Effects of landscape disturbance on seed germination of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Fabaceae) in Brazilian seasonally tropical dry forest: Are seeds a sensitive biomarker of environmental stress?
Habitat disturbance of native forests is currently the major threat to biodiversity conservation. Plant species can be negatively affected as a result of landscape conversion; thus, it is essential to detect the potential effects of environmental stress on plant performance using reliable bioindicat...
Main Authors: | , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Elsevier
2021-06-01
|
Series: | Ecological Indicators |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21001163 |
_version_ | 1818845993150447616 |
---|---|
author | Isabela Botelho Cardoso Marina do Vale Beirão Pablo Cuevas-Reyes Yurixhi Maldonado-López Joan Sebastian Aguilar-Peralta Patrícia de Abreu Moreira |
author_facet | Isabela Botelho Cardoso Marina do Vale Beirão Pablo Cuevas-Reyes Yurixhi Maldonado-López Joan Sebastian Aguilar-Peralta Patrícia de Abreu Moreira |
author_sort | Isabela Botelho Cardoso |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Habitat disturbance of native forests is currently the major threat to biodiversity conservation. Plant species can be negatively affected as a result of landscape conversion; thus, it is essential to detect the potential effects of environmental stress on plant performance using reliable bioindicators of quick, cheap diagnosis. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) describes the degree of the random differences in shape and size among two sides of a bilateral trait of the organisms and reflects the developmental instability of an organism, so we can use it to predict the effects on plant fitness. We evaluated the land-use change stress on seed FA levels, seed germination, and the subsequent seedling development of seed produced by trees that occur in an anthropized and a preserved area of seasonally tropical dry forests (STDF) in Brazil. We sampled 10 ten reproductive trees of Enterolobium contortisiliquum of each landscape condition, and then, 100 seeds per each tree were collected. Additionally, 50 seeds were randomly selected for each tree to determine plant fitness. Despite, we found no true FA in the community, the anthropized area had a lower seed nutritional quality and percentage of germination, and higher germination time of seeds produced than in preserved areas. The dry weight of the aerial part of seedlings did not differ between areas. However, root dry weight and total dry weight were higher in seedlings developed from seeds of anthropized than in preserved areas. Our findings show that seeds of E. contortisiliquum are not a sensitive biomarker to detect full stress conditions of habitat disturbance. However, we demonstrate that habitat disturbance negatively affects plant fitness, decreasing germination percentage, and nutritional quality, and increasing germination time. This fact has potential consequences on recruitment, establishment and survival of E. contortisiliquum in regenerating areas of STDF’s in Brazil. |
first_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:38:29Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-996307aaaef24bacb78b8b5b286fce77 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1470-160X |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-19T05:38:29Z |
publishDate | 2021-06-01 |
publisher | Elsevier |
record_format | Article |
series | Ecological Indicators |
spelling | doaj.art-996307aaaef24bacb78b8b5b286fce772022-12-21T20:34:04ZengElsevierEcological Indicators1470-160X2021-06-01125107451Effects of landscape disturbance on seed germination of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Fabaceae) in Brazilian seasonally tropical dry forest: Are seeds a sensitive biomarker of environmental stress?Isabela Botelho Cardoso0Marina do Vale Beirão1Pablo Cuevas-Reyes2Yurixhi Maldonado-López3Joan Sebastian Aguilar-Peralta4Patrícia de Abreu Moreira5Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Biomas Tropicais, Departamento de Evolução, Biodiversidade e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto – UFOP, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, BrazilPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Biomas Tropicais, Departamento de Evolução, Biodiversidade e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto – UFOP, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, BrazilLaboratorio de Ecología de Interacciones Bióticas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Francisco J. Mújica S/N Col. Felicitas del Río, Ciudad Universitaria, Morelia C.P. 58030, Michoacán, MexicoCátedras CONACYT-Instituto de Investigaciones sobre los Recursos Naturales, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Av. San Juanito Itzícuaro S/N, Nueva Esperanza, Morelia C.P. 58030, Michoacán, MexicoLaboratorio de Ecología de Interacciones Bióticas, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Francisco J. Mújica S/N Col. Felicitas del Río, Ciudad Universitaria, Morelia C.P. 58030, Michoacán, MexicoPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Biomas Tropicais, Departamento de Evolução, Biodiversidade e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto – UFOP, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Corresponding author at: Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto (UFOP), Instituto de Ciências Exatas e Biológicas (ICEB), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia de Biomas Tropicais, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, 35400.000 Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil.Habitat disturbance of native forests is currently the major threat to biodiversity conservation. Plant species can be negatively affected as a result of landscape conversion; thus, it is essential to detect the potential effects of environmental stress on plant performance using reliable bioindicators of quick, cheap diagnosis. Fluctuating asymmetry (FA) describes the degree of the random differences in shape and size among two sides of a bilateral trait of the organisms and reflects the developmental instability of an organism, so we can use it to predict the effects on plant fitness. We evaluated the land-use change stress on seed FA levels, seed germination, and the subsequent seedling development of seed produced by trees that occur in an anthropized and a preserved area of seasonally tropical dry forests (STDF) in Brazil. We sampled 10 ten reproductive trees of Enterolobium contortisiliquum of each landscape condition, and then, 100 seeds per each tree were collected. Additionally, 50 seeds were randomly selected for each tree to determine plant fitness. Despite, we found no true FA in the community, the anthropized area had a lower seed nutritional quality and percentage of germination, and higher germination time of seeds produced than in preserved areas. The dry weight of the aerial part of seedlings did not differ between areas. However, root dry weight and total dry weight were higher in seedlings developed from seeds of anthropized than in preserved areas. Our findings show that seeds of E. contortisiliquum are not a sensitive biomarker to detect full stress conditions of habitat disturbance. However, we demonstrate that habitat disturbance negatively affects plant fitness, decreasing germination percentage, and nutritional quality, and increasing germination time. This fact has potential consequences on recruitment, establishment and survival of E. contortisiliquum in regenerating areas of STDF’s in Brazil.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21001163Seed fluctuating asymmetryLand-use changeSeed germinationTropical dry forest |
spellingShingle | Isabela Botelho Cardoso Marina do Vale Beirão Pablo Cuevas-Reyes Yurixhi Maldonado-López Joan Sebastian Aguilar-Peralta Patrícia de Abreu Moreira Effects of landscape disturbance on seed germination of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Fabaceae) in Brazilian seasonally tropical dry forest: Are seeds a sensitive biomarker of environmental stress? Ecological Indicators Seed fluctuating asymmetry Land-use change Seed germination Tropical dry forest |
title | Effects of landscape disturbance on seed germination of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Fabaceae) in Brazilian seasonally tropical dry forest: Are seeds a sensitive biomarker of environmental stress? |
title_full | Effects of landscape disturbance on seed germination of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Fabaceae) in Brazilian seasonally tropical dry forest: Are seeds a sensitive biomarker of environmental stress? |
title_fullStr | Effects of landscape disturbance on seed germination of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Fabaceae) in Brazilian seasonally tropical dry forest: Are seeds a sensitive biomarker of environmental stress? |
title_full_unstemmed | Effects of landscape disturbance on seed germination of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Fabaceae) in Brazilian seasonally tropical dry forest: Are seeds a sensitive biomarker of environmental stress? |
title_short | Effects of landscape disturbance on seed germination of Enterolobium contortisiliquum (Fabaceae) in Brazilian seasonally tropical dry forest: Are seeds a sensitive biomarker of environmental stress? |
title_sort | effects of landscape disturbance on seed germination of enterolobium contortisiliquum fabaceae in brazilian seasonally tropical dry forest are seeds a sensitive biomarker of environmental stress |
topic | Seed fluctuating asymmetry Land-use change Seed germination Tropical dry forest |
url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1470160X21001163 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT isabelabotelhocardoso effectsoflandscapedisturbanceonseedgerminationofenterolobiumcontortisiliquumfabaceaeinbrazilianseasonallytropicaldryforestareseedsasensitivebiomarkerofenvironmentalstress AT marinadovalebeirao effectsoflandscapedisturbanceonseedgerminationofenterolobiumcontortisiliquumfabaceaeinbrazilianseasonallytropicaldryforestareseedsasensitivebiomarkerofenvironmentalstress AT pablocuevasreyes effectsoflandscapedisturbanceonseedgerminationofenterolobiumcontortisiliquumfabaceaeinbrazilianseasonallytropicaldryforestareseedsasensitivebiomarkerofenvironmentalstress AT yurixhimaldonadolopez effectsoflandscapedisturbanceonseedgerminationofenterolobiumcontortisiliquumfabaceaeinbrazilianseasonallytropicaldryforestareseedsasensitivebiomarkerofenvironmentalstress AT joansebastianaguilarperalta effectsoflandscapedisturbanceonseedgerminationofenterolobiumcontortisiliquumfabaceaeinbrazilianseasonallytropicaldryforestareseedsasensitivebiomarkerofenvironmentalstress AT patriciadeabreumoreira effectsoflandscapedisturbanceonseedgerminationofenterolobiumcontortisiliquumfabaceaeinbrazilianseasonallytropicaldryforestareseedsasensitivebiomarkerofenvironmentalstress |