Resumen

CORDOVA STROOBANDT, Karen L.. Characterization of the urban biodiversity found in the central basin of Cochabamba, Bolivia. RevActaNova. [online]. 2013, vol.6, n.1-2, pp.94-121. ISSN 1683-0789.

The role of green areas is essential in maintaining a natural landscape inside the urban spectrum since it represents an artificial and constructed landscape. Under the perspective of a “sustainable urban landscape”, green areas must be multifunctional. According to the land use planning concept in Bolivia’s and especially in Cochabamba, green areas have become sports fields, eliminating their function as atmospheric pollution reducers, urban temperature regulators and refuge for urban biodiversity. This study characterizes and proposes a way to improve the urban biodiversity in the central basin of Cochabamba by using arboreal and shrub native species, thus creating a baseline for a sustainable urban forestry in this city. The central basin of Cochabamba was divided into 4 geoedaphic zones: high piedmont (A), low piedmont (B), high lacustrian plain (C) and low lacustrian plain (D). According to each potential vegetation series in each geoedaphic zone, 11 arboreal and 11 shrub usable species were identified for green area forestation purposes. The flora belonging to 10 urban parks was characterized (Bicentenario, Fidel Anze, Lincoln, Demetrio Canelas, Ex Combatientes, Del Niño, Prado, De La Torre, Mariscal Santa Cruz y Cementerio) finding 65% of exotics from other continents, 16% from South America, 10% native to Bolivia and 9% native to the central basin of Cochabamba. Finally, bird presence was characterized in terms of feeding guilds, obtaining a larger relative abundance of omnivores and a smaller one for nectarivores.

Palabras clave : Bird population; Cochabamba; feeding guild; green areas; native flora; urban biodiversity; urban forestation.

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