University of Amsterdam (NL) - Páramo Vegetation Research, Paramo "El Almorzadero", Colombia

Study Extent

The study was done in The "El Almorzadero" páramo complex. The data was collected in November 1978.

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. The vegetation releve data were converted into species occurrence data.

Quality Control

The original data was taken in field books, consisting either of a valid species name or a code of the specimen with collection of it for its later taxonomical identification (when identification on the field was not possible). In total 26 releves were produced consisting of a species list with its cover, date, location, altitude, slope, etc. The data of "El Almorzadero" remained in paper until 2011, when the NLBIF financed digitizing the data. The data was digitized using the software TurboVeg, which is a software design for this type of vegetation information and then exported from community data into species occurrence data. 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 and the validation of the taxonomy of each species. Also the gaps in terms of the precision of the georeference data were filled.

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). All the "El Almorzadero" data was lacking a georeference and specific habitat indication. In 2013 to improve de dataset quality, this data was completed as detail and precise as possible, but due to time restriction only a general georeference was given to the data and a general indication for the habitat type was given, this in colaboration with A. Cleef. The georeference data assigned to the data set was based in google maps, where a point in the center of the Paramo complex was chosen and the precision was calculated as the longest distance from this point to the paramo complex border. The original data was checked (data in paper) trying to find extra information on the locality but not founded. Then based on the altitude range for the dataset, a center point was chosen and the precsion e=was calculated with the borders of the Paramo complex defined by Morales et al., 2007 in the "Atlas de Paramos de Colombia". Also to complete the geographic coverage and the study extend recent literature was used to get info about the paramo complex. The most recent document available for Colombia is the "Atlas de Paramos de Colombia" published in 2007 and available online at http://www.humboldt.org.co/chmcolombia/servicios/jsp/paramos/enColombia.jsp

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. Fungy
   common name: Lichens rank: kingdom

The Almorzadero paramo complex is located in the provinces of Santander and Norte de Santander in the Eastern cordillera of Colombia. The Almorzadero complex includes the municipalities of Chitagá and Silos in Norte de Santander, and Cerrito, Guaca and Tona, in Santander. The Paramos localities included in this complex are Almorzadero, Mogotoroco, Anagá, Juradó, Las Coloradas, Mantilla, Tona, Berlín y Chitagá. The altitudinal range of the Almorzadero paramo complex varies from 3100m.a.s.l. up to 4530m.a.s.l. and the dataset covers a range between 3425m.a.s.l. until 4300m.a.s.l.