Estudio demográfico de la Macleania rupestris y Pernettya prostrata, en la vegetación análoga de indiviso, en la parroquia Baquerizo Moreno, cantón Pillaro, provincia de Tungurahua.

Abstract

The aim of this research was to conduct a demographic study of Macleania rupestris and Pernettya prostrata, in the analogous vegetation measured by the percentage of current cover. This study was carried out in the montane forest located in the province of Tungurahua, Píllaro canton, Baquerizo Moreno parish, Indiviso sector, at 01°18'S coordinates; 78°30'W, altitude 3400 m.a.s.l., where the area was recognized and the best sampling areas were determined by the location of plots, which were 10 plots of 10 x 10 m in an area of 1000 m²; The two species were identified in the ESPOCH herbarium and the Braun-Blanquet methodology was used to determine the abundance indexes according to the percentage of cover, this through data on the percentage of vegetation cover and phenological state to calculate the presence of each species per plot and then the demographic characterization according to the percentages obtained in relation to each subquadrant of the 10 plots; the importance value index (IVI) was also determined based on the relative density of each species; the demographic map was made based on sub quadrants in L, with percentage data at each meter of distance observing taking the north as a reference point. Macleania rupestris has the highest percentage of vegetation cover (29.50 %) in plot 5 and the lowest in plot 4 (3 %), while Pernettya prostrata has the highest percentage of vegetation cover (29.50 %) in plot 4 and the lowest in plot 6 (1.5 %); it was inferred that Pernettya prostrata is sensitive to sudden changes in the ecosystem. It was concluded that Pernettya prostrata has higher dominance of vegetation cover and it is recommended to conduct similar studies in other sites to check the population status of the species.