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Rock outcrops reduce temperature-induced stress for tropical conifer by decoupling regional climate in the semiarid environment

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Abstract

We aimed to understand the effect of rock outcrops on the growth of Podocarpus lambertii within a microrefuge. Our hypothesis holds that the growth and survival of this species depend on the regional climate decoupling provided by rock outcrops. To test this hypothesis, we characterized the microclimate of (1) surrounding vegetation, (2) rock outcrop corridors, and (3) adjacencies. We assessed population structure by collecting data of specimen stem diameter and height. We also assessed differences between vegetation associated or not with outcrops using satellite imaging. For dendrochronological analyses, we sampled 42 individuals. Tree rings of 31 individuals were dated, and climate-growth relationships were tested. Rock outcrops produce a favorable microclimate by reducing average temperature by 4.9 °C and increasing average air humidity by 12 %. They also reduce the variability of atmospheric temperature by 42 % and air humidity by 20 % supporting a vegetation with higher leaf area index. Within this vegetation, specimen height was strongly constrained by the outcrop height. Although temperature and precipitation modulate this species growth, temperature-induced stress is the key limiting growth factor for this population of P. lambertii. We conclude that this species growth and survival depend on the presence of rock outcrops. These topography elements decouple regional climate in a favorable way for this species growth. However, these benefits are restricted to the areas sheltered by rock outcrops. Although this microrefuge supported P. lambertii growth so far, it is unclear whether this protection would be sufficient to withstand the stress of future climate changes.

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Acknowledgments

Authors thank Paula Jardim and Viviane Jono for helping with the wood material processing. Authors thank Gisele Costa, Marcelo Pace, and Mariane Sallun for help during field work, Patrícia Morellato and Nara Vogrado for providing data loggers, Marisa Bittencourt for providing remote sensing facilities and expertise, and Vitor Barão for valuable input to the manuscript. Authors also thank FAPESP (12/50457-4) and CNPq (478503/2009-1; 142706/2011-6) for the funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Botânica, Laboratório de Anatomia Vegetal, Universidade de São Paulo, Instituto de Biociências, Rua do Matão, 277, 05508-090, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Giuliano Maselli Locosselli, Ricardo Henrique Cardim & Gregório Ceccantini

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  1. Giuliano Maselli Locosselli
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  2. Ricardo Henrique Cardim
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  3. Gregório Ceccantini
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Correspondence to Giuliano Maselli Locosselli.

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Locosselli, G.M., Cardim, R.H. & Ceccantini, G. Rock outcrops reduce temperature-induced stress for tropical conifer by decoupling regional climate in the semiarid environment. Int J Biometeorol 60, 639–649 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00484-015-1058-y

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