Interciencia ISSN: 0378-1844 [email protected] Asociación Interciencia Venezuela Cornejo-Tenorio, Guadalupe; Ibarra-Manríquez, Guillermo Plant reproductive phenology in a temperate forest of the monarch butterfly biosphere reserve, México Interciencia, vol. 32, núm. 7, julio, 2007, pp. 445-452 Asociación Interciencia Caracas, Venezuela Available in: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=33932704 How to cite Complete issue Scientific Information System More information about this article Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative PLANT reprodUctiVE PHENOLogy IN A temperAte forest of THE MONArcH BUtterfLY BiospHere ReserVE, MEXico GUADALUpe CorNEJO-TENorio and GUILLermo IBArrA-MANRÍQUEZ SUMMARY Monthly flowering and fruiting observations were recorded for and fruits throughout the year without peaks in any season; and the most dominant species (11 annual herbs, 72 perennial herbs, 3) nearly all trees had flowers and fruits during the dry season. 21 shrubs, and 8 trees) in a temperate forest, during 2004, in the Correlations of the number of flowering species at community Cerro Altamirano Core Zone of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere level and perennial herbs against rainfall showed a significant Reserve in central Mexico. Intraspecific synchrony in flowering positive relationship. However, a negative relationship was found and fruiting of eight woody species was estimated by monitoring between rainfall and number of fruiting species in shrubs and 20 individuals of each. Flowering and fruiting occurred mainly trees. High reproductive synchrony (>60% of individuals in during the rainy season and at the beginning of the dry season the same phenological phase) was detected in five tree species. (Jul-Dec) and showed a low degree of seasonality. Reproductive Phenological reproductive patterns in the study area, essential- activity within growth forms occurred in different periods: 1) an- ly a temperate high altitude forest in the tropics, were similar nual and perennial herbs flowered principally during the rainy to those documented for the seasonal lowland tropical forests, season and at the beginning of the dry season, while their fruit- mainly explained by annual rainfall and growth form. ing peaked during the dry season; 2) shrubs produced flowers ne of the most impor- et al., 1994; Wright and Calderón, 1995; and Janarthanam, 2004). Another impor- tant aspects of phenol- Poulin et al., 1999; Spina et al., 2001; tant aspect is the intraspecific synchrony ogy studies is the search Bolmgren et al., 2003). in reproductive events. A high degree of of factors that explain the phenological An additional recur- synchrony in flowering and fruiting could behavior of species. Rainfall, tempera- ring focus in plant phenology studies is be advantageous for the plants by increas- ture, soil water availability and photope- the comparison of phenological patterns ing the attraction of pollinators and seed riod appear to be the main abiotic factors among different growth forms. Several dispersers, or the satiation of seed preda- that trigger flowering and fruiting events studies have found that herbaceous spe- tors (Rathcke and Lacey, 1985; Smith and (van Schaik et al., 1993; Newstrom et al., cies produce flowers and fruits during Bronstein, 1996; Olvera et al., 1997; Kelly 1994; Morellato et al., 2000; Borchert et the rainy season, whereas woody spe- and Sork, 2002). In contrast, asynchrony al., 2004). On the other hand, biotic fac- cies tend to have flowers during the dry could minimize competition for dispersal tors such as fruit type, pollination and season and fruits during the dry or rainy agents, propagule predation and pathogen seed dispersal syndromes are also very seasons (Frankie et al., 1974; Croat, incidence (Rathcke and Lacey, 1985; van important for understanding the flower- 1975; Opler et al., 1980; Sarmiento and Schaik et al., 1993; Poulin et al., 1999). ing and fruiting patterns of plant species Monasterio, 1983; Ibarra-Manríquez et This work describes for (Bawa et al., 1985; Ibarra-Manríquez et al., 1991; Ibarra-Manríquez and Oyama, the first time the reproductive plant phe- al., 1991; Ibarra-Manríquez and Oyama, 1992; Chapman et al., 1999; Batalha and nology in one of the core zones of the 1992; van Schaik et al., 1993; Newstrom Mantovani, 2000; Ramírez, 2002; Joshi Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve in KEYWORDS / Ecosystem Conservation / Flowering Phenology / Fruiting Phenology / Growth Forms / Intraspecific Synchrony / Received: 04/03/2007. Modified: 05/30/2007. Accepted: 06/06/2007. Guadalupe Cornejo-Tenorio. M.Sc. in Biological Sciences, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Researcher, UNAM, Morelia, México. e-mail: [email protected] Guillermo Ibarra-Manríquez. Ph.D. in Biology, UNAM, Mexico. Investigador, UNAM, Mexi- co Address: Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, UNAM. Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro Nº 8701, Col. San José de la Huerta, 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, México. e-mail: [email protected] JUL 2007, VOL. 32 Nº 7 0378-1844/07/07/445-08 $ 3.00/0 445 central Mexico. This reserve is the win- was predicted that 1) flow- ter refuge of the monarch butterfly (Dan- ering and fruiting would aus plexippus L.) and is one of the most be triggered by rainfall, 2) important protected areas of temperate growth forms would show forest in Mexico, in terms of diversity different phenological pat- of vascular plants, area, and its biogeog- terns, and 3) woody spe- raphy, which includes a unique combina- cies would display a pat- tion of northern and southern elements at tern of intraspecific syn- high elevation within the tropics. To date, chrony in flowering and phenological studies in Mexico have been fruiting. conducted mainly on woody species of tropical dry forests and tropical rain-for- Materials and Methods ests (Carabias-Lillo and Guevara, 1985; Bullock and Solís-Magallanes, 1990; Ibar- The study ra-Manríquez et al., 1991; Ibarra-Man- was carried out in one Figure 1. Climatic diagram with data from the Tepuxtepec Me- ríquez, 1992; Ochoa-Gaona and Domín- of the three major core teorological Station, located at Contepec, Michoacan, Mexico guez-Vázquez, 2000; Lobo et al., 2003), zones of the MBBR, the (19º59’S, 100º13’W, 2330masl). The values for mean monthly with few studies in the temperate forests Cerro Altamirano, in the rainfall (curve in gray, 1970-2000), mean monthly temperature (Ramírez and Nepamuceno, 1986; Bello, states of Michoacan and (line, 1970-2000) and monthly rainfall registered in 2004 (black 1994; Olvera et al., 1997). Thus, pheno- Mexico, central Mexico bars) were obtained from the Comisión Nacional del Agua. logical information for Mexican temper- (19°59’42’’-19°57’07’’N and ate species is scarce and only partial data 100°09’54’’-100°06’39’’W), with a surface All observations were made during the can be found in some regional flora or of 588ha and altitudes of 2500-3320masl first week of each month. Each observa- taxonomic monographs where the pheno- (Cornejo et al., 2003). Geologically, this tion site consisted of a 25×4m transect. logical information comes from records in reserve is within the Transmexican Vol- Based on knowledge of the area (Cornejo herbaria specimens rather than periodical canic Belt (Ferrusquía-Villafranca, 1993). et al., 2003), counts were limited to in- field observations. The regional climate is temperate-subhu- clude only the most abundant plant spe- Understanding phenolog- mid, with wet summers C(w1), an aver- cies in the community (Table I): 11 an- ical patterns and the underlying factors is age annual rainfall of 830mm and a mean nual herbs, 72 perennial herbs, 21 shrubs, important in the Monarch Butterfly Bio- annual temperature of 15.7ºC (García, and 8 trees. The presence of open flow- sphere Reserve (MBBR) to help analyze 1981). Rainfall is strongly seasonal, with ers and ripe fruits was recorded only in the wide array of biological processes most precipitation occurring from June to those species with ≥10 adult individuals governing forest functions and structure, September (Figure 1). Vegetation is clas- in at least one of the 35 observation sites. and also to reflect positive or negative in- sified as temperate forest, with two main In the case of herbs, it was sometimes not teractions among species (e.g., dispersal subtypes: Quercus forest at lower alti- possible to define individuals, in which of diaspores, population biology of herbi- tudes and Abies forest at higher altitudes case we recorded flowers or fruits at the vores). Phenological data will also provide (Rzedowski, 1978). The Quercus forest level of ramets in no less than 10 sites. valuable information to design sustainable is a floristically rich formation found at To investigate pheno- plans for the management and conserva- 2500-2900masl. In this forest type the logical synchrony of the dominant woody tion of biodiversity. Specifically, such data most important tree species are Q. casta- species, 160 mature individuals were will allow to recognize keystone fruit re- nea Née and Q. obtusata Humb. & Bon- marked and observed monthly, belonging sources in the plant community and will pl. (Fagaceae), and Arbutus xalapensis to seven tree species (A. religiosa; Arbu- also be useful in planning restoration ac- Kunth (Ericaceae), while the understory tus tesellata, A. xalapensis, Ericaceae; tions in areas affected by human activi- contains a great diversity of shrubs and Clethra mexicana, Clethraceae; Q. cas- ties (Chapman et al., 1999; Wallace and herbs, predominantly Asteraceae, Lamia- tanea, Q. laurina, and Q. obtusata) and Painter, 2002). Unfortunately, deforesta- ceae and Scrophulariaceae. The Abies for- to one shrub species (Arctostaphylos pun- tion in the MBBR is a major problem that est is mostly found above 3000masl, has a gens, Ericaceae). Hereafter, this species includes a diminished natural resource canopy dominated by A. religiosa (Kunth) group was named as tree species. Based base for the local people, as well as eco- Schltdl.