Abstract

SIERRA-GIRALDO, Julio Andrés  and  SANIN, David. ARACEAE FROM A PREMONTANE FOREST IN THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF COLOMBIA. Bol. Cient. Mus. Hist. Nat. Univ. Caldas [online]. 2014, vol.18, n.2, pp.17-27. ISSN 0123-3068.

The Colombian Andes are one of the regions with the most floristic diversity in the planet, situation that is reflected in the Araceae family, where also the highest levels of endemic species exist. This important feature of the Andean forests has not been taken into account in land management, since the biggest events of human intervention (urbanization, farming systems and forest plantations) are recorded in this region. A floristic analysis of Araceae was performed in a relict premontane forest known as El Águila, located in the Central Cordillera of Colombia (south central-Caldas region). Fourteen (14) species distributed in eight genera were recorded, which correspond to 30.76 % of the genera recorded for Colombia. The most diverse habit of growth was terrestrial with 50 % of the species, then epiphytes (35.71 %), and hemiepiphytes (14.28 %), which suggests the age of the tree cover recognized because of the ecological importance of epiphytic species. Monstera lechleriana is a chorological novelty for Caldas. This information complements the records collected for other taxonomic groups as Lepidoptera, Centrolenidae and mammals, demonstrating the importance of conserving and managing the forests of El Águila and the basin of the La Caracola stream.

Keywords : Araceae; forest of El Águila; chorological novelties; conservation.

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