Abstract
Determining leaf area is important for studies involving plant growth and development. The aim of the present study was to obtain models for estimating leaf area of Psychotria carthagenensis and Psychotria hoffmannseggiana using linear measurements of leaf blades (length and width). Two hundred leaf blades of each species were collected in Parque Estadual Mata do Pau-Ferro in the municipality of Areia, Paraiba, Northeast Brazil. The equations evaluated for producing potential models included the following: linear, quadratic, potential and exponential. The criteria used to determine the best model(s) were as follows: high coefficient of determination (R²), low root-mean-square error (RMSE), low Akaike information criterion (AIC), high Willmott concordance index ( d ) and a BIAS ratio close to zero. All evaluated models satisfactorily estimated leaf area for the two species, but the equation ŷ = 0.6373 * LW 0.9804 was the most appropriate for P. carthagenensis , while ŷ = 0.6235 * LW 0.9712 was the most appropriate for P. hoffmannseggiana .
Highlights
Psychotria carthagenensis Jacq. is a shrub measuring 2–3 m in height
In Brazil the species occurs from the state of Pará in the north to the state of Rio Grande do Sul in the south, and is found in a variety of habitats at elevations ranging from sea level to 600 m (Vitarelli & Santos, 2009; Taylor & Zappi, 2015)
The leaf blades of P. hoffmannseggiana had a mean length of 5.93 cm (1.03 – 8.74 cm), a mean width of 2.05 cm (0.42 – 3.32 cm), and a mean leaf area of 7.43 cm2 (0.27 – 15.54 cm2) (Table 1)
Summary
Psychotria carthagenensis Jacq. is a shrub measuring 2–3 m in height. It is widely distributed in the Neotropical Region, occurring from Costa Rica to Argentina. Is a shrub measuring 2–3 m in height It is widely distributed in the Neotropical Region, occurring from Costa Rica to Argentina. Ex Schult.) Müll.Arg.] is a subshrub measuring 30–60 cm in height. It is distributed throughout Central America and from Cuba to Paraguay (Delprete, 2010); it occurs in all regions of Brazil (Taylor & Zappi, 2015). The species has great importance in the region as a food source for fauna, mainly birds, which disperse seeds, and for the conservation and management of disturbed sites, such as moist forests (Schupp, 1993)
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