RT journal article
T1 Contrasting phenology and female cone characteristics of the two Macaronesian island endemic cedars (Juniperus cedrus and J. brevifolia)
A1 Rumeu Ruiz, Beatriz
A1 Nogales, Manuel
A1 Elias, Rui B.
A1 Padilla, David P.
A1 Resendes, Tiago
A1 Rodríguez, Airam
A1 Valdés, Francisco
A1 Dias, Eduardo
A2 Biología
AB Phenology and female cone characteristics of the two endemic cedars (Juniperus cedrus and J. brevifolia) from the Macaronesian islands were studied. Despite their closely taxonomic affinity and their evolution under insular conditions, different trends were recorded. Mature J. cedrus female cones were present throughout the year, while those from J. brevifolia were only present in summer and autumn. J. cedrus female cone size was significantly larger than that of J. brevifolia, a trend consistent with the presence of larger vertebrates (lizards and birds) in the Canary Islands. However, water content was four times higher in J. brevifolia female cones, which can be related with the higher rainfall existing in the Azores. J. cedrus has two or three seeds per cone, whereas J. brevifolia frequently had three. Seeds from J. cedrus were clearly larger and heavier, coinciding with the female cone size trend. However, tetrazolium tests revealed higher viability values in J. brevifolia. The relatively low percentage of filled seeds in J. cedrus could be a consequence of the climatic stress and limits to pollination due to fragmented populations as described for other Juniperus species. In summary, our results reveal that some environmental factors such as the harsh conditions, high population fragmentation and the dependence on large dispersers have compromised the fitness of J. cedrus in the Canary Islands.
PB SPRINGER
SN 1612-4669
YR 2009
FD 2009
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10498/30284
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10498/30284
LA eng
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Cádiz
RD 06-nov-2026