| Abstract Detail
Ecological Section Rodríguez-Cerón, Nicolás [1], Navas, Alfredo [1], Madriñán, Santiago [1]. Architecture and Growth rates of three Espeletia species. Espeletia is an iconic, endemic element of the high Andean Páramo flora consisting of a elongated monopodial stem terminated by a rosette of leaves. The present study compares architectural aspects of three Espeletia species (E. grandiflora, E. killipii and E. uribei), such as trunk elongation rates, annual production of leaves, and population demography at a single locality in the Chingaza National Park.
Total number of leaf bases and inflorescence scars were counted and pith diameter (in 1 cm intervals) was measured along the trunks of individuals of the three species. Monthly measurements of trunk elongation and leaf production were taken during one year of study for E. grandiflora and E. killipii.
There was a significant positive correlation between number of leaves and stem length (E. grandiflora: 11 leaves/cm; E. killipii: 6 leaves/cm; E. uribei: 4 leaves/cm). Pith diameter was constant along the stems of the three species. Inflorescence production was erratic in terms of the number of leaves between flowering events, which contrasts with well known patterns of population seasonal flowering regimes. Seasonal variation in leaf production for both species is correlated with changes in water supply, were the maximum leaf production (8 leaves/month in E. killipii and 5 leaves/month in E. grandiflora) corresponds with the maximum rainfall. Additionally, absolute growth rate vary between species and within size classes (E. grandiflora: 3.6–5.5 cm/year; E. killipii: 4.5–9.15 cm/year). Coupling these results, we can assume that at this particular locality an individual of 174 cm tall of E. grandiflora is approximately 46 years old, and an individual of 274 cm tall of E. killipii 56 years old. Broader Impacts:
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Laboratorio de Botánica y Sistemática
1 - Universidad de los Andes, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Laboratorio de Botánica y Sistemática, Apartado Aéreo 4976, Bogotá, DC, Colombia
Keywords:
Espeletia
Paramo
Growth rates
Plant Architecture
Age Estimation.
Presentation Type: Poster:Posters for Sections
Session: P
Location: Hall A/Convention Center
Date: Monday, August 2nd, 2010
Time: 5:30 PM
Number: PEC006
Abstract ID:116 |
