Effects of environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation on the reproductive phenology of the cerrado savanna tree Xylopia aromatica (Annonaceae)

O cerrado brasileiro vem sofrendo um processo intenso de fragmentação, que levou ao aumento de remanescentes sujeitos aos efeitos de borda e a alterações nas condições ambientais que podem afetar a fenologia das plantas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar se a fenologia reprodutiva de Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) difere sob diferentes condições de luz em um cerrado sensu stricto no sudeste do Brasil. Comparamos a fenologia reprodutiva de árvores de X. aromatica distribuídas nas faces leste e sul do cerrado, observadas mensalmente de janeiro de 2005 a dezembro de 2008. A face leste apresentou maior incidência de luz, temperaturas e aberturas do dossel em relação à face sul. X. aromatica apresentou reprodução sazonal em ambas as faces do cerrado, mas a porcentagem de indivíduos, sincronia e duração das fenofases foram maiores na face leste. O estudo demonstrou a influência das condições ambientais associadas à orientação cardeal das faces do cerrado no padrão fenológico de X. aromatica. Respostas similares poderão ser observadas em outras espécies de cerrado, afetando os padrões de visitação floral e produção de frutos, o que reforça a importância de considerarmos a orientação cardeal nos estudos de efeitos de borda e fragmentação.The Brazilian cerrado has undergone an intense process of fragmentation, which leads to an increase in the number of remnants exposed to edge effects and associated changes on environmental conditions that may affect the phenology of plants. This study aimed to verify whether the reproductive phenology of Xylopia aromatica (Lam.) Mart. (Annonaceae) differs under different light conditions in a cerrado sensu stricto (a woody savanna) of southeastern Brazil. We compared the reproductive phenology of X. aromatica trees distributed on east and south cardinal faces of the cerrado during monthly observations, from January 2005 to December 2008. The east face had a higher light incidence, higher temperatures and canopy openness in relation to south face. X. aromatica showed seasonal reproduction at both faces of the cerrado, but the percentage of individuals, the synchrony and duration of phenophases were higher at the east face. The study demonstrated the influence of the environmental conditions associated to the cardinal orientation of the cerrado faces on the phenological pattern of X. aromatica. Similar responses may be observed for other species, ultimately affecting patterns of floral visitation and fruit production, which reinforces the importance of considering the cardinal direction in studies of edge effects and fragmentation.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Universidade Estadual Paulista Instituto de Biociências Departamento de BotânicaUniversidade Estadual Paulista Instituto de Biociências Departamento de BotânicaFAPESP: 05/57740-0FAPESP: 07/59779-

Genetic structure in a tropical lek-breeding bird, the blue manakin (Chiroxiphia caudata) in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Determining the genetic structure of tropical bird populations is important for assessing potential genetic effects of future habitat fragmentation and for testing hypotheses about evolutionary mechanisms promoting diversification. Here we used 10 microsatellite DNA loci to describe levels of genetic differentiation for five populations of the lek-mating blue manakin (Chiroxiphia caudata), sampled along a 414-km transect within the largest remaining continuous tract of the highly endangered Atlantic Forest habitat in southeast Brazil. We found small but significant levels of differentiation between most populations. F-ST values varied from 0.0 to 0.023 (overall F-ST = 0.012) that conformed to a strong isolation by distance relationship, suggesting that observed levels of differentiation are a result of migration-drift equilibrium. N(e)m values estimated using a coalescent-based method were small (<= 2 migrants per generation) and close to the minimum level required to maintain genetic similarity between populations. An implication of these results is that if future habitat fragmentation reduces dispersal between populations to even a small extent, then individual populations may undergo a loss of genetic diversity due to an increase in the relative importance of drift, since inbreeding effective population sizes are relatively small (N-e similar to 1000). Our findings also demonstrate that population structuring can occur in a tropical bird in continuous habitat in the absence of geographical barriers possibly due to behavioural features of the species

Placement of Kuhlmanniodendron Fiaschi & Groppo in Lindackerieae (Achariaceae, Malpighiales) confirmed by analyses of rbcL sequences, with notes on pollen morphology and wood anatomy

The phylogenetic placement of Kuhlmanniodendron Fiaschi & Groppo (Achariaceae) within Malpighiales was investigated with rbcL sequence data. This genus was recently created to accommodate Carpotroche apterocarpa Kuhlm., a poorly known species from the rainforests of Espirito Santo, Brazil. One rbcL sequence was obtained from Kuhlmanniodendron and analyzed with 73 additional sequences from Malpighiales, and 8 from two closer orders, Oxalidales and Celastrales, all of which were available at Genbank. Phylogenetic analyses were carried out with maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference; bootstrap analyses were used in maximum parsimony to evaluate branch support. The results confirmed the placement of Kuhlmanniodendron together with Camptostylus, Lindackeria, Xylotheca, and Caloncoba in a strongly supported clade (posterior probability = 0.99) that corresponds with the tribe Lindackerieae of Achariaceae (Malpighiales). Kuhlmanniodendron also does not appear to be closely related to Oncoba (Salicaceae), an African genus with similar floral and fruit morphology that has been traditionally placed among cyanogenic Flacourtiaceae (now Achariaceae). A picrosodic paper test was performed in herbarium dry leaves, and the presence of cyanogenic glycosides, a class of compounds usually found in Achariaceae, was detected. Pollen morphology and wood anatomy of Kuhlmanniodendron were also investigated, but both pollen (3-colporate and microreticulate) and wood, with solitary to multiple vessels, scalariform perforation plates and other features, do not seem to be useful to distinguish this genus from other members of the Achariaceae and are rather common among the eudicotyledons as a whole. However, perforated ray cells with scalariform plates, an uncommon wood character, present in Kuhlmanniodendron are similar to those found in Kiggelaria africana (Pangieae, Achariaceae), but the occurrence of such cells is not mapped among the angiosperms, and it is not clear how homoplastic this character could be.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)FAPESP[2000/07401-0]FAPESP[2006/03170-0]Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Universidade de São Paulo (USP)Universidade de São Paulo USP-ProIPCNPq (GDE)[200682/2006-7]Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU)Carl Tryggers StiftelseCarl Tryggers StiftelseHelge Axson Johnsons StiftelseHelge Axson Johnsons Stiftels

Data from: Genetic structure and diversity of populations of polyploid Tibouchina pulchra Cogn. (Melastomataceae) under different environmental conditions in extremes of an elevational gradient

The genetic structure and diversity of plants may change significantly in an elevational gradient because different elevations regulate different ecological conditions. Several factors may influence genetic variation, such as mutations, selection, genetic drift, and gene flow. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the genetic structure and diversity of populations of Tibouchina pulchra Cogn. (Melastomataceae) trees in two extremes of an elevational gradient experiencing different environmental conditions. Nine polymorphic microsatellite loci were used to measure the genetic diversity of 14 adult populations, whose structure was evaluated using frequentist and Bayesian analyses. We also carried out progeny structure and paternity analyses comparing the number of fathers of each progeny and the probability of the progeny genotypes to be the result of selfing in order to evaluate the possible current processes leading to such genetic structure. Genetic structure analyses indicated the existence of genetic differentiation between populations in adults and progenies, but with a contact interface between them. The population from the higher region showed smaller genetic diversity when compared to the population at the lower region. However, the pollen variability delivered to the stigmas at the higher region was not different from that of the lower region. These results may be explained by the dynamics of gene flow mediated by pollen, especially by the different amounts of pollination events in each region, as well as local adaptation, distribution, and reproduction characteristics of T. pulchra