Regeneración natural y patrones de distribución espacial de la palma  chilena Jubaea chilensis (Molina) Baillon en los bosques mediterráneos  de Chile central

Alejandro Miranda; H. Jaime Hernández; Ramiro Bustamante; E. Matías Díaz; L. Alberto González; Adison Altamirano

Authors

Alejandro Miranda Universidad de La Frontera, Departamento de Ciencias Forestales, Laboratorio de Ecología del Paisaje Forestal.
H. Jaime Hernández Laboratorio de Geomática y Ecología del Paisaje, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y de la Conservación de la Naturaleza, Universidad de Chile.
Ramiro Bustamante Departamento de Ciencias Ecológicas, Instituto de Ecologia y Biodiversidad, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile.
E. Matías Díaz Corporación Nacional Forestal, Región Metropolitana de Santiago. Sección Fiscalización Forestal y Evaluación Ambiental.
L. Alberto González Universidad de Chile, Departamento de Gestión Forestal y su Medio Ambiente.
Adison Altamirano Universidad de La Frontera, Departamento de Ciencias Forestales, Laboratorio de Ecología del Paisaje Forestal.

Keywords:

Spatially explicit models, nurse effect, Mediterranean climate, hervibory

Abstract

Jubaea chilensis is an endemic tree of Central Chile (31º15’- 35º22’ S). The current main conservation threats for this species should be associated with different factors which limit its natural regeneration, in particular the intense seeds crop. The analysis of spatial distribution patterns can be an important tool to understand the forest dynamic and the individual interactions. In this study was studied the spatial pattern of species recruitment and identifying the proper conditions for its regeneration. We predicted a clear spatial clumped pattern between regeneration individuals for all distance range studied, and also a clumped distribution associated to adult individuals. Spatial modeling showed that natural regeneration of J. chilensis is significantly related to higher vegetation cover, and especially in those with higher solar radiation. The results suggest that clumped regeneration of J. chilensis could be explained by the associated environmental conditions promoting the establishment of new seedlings, its seed dispersal mechanism, predation avoid, herbivory, and seeds crop. We also found a nurse effect which facilitates the natural regeneration of this species.