by Globo Rural Online
Orchids and bromeliads perform nutrient cycling and are suitable for ecological restoration processes
A study conducted by professors from the School of Agriculture Luiz de Queiroz (Esalq / Usp) indicates that bromeliads and orchids can be critical in recovery and ecological restoration.
According to biologist Marina Melo Duarte, researcher in the Graduate Program in Forest Resources Esalq, the inclusion of these forms of life in a forest is of great importance for it to recover ecological processes. "In addition to being able to provide microhabitats and resources such as flowers and fruits and store water, epiphytes act in nutrient cycling. Contribute to the increase of heterogeneity of an ecosystem. "
In the current world scenario, even with growing environmental concern, it is possible to observe that deforestation still occur at high rates, reducing forest cover. Although it may be reduced by several mechanisms, this problem tends to remain, as it is required to occur infrastructure projects and other interests.
Each year, more than 500 hectares of forests in different stages of regeneration are legally cleared in the State of São Paulo. "The removal of vegetation, within certain limitations, it is permitted by law. Despite not make a forest back to exactly what was in the past, ecological restoration can help reduce aggravating loss of vegetation on the planet, "says the researcher.
Transplantation feasible
Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Restoration (LERF), the biologist examined two forests with 13 and 23 year restoration process, in the cities of São Paulo and Santa Bárbara D'Oeste Iracemápolis. "The transplants were considered viable epiphytes, especially when performed in the wet season and using sisal twine along the fibers of palm trees to fix these plants trees in shillings (phorophytes). The survival rates of six different species, one year after the transplant, when he was held in wet season ranged between 63% and 100% of epiphytes transferred ", the researcher says.
According to Marina, forest restoration is commonly performed by inserting only units of trees in an area. The so-called "enrichment with different forms of life" is in most cases essential to the development of forest during the restoration process.
"In fragmented landscapes due to human activities, there is a considerable loss of biological diversity. In these places, the natural dispersal is limited and necessary interventions to continue the ecological processes to the permanence of forest over time, "he says.
The study assessed the transferability of epiphytes, with the proposal to take the material that can be removed from forests to be removed from that inevitable deforestation, and use it in the process of ecological restoration.
Transplants were analyzed six units 360 epiphytic species belonging to the family Bromeliaceae, Cactaceae and Orchidaceae, for different positions (trunk or fork) 60 units phorophytes that had distinct patterns of leaf loss of peel and roughness.
The researcher says that there are very few studies involving transplantation of epiphytes in forests during the restoration process. "The inclusion of this way of life to a forest is of great importance for it to regain ecological processes and is fundamental for it to return to its ecological trajectory. It is one of the pioneering works in relation to the enrichment of forest restoration with different ways of life, "he concludes.
Source: Globo Rural magazine
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