Resumen

NUNEZ-CRUZ, Adriana  y  BONFIL, Consuelo. Initial establishment of three species of tropical dry forest in a degraded pasture: effects of adding mulch and compost. Agrociencia [online]. 2013, vol.47, n.6, pp.609-620. ISSN 2521-9766.

Availability of water, soil conditions and recurring disturbances are the main factors that limit plant establishment in disturbed sites in tropical dry forests. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of applying compost and of plastic mulch on survival and initial plant growth of the woody species Dodonaea viscosa, Leucaena leucocephala and Lysiloma divaricatum, in a degraded pasture in northwestern Morelos. In 2009, 121-124 plants of each species were planted; 500 mL of compost, made from cattle manure, grass and tomato plant residues, and later, a plastic mulch (40 x 40 cm square) were applied to plants of each species selected at random. The following treatments were obtained: 1) compost, 2) plastic mulch, 3) compost and mulch, and 4) control (without compost or mulch). Survival and growth were recorded bi-monthly for one year. Survival was analyzed with a generalized linear model, and analyses of variance were performed for growth variables. The species with the highest survival rate was L. divaricatum (61 %) and that with the lowest was D. viscosa (8 %). Plastic mulch increased survival by 17 % to 31 %, depending on the species. Addition of compost had a significant effect (p ≤ 0.05) only on growth in diameter of L. leucocephala. Use of plastic mulch increased restoration success and can be used in other sites where soil characteristics and water stress limit establishment of woody species.

Palabras llave : Dodonaea viscosa; water stress; Leucaena leucocephala; Lysiloma divaricatum; degraded pasture; restoration.

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