species; rainfall; litter quality; richness

PAGES: 114
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Ecologia
SUMMARY:

he decomposition of litter is the main nutrient pathway between vegetation and soil. In forest ecosystems the vegetation community determines both the volume and quality of the litter, besides modifying abiotic conditions that directly affect the activity of detritivores organisms below the canopy. In semi-arid environments, such as the Caatinga in Northeastern Brazil, the environmental stress mitigation effect promoted by vegetation helps plant recruits and the detritivore community to face limiting conditions, making facilitation relationships an important modulator of the plant community in this biome. In the present study, litter production and decomposition were measured during the dry and rainy seasons in Caatinga in order to assess: (I) How leaves of nurse species influence litter decomposition and nutrient cycling; (II) How the diversity of neighboring plants influence litter decomposition; and (III) The effect of the herbaceous community on leaf decomposition of tree species during restoration in the Caatinga. The results obtained show that nurse plants have greater potential for tree-soil nitrogen transfer through leaf fall and that the functional traits of their leaves promote synergistic effects on litter decomposition. Also, that the abundance of neighboring trees influences the decomposition of relatively less labile detritus. Also, that detritus from the herbaceous stratum positively affects the decomposition of tree leaves. Furthermore, the results show that the quality of the litter and rainfall are determinants for the decomposition process in the Caatinga. Thus, the study assists in understanding the mechanism of nutrient supply in facilitating interactions between plants in the Caatinga and the importance of maintaining vegetation to promote efficient nutrient cycling, as well as highlighting the fundamental role of rainfall for the functioning of ecosystems in semi-arid environments.

BANKING MEMBERS:
Externa à Instituição - RITA SOUSA SILVA
Interno - 1714892 - ADRIANO CALIMAN FERREIRA DA SILVA
Interno - 1678202 - CARLOS ROBERTO SORENSEN DUTRA DA FONSECA
Externo à Instituição - FELIPE PEREIRA MARINHO - SEMARH
Presidente - 1677189 - GISLENE MARIA DA SILVA GANADE