University of Amsterdam (NL) - Páramo vegetation research, Central Andean Cordillera - Colombia

Study Extent

The data was collected in the area of the National Natural Park Los Nevados (central cordillera) in an altitudinal range between 3800m and 4500m. The Ruiz-Tolima volcanic massif was studied including sites such as the Santa Rosa, Santa Isabel volcanoes, the Ruiz paramo and the Otun lake. In the National Natural Park Los Nevados, specifically at the Ruiz paramo the studied were done close by motel "El Refugio", "El Silencio" farm in Laguna Verde which is located between the volcanoes of Ruiz and Santa Isabel and also close to the road between Fresno - Manizales.
Also the National Natural Park Nevado del Huila, the localities included the area closed to the road between Belalcazar - Cali about 2950m up to the site known as Irlanda. And finally the National Natural Park Purace located in the Cauca and Huila provinces. Includes the municipalities of San Sebastián, Santa Rosa, Puracé, Inzá, Sotará and Totoró in Cauca and the municipalities of La Argentina, La Plata, Isnos, Saladoblanco and San Agustín in Huila.

Sampling

The vegetation sampling was done by the relevé method following the Braun-Blanquet principles. The relevé is a list of the plants in a delimited plot of vegetation, with information on species cover and on substrate and other abiotic features in the plot to make as complete as possible description in terms of community composition. Different releves were done at different altitudes in the Paramo.
The community vegetation releve data were converted into species occurrence data.

Quality Control

The data stored in TurboVeg was checked to identify errors in the information or gaps needed to be filled. The two main fields identified to be checked/completed were the georeference data (including precision) and the validation of the taxonomy of each species. The georeference information still needs to be completed.

Method steps

1. Releve data was stored in the software TurboVeg and then exported into species occurrence data. The species list used in TurboVeg was checked by an expert to confirm the valid taxonomy (taking into account taxonomy changes, synonyms, etc)(Guido van Reenen, paramo species list). This list was cross-checked with The Plant List (http://www.theplantlist.org/), for the period July 2011 until February 2013 (during this time frame the names where the accepted). A big part of the records are still lacking a georeference with its precision estimation. Also the specific habitat indication needs to be done.

All plants identified to species level. Vegetation including phanerogams, bryophytes and lichens.

1. Plantae
   common name: Phanerogams rank: kingdom
2. Plantae
   common name: Bryophytes rank: kingdom
3. Fungi
   common name: Lichens rank: kingdom

Central Cordillera begins in the area called Macizo Colombiano between Cauca and Huila and ends up at the Serranía San Lucas (Bolivar). The extension is 1000km and it covers a surface of 110.000km2. Two main rivers are the limits of the mountain range, west by Cauca and east by Magdalena river. The highest point is located at Nevado del Huila which reaches 5750 meters above sea level. Is the most volcanic mountain range, the volcanos Galeras, Sotará, Puracé, Huila, Tolima, and Santa Isabel are found in central cordillera. The data was collected in the area of the National Natural Park Los Nevados which is part of four provinces covering the municipalities of Villamaría (Caldas province), Pereira, Santa Rosa de Cabal (Risaralda province), Salento (Quindio province), Anzoátegui, Casabianca, Villa Hermosa, Santa Isabel, Murillo, Herveo e Ibagué (Tolima province). Also the National Natural Park Nevado del Huila was studied and is located between the provinces of Cauca (municipalities Páez, Corinto and Toribio), Huila (municipalities of Teruel, Iquira and Santamaría) and in Tolima (municipalities of Planadas and Rioblanco) And finally the National Natural Park Purace located in the Cauca and Huila provinces. Includes the municipalities of San Sebastián, Santa Rosa, Puracé, Inzá, Sotará and Totoró in Cauca and the municipalities of La Argentina, La Plata, Isnos, Saladoblanco and San Agustín in Huila. The altitudinal range of the data goes from 2650m.a.s.l. up to 4650m.a.s.l.