Relación entre fenología y temperatura de especies nativas forestales y su repuesta en la floración en los bosques del Parque Nacional Cajas, provincia del Azuay”.

Abstract

In the Andean forest, the correlation between plant phenology and climate variables is still limited, despite of the great importance of the phenology as potential indicators in the mid and long term facing the Climate change predictions. The aims of this study were: 1) Correlate the minimum, maximum and average temperature and their time lag for the different phenological events of six native tree species Hedyosmun luteynii, Myrcianthes rhopaloides, Ocotea heterochroma, Oreocallis grandiflora, Vallea stipularis and Weinmania fagaroides in Llaviucu and Mazán forest located at National Park El Cajas, and 2) to relate the temperature with flower bud differentiation of V. stipularis. The results indicated that the species responded differently to the temperature among forest, however, there was a similar behavior within of the formed species groups, such as climax successional species (H. luteynii, M. rhopaloides and O. heterochroma), which showed that the maximum temperature had an influence on ripe fruit event with a high correlation positively as well as negatively in both forests and with a similar time lag. Likewise, the species H. luteynii and M. rhopaloides, for most of the phenological events had an influence by minimum temperature with a similar time lag. The other formed group of Pioneer species (V. stipularis and W. fagaroides), had a negative correlation with the maximum temperature, which was the driver for the occurrence of the ripe fruit in both forests. Likewise, the species V. stipularis and W. fagaroides, responded positively to the minimum temperature for the flower bud event. In the case of O. grandiflora, it was not observed any correlation for the temperature parameter, indicating that this species could be influenced by other meteorological parameters. In regard to the second objective, we could infer that the minimum temperature influenced on the flower bud differentiation in V. stipularis, the reduction this temperature coincide with January 2018, indicating that the low temperature promotes the apparition of flower buds. This study contributes with the generation of basic knowledge about phenology of native tree species that with an additional ecological and climatic information will support to the forest conservation and management of National Park El Cajas.