Abstract
The Brazilian Dry Tropical Forest, called Caatinga, has several environmental conditions limiting plant growth and development, requiring the plants that inhabit this phytogeographic domain, physiological and morphological traits to guarantee the perpetuation and survival of the species. The objective of the present work was to evaluate the growth parameters in Ceiba glaziovii, a tree species that occurs in the Caatinga, submitted to intermittent drought. For such seedling of C. glaziovii were subjected to different cycles of irrigation suspension [Control- daily irrigation, S7- irrigation every seven days and SS - total suspension of irrigation until signs of wilt appear]. Height, number of leaves, stem diameter, dry matter of the various organs, root / shoot ratio, leaf area, and the index of plasticity were evaluated. The prolongation of intermittent drought had a significant reducing effect on the growth rates, dry matter production and leaf area of stressed C. glaziovii seedlings compared to daily watering ones. Plant height and stem diameter were the most plastic traits found (IP>0,8). Thus, watering intervals above seven days may severely compromise the production of C. glaziovii seedlings, affecting the growth rates until the accumulation of dry matter. These results demonstrate that this species does not show great tolerance to drought stress during the initial period of its development, suggesting for cultivation of seedlings an adequate water availability or an interval of up to seven days between watering.
Highlights
Northeastern Brazil has about 53% of the semiarid region, in which it is inserted the ecoregion called Caatinga, one of the geographical domains occurring in dry tropical forests (Dombroski et al, 2011; Santos et al, 2021)
The present study aimed to evaluate the growth parameters of Ceiba glaziovii seedlings submitted to intermittent drought, seeking to discuss how the morphological responses reflect in different growth patterns and rhythms for the ecology and survival of this species
The soil moisture was reduced over the experimental period due to intermittent drought, both due to evaporative issues occurring on the surface of the pots and due to the water demands of the seedlings in the respective water treatments
Summary
Northeastern Brazil has about 53% of the semiarid region, in which it is inserted the ecoregion called Caatinga, one of the geographical domains occurring in dry tropical forests (Dombroski et al, 2011; Santos et al, 2021) This domain is characterized by a low annual precipitation volume (250-800 mm) distributed irregularly, and high soil and air temperatures. Because of the intensification of the greenhouse effect caused by global climate changes, arid and semi-arid environments have been considered highly vulnerable to climate changes (Ouhamdouch e Bahir, 2017; Marengo et al, 2018) In this perspective, the Caatinga vegetation has undergone severe changes caused by desertification and anthropic actions, putting at risk the promotion of the maintenance of ecosystem services and the permanence of these species (Silva et al, 2017; Antongiovanni et al, 2020; Ramos et al, 2020). Some changes in growth patterns such as reduced number of leaves and leaf area (Moura et al, 2020), investments in a more robust root system (Dantas et al, 2020) and, increase in the root/shoot ratio (Ferreira et al, 2015) have been interpreted as important morphological transformations that guarantee greater survival in these environments (Santos Júnior et al, 2020)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
