Changes in vegetation cover and mapping of a protected area in NW, Argentina
Keywords:
Vegetation map, Forest recovery, Yungas Phytogeografic ProvinceAbstract
Pero, Edgardo J. I.; José Busnelli; Juan P. Juliá. 2015. “Changes in vegetation cover and mapping of a protected area in NW, Argentina”. Lilloa 52 (1). The Horco Molle Experimental Reserve (REHM) is a protected area that depends on the Natural Sciences Faculty and Miguel Lillo Institute (IML) of the National University of Tucumán. The original vegetation corresponds to the southern part of the Transition Forest District of the Yungas Phytogeografic Province, which is also called the “Tipa” and “Pacará” Forest. In the present time the vegetation is in a secondary succession stage after a long history of deforestation and agriculture use. Aceñolaza (1989) made a first map of the reserve vegetation, which does not show the present situation because of the changes produced by the ecological succession occurring there and human intervention. In this work a new map was made, it was overlapped with the 1989 map and changes between them were identified. In 1989 a 70 % of the reserve surface was covered by grasslands and Guarán (Tecoma stans) and Afata blanca (Heliocarpus popayanensis) forests. Now a day, the 51 % is occupied by Ligustrum lucidum, which is an alien tree, common in the San Javier Mountains in Tucumán. The 74 % of the Tecoma-Heliocarpus forest have been displaced by this invader. This fact shows that a pioneer native community can be occupied by alien species. We consider that T. stans could function like a hanger for birds, facilitating the L. lucidum dispersion. Nevertheless, the native forest in a more advanced stage of succession like Cebil colorado (Anadenanthera colubrina) and Laurel del cerro (Cinnamomum porphyria) forest, maintain his position and have extendedtheir surface. Our results detail the forest recovery process registered in the area. On the other hand, the updated map can be used for the management of the area and for future studies on distribution of other organism that live in the reserve
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