Phenological strategies of Annona species from the tropical Deciduous Forest of Chiapas, Mexico

Abstract

Background: Phenological descriptions of plant species are used to understand cycles of foliation, flowering and fruiting. These studies provide useful means for understanding the relationships between plants and their environment. Question: What are the the foliar and reproductive strategies of four species of Annona living in the Deciduous Forest of Chiapas, Mexico? Species studied: Annona lutescens, A. macroprophyllata, A. reticulata and A. purpurea. Study sites: Three areas of deciduous forest were studied (16°31'36" N, 92°58'25" W, 16°28'82" N, 92°57'48" W, and 16°21'47" N, 92°58'32" W), located between the towns of Parral and Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas, Mexico. Method: Stages of foliation, flowering, fruiting and senescence of 20 individuals per species were documented by written and photographic records during the course of a year. Variable time periods were adapted to the extended BBCH scale. The phenology was correlated with the stages of rain and drought by Spearman's correlations Results: Phenological characteristics distinguish A. reticulata and A. lutescens as species with a reproductive strategy (flowering and fruiting) synchronized with the dry months, in contrast to A. purpurea and A. macroprophyllata, which show a reproductive strategy associated with the rainy season. The foliation of the four species is phenologically related to the rainy season. Conclusions: The species studied could be grouped according to their leaf pattern as brevideciduous or deciduous and according to their reproductive pattern as having long-term or short-term strategies.