Atributos das sementes para o sucesso da semeadura direta aplicados à seleção de espécies

Abstract

The success of ecological restoration is related to the selection of species and the understanding of functional traits that influence plant development in the early stages. This study discusses the importance of seed selection and morphological characteristics for direct seeding. Through a systematic literature review, the main criteria used in the selection of species for direct seeding in Brazilian biomes were identified. It was found that logistical criteria, such as seed availability (20%) and natural occurrence (19%), are the most applied, while ecological and functional traits were rarely considered The evaluation of the relationship between seed size and the germination and emergence of species from the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado revealed that the interaction between seed thickness and shape significantly impacts germination, while an increase in seed length results in greater emergence. A database was developed containing morphological characteristics of size, germination, and fruit type for 131 species, highlighting the main trends observed among them. It is concluded that integrating functional traits in species selection can significantly enhance the success of restoration through direct seeding. Furthermore, intermediate to large-sized seeds, with greater length and moderate thickness, demonstrate the best balance between high germination rates and good emergence.