Variaciones morfoanatómicas en las comunidades de encinar a lo largo de un gradiente climático en el NE de la península Ibérica
- Castro Díez, Pilar
- Villar Salvador, Pedro
- Guerrero, Joaquín
- Pérez Rontomé, María Carmen
- Montserrat Martí, Gabriel
ISSN: 0210-7597, 2340-5023
Any de publicació: 1998
Número: 45
Pàgines: 577-586
Tipus: Article
Altres publicacions en: Acta botánica barcinonensia
Resum
In the NE lberian Peninsula there is a strong climatic gradient between the Basque Coast and the mid Ebro basin. Holm oak communities growing throughout this area change their floristic composition and thus, their physiognomy and their morpho-anatomical trait distribution. In this study the most common phanaerophytes of these communities were selected and their leaf morphology and wood anatomy traits measured. Trait values were averaged for the communities and their variation along the study area was analysed as a function of precipitation and temperature changes. Phanaerophytes with larger leaf area, lower specific leaf mass, lower wood density and wider xylem vessels dominate the communities of the oceanic extreme (moist, mild climate), while the contrary features dominate in the opposite extreme (dry, continental climate). Along the studied gradient the frequency of evergreen species is higher than that of deciduous species except in the coldest sites. The functional meaning of selected traits and their adaptive value to the different environmental conditions of the gradient are discussed.