Contributions of Annual Phenological Intensity to the Production of Tannins in Sideroxylon obtusifolium in Brazilian Semi-arid

Abstract

The correlation between biological and ecological parameters is essential for the sustainable use of species. This study aimed to assess the relationship between phenological intensity and tannin production in Sideroxylon obtusifolium (Roem. & Schult.) T.D.Penn. in environments with different precipitation regimes. The tannin production and phenological characterization were assessed through the intensity and synchrony of leaves, flower buds, flowers, and fruits in specimens from two microregions of Paraíba, northeastern Brazil. The specimens in the municipality of Sumé were not synchronous and fruiting is the least synchronous phenophase, with an index of only 0.17. The specimens in São João do Cariri had synchronization of 0.77, 0.82, and 0.92 for flower bud, flowering, and fruiting phenophases, respectively. The correlation and factorial clustering showed that fruiting has a correlation of -0.75 with the production of tannins, suggesting that low intensity of annual fruiting is necessary for higher tannin production.

Keywords:
Reproductive phenology; synchrony; secondary metabolites; Caatinga