IANIGLA   20881
INSTITUTO ARGENTINO DE NIVOLOGIA, GLACIOLOGIA Y CIENCIAS AMBIENTALES
Unidad Ejecutora - UE
congresos y reuniones científicas
Título:
Differences in alpine plant communiteies tolerance to human trampling: examples from the Patagonian Andes
Autor/es:
CLARA PISOLITTO; GUERRIDO, CLAUDIA MARCELA; BARROS, AGUSTINA; ASCHERO, VALERIA
Lugar:
Brisbane
Reunión:
Congreso; ESA Ecologycal Society of Australia 2018 Conference; 2018
Institución organizadora:
Ecologycal Society of Australia
Resumen:
Mountain protected areas are key mechanisms for conserving biodiversity while also providing opportunities for tourism and recreation. In areas such as Patagonia, hiking is popular, but has damaged some plant communities of high conservation value. We compared the tolerance, resistance and resilience, of four common alpine plant communities (two in meadows and two in dry sites) in the Northern Patagonian Andes in Argentina. Species cover and richness was recorded prior to trampling, 2 weeks and one year post trampling using a standardized experimental protocol in lanes subjected to different trampling intensities (none, 15, 30, 75, 120, 230 passes by hikers). Functional traits commonly used as indicators of disturbance were also measured for all species surveyed. Two weeks post trampling, species richness and cover had declined, but there was some recovery a year later. Thresholds from disturbance varied among communities, with the shrub-forb community in the dry site the most sensitive. Declines in plant cover were evident with as few as 30 passes while changes in species richness occurred after 75 passes by hikers. Tolerance to trampling was mainly determined by the traits of dominant species, with communities dominated by cushion shrubs that had low leaf tensile strength and moderate Specific Leaf Area the least tolerant to trampling. The results from this study highlight the importance of limiting trampling in these alpine plant communities, how slow such communities are to recover, and how functional trails can help explain patterns in species responses to disturbance.