Seasonal Cambial Activity for Pentaclethra, Goelthalsia, and Carapa Trees in a Costa Rican Lowland Forest

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Abstract
At the La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica, dendrometer bands were read monthly for a year to monitor the seasonality and rate of girth increment for three common tree species: Pentaclethra macroloba (Mimosaceae), Goethalsia meiantha (Tiliaceae), and Carapa guianensis (Meliaceae). Annual diameter increment varied with tree size but was greatest for Goethalsia (1.26 cm/yr), least for Carapa (0.04-0.34 cm/yr), and intermediate for Pentaclethra (0.20-1.06 cm/yr). Cambial activity for Pentaclethra was greatest during drier months (December to April), the only months when Pentaclethra was not in flower or fruit. In contrast, Goelthalsia and Carapa has less cambial activity during drier months (April and May), the time of leaf flushing for these species. Greater growth during the drier months, a characteristic not shared by relatively common Goelthalsia and Carapa trees, may provide a competitive advantage of Pentaclethra and help explain its abundance at La Selva.