STRATEGIES OF A DRY FOREST HERBACEOUS PLANT FROM SHADE TO SUN: IS IT BETTER TO INVEST IN CARBON FIXATION OR RESERVE WATER?

Abstract

The availability of water and light affects the strategies of herbaceous plants in dry forests, acting as limiting factors for their survival. Based on these assumptions, we evaluated the responses in foliar attributes of two populations of Talinum triangulare (Jacq.) Willd., situated beneath the canopy of a shade tree (Clitoria fairchildiana R. A. Howard) and in an open field. In order to observe the adaptive responses to the environment, the question arose: is it better to invest in carbon fixation or water storage? We measured the vegetative traits of the herbaceous plants located beneath the shade tree with a projected shade radius of 8.30m, and another population located 10m away exposed to full sunlight. We found that in shaded environments, plants invest in greater leaf area and biomass accumulation but reduce the water content in their leaves. Conversely, plants in full sunlight reduce leaf area and biomass but increase their water reserves. We conclude that the evolutionary adjustments of herbaceous plants, as continuous and dynamic processes, along with the influence of "facilitating plants," are crucial for understanding the changes that occur in populations over time and for the development of potential survival strategies in the face of future climate change.