Comparación de rasgos funcionales de especies nativas en los ecosistemas altoandinos de la zona oriental y occidental de la provincia del Azuay

Abstract

Functional traits on plant species are the result of its adaptation to the environmental conditions of the ecosystem where they subsist, this could indicate physiology and morphology modification on plant species in order to survive under given conditions. This research aimed to compare functional traits of 10 native species growing on two different sites (west and east flanks) in high Andean ecosystems on the Azuay province; assuming differences on environmental conditions between sites. In additions, it evaluated the functional traits of 4 species, distributed in each study area, mainly of the Polylepis genus. The samples of each species were collected in the Angas and Migϋir forests (western zone) and in Llaviucu and Zhurucay forest (eastern zone). The functional traits evaluated were: wood density, dry weight of leaf, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf thickness, stomata size, stomatal density, water potential and seeds dispersal. The results indicated that for most of their functional traits between the study zones, presented similarities, however, the dry weight of the leaf, thickness of the leaf, size of stomata, showed significant differences in the species Weinmannia fagaroides, Morella parvifolia and Vallea stipularis, and community level, as well as the water potential in the species evaluated (p <0.05). Studies on the evaluation of functional traits in zones with ecological variation are useful for understanding the responses or modifications that will occur in plant species under the climate modification scenario.