Relaciones de la composición, diversidad florística y estructura con el carbono almacenado en Bosques piemontanos bajos del Macizo del Cajas Azuay-Ecuador

Abstract

The Andean tropical forests of Ecuador contain great biological diversity due to the different ecological aspects and they accumulate carbon in their biomass, making them forests of great investigative interest. The present study generated information about the relationship between composition, floristic diversity and structure with the stored carbon in different compartments. The compartments are located in the remnants of the mature native forests within the protected zone of Cajas National Park, here the information of 20 plots (10 plots of each type of forest) was gathered. In the highest part (San Antonio - Chaucha) are the evergreen montane forests between 1 500 m a.s.l. (meters above sea level) ± 500 m. and in the lowest part (La Iberia – Molleturo) are the evergreen piedmontane forests between 500 m a.s.l. ± 500 m. The accumulated carbon was calculated in four natural compartments: necromass, below ground biomass, forest floor, and above ground biomass. In addition, with the composition, floristic diversity and structure data, relationships were established using Generalized Linear Models (GLM). The results obtained show that the total organic carbon (TOC) in the different sizes of vegetation, (tree diameter at chest height or DBH ≥ 2,5; ≥ 5; ≥ 10) were greater, taking into account that the highest carbon storage values were found in the area biomass where a significant and positive relationship was shown between the basal area and carbon storage. The NMS (Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling) analysis showed that the AC (aerial carbon) variable is closely associated with the species composition within the 3 levels of vegetation size. The GLM (Generalized Linear Models) showed that the basal area was significantly and positively related to the AC in the three sizes of the vegetation, while the tree density was related to the AC of the vegetation with DBH ≥ 5cm and ≥ 10 cm. Regarding the carbon in the compartments; the carbon stored in the necromass was significantly related only to the basal area. Basal area with individuals with DBH ≥ 2.5 cm, ≥ 5 cm and ≥ 10 cm and species richness with vegetation with DBH ≥ 5cm and ≥ 10cm were significantly and positively related to TOC in its three vegetation sizes. These results are possibly influenced by the similarity of existing species between the sites, soil factors or spatial correlation, which should be investigated in future studies.