Abstract

ROMO REATEGUI, Mónica. The effect of light on the growth of seedlings and saplings of Dipteryx micrantha in understory, gaps and plantations. Ecol. apl. [online]. 2005, vol.4, n.1-2, pp.1-8. ISSN 1726-2216.

Dipteryx has been mentioned to be a gap dependent genus, however, most of the canopy tropical trees tolerate low light levels in their seedling/sapling stage. To explore the effect of light on growth during the early life of Dipteryx micrantha Harms, transplant experiments to different light levels were done. Growth in one-year-old seedlings transplanted to gaps and understory was higher in gaps, and related to light levels. For gaps, stepwise regression analyses showed that light is the most determinant factor on growth in diameter and height, while initial plant diameter or number of leaves were not influenced. Individuals in plantations grew much better than individuals in gaps with no notorious difference in their morphology compared to those in the forest. In general, the influence of light on growth depends on whether light levels are high, intermediate or low: it this study, growth was related to middle light levels such as those in the gaps, but it was not related to low light levels such as those of the understory or, to high light levels such as those in plantations.

Keywords : Dipteryx micrantha; seedlings; saplings light; growth; gaps; plantations.

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