Environmental elements, such as air temperature, relative humidity and solar radiation, affect the physiological behavior of plants, which is reflected in their growth and development. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physiological changes of Brazilian Orchid Tree seedlings over a typical day and find the best time to carry out determinations of gas exchanges. For this end, we evaluated temperature of the leaf, photosynthetically active radiation, stomatal resistance and perspiration, using a porometer, from 8:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m., in intervals of one hour between measurements. The species presents oscillations in its physiologic mechanism in function of the time of evaluation and climatic conditions, being the most suitable interval to determine gas exchanges from 10:00 a.m. to 01:00 p.m.
Water stress; environmental elements; stomatal resistance
