INVESTIGADORES
ABRAHAM Elena Maria
artículos
Título:
Geomorphological-related heterogeneity as reflected in tree growth and its relationships with climate of Monte Desert Prosopis flexuosa DC woodlands
Autor/es:
S. PIRAINO; ABRAHAM, E.; DIBLASI, ANGELA; ROIG, FIDEL
Revista:
TREES-STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
Editorial:
SPRINGER
Referencias:
Lugar: Berlin; Año: 2015
ISSN:
0931-1890
Resumen:
Desert forests grow under diverse ecological
conditions, mainly resulting from the spatial heterogeneity
of drylands with consequences on tree growth and its
interactions with climate. In the Monte Desert, geomorphological
processes generate landform and soil variability,
determining the distribution and growth of plant species.
Prosopis flexuosa DC., a dominant tree species in the
Central Monte Desert, grows in territories characterized by
a high variability of landform and soil. We applied classical
dendrochronological and statistical analysis to
disentangle the effect of spatial heterogeneity upon the
species radial growth and its further relation with precipitation
fluctuations. Trees from 11 plots distributed in
seven P. flexuosa forests encompassing the most important
geomorphological/landform units in the Central Monte
Desert were analyzed. Tree-ring development at both high
and low frequencies reflects spatial landform variability.
Soil heterogeneity drives ring growth within landform.
Regionally, precipitation influences radial growth at the
beginning and the end of the growing season, while locally
dependent mechanisms related to landform/soil variability
emerged. In this sense, the negative influence of latesummer
precipitation found for a riparian chronology is a
function of soil permeability. Ring growth at the paleoriver
environment depends on late spring and early midsummer
precipitation, with within-landform differences
probably related to soil heterogeneity. In the case of interdune
and lowland units, radial growth depends on early
spring rainfall. Our findings highlight the influence of the
heterogeneity of desert environments on tree growth. The
information is relevant to management and conservation
policies, particularly for the forests of P. flexuosa in
Argentine Monte.