Efecto de la densidad de plantación y preparación mecánica del suelo en la variación intraespecífica de rasgos funcionales foliares de algunas especies empleadas en restauración ecológica en bosques alto andinos

Abstract

The influence of planting density and soil mechanization on the intraspecific and interspecific variation of foliar functional traits of some forest species used in Andean forest restoration processes was evaluated. the influence of functional traits on it. Four treatments were implemented in the Parque Metropolitano La Arboleda, locality of San Cristóbal, Bogotá, D.C., two of them with different planting densities and the other two with the same number of individuals but one of them with a mechanized process prior to establishment. The phytosanitary evaluation and the collection of five leaves by individuals in ten experimental units per treatment were carried out, for the calculation of the leaf area (AF), specific leaf area (AFE) and leaf dry matter content (CFMS) as established by the Alexander von Humboldt Biological Resources Research Institute. Seedling survival at 3 years after establishment was determined to be 49.7%. However, neither the survival of plants nor the phytosanitary affectation presented significant differences between any of the treatments, despite this it was determined through Spearman's correlation that the functional traits do influence the phytosanitary status and therefore the survival of individuals, since those species with more acquisitive strategies characterized by high AF and AFE values, in addition to low CFMS values, such as Verbesina crassiramea and Citharexylum montanum, presented greater phytosanitary affectation and greater mortality compared to species such as Myrcianthes leucoxyla and Escallonia myrtilloides which have low AF values and higher CFMS. It was determined that there are interspecific differences for all the functional traits regardless of the treatment applied, likewise, it was established that there is no influence of the plantation density on the intraspecific variation of the foliar functional traits, except for some very specific differences, the low response The plasticity of the species is attributed to its early stage of establishment, where there are no competition conditions such as crown overlap, so the functional response is mainly influenced by environmental variables. Otherwise, in the mechanized treatment, significantly higher values were obtained for the AFE compared to the treatment without mechanized, which implies that the tillage practices prior to the planting of the individuals benefit the fine root elongation and therefore the obtaining of nutrients.