Title
La temperatura y radiación solar explican diferencias en la distribución de dos árboles altoandinos (Polylepis spp.) localmente simpátricos en la Cordillera Blanca, Perú
Date Issued
01 January 2021
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Cornell University
Publisher(s)
Taylor and Francis Ltd.
Abstract
Knowledge of the ecological requirements, the current extensions, and cover of a species is important for its management conservation, but this information is lacking for many species of Polylepis (ROSACEA). Here we use niche modeling to understand the ecological requirements of two Polylepis species natively found in sympatry within the Huascarán National Park (HNP) (Cordillera Blanca, Peru), Polylepis albicans and P. webebaueri, and produce species distribution maps restricted by forest cover to estimate each species' current cover within the park. Based on presence/absence data collected systematically throughout their local elevational distribution and analyzed using a Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and generalized linear models (glm), the best models show that P. albicans and P. weberbaueri have different environmental niches and their occupation is maximized at different climatic ranges mainly associated with temperature (annual mean temperature and mean monthly temperature range) and solar radiation during the dry season. P. albicans occupies warmer and drier areas than P. weberbaueri, which leads to a spatial segregation that has implications for the conservation management of each species. However, it is necessary to evaluate if the models described here adequately capture the environmental niche of other populations of P. weberbaueri, or if these could be new species. Our results indicate that within the HNP, the extension of Polylepis forests (~ 24,000 ha; 11,361 ha of P. albicans and 12,627 ha of P. weberbaueri) is significantly greater than that previously reported and confirm that this protected area harbors the greatest extensions of both species in Peru and its proper management is key for their conservation and that of the ecosystems they constitute.
Start page
327
End page
340
Volume
7
Issue
1
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ecología Conservación de la Biodiversidad
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85112679076
Source
Neotropical Biodiversity
ISSN of the container
23766808
Sponsor(s)
El estudio fue financiado por FONDECYT-CONCYTEC (Nº 237-2015-FONDECYT) y Proyecto CONCYTEC - Banco Mundial, a través de su unidad ejecutora el Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico, Tecnológico y de Innovación Tecnológica (Fondecyt). Agradecemos el apoyo logístico de la Universidad de Cornell, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the Athena Grant, the Bergstrom Award of the Association of Field Ornithologists y al American Alpine Club Research Grants 2017. En especial, queremos agradecer a nuestro equipo de campo: J. Pisconte, N. Young, N. Mamani, R. Watanabe, J. Salvador, C. Sierra, J. Purcell, T. Colonia, R. López, J.M. Quispe, F. Gonzales, C. Elías, C. Gutiérrez, K. Sulca, A. Cáceres, N. Torres, J. Cansaya, N. Solís, D. Young, I. Cachajagua, A. Ochoa, K. Gamarra, R. Rodríguez y V. Gutiérrez. Finalmente, al personal del Parque Nacional Huascarán, Ing. J. Gómez, A. Valverde, M. Salvador, y O. Gonzales, así como a los distintos Guardaparques que ayudaron de muchas maneras. This work was supported by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Tecnológica (PE) [015-2019- FONDECYT-BM]; FONDECYT-CONCYTEC [Nº 237-2015-FONDECYT].
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus