Morfología de las plantas de los claros y áreas sombreadas del bosque de Austrocedrus chilensis, Argentina

Woody and herbaceous species of the Austrocedrus chilensis forest, were grouped, according to their shade tolerance, as tolerant (ETS), intolerant (EIS), and generalist (EG) species. The morphological characters (growth form, leaf type, foliar size, and length of annual growth) were compared among the species of different groups and between sun and shade plants. Erect plants with simple leaves were the most abundant type in the three groups. EIS plants showed a larger proportion of creeping growth forms with compound leaves. These attributes are characteristic of species from nearby steppes (invaders of forest gaps) or forest herbs species associated with disturbances. Within species, individuals of EG and ETS species growing in gaps had smaller foliar size than individuals from closed areas, whereas individuals of ETS plants had also a shorter annual growth when growing in gaps. The differential utilization of the microhabitats promoted by the heterogeneous canopy cover, or shading from shrubs present at the gaps may have caused the following reponses: a) the absence of differences in the foliar size between some herb species and the woody EIS, b) the absence of differences between the sun and shade plants in the annual unit growth of the EIS, c) the high number of EG species, and d) the heterogeneous morphological responses within the EG group. A set of factors, not necessarily related with the existence of the gap, acts in a hierarchical way on the forest species, determining their ecological and morphological differentiation.

Bibliographic Details

Main Author:	Damascos, María A.
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	spa
Published:	Asociación Argentina de Ecología 1998
Online Access:	https://ojs.ecologiaaustral.com.ar/index.php/Ecologia_Austral/article/view/1630
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