Castellani, T.T. & Santos, F.A.M. 2004. Regeneration of Ipomoea pes-caprae after coastal erosion (Moçambique Beach, Santa Catarina Island, Southern Brazil). 8th International Coastal Symposium. p. 163.

It is suggested that the strategy of establishment of a strand plant may be influenced by the intensity of perturbation imposed in the beach and foredune. This study evaluated the establishment mechanism (vegetative growth of re-sprouting stolons and seedling recruitment) and the population regeneration of the strand plant Ipomoea pes-caprae after an overwash event which removed and burrowed stolons at Moçambique Beach, Southern Brazilian coast. Three re-sprouted stolons and 20 seedlings were monitored by an year to evaluate survival, growth and reproduction. The re-colonization of the area was evaluated in 12 permanent plots of 1 m², where all the stolon segments, short branches and leaves were monitored. The regeneration of Ipomoea pes-caprae was fast and restored the population of modules to densities higher than those registered before the perturbation. An increase from 2.9 to 13.2 short branches/m² was observed in the permanent plots and just 0.6% of the total branches came from seedlings. The re-sprouted stolons expanded up to 15 m length, produced 0.67 stolons/primary stolon.year-¹, and a net increase from 23 to 33 new branches and from 73 to 166 leaves. The highest rates of expansion occurred at the summer with posterior stabilisation and all stolons reproduced in the summer. Although the high seedling survival (90%), no seedling developed stolon in this perios and the vegetative growth of re-sprouted stolons was the main mechanism of population regeneration after the overwash disturbance.