How do woody and herbaceous species protect their buds in fire-prone Pantanal wetlands?

Resumen

Covering the buds was a key strategy in the evolved of plants which enabled them to protect their meristems and, hence, be able to resprout and persist in environments prone multiple disturbances. Here, we evaluate the functional traits that confer bud protection in woody and herbaceous species of Pantanal wetland prone to fire. We evaluated the anatomical origin and the depth of bud formation, the thickness of the protective tissue, the presence of phenolic and storage compounds in 20 species of woody and herbaceous species. We observed basal buds located up to 2 cm aboveground and belowground buds located up to 5 cm deep in the soil in the studied species. Overall, the buds are formed in superficial tissues such as the cortex or secondary phloem and are protected by a single thin periderm. We identified phenolic compounds and starch stored in the bud-bearing organs. Phenolic compounds have been associated as a chemical protection mechanism against fire due to their ability to act as a thermal insulator. In addition, starch stored in bud-forming tissues is an essential factor that provides a source of food to the bud development after fire events.

Citation: Rodrigues da Silva, J. & Scremin-Dias, E. 2025. How do woody and herbaceous species protect their buds in fire-prone Pantanal wetlands? Revista Jard. Bot. Nac. Univ. Habana 46 (Número especial 1): 123.

Trabajo presentado en el XIII Congreso Latinoamericano de Botánica. Sesión Estructura, Fisiología y Desarrollo.