Floristic Groups, and Changes in Diversity and Structure of Trees, in Tropical Montane Forests in the Southern Andes of Ecuador

Oswaldo Jadán,David A Donoso,Fernando Bermúdez,Hugo Cedillo,Omar Cabrera

doi:10.3390/d13090400

Abstract

Composition, diversity, and structure of trees in tropical montane forests are responsive to ecological gradients and local succession. Those parameters are a result of ecological interactions between vegetation, environment, and location. This study identified floristic groups on mainly secondary forests and evaluated how the composition, diversity, and structure of trees correlate with climate, soil, and age since abandonment. We included in our models a measurement of spatial correlation, to explore the role of dispersion. For this purpose, we measured diameter and height of all trees with DBH ≥ 10 cm, in twenty-eight 500 m2 plots, in an elevation range between 2900 and 3500 m. We found 14 indicator species in three floristic groups. Group composition was explained by age since abandonment, which showed strong succession effects. Mean monthly precipitation and Manganese, but not spatial correlation, explained plant composition in these montane forests, suggesting a minor role of dispersion. Species richness and structure of the arboreal vegetation were influenced by interactions between age, precipitation, and soil nutrients concentration. We concluded that in fragmented landscapes, within the rugged region of southern Ecuador, it is possible to find different floristic groups that encompass high variation in their composition.

Highlights

Composition, diversity, and structure of trees in tropical montane forests are responsive to ecological gradients and local succession
Three floristic groups can be recognized by species composition and the presence of indicator species and are responsive to environmental factors
Structure variables and species richness of the plots are dependent of complex interactions of the age, climate, and soil variables

Summary

Introduction

Composition, diversity, and structure of trees in tropical montane forests are responsive to ecological gradients and local succession. Those parameters are a result of ecological interactions between vegetation, environment, and location. Floristic Groups, and Changes in Diversity and Structure of Trees, in Tropical Montane Forests in the Southern Andes of Ecuador. TMF are important for the long-term provision of ecosystem goods and services [5]; a persistent question for ecologists and forest managers has been how their floristic composition and community structure change through environmental gradients and ecological succession [6,7]. Richness, basal area, and tree height of mature TMF decrease with altitude [7,8]. Different dominant and indicator species are characteristic of different altitudes in neotropical published maps and institutional affiliations

Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion