Flora of the Chiquicahua River, Carihuayrazo volcano, Tungurahua - Ecuador

Abstract

The primary river basin of the Chiquicahua River is located on the north side of the Carihuayrazo volcano glacier, Pilahuin 'parish, Ambato canton, Tungurahua province, coordinates, 78 ° 37.00W - 010 21.41 S (middle part), 3560 masl, plant formations: evergreen high montane forest and herbaceous moor. With the objective of characterizing the vegetation, during the month of August 2015, the botanical information was collected through the use of the transect methodology, in three locations (patches of disturbed forest), 0.1 ha, species > 2.5 were evaluated cm of DAP; and in two (herbaceous vegetation), 0.01 ha, species of all diameter; Herbalized samples from the study are deposited in the QAP herbarium; The results were analyzed using the indices: Simpson, Sorensen and Basal Area (AB). The results are: 108-1114 individuals and 9-42 species per transect, in total 123 species, 46 families, the most common habit is herbaceous, according to status 107 are native, 7 endemic (Aristeguietia glutinosa, Calceolaria ferruginea, Epidendrum tenuicaule, Gentianella cernua Grosvenoria hypargyra, Hypochaeris sonchoides and Polylepis retieulata) and 9 introduced, the interpretation of the Simpson Index is between low and above average, the .similarity ranges between 0% and 50%, the total AB is between 0.3 and 3.9m2 ; the most frequent species in each sampling are: Gynoxys sodiroi, Poa cucullata, Brachyotum ledifolium, Baccharis buxifolia and Anthoxanthum odoratum. The study area constitutes an ecosystem of disturbed forest and grassland patches due to the anthropic action, with heterogeneous vegetation, in different conservation states, the most common families are: Asteraceae, Poaceae, Polypodiaceae, Rosaceae, Dryopteridaceae, Gentianaceae and Lycopodiaceae, wasteland indicators; In addition to the biological, floristic, geological, water, landscape and tourist resources, the Cariguayrazo volcano offers ecosystem services such as water regulation, carbon sequestration, air cleaning, among others.