Morphological and phenological strategies for flooding tolerance in Cerrado and Pantanal trees: implications for restoration under new legislation

All 13 tree species from the Cerrado and Pantanal biomes tested in this study survived waterlogging stress and recovered after simulated flooding, making them suitable for restoring periodically flooded riparian forests under Brazil's updated Native Vegetation Protection Law. The research highlights that morphological (e.g., adventitious roots, lenticels) and phenological (e.g., leaf renewal) adaptations enable trees to tolerate hypoxia caused by flooding, a critical factor given the law's shift in defining flood-prone areas—now based on regular watercourses rather than seasonal measurements. This finding is particularly relevant as climate change increases flooding risks, necessitating more resilient species for restoration efforts, including in artificially flooded areas like hydroelectric dam banks.

Bogarín, M. R. A., Reis, L. K., Laura, V. A., Pott, A., Szabo, J. K., & Garcia, L. C. (2022). Morphological and phenological strategies for flooding tolerance in Cerrado and Pantanal trees: implications for restoration under new legislation. Restoration Ecology, 31(1). Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13660