Sucesión de especies vegetales leñosas bajo una plantación de Eucalyptus globulus Labill., en la hoya de Loja, Ecuador

Abstract

Ecosystem dynamics is based on successional processes that occur after anthropic and natural disturbances. The succession of native woody plant species was studied under a plantation of Eucalyptus globulus in Loja, Ecuador; with the objective of determining the floristic composition and monitoring natural regeneration. Five permanent plots of 20 m x 20 m were established to investigate latizales, five subplots of 5 m x 5 m were nested for saplings and five subplots of 1 m x 1 m for seedlings. Height and basal diameter were measured at the beginning of the experiment and at 12 months. Floristic composition and structural parameters were determined at the first sampling time; with the data from the second measurement, survival and growth were evaluated. The influence of the environmental variables: soil depth, slope and luminosity on the floristic diversity and abundance of natural regeneration were analyzed. Twenty-eight species within 24 genera and 21 families were recorded. The abundant species with the highest IVI are: Solanum aphyodendron (seedlings), Miconia obscura (sapling) and Viburnum triphyllum (latizal). Seedlings have a higher survival rate (100 %) and saplings have a lower survival rate (88.55 %). Viburnum triphyllum (seedlings), Verbesina arborea (saplings) and Inga acreana (grassland) showed the highest growth in height. Basal diameter is dominated by Solanum aphyodendron (seedlings), Alnus acuminata (saplins) and Critoniopsis pycnantha (latizal). The floristic diversity present in the latizales correlates with the environmental variables, in the seedlings and saplings there is no significant relationship.