Abstract

Agroforestry systems (SAF) of the American tropics contain valuable tree components for their timber and ecological qualities. Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav.) Oken is a species commonly associated with crops such as cocoa, banana and coffee in Central and South America; whose contributions to the volume of regional wood represent an important percentage of extraction. In Mexico, there is a notable lack of research on the growth of tree species in SAF. In this work the growth of five diametric categories of C. alliodora of the state of Oaxaca during ten months was measured and compared, as well as three categories of incidence of light in its crown. temperature and average annual precipitation were also correlated with growth in diameter. An average growth of 0.17 cm was obtained and the categories that grew the most were those of 5, 15 and 20 cm (p≤0.01); Trees with sparse and partially lit canopies grew significantly more (p≤0.01) than those with fully illuminated canopies. The temperature correlated positively (p≤0.01) with the growth of categories 5, 15, 20 and 25 cm. Growth was not proportionally related to the size of the trees. The average temperature determined a seasonal pattern of growth in diameter.

Key words: Diametric categories; precipitation; temperature; dendrometrics bands; laurel