Influencia del clima en la producción de hojarasca en una plantación de pino en el sur del Ecuador.

Abstract

This research is the development in order to quantify litterfall for a year in Pinus patula plantation located in the area of Zamora Huayco, Loja, Ecuador and correlate with climatic factors. Litter was collected every two weeks for one year (August 2013 - July 2014) with a margin of error of ± 24 hours, in 16 traps distributed randomly on the plantation. The nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis test (95%) was used to detect statistical differences between the components of the litter (needles, branches, fruits, cones and other). To evaluate the relationship of the litter production and climatic factors Spearman correlation analysis were made and to determine the weather variable that most contributed in producing the principal components analysis was used. Giving as a result that the needles was the component that most contributed to the total production and wind as varying climate influenced this production. The results indicate that there is a low degree of association of climatic factors in production.

Key words: Production litterfall; pine; weather variables, correlation.