title: Flowering phenology, growth forms, and pollination syndromes in tropical dry forest species: Influence of phylogeny and abiotic factors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Analyses of the influence of temporal variation in abiotic factors on flowering phenology of tropical dry forest species have not considered the possible response of species with different growth forms and pollination syndromes, while controlling for phylogenetic relationships among species. Here, we investigated the relationship between flowering phenology, abiotic factors, and plant functional attributes, while controlling for phylogenetic relationship among species, in a dry forest community in Mexico.
  
  
  METHODS
  We characterized flowering phenology (time and duration) and pollination syndromes of 55 tree species, 49 herbs, 24 shrubs, 15 lianas, and 11 vines. We tested the influence of pollination syndrome, growth form, and abiotic factors on flowering phenology using phylogenetic generalized least squares.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a relationship between flowering duration and time. Growth form was related to flowering time, and the pollination syndrome had a more significant relationship with flowering duration. Flowering time variation in the community was explained mainly by abiotic variables, without an important phylogenetic effect. Flowering time in lianas and trees was negatively and positively correlated with daylength, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Functional attributes, environmental cues, and phylogeny interact with each other to shape the diversity of flowering patterns. Phenological differentiation among species groups revealed multiples strategies associated with growth form and pollination syndromes that can be important for understanding species coexistence in this highly diverse plant community.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701. Col. Ex Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, C. P. 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, México.
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cortés-Flores
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701. Col. Ex Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, C. P. 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, México.
authors.forename: Karen Beatriz
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Hernández-Esquivel
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701. Col. Ex Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, C. P. 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, México.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: González-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas y Sustentabilidad, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. Antigua Carretera a Pátzcuaro 8701. Col. Ex Hacienda de San José de La Huerta, C. P. 58190 Morelia, Michoacán, México gibarra@cieco.unam.mx.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ibarra-Manríquez
mesh_terms: D035264:Flowers / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D065928:Forests; D008800:Mexico; D010802:Phylogeny; D010944:Plants / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics; D054817:Pollination / Q000502:physiology*; D011891:Rain; D012621:Seasons; D013045:Species Specificity; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014329:Tropical Climate
keywords: Balsas River Basin; flowering duration; flowering time; phylogenetic signal