PJB-2017-561
Morpho-anatomical plasticity of Stylosanthes viscosa (Fabaceae) in response to different soil and light conditions of restinga environments
J�ssica St�fani Dirksen
Abstract
Structural plasticity is an important ability of plants to acclimate to different environmental conditions, especially in limiting environments such as restingas. The objective of this study was to evaluate the morpho-anatomical plasticity of Stylosanthes viscosa (Fabaceae) populations based on the hypothesis that edaphic and luminous factors cause different structural adjustments, such that in the restinga herbaceous plants are more xeromorphic than shrub-tree plants. The study area included formations of herbaceous and shrub-arboreal restinga of Acara� State Park, located in S�o Francisco do Sul, Santa Catarina, Brazil. Morpho-anatomical attributes of 10 individuals per formation were compared by t-test. Principal components analysis was used to test the influence of environmental factors on S. viscosa populations. In both formations organic matter content had the greatest influence on the adjustments exhibited by the species, with greater emphasis on plant height, stem diameter, fresh mass, dry mass, leaf area and specific leaf area. Morphological attributes exhibited greater plasticity than anatomical attributes. The population of the herbaceous restinga was more xeromorphic, exhibiting greater investment in mechanical tissues, as opposed to the shrub-arboreal restinga population, which exhibited greater investment in photosynthetic tissues. The results demonstrate the strong influence that soil and light have on the morpho-anatomical plasticity of S. viscosa in restinga environments.
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