Diversidad de epífitos (briófitos y líquenes) y factores microclimáticos en plantaciones de Pinus patula en la región sur del Ecuador

Abstract

Abstract: Tree plantations are expanding worldwide while natural forests are declining and increasingly fragmented. However, plantations have the potential to accommodate diversity, promote connectivity and collaborate in the persistence of populations. This study was conducted in four Pinus patula plantations of Loja province (Zamora Huayco neighborhood, Cavalry Cazadores de los Ríos, Dos Puentes and Rumizhitana sectors). We sampled 6 plots of 24 x 24 m in each area, where 240 quadrants of 20 x 50 cm in 120 trees were performed. The influence of microclimate factors in the richness and composition of nonvascular epiphytes was analyzed. 166 species distributed in 65 genera were recorded. The richness and composition changes in various areas of study were influenced significantly by microclimatic factors, mainly the altitude, temperature, humidity and number of trees per plot.