Forest and shrubland structure of Polylepis tarapacana in topographic and substrate gradients across the Argentine Altiplano

LÓPEZ, VICTORIA LIEN; MARTÍNEZ PASTUR, GUILLERMO; CELLINI, JUAN MANUEL

New Zealand Journal of Forestry Science

Scion

Año: 2025 vol. 55 p. 1 - 13

Background: Polylepis tarapacana (queñoa) is a species that grow from forests to shrublands in Chile, Argentina, Bolivia and Peru, reaching an elevation range of 4400-5000 m a.s.l. In Argentina, this species occurred in the Altoandina phyto-geographic eco-region, which presents scarce vegetation, and where it is the most important tree species for its great socioeconomic importance. The structure of these communities and the changes related to environmental gradients are not well described in the literature. The objective was to relate topographic factors with variables of structure of the P. tarapacana communities, evaluating the occupation degree (e.g. density and crown cover) of the species.