PHENOLOGY OF CAATINGA SPECIES AT SERRA-TALHADA, PE, NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

The phenology of 19 species of plants was followed for two years at Se rra Talhada, Pernambuco Stare, Northeastern Brazil. Ten plants of each species were monitored biweekly. All plants had a complete canopy cov er from February (well established rainy season) until May-June (just after rains ceased), and all but a few individuals, belonging to six s pecies, were leafless in October-November (peak of the dry season). Le af fall and flush, flowering, and fruiting were almost continuous in t he community throughout both the years, but they peaked at different p eriods. The peak of leaf flush preceded the rainy season, spurred by o ccasional rains, followed by flowering early in the rainy season, and then fruiting. Leaf fall became more pronounced after the rainy season . The species covered a whole range of deciduousness, from those which retained their leaves throughout both years to those which were leafl ess during 6-7 months each year. This was mostly due to the capacity o f leaf retention after the onset of the dry season. Autochoric and zoo choric species produced fruits mostly during the rainy season and anem ochoric species during the dry period. The patterns of flowering and f ruiting were complex. One species did not produce flowers or fruits in either year; five produced flowers and fruits in one year only and tw o others produced flowers in both years but fruits in only one. Most o f the other species had high intraspecific synchrony and produced flow ers for a shorter period than fruits.