Phenological strategies of Annona from deciduous forest of Chiapas, Mexico

Background. Phenological descriptions of plant species are used to understand cycles of foliation, flowering and fruiting. These studies provide useful means for understanding the relationships between plants and their environment. Question. What are the the foliar and reproductive strategies of four species of Annona living in the Deciduous Forest of Chiapas, Mexico? Species studied. Annona lutescens , A. macroprophyllata , A. reticulata and A. purpurea . Study sites. Three areas of deciduous forest were studied (16°31'36'' N, 92°58'25'' W, 16°28'82'' N, 92°57'48'' W, and 16°21'47'' N, 92°58'32'' W), located between the towns of Parral and Chiapa de Corzo, Chiapas, Mexico. Method. Stages of foliation, flowering, fruiting and senescence of 20 individuals per species were documented by written and photographic records during the course of a year. Variable time periods were adapted to the extended BBCH scale. The phenology was correlated with the stages of rain and drought by Spearman’s correlations Results. Phenological characteristics distinguish A. reticulata and A. lutescens as species with a reproductive strategy (flowering and fruiting) synchronized with the dry months, in contrast to A. purpurea and A. macroprophyllata , which show a reproductive strategy associated with the rainy season. The foliation of the four species is phenologically related to the rainy season. Conclusions. The species studied could be grouped according to their leaf pattern as brevideciduous or deciduous and according to their reproductive pattern as having long-term or short-term strategies.