Low temperature resistance in saplings and ramets of Polylepis sericea in the Venezuelan Andes

This research paper examines the low temperature resistance mechanisms of Polylepis sericea saplings and ramets in the Venezuelan Andes, finding that these plants utilize frost avoidance to survive in specific, less severe temperature habitats within the high-altitude landscape.

• Microclimatic conditions vary significantly between forest environments and the open páramo; minimum temperatures near the ground in the open páramo are 3.6 °C lower, while maximum temperatures are 9.0 °C higher than in the forest understory.
• Both ramets and saplings of Polylepis sericea exhibit frost avoidance to low nighttime temperatures, with ice nucleation and injury temperatures occurring between -6 and -8 °C.
• The ability to resist low temperatures is a determining factor in the island-like distribution of Polylepis sericea, restricting them to very specific habitats where temperatures are less severe.

APA

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (2025). Low temperature resistance in saplings and ramets of Polylepis sericea in the Venezuelan Andes. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/low-temperature-resistance-in-saplings-and-ramets-of-polylepis-sericea-in-the-venezuelan-andes/

Chicago

Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. Low temperature resistance in saplings and ramets of Polylepis sericea in the Venezuelan Andes. 2025. https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/low-temperature-resistance-in-saplings-and-ramets-of-polylepis-sericea-in-the-venezuelan-andes/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research |title=Low temperature resistance in saplings and ramets of Polylepis sericea in the Venezuelan Andes |date=17 January 2025 |url=https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/low-temperature-resistance-in-saplings-and-ramets-of-polylepis-sericea-in-the-venezuelan-andes/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{interamericaninstituteforglobalchangeresearch2025low, author = {{Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}}, title = {{Low temperature resistance in saplings and ramets of Polylepis sericea in the Venezuelan Andes}}, institution = {Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research}, year = {2025}, month = jan, url = {https://iai.int/es/pub_acad/low-temperature-resistance-in-saplings-and-ramets-of-polylepis-sericea-in-the-venezuelan-andes/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }