Phytocoenologia
Berlin-Stuttgart, June 29, 1 998
Pflanzengesellschaften und Lebensformen des Super paramo des Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada de Merida in Venezuela
von Alexander L. BERG, Gottingen mit 7 Photos, 7 Figuren und 5 Tabellen Plant communities and life forms of the superparamo of the "Sierra Nevada de Merida" National Park, Venezuela Abstract. The vegetation of the superparamo of the "Sierra Nevada de Merida " National
Park, Venezuela, was analysed using phytosociological methods. Thirteen plant communi ties are described, each with its characteristic floristic and life form composition, structure, ecology and distribution. A new graphic presentation of the abundance and the percentage of life forms in each community is applied. The zonal communities, belonging to the Draba empetroides-Luzula racemosa -commu nity-group are dominated by tussock-grasses or giant rosette plants and seem to be con fined to Venezuela. The most common ones are the Espeletia schultzii-Aciachne acicularis community (up to 4 1 50 m) and the Coespeletia moritziana-Festuca tolucensis-community (4 1 50-4500 m). The Festuca fragilis-Oritrophium paramense -community and the Coespele tia timotensis-community occur between 4500 and 4600 m. The azonal communities, referred to the Gentiana sedifolia-Carex amicta -community group and the A c i a c h n e t u rn p u I v i n a t a e , are dominated by cushion grasses, rosette plants or cushion plants and have a wide distribution along the Andes. The A c i a c h n e t u m p u I v i n a t a e is characteristic of former lakelets. The Carex bonplandii-Lache milla sprucei community ( M a r c h a n t i o - E p i l o b i e t a l i a ) and the We r n e r i o n community ( We r n e r i e t a I i a ) are characteristic vegetation types of mires, cushion bogs and meadows. Above 4600 up to the snow-level at 4850 m discrete communities are lacking; isolated individuals of Festuca fragilis, Poa pauciflora, Draba empetroides and Draba racemosa, among others, occur in protected places. The study revealed, that the diversity of the vegetation is related to an altitudinal gradient and the soil-humidity. -
Keywords: South America, tropical Andes, Venezuela, Superparamo, Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada de Merida, life form, plant communities. Resumen. En el Parque Nacional Sierra Nevada de Merida en Venezuela se realizaron estudios fitosociologicos en los aiios 1 993 y 1 994. EI motivo del trabaj o era la descripcion de las comunidades del superparamo del parque nacional. Esto permite comparar los resultados con las investigaciones realizadas en los Andes colombianos y otras regiones altoandinas. EI area estudiada forma parte de la Cordillera de Merida y es una de tres regiones del
0340-269X/98/0028-0 1 5 7 $ 1 1 .75
© 1 998 Gebriider Borntraeger, D - 1 4 1 29 Berlin· D-701 76 Stuttgart DOI:10.1127/phyto/28/1998/157 (c) 2013 www.schweizerbart.com