Oak forests of Quercus humboldtii in the Caribbean region and distribution patterns related with environmental factors in Colombia

Abstract

Quercus forests reach their southern limit of distribution in Colombia, where they are represented by Quercus humboldtii. In the inner slopes of the Western and Eastern cordilleras of Colombia, oak forests are located in areas with annual rainfall between 1260 and 1960 mm. Oak forests can also be found in the eastern slope of the Central cordillera (annual rainfall 2300 mm). Oak forests from massifs of the Caribbean were characterized and grouped in the alliance Billio roseae-Quercion humbodtii. Tovomito werddelianae-Quercetum humboldtii is found in well preserved areas between 750 and 950 m on the wet foothills of the Western cordillera (annual rainfall up to 3000 mm). Wettinio praemorsae-Quercetum humboldtii is found between 1600 and 1800 m.s.l.m.) in the south of the Perijá mountains (annual rain fall 1600–1800 mm). We did not find a direct relationship between the amount of rainfall and species richness in both the higher strata and the total number of species. Oak forests are distributed from warm climates with temperatures over 24°C and 700 m of altitude with precipitation close to 2800 mm/year, to cold climates with temperatures under 10°C in altitudes over 3000 m and with annual rainfall between 700 and 3000 mm.

Keywords:

• Colombia
• geographical distribution
• oak forests
• Quercus humboldtii
• richness
• structure

Acknowledgements

We thank Victor Hugo González and Ammy Comfort for help in the English version, to the Dirección de Investigación de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia DIB for economic support of the research Project: Valoración de la biodiversidad del Caribe colombiano: Síntesis del conocimiento y servicios ambientales.