TOLERÂNCIA À SECA E ALTAS TEMPERATURAS EM ESPÉCIES ARBÓREAS NATIVAS DO CERRADO EM UM CENÁRIO DE MUDANÇAS CLIMÁTICAS

Abstract

The Cerrado, Brazil's second largest biome, is a critical biodiversity hotspot but also the most threatened savanna in the world due to the expansion of agribusiness and climate change. Rising temperatures and decreasing humidity, particularly over the last 60 years, have affected the physiology of plant species, threatening their adaptive capacity and, consequently, biodiversity conservation. Cerrado plants, adapted to a climate with well-defined dry and wet seasons, possess various physiological mechanisms to cope with water scarcity. However, global climate change is progressing much faster than species can adapt, potentially pushing them to a critical survival threshold. This study aims to analyze the plasticity associated with thermotolerance determinants in deciduous and evergreen species throughout the seasons, seeking to understand how these plants will respond to rising global temperatures. The results indicate that while some species exhibit stability in their physiological processes, others show greater leaf plasticity, adjusting to variations in temperature and water availability. Temperatures above 40 °C have already been shown to harm leaves, highlighting that the photosynthetic apparatus is particularly sensitive to warming. This underscores the importance of further investigating these responses to predict climate change impacts and develop appropriate conservation strategies for the Cerrado flora.