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Tesfaye, G; Fetene, M; Beck, E: Phenology of seven indigenous tree species in a dry Afromontane forest, southern Ethiopia., Journal of Tropical Ecology(52), 229-241 (2011)
Abstract:
The phenology of seven indigenous tree species was investigated in a dry Afromontane forest of Ethiopia over two years. About 210 mature trees were monitored for leaf fall, leaf flush, flowering and fruiting. The different phenophase events were correlated with climate variables and circular statistics was employed to test for seasonality. Leaf fall and leaf flush peaked during the long dry season. Leaf fall significantly correlated with mean monthly temperatures. Flowering was predominantly annual and seasonal. Most species flowered during the dry season between November and May. Flowering was temporally discordant among the species, which is interpreted as a kind of adaptation avoiding interspecific overlap and thus competition for pollinators. Unlike flowering, fruiting was less seasonal and trees bore fruits over extended periods of the year. Following flowering, fruiting peaked later in the dry season or the beginning of the rainy season. Both flowering and fruiting phenology of the study species were strongly influenced by temperature and rainfall. However, leaf phenology was influenced by temperature.

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