Here is a communicating about time differences between branch and diameter growth in a tree community of ten species in Neotropical savanna ("cerrado") of Central Brazil. This work was conducted to study branch expansion and diameter growth in a period of one year between 2006 and 2007. Branch growth had begin in middle dry season and had the peak occurrence during the dry period in September, while diameter growth had begin in late dry season and peaked in the middle of wet season in December. The majority of species followed the same pattern. Branch growth did not have relation with rainfall, while diameter growth had a clear and positive relation with rainfall records. These results suggested that branch growth was not depend on rainfall but only on water status recover, while diameter growth probably depends strongly on water and to carbon assimilation that occurs after branch and leaf expansion.
"cerrado"; growth; rainfall; stem diameter growth
