Response of paramo vegetation to anthropogenic disturbance along an altitudinal gradient in Quindío, Colombia
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| Autores: | , , , |
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| Formato: | artículo original |
| Estado: | Versión publicada |
| Data de Publicación: | 2026 |
| Descripción: | Introduction: The paramos of Quindío, Colombia, harbor high but still incompletely documented plant diversity. These high-mountain ecosystems are sensitive to anthropogenic pressures, which can alter community composition, dominance patterns, and vegetation structure. Objective: To compare floristic diversity and vegetation structure between conserved and intervened paramo/subparamo localities in Quindío, providing baseline information for conservation and management. Methods: We sampled six localities spanning an altitudinal belt of approximately 3 200-3 900 m. In each locality, five 50 m line transects were established (30 transects total). Species occurrence was recorded, and relative cover was estimated using the line intercept approach (intercept length). Alpha diversity was assessed with Hill numbers (q0, q1, q2), and beta diversity was evaluated using similarity measures based on relative values. Vegetation structure was summarized with an Importance Value Index (IVI). Results: We recorded 519 species: 285 vascular plants (182 genera, 80 families) and 234 non-vascular plants (115 genera, 63 families), including 160 liverworts (Marchantiophyta), 71 mosses (Bryophyta), and three hornworts (Anthocerotophyta). Species richness (q0) was higher in conserved localities and markedly lower in intervened localities. Diversity patterns indicated increased dominance in the most disturbed locality, consistent with cover concentration in a reduced set of taxa. Floristic similarity was generally low (≤ 45 %), with greater affinity among conserved localities and higher dispersion among intervened ones. The highest IVI values in intervened localities were associated with taxa such as Miconia polyneura, Hesperomeles obtusifolia var. obtusifolia, Gaultheria myrsinoides, Puya trianae, and Gaiadendron punctatum, whereas conserved localities were characterized by structurally prominent species. Conclusion: Conserved paramo localities maintain higher floristic diversity and a vegetation structure dominated by characteristic taxa, whereas intervened sites show reduced richness, stronger dominance, and pronounced compositional turnover. These patterns highlight the need to strengthen conservation actions, regulate local pressures, and prioritize connectivity and restoration in the paramos of Quindío. |
| País: | Portal de Revistas UCR |
| Institución: | Universidad de Costa Rica |
| Repositorio: | Portal de Revistas UCR |
| Idioma: | Español |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:portal.revistas.ucr.ac.cr:article/274 |
| Acceso en liña: | https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rrbt/article/view/274 |
| Palabra crave: | Andean paramo; floristic diversity; Hill numbers; beta diversity; line-intercept; Importance Value Index; anthropogenic disturbance; Colombian Andes páramo andino; diversidad florística; números de Hill; diversidad beta; línea de intercepción; Índice de Valor de Importancia; disturbio antrópico; Andes colombianos |