Abstract

RAMIREZ CORREA, Jorge Andrés; MOLINA GRAJALES, Eliana Cristina  and  BERNAL ESCOBAR, Manuel. ANNUAL GROWTH RINGS AND CLIMATE IN RHIZOPHORA MANGLE L. FROM THE CISPATÁ BAY, COLOMBIA. Rev. Fac. Nac. Agron. Medellín [online]. 2010, vol.63, n.2, pp.5639-5650. ISSN 0304-2847.

Because of its location in the land-sea ecotone Rhizophora mangle is an organism with great sensitivity to climate change. The existence of climate sensitive annual rings in this specie highlights its potential relevance for tropical dendroclimatology. Even though had been previously established the existence of annual rings, delimited by changes in pore-density, in Rhizophora genus, using computed tomographies, is also possible demonstrate, that the rings in R. mangle can also be defined by changes in wood density. Comparing wood density maxima (DM) and pore density maxima (PD) in tree cross-sections reveal the annual nature of R. mangle tree-rings. With increased rainfall PD increases and DM decreases, and vice versa. PD and DM are interpreted as adaptive traits that allow R. mangle to adapt to the conditions produced by annual pulses in salinity in the bay of Cispatá related to high and low discharges of the rivers.

Keywords : Dendroclimatology; densitometry; pore density; wood density; computer tomography; mangrove; salinity and growth.

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