SLIGHT SOIL DEACIDIFICATION COMPROMISE THE GROWTH AND THE ALUMINUM ACCUMULATION IN Qualea cordata PLANTS.

Soil acidity and aluminum presence may reduce plant growth worldwide. In several cases, these two parameters, either alone or associated, can lead to plant constraints, which is barely known in natural ecosystems. In order to address these constraints, current model of study is Qualea cordata, an endemic species of Brazilian impoverished soil of rupestrian fields. Plants were grown, both in very acidic soil and in little deacidificated soil. After 6 months of growth in two acidic soil conditions and aluminum presence, the accumulation and dry biomass partitioning and content of nitrogen, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, aluminum and chloroplastic pigments were evaluated and also chlorophyll fluorescence was obtained in intact plants. The soil deacidification induced an increase of mineral element contents in the leaves, however, lower total plant biomass and aluminum accumulation, also induced differential biomass partitioning and greater carotenoid levels. Regardless of the soil acidity, the levels of chlorophyll were not altered even in photosynthetic parameters. The results highlighted the resilience of this species to natural and very acidic soil conditions, indicating the need and the beneficial effect of aluminum accumulation in this specie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]