Determination of Prosopis tamarugo Phil. growth response to water stress

Abstract

Prosopis tamarugo Phil. (tamarugo) is a native legume tree that grows in the Pampa del Tamarugal, Atacama Desert, region of Tarapaca, Chile (Acevedo et al., 1985a). It belongs to the family Leguminosae, subfamily Mimosoideae. Prosopis is a genus with 44 species, of which three are native to Southeast Asia, one to tropical Africa (Galera, 2000) and 40 species are native to America (MINAGRI, 2006). The plants in this genus occupy large areas of soil and diverse climates, from humid subtropical to cold xeric, and from sea level to over 3.000 m altitude (Galera, 2000). In Chile, the genus is represented by 6 species. Prosopis tamarugo is an endemic species that is under threat of extinction, according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) and it is listed as vulnerable in the red book of the conservation status of the Chilean flora (MMA, 2012).