ALOMETRÍA Y CRECIMIENTO DE SEIS ESPECIES ARBÓREAS EN UN BOSQUE DE TIERRA FIRME EN LA AMAZONIA COLOMBIANA

Abstract

In this study carried out in the Amacayacu National Park in the Colombian Amazonia, we assessed the alometric relationship among different tree structural variables and the growth in diameter and biomass of six species classified according to their wood specific gravity (ρ). The tree species chosen were Eschweilera rufolia, Eschweilera itayensis, Conceveiba guianensis, Otoba parvifolia, Pseudolmedia laevis , and Apeiba aspera . The dbh was the most important structural explanatory variable. Regarding the total height – dbh model, the alometric coefficient b changed between species showing a trend to increase, and thus a taper decrease, proportional to ρ. There were no significant differences in diameter growth between species (P=0.119, F=1.80) or functional groups (P=0.153, F= 1.19). Likewise, biomass growth did not show significant differences neither between species (P=0.0784, F=2.05) nor functional groups (P=0.0711, F=2.71). However, there was a positive trend between ρ and diameter growth and a negative one between ρ and biomass growth. The results of this study suggest that this forest is recovering in biomass at a constant rate independent of the patch age, which emphasizes on the importance of pioneer species and gap formation on the carbon dynamics and the species coexistence in Amazonian tierra fi rme forests.