Ecological aspects of Geoffroea spinosa Jacq.: a neotropical species

Abstract

Geoffroea spinosa is a species widely distributed in seasonally dry tropical forests (SDTF), with high food and medicinal potential, but few studies focused on conservation. Thus, the study aimed to present an overview of the species through ecological characterizations. The research was carried out using a natural population, inserted in a fragment of SDTF. Seeds biometry and seedling emergence analysis were performed with five different levels of tegument dormancy overcoming, as well as testing the allelopathic effect in four different
concentrations of extract. In addition, individuals were sampled to perform
allometry and establish the spatial distribution pattern. The fruits are elliptically shaped, with more than 60% of the fruit weight referring to pulp. Seedling
emergence showed that the seeds did not show dormancy and the allelopathy test
indicated a negative influence of the leaves on seed germination. The samples
collected for allometry showed good precision, allowing the observation of
morphometric relationships of the tree. In all, 157 individuals of were identified
in the population, with average height of 4.20 m and average DBH of 17.30
cm. The spatial pattern obtained indicates levels of aggregation up to a radius of
25 m, followed by a random pattern up to 45 m, and from 90 m the pattern is
segregated. The studies involving the ecological characters provide a better basis for decision making, both on the use of species and from a conservationist point of view.