Variações funcionais em diferentes fisionomias vegetacionais no Brasil

Abstract

Brazil, the largest country on the South American continent, has a wide distribution of distinct environments within its phytogeographic domains, including the Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Atlantic Forest, Pantanal, and Pampas, each comprising structurally and functionally different forest formations. It is of great importance for understanding the structural and functional patterns of vegetation. In this sense, studies with a functional and anatomical approach to plant species become an extremely important tool for providing a scenario of essential adaptations for the survival of species in constantly changing environmental and climatic conditions. Thus, the objective of this research was to characterize the functional and anatomical responses of tree species existing in the phytogeographic domains of Minas Gerais, Bahia, and Piauí, aiming to identify the ecological strategies that influence adaptive success in different tropical forests with distinct environmental conditions. Collections were carried out between 2021 and 2025 in 34 areas with plots distributed across different vegetation formations in Brazil. Subsequently, the samples were measured and analyzed, and the data were deposited in the database of the Phytogeography and Evolutionary Ecology Laboratory at UFLA. The research results generally show that tree species are responding to environmental and climatic changes with different ecological strategies through anatomical and functional characteristics, along an environmental gradient across distinct phytophysiognomies. This article presents a more comprehensive approach, showing the anatomical and functional variation of each individual in the different physiognomies of tropical and savanna forests in Brazil, and the ecological strategies employed. It was observed that species from drier environments presented characteristics related to resource conservation and greater resistance to water stress, demonstrated by dry matter content and vessel density. In relation to species from more humid environments, the analyses indicated characteristics related to greater efficiency in resource acquisition, indicated by specific leaf area and chlorophyll parenchyma. Thus, the research reinforces the importance of integrating studies between functional anatomy and plant ecology for understanding species distribution patterns and ecosystem functioning, emphasizing the importance of environmental gradients in structuring plant communities.