Original article

Floristic diversity and structure of the dry forest in northern Ecuador

0000-0002-2778-3741Juan Carlos Chimarro Cumbal¹  , 0000-0002-4156-1555Jorge Luis Cué García^{1  *}  , 0000-0002-0868-2988Carlos Ramiro Arcos Unigarro¹  , 0000-0002-5880-1607Hugo Orlando Paredes Rodríguez¹ 

¹Universidad Técnica del Norte. Ecuador

SUMMARY

In Ecuador, dry forests constitute fragile ecosystems and show different states of deterioration, which affects their floristic composition. The objective of the research was to determine the floristic composition and structure of the dry forest (BmMn01) and the probable uses of the most abundant species in the "El Rosal" community. The area is located at coordinates 0.60'24'' north latitude and 78.14'75'' west longitude. Tree, shrub and herbaceous strata were determined. For the tree stratum, five plots of 10* 50 m were established, where individuals ≥10 cm DAP were recorded. In each of them, three subplots of 5* 5 m were formed for the shrub layer and 3 subplots of 1* 1 m for the herbaceous layer. The Shannon and Pielow indices and the use value of the species were determined. The floristic composition is made up of 19 families, 37 genera and 40 species. Two were classified as tree species, 16 shrubs and the rest herbaceous. The vertical structure of the tree layer was represented by Bursera graveolens; subarboreal by Vachellia macracantha , the shrubby Croton menthodorus and the herbaceous was uniform. The most abundant species was Croton menthodorus and the dominant one was Vachellia macracantha . The Shannon index was 3.08, which indicates medium diversity, while Pielow with 0.84 reveals a behavior of high diversity. The value of use in the community shows Bursera graveolens, Vachellia macracantha, Opuntia pubescens and Sida cordifolia as the most representative species.

Key words: Horizontal and vertical structure; Diversity Indices; Use value.

INTRODUCTION

The necessary conservation strategies in this globalized world, with clear environmental deterioration, as well as basic and applied scientific research, require knowledge about the biological richness of different ecosystems ^{(Schmeller et al., 2018)}. There is an appreciable risk of loss of biological diversity due to the high destruction of natural terrestrial ecosystems, particularly forested ecosystems, requiring taxonomic and systematic research to analyze biological diversity, both before and after the transformation of those ecosystems.

Ecuador is considered one of the most megadiverse countries in the world. It has 95 plant ecosystems, resulting from the interaction of multiple factors, among which geological, biogeographical, climatic, geographical, evolutionary and ecological factors stand out ^{(Aguirre et al., 2013)}. The dry forests are typical of the Andean region, they represent a means of subsistence for the population since ancient times, considering that they offer: wood, fruits, resins, gums, latex, fibers among other products and as a whole contribute to maintaining the water regime, scenic beauty, protect the soil from erosion, among other services ^{(Manchego et al., 2017)}.

Dry forests at the national level represent fragile ecosystems and are at risk of disappearing, due to their replacement by other land uses ^{(Aguirre 2012}; ^{Cabrera and Grosse, 2016)}. Its current state comes from a long history of use and deforestation from the ancient civilizations that lived in these ecosystems, until the recent conversion to other uses ^{(Moonlight et al., 2020}). ^{González et al. (2018)}, seven anthropogenic disturbances, being agriculture, livestock and human infrastructure the most relevant disturbances, affirm ^{Duan et al. (2023)}, that, until the beginning of the 21st century, the rate of disturbance and deforestation in these ecosystems exceeded the processes of change in land use and cover in other tropical biomes.

Ecosystems must be observed from different perspectives for their management, protection and conservation. The conservation approach for this ecosystem is that the species, both animal and plant, are subject to extreme environmental conditions as a result of low rainfall, steep slopes, and erosive processes ^{(Muñoz, Armijos, and Erazo 2019)}.

The information that is necessary to generate in the studies of the vegetation of a particular forest must transcend beyond an inventory. The knowledge of the floristic composition, structure and endemism, allow to evaluate the diversity and interpret the real state of conservation of the flora of a given ecosystem, likewise, make it possible to know how forests and other types of vegetation cover work and constitute a tool to plan and execute its management ^{(Aguirre et al., 2017)}. ^{Quijas et al. (2019)} establish that there is a close, proportional link between biodiversity and the ecosystem services provided by dry forests.

From the scientific approach it is recognized by ^{Schröder et al. (2021)} the need to expand research on dry forests. Studies in dry forests are more abundant towards the Ecuadorian coastal zone, while for inter-Andean dry forests they are more represented in the southern Sierra compared to those carried out in the northern Sierra, the latter being scarcer. The objective of the research was to determine the floristic composition and structure of the semi-deciduous dry forest in the north of Los Valles-BmMn01 and the probable uses of the most abundant species in the "El Rosal" community.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Study area location

The research was carried out in the semi-deciduous Forest and Shrub type dry forest of the north of the Valleys-BmMn01 ^{(Aguirre and Medina 2013)} of the "El Rosal" community, located in a transition zone between dry forest and tropical humid forest. It belongs to the La Concepción parish, Mira canton, Carchi, Ecuador. It is located at the coordinates 0.60'24'' north latitude and 78.14'75'' west longitude, at an altitude of 1215 meters above sea level.

Sampling method

The extension of the area of study is eight hectares, where five plots of 10*50 m (500 m2) were located ^{(Aguirre 2019)}, prior to recognizing the shape, homogeneity and distribution of the forest.

Floristic inventory

The plots were located at a minimum distance of 50 m from the forest limits. In the five 10 * 50 m plots, the arboreal component was evaluated, in each one three subplots of 5 mx 5 m (25 m²) were used for the shrub component and three subplots of 1 mx 1 m (1 m²), for the herbaceous component ^{(Aguirre 2019)}.

The dasometric variable determined in the field for all plant components was the total height. The diameter at breast height (DBH) was calculated using a diameter tape in individuals ≥ 10 cm, from measuring the circumference of the stem (CAP) at 1.30 m above the ground ^{(Rodríguez et al., 2021)}. With the data collected, the basal area (AB) and volume (V) for the tree species were determined, based on the following equations $AB=\mathrm{0,7854}*{\left(DAP\right)}^2$ y $V=AB*H*f$ and, where: H: total height and F: shape factor, 0.7 is assumed ^{(Aguirre, 2019)}.

Collection of botanical samples

The fertile botanical samples were collected in duplicate in each species, they did not exceed 30 cm in length, placed in plastic bags. At the time of collection, the growth habit was identified according to ^{Palacios (2016)}, taken just as the individuals were in the forest: tree, shrub, liana, grass, succulent or epiphyte. The transfer in covers reduces the risk that the samples suffer some damage when moving them to the laboratory (Palacios 2016), which were taken to the Herbarium of the Technical University of the North (Temporary Patent No. TEMP-MAATE-MCMEVS-2023- 035). The drying was carried out in the oven for botanical samples, the drying time was six hours, and every three hours it was reviewed to evaluate the state of these. Once the samples were dried, they were mounted on 29.7 x 42 cm duplex sheets, labeled according to the established file.

Identification of specimens in herbarium

The recognition at the species level was carried out with the herbarium samples that were contrasted with information from the Catalog of Vascular Plants of Ecuador. The ratification was carried out with the information of ^{Aguirre (2019)} dry forest species, for the trees, while the shrubs and herbaceous plants, the study of flora of the Guayabillas hill ^{(Cerón and Fiallios 2017)} was used. The nomenclature of each species proceeded according to the classification proposed by ^{Angiospermun phylogentry Group IV [APG] (2016)}. The spelling check of the scientific names of each species was carried out on the website The plants List of the ^{Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Missouri Botanical Gardens (2013)}.

Floristic composition and diversity indices

The floristic composition was determined by quantifying the importance value index (IVI) of the species; this consists of the sum of the relative values of density, frequency and dominance. In diversity, the Shannon and Pielow Indices were determined ^{(Aguirre, 2019)}.

Structural characterization of the forest

Four classification ranges were established according to the characteristics presented in the inventory. The strata are presented according to the following categories: herbaceous, shrubby, subarboreal and arboreal, according to the proposal of ^{Aguirre (2019)}, Table 1 and its adjustment to the dry forest ecosystem.

Table 1. - Categories of strata according to Aguirre (2019) and their modification to the dry forest ecosystem 

Categories modified by Aguirre (2019)	Categories adopted in the study
< 0.3 - 1.5 m: herbaceous	< 0.3 - 1.5 m: herbaceous
1.5 - 5 m: shrubby	1.5 - 3 m: shrubby
5 - 12 m: subarboreal	3.1 - 5 m: subarboreal
> 12 m: arboreal	> 5 m: arboreal

Probable uses of the species

The seven species with the greatest abundance in the study area were selected and the probable uses that they can offer were determined. The category of uses was established as follows: cultural, food, fodder, fuel, construction, sawing, toxic, environmental and medicinal ^{(De la Torre et al., 2008)}.

The validation of the probable uses of the species was through a structured interview with a focus group of the "El Rosal" community, supported by documentary information. The selected subjects were 10 heads of family since they develop their activities in the forest or its surroundings. The guide for the technique used was framed within its objective, consisting of the utility for the families of the seven species with the greatest abundance recorded in the forest. Consented permission was obtained, which facilitated greater harmony when asking the questions.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Floristic composition

The established growth habits show representation in all cases, where bushy and herb habits stand out, with 16 and 13 species respectively, Table 2. Two Vachellia species are reported. Macracantha and Bursera graveolens are in the tree category, which is typical of these dry forests in the northern highlands of Ecuador (Table 2).

Table 2.  - Species registered in the dry forest of the "El Rosal" community, number of individuals and growth habit 

Family	Species	No. individuals	Habit
Amaranthaceae	Alternanthera porrigens (Jacq.) Kuntze	5	Bush
Amaranthaceae	Alternanthera truxillensis kunth	6	Bush
Amaranthaceae	Chenopodium Petiolare Kunth	2	Grass
Asteraceae	Agweratum sp	2	Grass
Asteraceae	Bidens andicola kunth	4	Grass
Asteraceae	kingianthus paniculatus (Turkz .) H.Rob.	4	Bush
Asteraceae	Onoseris hyssopifolia kunth	3	Grass
Asteraceae	Pappobolus imbaburensis (Hieron.) Bread basket	6	Grass
Asteraceae	Parthenium hysterophorus L.	19	Grass
bignoniaceae	Thecoma stands (L.) Juss. former Kunth	fifteen	Bush
Boraginaceae	Tournefortia bicolor Sw.	4	Liana
Burseraceae	Bursera graveolens (Kunth) Triana & Planch.	8	Tree
Cactaceae	Opuntia pubescens H.L.Wendl . _ former Pfeiff.	10	Succulent
Cactaceae	Cleistocactus sepium (Kunth) A. Weber	eleven	Succulent
Cactaceae	Opuntia cylindrica (Lam.) DC.	4	Succulent
commelinaceae	Commelina diffuse Burm.f. _	9	Grass
Crassulaceae	Echeveria quitensis (Kunth) Lindl.	2	Succulent
Crassulaceae	Bryophyllum crenatum (Lam.) Oken	7	Succulent
cucurbitaceae	Cucumis dipsaceus Kuntze	1	Liana
Euphorbiaceae	Croton menthodorus Benth.	148	Bush
Euphorbiaceae	Jatropha gossypiifolia L.	eleven	Bush
Fabaceae	Dalea coerulea (Lf) Schinz & Thell.	2	Bush
Fabaceae	Indigofera suffruticosa Mill.	18	Grass
Fabaceae	Vachellia macracantha (Humb. & Bonpl. ex Willd.) Seigler & Ebinger	37	Tree
malvaceae	Sida cordifolia L.	42	Bush
malvaceae	Byttneria ovata The m.	Four. Five	Grass
malvaceae	Abutilon ibarrense kunth	3. 4	Bush
Poaceae	Aristida adscensionis L.	37	Grass
Poaceae	Pappophorum papiferum (Lam.) Kuntze	16	Grass
Poaceae	Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst. former Chiov.	24	Grass
Rosaceae	Rubus adenotrichos	23	Bush
Rutaceae	Zanthoxylum fagara (L.) Sarg.	51	Bush
sapindaceae	Dodonaea viscosa (L.) Jacq.	43	Bush
sapindaceae	Cardiospermum halicacabum L.	8	Liana
nightshade	Solanum nigrescens M. Martens & Galeotti	24	Bush
nightshade	Capsicum rhomboideum (Dunal ) Kuntze	6	Bush
nightshade	Lycianthes lycioides (L.) Hassl.	2	Bush
Talinaceae	Talinum paniculatum (Jacq.) Gaertn.	4	Grass
verbenaceae	Aloysia scorodonioides (Kunth) Cham.	6	Grass
verbenaceae	Lantana lopez-palacii Moldenke	eleven	Bush

The flora of the dry forest of the "El Rosal" community comprises 40 species within 37 genera and 19 families. The Asteraceae family stands out with five genera and species, respectively, which represents 12.5 % of the species, surpassing the other families that show one or three in genera and species, Table 3. This is the largest family of vascular plants, represents 8 % of all the world flora and has a wide distribution in the plant ecosystems of the ^{Rivero world (2020)}. It is the largest and the second most important in America, according to ^{Ulloa et al. (2017)} . Likewise, ^{Rivero (2020)} affirms that in the Andean region of Ecuador there is a predominance of the aforementioned family, this is evidenced in its distribution that goes from the valleys to the Páramos (Table 3).

Table 3.  - Families registered in the dry forest of the "El Rosal" community, their number of genera and species 

Family	Genders	Species
Asteraceae	5	6
Cactaceae	2	3
Fabaceae	3	3
malvaceae	3	3
Poaceae	3	3
nightshade	3	3
Amaranthaceae	2	3
Crassulaceae	2	2
Euphorbiaceae	2	2
Sapindaceae	2	2
Verbenaceae	2	2
Bignoniaceae	1	1
Boraginaceae	1	1
Burseraceae	1	1
Commelinaceae	1	1
Cucurbitaceae	1	1
Rosaceae	1	1
Rutaceae	1	1
Talinaceae	1	1
Grand total	37	40

The families identified are similar in number to what was recorded by ^{Cerón (1994)} in research carried out in the parish of Ambuquí, Ecuador. This behavior is due to the similarity of climate in both ecosystems, as well as a possible analogy of the substrate, since according to ^{Muñoz et al. (2023)}, there is strong differentiation of species composition when there is presence of different substrates, under similar climatic conditions. The number of species is greater than the 34 identified by ^{Guerrón et al. (2005)} in the forest of Jerusalem, Ecuador. One of the reasons for the variation, in terms of the number of registered species, is due to the difference between the altitudinal ranges established in each of the investigations, since the Jerusalem Forest is located at 2,400 meters above sea level and the study ecosystem at 1,215 meters above sea level. The dry forest of the legal community "El Rosal" is located at the limit of the dry forest area, towards a transition zone between this ecosystem and the tropical humid forest, therefore, it presents a greater number of species in relation to the dry forests with higher altitude ^{(Villalobos 2019)}.

Structural characterization of the dry forest

In relation to the vertical structure, Figure 1, the species that stood out in the tree layer is Bursera graveolens 9 m tall, while Vachellia macracantha represents the subarboreal stratum. Croton species menthodorus, Zanthoxylum fagara and Dodonaea viscosa, were the ones that presented individuals that reached 1.5 m in height, corresponding to the shrub layer. For its part, the herbaceous stratum was made up of individuals belonging to the Asteraceae family (Figure 1).

Fig. 1.  - Distribution of the strata according to the growth habits of the species of the dry forest of the community "El Rosal" 

Horizontal structure

The most representative species, according to abundance, in the different strata of the forest were for the arboreal and subarboreal Vachellia macracantha and in the shrub Croton menthodorus,Figure 2. The Asteraceae family was the one with the highest number of species for the herbaceous component. In this type of ecosystems, a broad representation of shrub species is observed ^{(Aguirre 2012)}, considering that these species have greater ease of adaptation to extreme environmental conditions (Figure 2).

Fig. 2.  - Relative abundance (%) of the species registered in the study area of the dry forest of the community "El Rosal" 

The shrub layer was the one that presented the most frequency of species. Among these are Dodonaea viscosa, Sida cordifolia and Croton menthodorus,Figure 3. The latter was the one that was recorded the most in each of the established plots. Likewise, ^{Albuja (2011)} mentioned that this species is an indicator of inter-Andean dry forest (Figure 3).

Fig. 3.  - Relative frequency of the species in the study area of the dry forest of the community "El Rosal" 

Vachellia macracantha dominance was manifested in Table 4, species that presented the largest basal area and volume in the forest. This behavior is due to the fact that it can develop in extreme environments, typical of dry forests, resists drought and grows in soils with few nutrients ^{(Cueva et al., 2019)} (Table 4).

Table 4.  - Dominance, basal area and volume of tree species present in the dry forest for the sample area 

Species	individuals	Dominance (%)	basal area (m 2)	Total volume (m 3)
Vachellia macracantha	37	86	0.78	3.58
bursera graveolens	8	13	0.55	2.49

Diversity indices

The total floristic component in the study area showed the value of 3.08 for the Shannon index which, according to the ranges for this index established by ^{Aguirre (2019)}, is in medium diversity. This result differs from that reported by ^{Guerrón et al. (2005)}, in the dry forest of Jerusalem, Ecuador, which had low diversity; This variation is due to several conditions, among them the altitudinal range stands out.

Pielow equity index allows us to infer a high diversity with more homogeneous abundance ^{(Aguirre, 2019)}. The value of 0.69 obtained by ^{Valdez et al. (2018)} is similar in the range category (> 0.67 - high diversity) but lower in 0.16. The reason for this difference would be given the richness and abundance of the species of the dry forest studied, Figure 2, which shows the Croton menthodorus as the most abundant (Table 5).

Table 5.  - Value index of importance of the relevant species of the dry forest in the community "El Rosal" 

Species	𝐴𝑟 (%)	Dr. (%)	Fr (%)	IVI
Vachellia macracantha	82.22	86.84	83.33	252.40
Bursera graveolens	17.78	13.16	16.67	47.60
TOTAL	100.00	100.00	100.00	300.00

Ar: relative abundance, Dr: relative dominance and Fr: relative frequency.

The IVI importance value index, Table 6, determined that the ecologically important species for the dry forest is Vachellia macracantha with a result of 252.4 and in the background Bursera graveolens with 47.6. This is due to the ability of this species to adapt to extreme environmental conditions and the ease of taking advantage of the resources present in the forest for its development ^{(Paredes et al., 2020)}.

Potential uses of the most representative species of the dry forest

The seven most abundant species of the dry forest under study, show their values in relation to the probable uses that they can offer, Table 6. The most common uses recognized by the inhabitants correspond to the categories of fodder, fuel, medicinal and environmental, standing out the medicinal use (Table 6).

Table 6.  - Values of potential uses identified for the most representative species of the dry forest in "El Rosal" 

Species	To the	fo	Co	Ace	tx	I	A.M	cu
V. macracantha		8	6	7			9
B. graveolens			4	1	3	6	6
C. methodorus						9		2
Z fagara		5				2	6	2
B. ovata						2		2
D. viscous						1	4	1
S. cordifolia		1	1			2	1	1

Al: food; Fo: fodder; Co: fuel; As: sawable; Tx: toxic; Me: medicinal; Am: environmental and Cu: cultural.

The most important species, based on the potential uses it can offer to the population, was Vachellia macracantha, given the multiple uses that it offers to the community members, from the cultural, environmental and productive aspects.

CONCLUSIONS

The floristic diversity in the dry forest of the "El Rosal" community is medium and with a manifestation of homogeneous equitability, where 40 species belonging to 19 families were inventoried, with the Asteraceae family being the best represented with five species.

The most dominant species recorded in the arboreal and subarboreal strata is Vachellia macracantha, which is also ecologically the most important.

Medicinal use is the most recognized by the residents of the "El Rosal" community and the Vachellia species macracantha, Bursera graveolens, Sida cordifolia and Opuntia pubescens are the most represented for all the categories of use.

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Received: March 31, 2023; Accepted: August 01, 2023

^*Autor para la correspondencia: [e-mail]

Los autores declaran no tener conflictos de intereses.

Los autores han participado en la redacción del trabajo y análisis de los documentos.