Phenology of Canopy Trees of a Tropical Deciduous Forest in Mexico

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Abstract
Phenology of 108 species (1094 trees) was monitored for 42 months in a tropical deciduous forest in the Pacific lowlands of Mexico. Leaf expansion was highly concentrated in June-July; the forest canopy was at least 75 percent full in only 30 percent of the study period. With few exceptions, the species were leafless for several months each year. Gradual leaf loss in most species suggested there were large inter- and intraspecific differences in length of the growing season. Peak flowering was in June-July. Flowering lasted less than two months in most cases. Closely related species typically flowered concurrently. The delay from flowering to dispersal showed no prominent mode. Peaks of seed dispersal showed no community mean, but endozoochores differed from other species in seasonality. Reproduction was annual for most populations, and sub-annual intervals were related to rainfall anomalies. The response of many species to rains in December or January indicated their phenology was driven by water availability, but other species were probably limited by photoperiod. Intensive use of stored resources was indicated by simultaneous flushing and flowering in many species.