Abstract
To determine the annual periodicity of growth rings in seven tree species from a tropical moist forest in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, a fire scar was used as a marker point to verify the annual nature of tree rings. The number of tree rings formed between the 1995 fire scar and the collection of the cross sections in 2002 was visually identified. The seven species showed annual growth rings. In most cases, boundaries between rings were marked by the presence of marginal parenchyma and wall-thicked fibers formed at the end of the growing season. Growth lenses and false rings were recorded in some species. Tree rings can be carefully used in Santa Cruz forests to determine rates of growth. This information is crucial for defining forest management practices in tropical regions.
Highlights
In Bolivia, early studies of growth rings started in the Andean region, in species with distinguishable rings (Boninsegna et al, 2009)
The aim of this study was to determine the annual periodicity of growth rings in seven tropical forest species in moist semi-deciduous forests in lowland Santa Cruz, Bolivia
The results of this study indicate that all seven species examined form annual growth rings
Summary
In Bolivia, early studies of growth rings started in the Andean region, in species with distinguishable rings (Boninsegna et al, 2009). It is true that in some species, growth rings only appear in sectors of the trunk, i.e. rings form incomplete bands or wedging rings as a result of the partial cambial activity around the stem. This feature reduces the uniform circularity of the growth rings, so whereas in a cross-section there may be relatively thick rings in a sector, they can be thin or absent in other sectors (Villalba et al, 1987). There are tropical and subtropical regions with moderate seasonality in temperature, and more commonly, a strong seasonality in precipitation This climate seasonality may induced a dormancy period of growth and lead to the formation of well-defined annual rings (Worbes and Junk, 1999)
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