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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Contents Vol 55(8)

Responses to light changes in tropical seedlings of the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest tree species Cecropia glazioui (Cecropiaceae) and Cedrela fissilis (Meliaceae)

Maria Terezinha Silveira Paulilo A C , Sonia Regina Duz B , Alexandre Siminski B and Marisa Santos A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, 88 040-900, Brazil.

B Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia Vegetal, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, 88 040-900, Brazil.

C Corresponding author. Email: paulilo@ccb.ufsc.br

Australian Journal of Botany 55(8) 795-802 https://doi.org/10.1071/BT04089
Submitted: 22 June 2004  Accepted: 23 August 2007   Published: 14 December 2007

Abstract

This study analysed the behaviour of Cecropia glazioui Sneth. and Cedrela fissilis Vell. seedlings across a 2–50% full sun light gradient. The morphological adjustments of the seedlings to the different light regimes were interpreted as means of light interception in low light and avoidance of water stress in high light conditions. Cecropia seedlings showed greater trait plasticity at the 2–15% light interval, whereas Cedrela seedlings showed a slight tendency to present greater trait plasticity at the 15–30% light interval than the 2–15% interval. The seedlings of both species did not fully acclimate to decreasing light, showing lower values for the mean relative growth rate (RGR) components, leaf area ratio (LAR) and net assimilation rate (NAR) than seedlings under constant low light, but acclimated to increasing light, showing higher values for RGR components than seedlings under constant high light. The general responses to light gradient in these two species indicate their relative tolerance and ability to grow at low and high light and provide traits used in coping with gap dynamics. The results also indicated that the two species differed in their shade tolerance.


Acknowledgements

The authors thank the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento do Ensino Superior (CAPES) for their financial support. S.R. Duz thanks CAPES, and A. Siminski thanks the Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq) for scholarships.


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