Solar radiation below the oil palm (elaeis guineensis Jacq.) canopy and its impact on the undergrowth species composition.

Solar radiation below the oil palm canopy and its impact on the undergrowth species composition was studied in a plantation in West Sumatra. Apart from the planting density the soil type through its influence on the crown development was identified as the single most important factor determining the below canopy solar radiation. The canopies started to overlap two-and-a-half years after field planting on fertile fluvisol, but only after five years on histosol. Distinct dissimilarities in the undergrowth composition were found between sampling sites with different below canopy solar radiation intensity. However, spatial difference of solar radiation within the sampling sites did not enhance the dissimilarity of the undergrowth species composition between the field zones i.e. harvesting path, palm circle and inter-row. Species consistently more frequent in brighter sampling sites were: Basella alba, Calopogonium muconoides., Cornmelina diffusa., Imperata cylindrica, Pueraria phaseoloides and Sporobolus diander, whereas Ageratum conyzoides, Christella dentata, Diplazium esculentum, Peperomia pellucida, Phyllanthus debilis, Pouzolzia zeylanica and Sparganophorus villantii were more common in darker sites.Changes in the species composition with decreasing levels of solar radiation were not uniform throughout all the field zones. In the palm circle and on the harvesting path annual dicotyledonae, sedges and Selaginella plana Hieron. were most sensitive to increased shading, whereas in the inter-row a distinct shift from a creeper and grass to a fern and herb dominated undergrowth was observed with reduced levels of solar radiation.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Germer, J. 42119, autor. aut, Sauerborn, J. 42120.
Format:	Texto biblioteca
Language:	d
Subjects:	Cubierta de copas., Densidad de siembra, fluvisol, histosol, Radiación solar., Rendimiento., Palma de aceite,
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