Abstract

LONDONO LEMOS, Viviana  and  TORRES GONZALEZ, Alba Marina. Vegetation structure and composition of a tropical dry forest in regeneration in Bataclán (Cali, Colombia). Colomb. for. [online]. 2015, vol.18, n.1, pp.71-85. ISSN 0120-0739.  https://doi.org/10.14483/udistrital.jour.colomb.for.2015.1.a04.

Characterization of long-term vegetation in a tropical dry forest (TDF) that is in the process of regeneration permits establishment of patterns of composition, structure and dynamics of plant communities and sheds light on the different stages of plant succession. In this study, the plant community of ecoparque Bataclán, Cali, Colombia was evaluated by determining its structure and composition in two regeneration strategies. One strategy consisted of natural regeneration with bamboo barriers and the other of natural regeneration without bamboo barriers. Three permanent plots of 500 m² were established in each regeneration strategy (six plots in total). Composition and structure was determined, taking into account all the growth habits, with different sampling methods. We found no significant differences between vegetation structure and composition of the two strategies for forest regeneration. forty-one species belonging to 27 families were recorded (trees and shrubs 58.5 %, herbs 24.4 %, climbers or scandents 14.6 %, epiphytes 2.4 %). The dominant family was Melastomataceae and the dominant species was Miconia prasina. The orchid Catasetum ochraceum and the grass Thrasya petrosa were indicator species for high luminosity. We conclude that the plant community is in an early successional stage, where there is a mixture of planted and naturally regenerated species in the zone, characterized by pioneer species from TDF and other nearby life zones.

Keywords : bamboo barriers; forest in regeneration; floristic composition; vegetation structure; permanent plots; Phyllostachys; succession.

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