Relationship between Cerrado native plants and water

Abstract

The distribution of vegetation in the Cerrado biome is mainly related to soil depth, since it establishes the stock of nutrients and water in the soil until the end of the dry season. The work deals with the evolution of the native plants of this biome, bringing the main anatomical, phenological and physiological adaptations related to water availability in the soil. Reduction in transpiration rate, investment in thickened and deep root systems, physiological seed dormancy and accumulation of non-structural carbohydrates in tissues are the main adaptive characteristics of these plants to Cerrado conditions. Some species have an efficient mechanism of osmotic adjustment, being able to redistribute water in the tissues even in the condition of water deficit, which allows them, at slow rates, to grow and development.