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Ecología Aplicada
Print version ISSN 1726-2216
Abstract
SOTOMAYOR MELO, Diego A. and JIMENEZ MILON, Percy. Meteorological conditions and vegetal dynamics of the Atiquipa Lomas (Caravelí - Arequipa) coastal ecosystem in the south of Perú. Ecol. apl. [online]. 2008, vol.7, n.1-2, pp.1-8. ISSN 1726-2216.
Coastal ecosystems of Lomas are constituted by plant communities developing under winter fog influences. In order to explore this issue we determined the relationship between vegetation dynamics and meteorological conditions at Atiquipa Lomas, Barrera and Lagunillas hills (15º46 LS y 74º22 LW, 800 m.a.s.l. aprox.) from February 2005 to February 2006. Forty-five 0,5 x 0,5 m plots were installed in each hill, with monthly plot evaluations of species number, individuals per species (seedlings and adults), species cover, fallen leaves cover and phenological status. Simpson and Shannon-Wiener indexes were calculated. Natural precipitation, fog collection and medium temperature were also monthly registered. With these data we ran lineal correlations between environment parameters (3) and vegetation (10). Several significant relationships (p<0.05) were found, fog had 5 significant relationships: direct with total individuals in Barrera (r=0.79), with seedling emergence in Barrera (r=0.79) and Lagunillas (r=0.77), and with Simpsons predominance in Barrera (r=0.65), and inverse with Shannon-Wieners diversity in Barrera (r=- 0.76). There was an inverse relationship between temperature and predominance in the community (Barrera r=-0.61; Lagunillas r=-0.59). Natural precipitation did not show any significant relationships, although a cumulative effect between July and August which unleashed seedling emergence in September can be suggested. More research concerning these relationships is necessary, especially in a climate change scenario which could affect moisture regimes in these dynamic fragile ecosystems.
Keywords : Vegetal dynamics; meteorological conditions; weather-vegetation relationships; Coastal Lomas; Atiquipa; Southern Peru; deserts; Peruvian arid zones.
