AN INTER-ANDEAN FOREST RELICT - VEGETATION CHANGE ON PASOCHOA VOLCANO, ECUADOR

被引:11
作者
STERN, MJ
机构
关键词
D O I
10.2307/3673810
中图分类号
X [环境科学、安全科学];
学科分类号
08 ; 0830 ;
摘要
The cloud forest on Pasochoa Volcano is one of the last remnants in the inter-Andean valley of Ecuador. Both natural and human disturbances have contributed to the development of the present-day vegetation. Repeat air photography with subsequent ground truthing was used to quantify and describe changes in vegetation in two natural (paramo and forest) and two anthropogenic (crop and pasture) landscape categories. The proportion of spatial area covered by each of these categories in the study area was evaluated during four time intervals spanning 31 years (1956-1987) as human population increased in the region. These data indicated an overall decrease (-11%) of pasture and agricultural fields; an increase (+5%) of paramo, attributed to fire and grazing pressure at higher elevations; and an increase (+7%) of forest, in part the result of legal protection and active management. Transects revealed that populations of native bamboo, Chusquea scandens, accounted for some of the recent vegetation classified as forest from air photographs, particularly on unstable slopes and in areas of recent human disturbance; implications of bamboo density on patch dynamics and slope stability are discussed. Continued legal recognation and management are needed to protect this relict forest and to restore similar habitat in the northern Andes.
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页码:339 / 348
页数:10
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