Evaluación de diferentes rasgos funcionales de cinco especies nativas forestales andinas en pre y post plantación en una gradiente altitudinal en la provincia del Azuay

Abstract

Functional traits are important to study because they explain plants relationship with its environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate eight functional traits of five native Andean species in three phases of reforestation: greenhouse, acclimatization and plantation, the last two were evaluated in an altitudinal gradient in the province of Azuay. Twenty-five plants per species were randomly selected in the first two phases and 32 plants in the third phase. The species evaluated were: Oreocallis grandiflora, Hedyosmum luteynii, Weinmannia fagaroides, Morella pubescens and Vallea stipularis. In the reforestation experiment, eight blocks made up of four treatments were established; 1) Control, 2) Without grass competition (SS+ Cut P.), 3) Shade with grass (S + Grass), and 4) Shade without grass (S + Cut P.). The functional traits evaluated were: height growth rate (TCA), basal diameter growth rate (TCD), leaf thickness (LT), chlorophyll (CL), leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), specific root length (SRL) and fine root diameter (DRF). The results at the greenhouse level showed that acquisitive species stand out over conservative ones. In acclimatization, all species except V. stipularis had significant differences for most of the functional traits evaluated, considering the effect of the altitudinal gradient. In the plantation phase, a better performance of the species was observed in the treatments under shade. This study contributes with information on the selection of species for reforestation based on functional traits.