Population structure of the species Turnera subulata Sm. In an area of the municipality of Itabaiana, Sergipe

Abstract

The species Turnera subulata Sm. (Turneraceae) has a wide distribution in Brazil, being used for ornamental, medicinal and food purposes. Despite this, information on the ecology of the species is still scarce. Thus, the present work aimed to analyze the population structure of the species T. subulata in an area of the municipality of Itabaiana, Sergipe. In the study area, 10 plots of 1m² were plotted and the number of individuals was counted and the height and diameter of the stem were measured at their ground height. With these data, the density and spatial dispersion of Morisita were calculated for the total population and for each ontogenetic stage, as well as a Spearman correlation analysis between the stages. The individuals were also distributed into diametric (range 0.5 cm) and hypsometric (range 5 cm) frequency classes. A total of 57 individuals were counted (AD = 5.7 ind.m²), among them 41 were adults (AD = 4.1 ind.m²) and 16 were regenerative (AD = 1.6 ind.m²). The total population (Id = 0.86) and adults (Id = 0.84) presented random distribution, while the regenerating ones (Id = 1.17) were aggregated. The correlation between ontogenetic stages was negative and significant (r = -0.83; t = 4.28; p = 0.0027). The distribution pattern of the individuals in diametric and hypsometric frequency classes differed from the inverted "J". The results indicate that the studied population is predominantly composed of adults and that there is no self-regeneration, suggesting that T. subulata is being replaced by other species in the area.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevenIIImulti2023-243