Abstract. Structure of the high Andean forest and paramo in the Bijagual Massif, Boyacá, Colombia. Introduction: Colombia has increased research due to the necessity of knowing the country´s biodiversity and ecosystems, as well as to establish priorities for their protection throughout the national territory. The knowledge of the Boyacá ecosystems and the high Andes are not an exception. Objective: this work provides information on diversity and structure of the Bijagual Massif, a high mountain area defined as a biological corridor, with paramo (2 900 - 3 460 masl) and high Andean forest (2 682 -3 268 masl) ecosystems. Methods: Sampling consisted of 27 random transects in the high Andean forest (100 x 2.5 m) and 13 in the paramo (10 x 5 m). We recorded abundance data, growth form, height, coverage, DAP and basal area. We calculated diversity analyses (H’, D and Jaccard), of vertical and horizontal structure. Results: Estimated species richness of 429 species in 86 families. Similarity does not exceed 46 % between sampling units, data that supports the heterogeneity of the Bijagual Massif. We recorded 10 777 individuals in the forest. The most abundant and richest growth forms were herbs (2 595/104) and trees (2 189/67), while lower in abundance and richness were vines (466/29). In the paramo 3 337 individuals, with a dominance of herbs (in frailejonal, shrubs and pajonal), rosettes (in frailejonal and pajonal) and shrubs. Species with ecological representativeness are: Clusia multiflora, C. elliptica, C. alata, Weinmannia rollottii, Brunellia comocladifolia and Viburnum triphyllum. Conclusion: These results confirm the uniqueness of these high mountain ecosystems and the need to maintain the heterogeneity before the occurence of soil transformation processes. The last, is supported by the high species turnover among sampling units, the dominance per physiognomic type, and the ecological significance of arboreal and shrub species in the forest and those that reoccur in the paramo. Here we define Bijagual, as a biological corridor with great biodiversity.
Background and Aims: The high Andean forest in Colombia corresponds to a plant community located between 2400-3200(-3500) m a.s.l., characterized by the presence of arboreal species with restricted distributions that determine their physiognomy and composition. Nevertheless, these species have been affected by agricultural activity that has generated a loss of connectivity and richness. This research records the species richness, composition, and distributional data for the vascular flora in the high Andean forest of the Bijagual Massif, Bocayá, Colombia. Methods: Sampling was carried out in 27 transects. The specimens were organized under the APG IV classification system, curated and deposited in the UPTC herbarium (Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia). The number of species, list of taxa, distributions for Colombia, and conservation categories according to the IUCN were noted. Results: We registered 327 species distributed in 151 genera and 69 families; 187 species (56%) were native to the Andean region, 51 (15%) were endemic to the Andes and 24 (7%) were endemic to the Eastern cordillera of the Andes, Colombia. Schefflera bejucosa is a new distributional record for Boyacá. Greigia stenolepis, Hieronyma rufa, Puya goudotiana and Tillandsia pallescens are Near Threatened (NT). Plutarchia guascensis, Quercus humboldtii and Symplocos venulosa are classified as Vulnerable (VU), and Diplostephium oblongifolium and Dunalia trianaei as Endangered (EN). Conclusions: Bijagual is a biological corridor with great potential for biodiversity compared to other high Andean areas in Colombia. Species richness is influenced by other localities near the Massif (Tota and Mampacha), in addition to a possible stochastic and heterogeneous distribution between sampling units. Miconia, Pentacalia, Epidendrum, Elaphoglossum, Tillandsia, and some other genera are species-rich. Clusia alata, Weinmannia balbisiana, Weinmannia rollottii, Ternstroemia cf. camelliifolia, and Brunellia comocladifolia define the arboreal and shrub physiognomy of Bijagual.
Se elaboró un catálogo de las angiospermas del páramo de Bijagual con información de las especies, distribución local y nacional. Se registraron 35 familias, 73 géneros y 120 especies.
Se realizó el estudio de la composición y estructura de un fragmento de bosque subandino en el municipio de Bolívar; área afectada por deforestación, pérdida de hábitat y expansión de la agricultura siendo tensionantes que han limitado el desarrollo de estos fragmentos. Dicho bosque se encuentra entre los 1 400-1 800 m altitudinales, a 24°C y 2 000-3 000 mm/año. Se realizaron 10 transectos (100*5 m), en ellos se registraron formas de crecimiento como arbórea, arbustiva, herbácea, palmoide, bejuco, epífita, hemiepífita, parásita y helecho arborescente, además de la recopilación de datos morfológicos. La composición de familias y géneros se evaluó a través de índices de diversidad, dominancia, equidad y similitud; para la estructura se calcularon IVI, IPF, IVF e intervalos de clase (altura, cobertura y DAP). Se registraron 103 familias, 242 géneros y 445 especies, con 74 dicotiledóneas (72 %), 14 monocotiledóneas (13 %) y 15 pteridófitas (15 %). Las familias con mayor número de géneros y especies fueron: Rubiaceae (15 géneros/29 especies), Gesneriaceae (7/19), Piperacae (2/18), Melastomataceae (7/17), Araceae y Urticaeceae (7/15 cada una). Los géneros más ricos en especies son: Piper (12 especies), Ficus y Miconia (9 cada uno), Anthurium (7), Clusia, Passiflora, Peperonia y Pilea (6 cada uno). La dominancia y diversidad evidenció uniformidad en las especies, soportado en la equitatividad del bosque. La similitud entre transectos es del 24 % indicando un alto recambio de especies. El crecimiento herbáceo fue el mejor representado con 56 familias y 166 especies. Este estudio mostro una alta diversidad, así como se identifican como nuevos registros para Santander Passiflora engleriana Harms Endangered En Peligro (EN), Aiphanes concinna H.E. Moore (casi amenazada, NT), Miconia neomicrantha Judd & Skean y Guarea kunthiana A. Juss. (Preocupación Menor, LC).
<p>Structural connectivity is a measure of the spatio-temporal changes that affect the movement of species between elements of the landscape and availability of habitat; these modifications that have been documented for high mountain ecosystems in Colombia (páramo and high Andean forest) and are caused by agricultural and other economic activities that affect their integrity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the dynamics of the changes between plant cover (1987-2018) in the Guacheneque and Los Cristales páramos (Boyacá-Cundinamarca, Colombia). Images from Landsat 4 and 8 sensors were used. Pre and post-processing (supervised classification and field verification) were performed with ArcGIS and ERDAS. To estimate structural connectivity, metrics of landscape diversity, composition and configuration were calculated (Fragstats v4.2.1). Thematic reliability was 88%. Mosaic covering of pastures and crops (Mpc – 288 ha), dense grassland of firm ground (HdTf- 24 ha) and high open forest (Baa-165 ha), increased in 31 years, while dense bush (Ad) decreased 477 ha. The distance between tiles of Mpc and Ad increased (from 150.74 m to 170.70 m and from 196.96 m to 236.64 m respectively), and decreased for Baa (from 166.74 m to 159.27 m). Connectivity increased for Mpc and Baa, and decreased for Ad. The evaluated páramos make up a landscape with frequent and intensive land use, the effect of a long history of occupation of this territory. The dynamics of structural connectivity registered an increase in agricultural activities (páramo-grasslands transition). These have caused tensions and contradictions in the delimitation of páramos, a local loss of the natural area, a decrease in the average size of the tiles, and an increase in the perimeter /surface ratio distance between nuclei. The results corroborate the isolation and loss of habitat, the negative impacts on the biodiversity of the Rabanal-Río Bogotá páramos complex.</p>
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