Estudo comparativo da influência climática sobre a morfologia das estruturas de madeiras da Amazônia e da Caatinga.

Abstract

Wood anatomists have developed work showing that environmental factors can influence the morphological patterns of anatomical structures, especially on the xylem conductor vessels. The main changes are summarized below: In arid, dry regions, vessels are shorter, tend to be smaller in diameter, are numerous per area, and the incidence of scalariform perforation plate is reduced. In humid locations secondary xylem vessels have the most conspicuous diameter, are longer, less numerous per area, and the incidence of scalariform perforation plate is higher. The objective of this work is to test this theory in Brazil by analyzing the pattern of anatomical structures of plants from the humid forest and dry region. In this first part of the research we are working with 72 species of wood from the northeastern Caatinga and 72 species of wood from the Xingu River forest in the Amazon. The results so far show that there is a significant difference in the diameter and length of the vessel elements of the species from the two regions studied. It was found that the incidence of scalariform and reticulate perforation plates in the Xingu River species was low, while in the Caatinga species only simple plates were identified.