XVI International Botanical Congess

The cerrado region is a matrix of open savannas crisscrossed by gallery forests that occurs along drainage lines. Woody savanna and forest floras show strong links and similar breeding features. Seedling establishment is critical for plant survival in these formations. Seasonal drought requires root thickening and recurrent growth as survival strategies in savannas, while forest seedlings are constrained by shade and waterlogging. Wind dispersal is common in savannas while bird dispersal is dominant in forests. Animal behavior and habitat use keep seed shadows within gallery forests, while wind may carry seeds outside forest limits. Wind dispersal occurs mainly at the end of the dry season while zoochory occurs during the rains. Seed germination occurs early in the rainy season irrespective of fruit phenology. Dormancy in animal dispersed seeds adjusts germination with the next rains. We discuss the consequences of these processes for the structure of cerrado plant communities. (CNPq/FAPEMIG)