Resumen

NAOKI, Kazuya; MENESES, Rosa Isela; GOMEZ, M. Isabel  y  LANDIVAR, Carlos Miguel. Using line-intercept methods to quantify vegetation types and abiotic habitats in high Andean wetlands. Ecología en Bolivia [online]. 2014, vol.49, n.3, pp.84-90. ISSN 1605-2528.

Bofedales are high Andean wetlands found in the central Andes, which provide crucial socio-economic and ecological resources in this region. The aim of our study is to describe the line-intercept methods to quantify the availability and variability of plant association and non-vegetative cover in high Andean bogs. Within the project BIOTHAW, taken as a methodological example, the method was applied in 40 bogs located in the Cordillera Real (Bolivia). In each bofedal, between 10 and 20 50-m intercept lines were randomly established. Along each intercept line, one of the 22 coverage types recognizable to the naked eye was recorded at 1-m interval. We discuss the relevance of this method for rapid assessments in different studies on highland bogs. Since the method focuses on simple vegetation types rather than on plant species, it can be used by researchers who do not have a deep taxonomic knowledge of the local flora.

Palabras clave : High Andean wetland; Vegetation cover; Vegetation types.

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