Abstract

YAM-CHIN, Carlos; MONTANEZ-ESCALANTE, Patricia  and  RUENES-MORALES, Rocío. Growth of young plants of Cordia dodecandra (Boraginaceae) in three successional stages of vegetation in Calotmul, Yucatán. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2014, vol.85, n.2, pp.589-597. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.7550/rmb.34996.

Natural populations of Cordia dodencandra (siricote) in Yucatán are threatened due to the overexploitation of their wood, valued by its hardness and grain. Reforestation, enrichment of vegetation in disturbed areas and commercial plantation programs of this species are needed. These programs must take into account the relation between plant growth and its response to the environmental factors occurring in forests in different stages of recovery. The aim of this study was to characterize the environmental conditions; temperature, humidity and photosynthetically active radiation; under different successional stages; advanced, intermediate, early and without vegetation; in order to determine the influence of specific leaf area and growth of siricote seedlings. On a patch of each successional stage, sixty seedlings of siricote were established in a plot. Distribution of seedlings was 4m between rows and 2.7 between plants. After 19 months, the early successional plot was the better site for siricote growth. We observed an inverse relationship between photosynthetically active radiation and specific leaf area and, a direct relationship between relative humidity and specific leaf area. According to our results siricote could be used in programs of enrichment of vegetation in advanced successional stages as well as for reforesting early successional areas.

Keywords : interactions; microenvironment; radiation.

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