How to Cite Complete Issue More Information About This Article
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Revista de Biología Tropical ISSN: 0034-7744 ISSN: 2215-2075 Universidad de Costa Rica Corredor-Londoño, Germán-A.; Beltrán, José-William; Torres-González, Alba-Marina; Sardi-Saavedra, Antonella Phenological synchrony and seasonality of eight tree species in a fragmented landscape in the Colombian Andes Revista de Biología Tropical, vol. 68, no. 3, 2020, July-September, pp. 987-1000 Universidad de Costa Rica DOI: https://doi.org/DOI10.15517/RBT.V68I3.39277 Available in: https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44967847022 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System Redalyc More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America and the Caribbean, Spain and Journal's webpage in redalyc.org Portugal Project academic non-profit, developed under the open access initiative ISSN Printed: 0034-7744 ISSN digital: 2215-2075 Phenological synchrony and seasonality of eight tree species in a fragmented landscape in the Colombian Andes Germán A. Corredor-Londoño1*, José William Beltrán2, Alba Marina Torres-González3 & Antonella Sardi-Saavedra3 1. Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Carrera 32 No. 12-00, Palmira, Colombia; [email protected] 2. Universidad del Pacífico, Department of Natural and Exact Sciences, Km 13 vía al aeropuerto, Barrio El Triunfo, Buenaventura, Colombia; [email protected] 3. Universidad del Valle, Departamento de Biología, Calle 13 No. 100-00, Cali, Colombia; [email protected], [email protected] * Correspondence Received 11-X-2019. Corrected 29-iii-2020. Accepted 08-viii-2020. ABSTRACT. Introduction: In Neotropical forests with high seasonality, climatic variables generally exert a strong influence on plant phenology. Objetive: To describe the reproductive phenology of eight tree species in a fragmented wet forest landscape, as well as to evaluate the seasonality and their phenological synchrony. Methods: The observations were performed over two years on the foothills of Los Farallones de Cali National Park, in Southwestern Colombia. We applied circular statistics to detect seasonal trends, calculate intraspecific synchrony and identify correlations between phenophases and climatic variables. Results: Flowering and fruit- ing were significantly seasonal in most species. The flowering and fruiting patterns were annual (e.g. Henriettea seemannii, Ocotea aurantiodora, Schefflera morototoni, Lacistema aggregatum) or sub-annual (e.g. Eugenia cf. egensis, Erythroxylum citrifolium, Miconia minutiflora, M. rubiginosa). The open flower and mature fruit phenophases at the community level were continual and bimodal. Each species had high intraspecific population synchrony of open flowers and ripe fruits. Precipitation, relative humidity, temperature and solar irradiance were correlated to flowering and fruiting peaks, except in E. cf. egensis. Conclusions: The annual species showed high phenological synchrony, although the rainfall regime showed variations between years; thus, they seem to be less sensitive to climatic variation than the sub-annual species. Our results indicate that climatic variables partially control the flowering and fruiting rhythms of eight tree species in this study. Key words: secondary forest; tropical forest; tree phenology; reproductive phenology; climatic variables. Corredor-Londoño, G.A., Beltrán, J.W., Torres-González, A.M., & Sardi, A. (2020). Phenological synchrony and seasonality of eight tree species in a fragmented landscape in the Colombian Andes. Revista de Biología Tropical, 68(3), 987-1000. Deforestation caused by anthropogenic of tropical plants is affected, and such impacts activities has changed the Andean landscape to on their reproductive success may disrupt forests fragments, increasing edge effects that biotic interactions and the goods and services produce fine-scale variation in temperature, that they provide (Herrerías-Diego, Quesada, light, and soil humidity conditions (Williams- Stoner, & Lobo, 2006; Xiao, Li, Cao, & Linera, Dominguez-Gastelu, & García-Zurita, Dong, 2016). 1998). In fragmented landscapes the flowering Phenological events in tropical plants can and fruiting periods and frequency of breeding be regulated by abiotic and biotic factors, Rev. Biol. Trop. (Int. J. Trop. Biol.) • Vol. 68(3): 987-1000, September 2020 987 and also by phylogenetic constraints. Cli- plant species, assess the effects of global cli- mate has been usually considered as the most mate change, plant-animal interactions, and the important abiotic factor regulating plant phe- dynamics of resource availability for popula- nology (Morellato et al., 2000; Morellato, tions of many animal species in tropical forests 2003). In tropical forests with well-defined (Williams-Linera & Meave, 2002; Morellato, dry and rainy seasons, phenological patterns 2003; Xiao et al., 2016). Moreover, phenologi- of plants are highly seasonal, with precipita- cal information can be used for implementation tion and soil humidity being the main factors of an integrated conservation strategy, targeting that induce reproductive activities (Morellato, restoration of plant communities and reintro- 2003; Nadia, Morellato, & Machado, 2012). duction of threatened plant species in protected Flowering is often triggered by rainfall, with natural areas, and it can also support ecological heavier rains inducing a higher synchronization restoration programs, particularly for seed col- of flowering within populations of different lection periods (Buisson, Alvarado, Stradic, & tree species (Morellato, Camargo, & Gressler, Morellato, 2017; Luna-Nieves, Meave, Morel- 2013). Likewise, during the rainy season fruit lato, & Ibarra-Manriquez, 2017; Nuñez-Cruz, production increases in many species (Sun et Meave, & Bonfil, 2018). al., 1996; Villasana & Suárez, 1997). However, In this context, the present study is aimed in tropical areas with low climatic seasonality, at characterising, for the first time, the repro- photoperiod and light intensity are the main ductive phenological pattern of eight bird- climatic factors that explain seasonal rhythms dispersed tree species, within in a mosaic of of growth and reproduction (Morellato et al., secondary fragments on the foothills of Los 2000; Gunter, Stimm, Cabrera, & Diaz, 2008; Farallones de Cali National Park in South- Liuth, Talora, & Amorin, 2013). On the other western Colombia, over two years of observa- hand, biotic factors, such as attraction of pol- tions. The following research questions were linators and fruit dispersers, herbivory avoid- addressed: 1) Are patterns of reproductive ance, and availability of animal agents in some phenology of the species seasonal and related periods of the year (van Schaik, Terborgh, & to climatic factors? 2) Do flowering and fruit- Weight, 1993; Lobo et al., 2003; Hamann, ing patterns differ between species? 3) Are the 2004) can induce phenological responses. reproductive phenological patterns at the com- Thus, the arrival of migratory birds may be munity level seasonal? timed to flowering peaks of hummingbird- pollinated and fruiting peaks of bird-dispersed MATERIALS AND METHODS plants (van Schaik et al., 1993). In addition, some studies have suggest- Study area: Field work was carried out ed that phenological patterns among related between February 2013 and March 2015 on species might be constrained by phylogenet- the foothills of Los Farallones de Cali National ics membership (Wright & Calderon, 1995; Park, (3°19’0.7’’ N & 76°34’39’’ W), Munici- Staggemeier, Diniz-Filho, & Morellato, 2010; pality of Cali, Valle del Cauca Department, in Liuth et al., 2013). This hypothesis considers Southwestern Colombia. The area is a subtropi- that phylogenetic constrains are stronger than cal wet forest in the Holdridge´s system (Espi- local selective pressures, thus species within nal, 1977) located at 1 100-1 180 m, does not the same plant family or genus might have show major changes in physiognomy of ever- aggregate phenological pattterns in any geo- green vegetation between dry and wet seasons. graphical location (Kochmer & Handel, 1986). The rainfall regime is bimodal, with a mean Studies of reproductive phenological pat- annual rainfall of 1 481 mm and mean annual terns in transformed landscapes are funda- temperature of 24.3 °C (Meteorological Station mental to better understand the influence of 26055070 Universidad del Valle, Institute of triggers regulating growth and reproduction of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental 988 Rev. Biol. Trop. (Int. J. Trop. Biol.) • Vol. 68(3): 987-1000, September 2020 Studies, IDEAM). The dry seasons occur in for a total of 24 censuses. The intensity of December-February, and another, more one each reproductive phenophase (flower buds, pronounced in June-August. Vegetation cover open flowers, unripe fruits and ripe fruits) in the area includes successional stages from was defined following the semi-quantitative bushes and second-growth forests, interspersed method proposed by Fournier (1974). Relative with trails and county houses. Second-growth abundance of each phenophase was visually forest is characterized by a closed canopy monitored always by the same observer, over with trees of 15-25 m high, with dominant tree the whole crown of each tree and assessing species including Ocotea aurantiodora (Ruiz values between 0 and 4, where 0 = absence of & Pav.) Mez, Henriettea seemannii (Nau- the event, 1 = 1-25 %, 2 = 26-50 %, 3 = 51-75 din) L.O. Williams, Lacistema aggregatum % and 4 = 76-100 %. (P.J. Bergius)