Efecto del espesor de corteza en la respuesta al fuego de Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav.) Oken

Abstract

Disturbances caused by fire gradually affect ecosystems, altering their function, structure and composition. Reason why species of these ecosystems have their own characteristics that allow them to resist fire such as the thickness of the bark, the diameter of the individual and the ability to regrow. The species Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav.) Oken, Is a woody species characteristic of the Colombian tropical dry forest with timber importance. In this study 149 individuals of Cordia alliodora were sampled after a fire, in a tropical dry forest of the upper basin of the Magdalena River in Colombia. The results showed that most of the trees (65.7%) survived after the fire. To evaluate the incidence of functional features of the species on survival, the population studied was characterized in terms of diameter and bark categories, and linear regressions and multiple correspondence analysis between the variables were performed; Finding that Cordia alliodora has great capacity to survive fire, which is mainly associated with the thickness of the bark that insulates the structural tissues from damage by high temperatures, thus favoring the appearance of sprouts, mainly of the epicormic type. It is recommended to use this species for dry forest enrichment and in edge protection arrangements, due to its resistance to fire disturbances as an optional strategy of the species.