Abstract

BOHORQUEZ O., Andrés Felipe; SANIN, David  and  SILVA E., Nixon Walter. ARBOREAL STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION IN EL DIABLO WOODLAND (SAN FELIX, SALAMINA, CALDAS), HIGH ANDEAN FOREST IN THE COLOMBIAN CENTRAL MOUNTAIN RANGE. Bol. Cient. Mus. Hist. Nat. Univ. Caldas [online]. 2012, vol.16, n.2, pp.39-52. ISSN 0123-3068.

The structure and arboreal composition of a high Andean forest in the Colombian Central mountain range, which is located in the Caldas department at an altitude of 3,100 m, was characterized. Such ecosystem has been reduced and simplified due to the expansion of potato crops and livestock activities. The dynamics and arboreal composition of a 0.1 ha, transect is described using five 50 x 4m plots , where all of the individuals with a DAP > 1.5cm were accounted for, stem and total height. One hundred-three individuals were registered, belonging to 42 species and morph-species, distributed in 40 genera and 34 botanical families. Weinmannia pubescens and Hedyosmum bonplandianum were the species with greatest ecological importance (40.9% and 26.7%, respectively). The families with the higher IVF were Rubiaceae 40,4%, Cunoniaceae 37,2%, Podocarpaceae 27,5% y Melastomataceae 23,1% The interval between 7.8 - 10 m height had the highest species count. The total basal area was 2.88m2 from which 22.7% were represented by Weinmannia pubescens. Despite the human intervention history and the frequency of young arboreal individuals, it was observed the presence of tree species characteristic of an advanced succession status, which also present a high risk of extinction, due to their commercial value (e.g. Podocarpus oleifolius, Prumnopitys montana, Rhodostemonodaphne laxa and Turpina occidentalis). Therefore it becomes necessary to develop ecological restoration programs with native species that allow the conservation of these resources and the constant provision of environmental goods and services in the region.

Keywords : cloud forest; Andes; management and conservation; Caldas; Colombia.

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