Implicaciones hidro-ecológicas en Weinmannia tomentosa L.f.: una mirada a los cerros orientales de Bogotá desde los anillos de crecimiento

Abstract

The high Andean forests of the Eastern Hills of Bogotá play fundamental roles in water regulation and biodiversity conservation; however, they have undergone historical processes of transformation and fragmentation that have altered their structure and ecological functioning. In this context, Weinmannia tomentosa L.f. represents an ecologically important species whose growth dynamics and environmental responses remain poorly understood. The aim of this study was to characterize growth rings and wood anatomical structure, estimate individual age, and evaluate the relationship between radial growth and local climatic variables. To achieve this, 18 samples collected from the Eastern Hills of Bogotá were analyzed using dendrochronological techniques, digital image processing, and statistical analyses in the R environment. Growth series were related to precipitation, temperature, sunshine duration, and potential evapotranspiration variables. The results demonstrated the presence of distinguishable growth rings and enabled the construction of a chronology suitable for climate–growth analysis. The chronology showed a mean interseries correlation of 0.32, indicating a common growth signal among the analyzed individuals. Additionally, statistically significant correlations were identified with some climatic variables; however, these relationships were weak and showed temporal variation across the evaluated windows. The adjusted growth model estimated an IMA value of 3.14 mm·year⁻¹ for the species. These results suggest that the radial growth of W. tomentosa exhibits sensitivity to certain local climatic conditions and provide information to improve the understanding of the species’ ecohydrological dynamics and support conservation and restoration strategies in high Andean ecosystems.