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Redalyc.Humedales Dominados Por Palmas (Arecaceae)

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Redalyc.Humedales Dominados Por Palmas (Arecaceae) Revista de Biología Tropical ISSN: 0034-7744 [email protected] Universidad de Costa Rica Costa Rica Myers, Ronald L. Humedales dominados por palmas (Arecaceae) en el Neotrópico: Una introducción Revista de Biología Tropical, vol. 61, núm. 1, septiembre, 2013, pp. 5-24 Universidad de Costa Rica San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa Rica Disponible en: http://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44958811002 Cómo citar el artículo Número completo Sistema de Información Científica Más información del artículo Red de Revistas Científicas de América Latina, el Caribe, España y Portugal Página de la revista en redalyc.org Proyecto académico sin fines de lucro, desarrollado bajo la iniciativa de acceso abierto Humedales dominados por palmas (Arecaceae) en el Neotrópico: Una introducción Ronald L. Myers 2302 Leu Road Orlando FL. 32803, USA. Email: [email protected] Recibido 16-I-2013. Corregido 22-II-2013. Aceptado 20-III-2013. Abstract: Wetlands dominated by palms (Arecaceae), emphasis in those in the New World. It is well known that most forests in humid tropical lowlands are species rich, and the popular view is that most species are represented by only a few individuals. Despite this common understanding of high richness and low species dominance, within humid tropical regions there are extensive forested ecosystems composed by only few spe- cies. These nearly monospecific forests usually occupy poorly drained soils and, except for the mangroves, are quite understudied. In this paper, I review the literature and my own field notes on more than three years study- ing the structure of palm swamps in Caribbean Costa Rica and Florida to describe some of the major vegetation associations in wetlands dominated by palm species in the Neotropical Region, although I also include some information about similar systems in the Old World Tropics. I mention the most abundant species that compose those palm dominated swamps and –whenever possible– describe forest structure, known distribution, and uses. Rev. Biol. Trop. 61 (Suppl. 1): 5-24. Epub 2013 September 01. Key words: tropical wetlands, palm swamps, vegetation association, Raphia taedigera, Metroxylon sagu, Manicaria saccifera, Attalea butyrecea, Elaeis oleifera. Los ambientes inundables constituyen uno de especies y tener menor diversidad estructu- de los hábitats más conspicuos en la mayor ral que sus contrapartes en tierra firme. Sirve de parte de las tierras bajas en la región Tropical, ejemplo la región amazónica de Brasil, donde especialmente en aquellos lugares donde la pre- Campbell et al. (1986) reportan alrededor de 44 cipitación media excede los 3 000mm anuales y especies de árboles/ha en la varzea (planicies donde prevalecen sistemas fluviales ramifica- inundables), mientras que en la tierra firme dos. Estos ambientes pueden ser de muy distin- adyacente la cifra asciende a alrededor de ta naturaleza, pero comparten una importante 118 especies/ha. Esta situación es reveladora: característica: los organismos que conviven en no todas las especies tienen la capacidad de ellos deben estar adaptados a largos períodos adaptarse a ambientes anegados o soportar la donde el terreno se encuentra total o parcial- dinámica impuesta por el efecto directo del mente cubierto por una película de agua. agua. En general, zonas expuestas a inunda- La inundación ejerce una enorme influen- ciones constantes suelen estar dominadas por cia en los ciclos de nutrientes y en la forma monocotiledóneas, principalmente herbáceas y como estos son incorporados al suelo (Wang palmas (Fig. 1). 2011), así como en la disponibilidad y distri- Las palmas (Arecaceae) son uno de los bución de la hojarasca. La extensión del hidro- grupos de plantas vasculares más exitosos de periodo determina además la composición y los trópicos, particularmente abundantes tanto biodiversidad vegetal en sitios anegados: así, en el sotobosque como en dosel de bosques los bosques que exhiben periodos de inunda- húmedos. Algunas especies de palmas domi- ción prolongados suelen poseer menor riqueza nan escenarios con prolongados hidroperiodos Rev. Biol. Trop. (Int. J. Trop. Biol. ISSN-0034-7744) Vol. 61 (Suppl. 1): 5-24, September 2013 5 Fig. 1. Humedales dominados por monocotiledóneas: (A) Raphia taedigera (Caño California, Costa Rica). (B) Thalia geniculata (Parque Nacional Palo Verde, Costa Rica). (C) Typha domingensis (Parque Nacional Palo Verde, Costa Rica). Fig. 1. Wetlands dominated by monocots: (A) Raphia taedigera (Caño California, Costa Rica). (B) Thalia geniculata (Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica). (C) (Palo Verde National Park, Costa Rica). 6 Rev. Biol. Trop. (Int. J. Trop. Biol. ISSN-0034-7744) Vol. 61 (Suppl. 1): 5-24, September 2013 (Henderson et al. 1995). Dransfield (1978) mayor relevancia. Semejante disección sería estima que cerca del 75% de las palmas del muy difícil de realizar en el bosque rico en mundo se distribuyen en humedales de zonas especies, precisamente por el gran número de tropicales, una importante proporción de ellas interacciones existentes que podrían opacar el en el Neotrópico. efecto del entorno físico. En general, las zonas bajas húmedas ricas A pesar de esas ventajas y de la enorme área en suelos aluviales poseen una mayor diver- superficial que cubren en los bosques húmedos sidad de palmas que los bosques situados en tropicales, la mayoría de los ambientes domina- elevaciones medias y zonas montañosas, donde dos por una (o pocas) especies de palmas per- los suelos tienden a estar mejor drenados manecen muy pobremente estudiados (Myers (Myers 1981, 1990). Es en esos suelos con 1990). Esta tendencia obedece posiblemente poco drenaje y alta saturación de agua donde a dos razones: (a) sesgo a estudiar ambientes pueden encontrarse pantanos monoespecíficos tropicales muy ricos en especies, que ha dejado de palmas, a veces extendiéndose por varios por fuera no solo aquellas asociaciones menos cientos o miles de hectáreas. Una o dos espe- favorecidas, sino incluso zonas de vida enteras cies de palmas predominan sobre otras especies (por ejemplo, el bosque seco, Janzen 1988); constituyentes, herbáceas o leñosas, formando (b) los ambientes dominados por palmas son en algunos casos asociaciones muy pobres, generalmente pantanos de muy difícil acceso, que contrastan con la enorme diversidad en las lo que obstaculiza su estudio. comunidades florísticas circundantes. Como un primer paso para estudiar los En las zonas costeras de Centroamérica, efectos de hidroperiodo en asociaciones vege- palmas de los géneros Raphia, Manicaria tales, este trabajo describe los principales pan- y Attalea dominan ambientes inundados que tanos dominados por palmas en ambientes cubren enormes extensiones, especialmente en tropicales. Este escrito se basa principalmente la costa Caribe. También palmas de los géneros en una revisión que realicé sobre el tema Iriartea y Elaeis son comunes en esos hábi- (Myers 1990) y mis propias anotaciones a lo tats. Estos humedales recuerdan las grandes largo de tres años de estudio en estos ambientes extensiones de Mauritia sp. en la Amazonía en el noreste de Costa Rica. Sudamericana y las de Metroxylon sp. en el De mis observaciones tempranas (Myers sureste de Asia (Henderson et al. 1995, Myers 1981) se desprenden tres grandes categorías 1990). Como estos, constituyen ambientes de de humedales dominados por palmas. En pri- enorme importancia en el intercambio trófico mer lugar, aquellos donde una especie es tan entre el ambiente acuático y terrestre, además abundante que la vegetación en el humedal se de permitir importantes usos para las comuni- considerada monoespecífica. Al parecer, estos dades locales. ambientes son los más extremos en cuanto Al ser ambientes menos diversos y estruc- a extensión del hidroperiodo y condiciones turalmente más simples que los bosques ale- abióticas. Las palmas que prevalecen en ellos daños, estudiar los pantanos dominados por pertenecen principalmente al grupo de las lepi- palmas en el trópico es una manera de ilustrar docarioides, caracterizadas por el envoltorio el efecto de un estrés físico (inundación) en la escamoso de sus frutos (Moore & Uhl 1982). composición, diversidad y dinámica de bosques Entre ellas, el género Raphia un grupo de pal- tropicales. Así, realizando comparaciones de la mas predominantemente Africano pero con una composición florística entre zonas expuestas especie distribuida en el Neotrópico; el género a distintos hidroperiodos puede determinarse Mauritia de distribución Sudamericana; y el la plasticidad de los ecosistemas bajo distintas género Metroxylon, distribuido en el sureste de intensidades del factor de estrés. Una vez elimi- Asia y las Islas del Pacífico Sur, forman enor- nado o reducido este estrés, factores biológicos mes extensiones monoespecificas en suelos como competencia y depredación, adquieren anegados durante casi durante todo el año. Rev. Biol. Trop. (Int. J. Trop. Biol. ISSN-0034-7744) Vol. 61 (Suppl. 1): 5-24, September 2013 7 La segunda categoría la integran aquellos HUMEDALES MONOESPECIFICOS humedales donde una o dos especies de palmas O QUASI-MONOESPECÍFICOS: dominan la vegetación, pero la inundación no parece ser lo suficientemente prolongada para Humedales dominados producir asociaciones monoespecíficas. Estos por Mauritia flexuosa bosques suelen contener una mayor proporción Características morfológicas: El género de especies leñosas, algunas de ellas emergen- Mauritia incluye una veintena de especies de tes. En esta categoría se incluyen asociaciones palmas, con distribución sudamericana (Myers que pueden
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