Dinámica sucesional de un fragmento de bosque seco tropical del Valle del Cauca, Colombia

Abstract

The ecosystems of Valle del Cauca have been transformed to a landscape with few and small fragments of forest. This study measured the mortality and recruitment rates, changes in structure, composition, and biomass storage of the vegetation in a one-hectare permanent plot in the El Vínculo Regional Natural Park, Valle del Cauca, in 2009 and 2011. One thousand, seven hundred sixty-eight stems with DAP ≥ 5 cm were registered, which increased to 1811 stems in 2011, comprising 52 species and 25 families. Fabaceae and Rutaceae were the dominant families. The species with highest IVI, basal area, and biomass contribution were Eugenia procera, Amyris pinnata, Pithecellobium lanceolatum, Guapira sp. and Guazuma ulmifolia. The annual mortality rate (Tm= 4,84%) was due to stem death of heliophilous species. The annual recruitment rate (Tr= 6,94%) showed the success in dispersal and establishment of animal-dispersed species. The tendency of the vegetation was to increase basal area and biomass. We conclude that the forest is in an early successional stage, shows no disturbance, and is a reservoir representative of the diversity of tropical dry forest.

Keywords

• Parcelas permanentes
• Composición y estructura florística
• Biomasa
• Sucesión vegetal
• Parque Natural Regional El Vínculo