ILLUSTRATIONS: Sabrina Eras
It is due to a combination of natural factors. The flora of the Cerrado has biological characteristics that protect it from death in case of fires – a common phenomenon in the region due to lightning. But fire kills some of the shoots, so the branches are always growing in a different direction (see the infographic below). It is worth remembering that the Cerrado is a savannah-type biome (where trees are spaced far enough apart to let sunlight reach the ground and allow grass to grow) unique to South America, predominant mainly in the Midwest of Brazil . The vegetation, typical of dry climates, is composed of shrubs and small trees with crooked trunks and thick bark and leaves.
1) THICK SHELL
The suber is a tissue formed by dead cells and that surrounds trunks and branches. It is interpreted as a feature of adaptation to fire. Acting as a thermal insulator, the suber prevents the high temperatures of the flames from reaching the innermost living tissues of the stems.
2) WEAK EARTH
The soil is naturally rich in aluminum and poor in nutrients, which means that vegetation does not grow very much. Therefore, it is common to see low trees in the Cerrado, between 2 and 6 m (except in the parts known as Cerradão, where there is more water and nutrients available)
3) UNDER THE EARTH
Roots and other underground structures, such as tubers, are very well developed in Cerrado plants – in part to fetch water from water tables 20 m below the ground. With this, the vegetation can resprout quickly after bad weather, such as fire, for example.
LIFE AFTER THE FLAMES
Top buds burn, so the way is to go sideways
Tree Cerrado 21. Fire, resulting from natural electrical discharges, is common in the region. It burns the apical bud (or bud), a cellular concentration at the apex of the stem. Therefore, the tree stops growing upwards.
two. The tree does not die because of the thick bark, cork and roots (see above). With this, the axillary buds, which are on the sides of the stem, germinate, causing the tree to grow sideways.
3. The burning and death process of the buds is continuous, so that the branches gain sequences of curves and become “crooked”. After all, every moment there is an axillary bud sprouting in a different direction.
READER QUESTION Cristiano da Silva
CONSULTANCY Renata Carnevale, forestry engineer / SOURCES Ecossistemas Book, by Enge-Rio, and Manual for the Recovery of Cerrado Vegetation, State Forest and Assis Ecological Station
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