Christopher Thomas Blum

Identifying target species and seed sources for the restoration of threatened trees in southern Brazil

Ecological restoration of trees is often constrained by limited knowledge of the biology, propagation and man- agement requirements of individual species. Consequently, restoration initiatives rarely incorporate less well-known species or those that are difficult to source and grow. We de- scribe challenges associated with the restoration of threa- tened trees in the Araucaria Forest of southern Brazil, and analyse the effectiveness of methods used to define target species, identify seed sources and generate information on the phenology of rare or threatened tree species. A review of secondary data identified rareor threatened taxa astar- gets for seed collection. We then surveyed . km of trails in  forest remnants, identifying and mapping , seed- producing trees of  species. Surveysconfirmed the scarcity ofseveraltreespecies (including seven species withanabun- dance of ,. individuals per km), and nine species showed no signs of fruiting during  years of phenological monitoring. These findings, together with limited knowl- edge and application of optimal seed collection methods, aresignificant factors impeding the recoveryof these species within their natural habitat. Wider application of the results of this case study could support restoration of the Araucaria Forest with seedlings from a wider diversity of species.

Qualidade de sementes e mudas de Cedrela fissilis Vell. em função da biometria de frutos e sementes em diferentes procedências

Cedrela fissilis is a Brazilian native species with outstanding use in the timber sector and in the recovery of degraded areas. There is a need for a better understanding of the differences and genetic gains that may exist in relation to different origins and progenies. The objective of the study was to analyze the biometry of fruits and seeds of Cedrela fissilis as a function of different origins and matrices related to the initial growth of seedlings, besides evaluating the best photoperiod in germination. The seeds were collected in matrices from two sources (Fernandes Pinheiro and Lapa) for biometry and the weight of one thousand seeds per matrix. Seeds of the two provenances were submitted to different photoperiods (12, 16 and 24 hours of white light and 24 hours in the dark), the germination and the germination rate index (ORI) was evaluated. The initial growth of the seedlings was evaluated through the measurement of morphological characteristics after every 30 days. The experiments were performed in a completely randomized design and the data submitted to analysis of variance at the 5% level, the averages being compared by the Tukey test and/or polynomial regression. There were biometric differences between fruits and seeds between the matrices, with no relation to the origin. Regarding the germination rate and ORI among the provenances, Fernandes Pinheiro presented the best results. In relation to the photoperiod, there was no difference in germination in relation to light levels, and the ORI was higher for seeds germinated in the dark. Fernandes Pinheiro obtained higher initial growth of the seedlings in relation to the Lapa origin and this difference increases throughout the evaluations. In general, the experiments showed a difference between the provenances, having a relation with the quality of seeds and seedlings formed.

GERMINATION AND SEEDLINGS DEVELOPMENT OF THE THREATENED SPECIES Quillaja brasiliensis

Fil: Velazco, Santiago Jose Elias. Universidade Federal do Parana; Brasil. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biologia Subtropical. Instituto de Biologia Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazu | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biologia Subtropical. Instituto de Biologia Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazu; Argentina