Reproductive patterns in Araucaria araucana forests in the Andean range, Chile
作者机构：Mediterranean Forests Laboratory Faculty of Forestry and Nature Conservation Centro Secano Faculty of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences Universidad Católica del Maule Maule Advanced Studies Research Center Vice-Rector's Office for Research and Postgraduate Studies Catholic University of Maule
出 版 物：《Ecological Processes》 (生态过程(英文))
年 卷 期：2024年第13卷第1期
页 面：252-261页
核心收录：
主 题：Seed weight Germination potential Masting species Sustainable use Dioecious species
摘 要：Background Araucaria araucana is a mast species that presents a high variability in annual cone production. Researchers have recorded synchronization events in cone production in different populations, which allows the seed production to be concentrated, reducing the percentage of seeds consumed by different animal *** We sampled three populations located in the Andes Mountains, Araucanía Region, Chile. In 2004 we began the collection of data on cone production, for which we installed permanent plots（1200 m2each） at each location. We identified and labeled each female tree in each plot to monitor its cone production. In 2012 we selected a total of 30 trees near the plots to evaluate the number of seeds per cone. In each February from 2012 to 2014 we selected two mature cones and covered them with a porous mesh for subsequent collection and storage in March. At the beginning of June, we counted and weighed the seeds, determining the average weight, the number of seeds per cone, the germination capacity（GC）, and the germination speed（GS）.Results Cone production was synchronous across the three locations. We observed significant differences among the locations and years evaluated. The cones had fewer seeds in 2013（high production） compared to those in 2012（low production）, but their weights were similar. In 2014 the cones produced smaller seeds in fewer quantities. The difference between the years 2013 and 2014 resulted from the high-energy expenditure in 2013. Regarding GC and GS, there were significant differences among the three locations（GC: F = 45.41, p 0.01; GS: F = 96.08, p 0.01）, where the highest values were observed in *** Both GC and GS are related to seed weight but not to the number of cones produced in a given year. These annual fluctuations in seed production are determining factors in the population dynamics of forest species. Our results allow a better understanding of the reproductive phenology of A. araucana and could hel
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