Estudos sobre estratégias adaptativas e traços funcionais no Cerrado lato sensu

Abstract

The Cerrado lato sensu, the second largest biome in South America, is recognized as one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, harboring high species richness and a mosaic of physiognomies ranging from open grasslands to dense forest formations (RIBEIRO; WALTER, 2008, p. 151). As Klink and Machado (2005, p. 708) state, “the Brazilian Cerrado harbors about 5% of global biodiversity, representing a natural heritage of global relevance.” According to Rodrigues et al. (2009, p. 4): The Cerrado is one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world due to agricultural expansion, habitat fragmentation, and biodiversity loss. The urgency to understand its ecological dynamics is proportional to the intensity of anthropogenic pressures it has been facing. In this context, this dissertation aims to analyze, from the perspective of functional ecology, the adaptive strategies and functional traits that confer resilience to plant species in the Cerrado lato sensu in response to natural environmental filters and anthropogenic pressures. Violle et al. (2007, p. 883) define functional traits as “morphological, physiological, or phenological attributes that directly influence species’ performance in response to environmental conditions.” The research consisted of a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA protocol (MOHER et al., 2009, p. 2), covering publications between 2000 and 2025. The review included studies addressing morphological traits (height, specific leaf area, wood density, underground7 structures), physiological traits (photosynthetic rates, stomatal conductance, water use), and phenological traits (flowering, fruiting, leaf senescence), in relation to environmental factors such as fire, acidic soils, water seasonality, and anthropogenic degradation. The results show that species from different physiognomies share adaptive traits such as low specific leaf area (SLA), deep roots, the presence of xylopodia, thick bark, and conservative resource-use strategies (GRANT et al., 2014, p. 355). These attributes reflect the action of environmental filters such as nutrient-poor soils and recurrent fire, which select highly adapted species (SILVA et al., 2013, p. 220). It is concluded that the functional approach applied to the Cerrado lato sensu not only enhances the understanding of its ecological mechanisms but also represents a strategic tool to support conservation, management, and ecological restoration policies (MARTINS et al., 2020, p. 5).