An assessment of the restoration of ecosystems affected by the Yacyretá Hydroelectric Power Plant (Corrientes, Argentina): Lycophytes and ferns as parameters
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25260/EA.25.35.1.0.2466Keywords:
diversity, ecological succession, inventory, protected natural area, conservationAbstract
The construction of the Yacyretá Hydroelectric Dam altered the surrounding ecosystems. To mitigate these effects, the Yacyretá Binational Entity created protected areas, such as the Reserva Natural Rincón de Santa María (RNRSM) and the Reserva Natural Mbaracayá (RNMb) in Ituzaingó, Corrientes, Argentina. The RNRSM contains secondary forests undergoing restoration and abandoned pine plantations, whereas the more affected RNMb hosts recovering secondary vegetation. The objective of this work was to inventory the species of lycophytes and ferns in both reserves and to evaluate the restoration of both areas based on the diversity of these groups. For this purpose, 11 collection trips were made, specimens from the CTES herbarium were reviewed and a dichotomous key was elaborated to identify the taxa recorded. Sixteen families, 27 genera and 35 infrageneric taxa were documented. The diversity of infrageneric taxa per family was distributed as follows: Pteridaceae (6 taxa), Polypodiaceae and Thelypteridaceae (4 each), Blechnaceae and Salviniaceae (3 each), Anemiaceae, Cyatheaceae, Gleicheniaceae, and Ophioglossaceae (2 each), while Dennstaedtiaceae, Equisetaceae, Isoetaceae, Lycopodiaceae, Lygodiaceae, Osmundaceae, and Psilotaceae recorded a single taxon. A total of 22 species were recorded in each reserve, with 9 species shared between them. Noteworthy records include Dicranopteris flexuosa and Sticherus lanuginosus, both considered rare in Argentina. Also, two species are of high conservation value: Cyathea delgadii, classified as Critically Endangered (CR), and Isoetes gardneriana, considered Endangered (EN) according to the IUCN criterion. Both were recorded only in the RNMb. This study adds nine species to the RNRSM inventory and is the first published survey of the RNMb. The cessation of human activities and ongoing restoration efforts have promoted natural regeneration, reinforcing the conservation value of these areas.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Saúl Páez, Lisandro Cardinale, Héctor A. Keller, Néstor Fariña, Olga Villalba, Esteban I. Meza Torres
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