Photosynthetic capacity and specific leaf mass in twenty woody species of Cerrado vegetation under field conditions

Photosynthetic capacity on area (P Nmaxa ) and mass bases (P Nmaxm ) and specific leaf mass (SLM) were determined in twenty adult woody species of Cerrado under field conditions. The mean values obtained for P Nmaxa [11.4 µmol(CO2) m-2 s-1], P Nmaxm [78 µmol(CO2) kg-1 s-1] and SLM (150 g m-2) were compared with mean values found for deciduous and evergreen sclerophyllous species growing also under field conditions. P Nmaxm and SLM were statistically different among deciduous, Cerrado and evergreen sclerophyllous species. There was a gradual decrease of P Nmaxm and an increase of SLM from deciduous to evergreen sclerophyllous species. Woody species of Cerrado showed mean values of P Nmaxm and SLM between deciduous and evergreen species indicating its brevideciduousness. The comparison using mean values of P Nmaxm and SLM belonging to deciduous, Cerrado and evergreen sclerophyllous species was suitable to confirm the interdependence among leaf life span, structure and physiological attributes of leaf.