Resumen

BESIO, Laura; GONZALEZ LOYARTE, María Margarita  y  PERALTA, Iris Edith. Conservation status of Maytenus boaria Mol. (maitén) forests in narrow mountain valleys (San Carlos, Mendoza, Argentina). Rev. Fac. Cienc. Agrar., Univ. Nac. Cuyo [online]. 2011, vol.43, n.1, pp.57-73. ISSN 1853-8665.

Maytenus boaria Mol. (maitén) forests are distributed in Mendoza along the eastern edge of the Frontal Andes Mountains in San Carlos Dept., and constitute a valuable relict. The objective was to study the conservation status of these forests in sunny and shady exposures between 1500 and 1640 m elevation in narrow valleys of these mountains. To assess their state of preservation, we surveyed the number of individuals by diametric class (adult tree, young tree and sapling) and by their vitality or decay characteristics. The examined forests are schematically presented through graphic profiles that synthesize their physiognomy, key environmental features and the presence of disturbances. Considering all adults in the studied populations (100 maitén trees) only 19% are healthy, 50% are weak, 17% are crumbling and 14% are dead standing. These results would reflect either some kind of stress which reduces tree vitality, or that those trees would be reaching natural old age. Deterioration of young trees and saplings is caused by the attack of insects and/or livestock browsing; because of the high average decline of saplings (65%) and young trees (88%), forest renewal is uncertain. We concluded that it is necessary to start conservation of these forests and gain further knowledge of them. This is the first study of M. boaria forests in the narrow valleys of the Frontal Andes Mountains of Mendoza.

Palabras clave : Maytenus boaria; Conservation; Frontal Andes Mountains; Native vegetation.

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