Would contrasting abiotic factors affect reproductive phenology of Hancornia speciosa in Northeastern Brazil?

Hancornia speciosa is a widespread species that occurs on poor sandy soils of South America, especially in Brazil, where it is known as “mangabeira”. In addition to being avidly sought after by the fauna, its fruits represent an important resource for extractivism. This study aimed to understand reproductive phenodynamics of H. speciosa growing inland and by the coastline areas, where climatic aspects drastically differ. Circular statistics showed low to moderate seasonality. Although the phenophases manifested in the same seasons, there was a 25–45 days advance in the inland populations average dates that may be a conserved response to the recurrent water deficit compared to the coastline area. Generalized Linear Models indicate that photoperiod and monthly mean temperature were the most influential variables on the intensity of phenophase expression. There was no significant difference in the intensity of flower and ripe fruit between the two regions, despite the differences among rates of accumulated monthly precipitation, suggesting that physiological adaptations allow both populations to maintain an equivalent reproduction rate. In addition to contributing to plant ecology research, this study also offers support to extractive communities by providing arguments to help them engage in discussions about anthropogenic impacts on the sustainable management of H. speciosa.