The palm Euterpe oleracea is a dominant and promising species in flood plains of the Atrato river, Choco region of Colombia. We assessed the population dynamics of this species through growth rates, mortality and recruitment patterns for a period of two and a half years. Dynamic rates were compared between mixed and pure flood plain palm forests. These forests types were associated to different flooding regimes. Trees and palms were thinned in a portion for each forest type, the rest was left undisturbed. We used projection matrices to follow population trends. Thinning increased the transition probability of smaller individuals, but decreased it for larger individuals, as is typical of light demanding species. Thinning also increased mortality rates in almost all size classes, but did not affect recruitment rates. Under natural conditions, the E. oleracea populations are in equilibrium in pure and mixed forests. Thinning increased population growth in both forest types, suggesting the role played by density-dependent processes on the population size of this species.

The palm Euterpe oleracea is a dominant and promising species in flood plains of the Atrato river, Choco region of Colombia. We assessed the population dynamics of this species through growth rates, mortality and recruitment patterns for a period of two and a half years. Dynamic rates were compared among mixed and pure flood plain palm forests. These forests types were associated to different flooding regimes. Trees and palms were thinned in a portion for each forest type, the rest was left undisturbed. We used projection matrices to follow population trends. Thinning increased the transition probability of smaller individuals, but decreased it for larger individuals, as is typical of light demanding species. Thinning also increased mortality rates in almost all size classes, but did not affect recruitment rates. Under natural conditions, the E. oleracea populations are in equilibrium in pure and mixed forests. Thinning increased population growth in both forest types, suggesting the role played by density-dependent processes on the population size of this species.

The palm Euterpe oleracea is a dominant and promising species in flood plains of the Atrato river, Choco region of Colombia. We assessed the population dynamics of this species through growth rates, mortality and recruitment patterns for a period of two and a half years. Dynamic rates were compared among mixed and pure flood plain palm forests. These forests types were associated to different flooding regimes. Trees and palms were thinned in a portion for each forest type, the rest was left undisturbed. We used projection matrices to follow population trends. Thinning increased the transition probability of smaller individuals, but decreased it for larger individuals, as is typical of light demanding species. Thinning also increased mortality rates in almost all size classes, but did not affect recruitment rates. Under natural conditions, the E. oleracea populations are in equilibrium in pure and mixed forests. Thinning increased population growth in both forest types, suggesting the role played by density-dependent processes on the population size of this species.

نخيل يوتيربي أوليراسيا هو نوع مهيمن وواعد في سهول الفيضانات في نهر أتراتو، منطقة تشوكو في كولومبيا. قمنا بتقييم الديناميكيات السكانية لهذا النوع من خلال معدلات النمو والوفيات وأنماط التجنيد لمدة عامين ونصف العام. تمت مقارنة المعدلات الديناميكية بين غابات النخيل السهلية المختلطة والنقية. ارتبطت هذه الأنواع من الغابات بأنظمة فيضانات مختلفة. تم ترقق الأشجار والنخيل في جزء لكل نوع غابة، وترك الباقي دون عائق. استخدمنا مصفوفات الإسقاط لمتابعة الاتجاهات السكانية. زاد الترقق من احتمالية انتقال الأفراد الأصغر، لكنه قللها بالنسبة للأفراد الأكبر، كما هو الحال بالنسبة للأنواع التي تتطلب الضوء. كما أدى التخفيف إلى زيادة معدلات الوفيات في جميع فئات الحجم تقريبًا، لكنه لم يؤثر على معدلات التجنيد. في ظل الظروف الطبيعية، تكون مجموعات E. oleracea في حالة توازن في الغابات النقية والمختلطة. ترقق النمو السكاني المتزايد في كلا نوعي الغابات، مما يشير إلى الدور الذي تلعبه العمليات المعتمدة على الكثافة في حجم سكان هذا النوع.