Ecología de los congriales de la Estación Experimental Nicolasito (Santa Rita, estado Guárico, Venezuela). 1. Medio físico, estructura de la comunidad y microclima en épocas contrastantes
Marín, Ch.D.; Hernández, Ch.; De Martino, G. (1998). Ecología de los congriales de la Estación Experimental Nicolasito (Santa Rita, estado Guárico, Venezuela). 1. Medio físico, estructura de la comunidad y microclima en épocas contrastantes. Mem. Soc. Cienc. Nat. La Salle 58(150): 3-18
In: Memorias de la Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales "La Salle". Fundación La Salle/Museo de Historia Natural La Salle: Caracas. ISSN 0037-8518, more
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| Keywords |
Water bodies > Inland waters > Wetlands
Marine/Coastal |
| Author keywords |
Seasonal swamp forest; Sweetia nites; microclimate |
| Authors | | Top |
- Marín, Ch.D.
- Hernández, Ch.
- De Martino, G.
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| Abstract |
The "congriales" are patches of forest seasonally flooded (wetlands), located at south and south-east of the Guarico State in Venezuela. The congriales appear as islands dispersed in the Trachypogon savannas matrix, within the Orinoco llanos. In this paper, climate and edaphic characteristics, community structure and community microclimate in a dry and a rainy season, were studied at congriales in the Nicolasito Experimental Station (Facultad de Agronomia, Universidad Central de Venezuela). The climate is wet and dry type (Awi, Koeppen), with a wet season from June to October and a dry season between November and May. Flooding occurs from June to November with a higher level in July, but the water table reach more than one meter depth in April. Therefore, the trees are partially submerged during five or six months, facing anaerobical conditions. The forest has a 6-9 m tall canopy, with emergent trees up to 12 m tall. Dominant species are Caraipa llanorum Cuatrec (saladillo), Duroia sprucei Rusby (carutillo) and Sweetia nitens (Vog.) Benth. (congrio). In a typic dry season day, air temperature within forest was 2°C lower and air relative humidity was 3% higher than adjacent savanna. In the rain season differences were 0,6 °C and 5,5% respectively. Photosynthetically Active Radiation interception by canopy were 85% and 89% in dry and wet seasons respectively. |
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