Caatinga diaspores

Description

Abstract: Characteristics of dispersal units can provide valuable insights into the ecology of species and implications for the conservation and restoration of ecosystems. The Caatinga is the largest ecosystem of Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest and Woodlands in South America. However, information on dispersal units from the Brazilian semiarid region is still insufficient and scattered in scientific literature or unpublished data. To fill in gaps and provide detailed information on Caatinga dispersal units, we compiled a data set of morphophysiological data for 100 native taxa, including information such as germination, seed water content, 1000 seed weight, fruit shape, and geographic coordinates of 1981 seed lots. In total, more than 60 tonnes of dispersal units were collected, covering 91% of the most dominant woody species in this ecosystem. These records come from partial results of environmental licensing actions of the Integration Project of the São Francisco River with Watersheds of the Northern Northeast (PISF), the Projeto Re-Habitar Ararinha Azul (Re-Habitar Ararinha Azul Project), and reliable literature. Our data set is the first of its kind for the Caatinga and has potential use for studies on forest dynamics, dispersal, germination, conservation and ecological restoration of the Brazilian semiarid region. Therefore, we hope that this data paper can offer valuable and reliable information on the distribution of local flora, dispersal syndromes, morphological descriptions, and suggest different methods for overcoming seed dormancy in Caatinga. No copyright restrictions are associated with the use of this data set. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data.

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