Diversity, structure and dynamics of tropical montane forests: Insights from permanent-plot monitoring in the Venezuelan Andes

Maryam E. Sánchez; Luis D. Llambí; Luis E. Gámez; Gerardo Rodríguez; Roxibell Pelayo; Michele Ataroff; Emilio Vilanova

doi:10.25260/EA.24.34.2.0.2349

Autores/as

Maryam E. Sánchez Instituto de Investigaciones para el Desarrollo Forestal (INDEFOR), Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Ambientales, Universidad de Los Andes. Mérida, Venezuela
Luis D. Llambí Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Ecológicas (ICAE), Universidad de Los Andes. Mérida, Venezuela. Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecorregión Andina-CONDESAN
Luis E. Gámez Laboratorio de Dendrología, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Ambientales, Universidad de Los Andes. Mérida, Venezuela
Gerardo Rodríguez Laboratorio de Dendrología, Facultad de Ciencias Forestales y Ambientales, Universidad de Los Andes. Mérida, Venezuela
Roxibell Pelayo Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Ecológicas (ICAE), Universidad de Los Andes. Mérida, Venezuela
Michele Ataroff Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales y Ecológicas (ICAE), Universidad de Los Andes. Mérida, Venezuela
Emilio Vilanova Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6289-5127

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.24.34.2.0.2349

Palabras clave:

biomasa aérea, bosques nublados, demografía arbórea, síndromes de dispersión, dinámica del bosque, composición de especies, Andes tropicales

Resumen

Los bosques montanos tropicales de los Andes son hotspots de biodiversidad y constituyen ecosistemas importantes que proveen numerosos servicios para las poblaciones locales (e.g., acumulación de biomasa/carbono, regulación hidrológica). En países de la región, estos bosques se están perdiendo o degradando a tasas alarmantes. Entender su dinámica en términos de composición de especies, diversidad, estructura y función es un reto clave en la región, y serviría de base para políticas que favorezcan su conservación y gestión sostenible. En este estudio se usaron datos de monitoreo de parcelas permanentes (parte de la Red de Bosques Andinos) en las dos principales cordilleras de los Andes venezolanos para analizar la estructura, diversidad y dinámica de los bosques entre 2016 y 2023, y sus posibles elementos causales. Aunque los bosques más húmedos de La Mucuy (noreste) y los más estacionales de San Eusebio (noroeste) son similares en riqueza general de especies, difieren en la composición de especies y sus orígenes biogeográficos. Ambos sitios comparten similitudes en las estrategias de dispersión de los árboles y en las tasas de reemplazo de los tallos (promedio: 1.16%/año), pero los bosques de La Mucuy son significativamente más productivos (tasa media de productividad leñosa: 3.09±1.42 Mg C.ha^-¹.y^-1), mientras que en las parcelas de SEU la tasa fue 0.73±0.48 Mg C.ha^-¹.y^-1. Asimismo, aunque la riqueza y composición de especies no mostró cambios significativos durante los 6 años, ambos lugares incrementaron su biomasa aérea total, actuando como un importante sumidero de carbono, impulsado quizás por el crecimiento de grandes árboles en estos bosques. Los resultados enfatizan la necesidad de mantener los esfuerzos de seguimiento a largo plazo para vincular de forma explícita los cambios en la composición, biodiversidad y servicios ecosistémicos con los cambios en los factores ambientales bajo escenarios de cambio climático.

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