LONGITUD DE LAS RAMAS DE Taxodium mucronatum (Ten.) Y Platanus mexicana (Moric.) EN ARROYO SECO, QUERÉTARO

Abstract

Ramification of Taxodium mucronatum and Platanus mexicana were studied in a riparian forest located in the Arroyo Seco municipality of Querétaro, México. Tree height, basal perimeter (B.P.) (1.30 m chest height), as well as the length of the branches·directed towards the river and to the opposite direction were measured. Sampling was performed in the northeastern river margin (NE) as well as in the southwestern (SW) river margin, near the border of the highway, which is affected by an artificial embankment. T. mucronatum trees were higher and had a greater B.P. (mean height: 15.2 ± s.e. 1.0 m; mean B.P.: 290.9 ± 77.8 cm) than P. mexicana trees (mean height:. 8.5 ± 0.2 m; mean B.P.: 30.0 ± 5.4 cm). There are non-significant differences between species in branch length. Branch length of T. mucronatum was 4. 76 ± 0.40 m; whereas P. mexicana had 4.18 ± 0.28 m. The branches of the two tree species located at the SW margin were longer when oriented to the river than those oriented towards the opposite direction. In contrast, the trees of the two species located in the NE margin are symmetric. lt was concluded that the embankment of the SW margin does not allow full branch development as well as enough light intake; these conditions are not present in the NE margin.