Concentração de fósforo no solo como indicativo de abscisão foliar em florestas tropicais

Abstract

Tropical forests are environments of great interest due to their remarkable biological diversity. The evolutionary, historical processes, and biodiversity of these forests have been widely studied. Vegetation structure and species diversity in these forests are influenced by soil characteristics, which are a crucial factor in habitat formation and heterogeneity. Additionally, water availability also plays a fundamental role in these formations; deciduous forests are present due to low precipitation, while semi-deciduous and evergreen forests maintain or partially lose their leaves. Phosphorus (P) is an essential nutrient and plays a key role in plant nutrition. When its availability is limited, plants undergo biochemical adaptations to compensate for this scarcity. This macronutrient is a non-renewable resource and has become an increasingly prominent concern in the early years of this millennium. The varied environmental conditions lead communities to adjust their morphological and physiological characteristics based on the adaptive capacity of each species for survival or growth, and functional traits are essential in this adaptation. Plants invest in functional traits according to their ecological strategies; however, understanding nutrient acquisition tactics as functional traits in plant communities on a global scale constitutes a complex challenge. Nevertheless, studying functional traits related to phosphorus acquisition will provide valuable insights into plant survival strategies. The aim of this study was to understand the connection between investment in leaf traits and soil phosphorus availability in tropical forests. Additionally, we sought to analyze whether groups composed of functional traits related to leaf longevity exhibit distinct patterns in terms of biomass and abundance. Data from 86 areas with different environments were analyzed, including information on species abundance and biomass, along with functional attributes of 1700 individuals. Community Weighted Mean (CWM) was used to correlate the data, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for soil, and Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM) for modeling. The results revealed a relationship between phosphorus availability and leaf loss, highlighting the influence of precipitation on nutrient cycling in each location, emphasizing the complexity of plant responses to environmental conditions. It was also concluded that abundance is the best strategy for representing individuals. The findings contribute to understanding the adaptive capacity and ecological processes of communities in different tropical forest environments.