Abstract

AGUIRRE MENDOZA, Zhofre; REYES JIMENEZ, Byron; QUIZHPE CORONEL, Wilson  and  CABRERA, Alex. Floristic Composition, Structure and Endemism of the Woody Component of a Montane Forest in Southern Ecuador. Arnaldoa [online]. 2017, vol.24, n.2, pp.543-556. ISSN 1815-8242.  http://dx.doi.org/10.22497/arnaldoa.242.24207.

We studied the floristic composition, structure and endemism of the woody component of a permanent plot of one hectare of Andean forest in the Francisco Vivar Castro University Park, located in the province of Loja, southern Ecuador. The DBH and total height of all individuals with DBH ≥ 5 cm were recorded. The basal area and volume were calculated by diametric classes and species; structural profiles (horizontal and vertical) were developed. The floristic composition, Shannon index, abundance, frequency, dominance, value of importance index and endemism of each species were determined. There were 1370 individuals belonging to 45 species from 39 genera in 29 families. The forest has a basal area of 16.88 m2/ha and a volume of 77.57 m3/ha. According to the Shannon index, diversity is medium (3.16). The ecologically important species are Alnus acuminata, Palicourea amethystina, Phenax laevigatus and Clethra revoluta. The largest number of individuals are grouped in the first four diametric classes reflecting an inverted "J". In the horizontal profile of the forest there is a grouping of Palicourea amethystina and Clethra revoluta; the rest of species grow at random; in the vertical profile of the forest three substrates are differentiated: dominant, codominant and dominated. There are five endemic species: Oreopanax andreanus, Oreopanax rosei, Ageratina dendroides, Myrsine sodiroana and Zinowiewia madsenii. The forest remnant studied is a good reference of the floristic diversity of the Andean vegetation of southern Ecuador

Keywords : diversity; montane forest; permanent plot; structural parameters; structural profiles; endemism.

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