ABSTRACT
Sunflecks and their effect on photosynthesis were evaluated in a semideciduous forest fragment in the Atlantic Forest domain, in Brazil. The three sites studied varied in aspect and leaf area index. The results showed that there is a great spatial net energy variability at the lower stratum of the forest studied due to the presence of gaps and variation in crown architecture. Seedling of four species, which occurred in the three sites studied, were submitted, in the field, to photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), at short intervals, using the infrared gas analyzer (IRGA). It was observed an evident induction state when leaves were kept for a long time under low PAR (20 μmol.m-2s-1).
Key words:
solar radiation; photosynthesis; Atlantic Forest