NEOTROPICAL TREE PRODUCTION: INSIGHTS INTO GERMINATION, GROWTH AND OUTPLANTING FOR Maytenus boaria

MARRO, NICOLÁS; SOTERAS, FLORENCIA; COFRÉ, NOELIA; IBARRA, IGNACIO; TORRES, ROMINA; BECERRA, ALEJANDRA GABRIELA; RENISON, DANIEL

CERNE

UNIV FEDERAL LAVRAS-UFLA

Año: 2017 vol. 23 p. 377 - 385

0104-7760

Maytenusboaria Mol. is a neotropicaltree distributed across the temperate and subtropical South American mountains.In central Argentina, M. boaria ismainly restricted to the most preserved forest remnants. Attempts to plant thisspecies have had little success due to difficulties in seedling production andlow survival after outplanting. We set up four trials aiming to identify theconstraints of seedling production and outplanting. Under greenhouseconditions, we evaluated (i) pre?germination treatments and (ii) seedlingresponse to inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). In the field,we planted saplings together with saplings of the most abundant tree in ourstudy site and recorded (iii) survival and height for 10 years. Finally, (iv)we quantified natural recruitment in an attempt to determine M. boaria regeneration niche.Germination varied from 13.1 to 29.2%; scarification together withstratification at 5 ºC significantly improved seed germination. Shoot P inAMF-treated seedlings was significantly higher (45%) than in non-inoculatedseedlings. Survival of M. boaria outplanted saplings wassimilar to that of the most abundant tree in our study site, but their heightwas much lower, suggesting limited growth. We recorded very low abundance of M. boaria seedlings in the field;therefore, we were unable to identify the characteristics of the site where itregenerates.