The effect of fire on phenology, seed and germination traits of cerrado species

Abstract

In the Cerrado, one of the abiotic factors that influence plant phenology is fire, which is a natural disturbance that interferes with several ecosystems in the world. The fire changes the conditions of the habitat and can affect the flowering, fruiting, seeds and germination traits. Therefore, this project aims to understand the effect of fire on the reproductive phenology of the Cerrado community, as well as on the fitness of the dominant species. In this way, we intend to evaluate communities in areas with different fire histories, analyzing the production of flowers, fruits and seeds, as well as the seeds and germination traits. For this, vegetation surveys will be carried out in areas with different fire histories (> 6 years without burning and recently burned). Surveys, including cover (%) and number of branches (vegetative and reproductive) per species, will be performed in 30 subplots of 1x1m. Individuals of different dominant species in the area belonging to three functional groups (grasses, herbaceous and shrubs) will also be marked. These individuals will have their flowering and seed production tracked shortly after the burning. The seed traits and germination of dominant species of the area will be measured, for example, seed size and mass, permeability,% germination, average germination time, etc. Thus, it is intended to understand the influence and importance of fire in the dynamics and assembly of Cerrado herbaceous plant communities. (AU)