Reproductive biology and plant species selection for habitat restoration in the Venezuelan Gran Sabana plateau
Plant species selection for the restoration of borrow pits in the Venezuelan Gran Sabana Plateau was based in plant species having high reproductive performance. The reproductive traits used are: 1- high and continuous seed production, 2- breeding system that promotes self-pollination and low expression of deleterious characters, 3- floral morphology allowing a large diversity of visitors, 4- a generalist biotic pollination system or wind pollination, and 5- abiotic dispersal syndrome of diaspores and/or capacity for colonization and eventual immigration. Plant life form is considered as a complementary character. After evaluations of 14 characters (scale from 0 to 1 for each character), 45 of 157 plant species were selected having a score >65%. The highest score for woody species (69.75%) was lower than that in herbaceous species (81.12%). The highest scores of herbaceous species were for Perama galioides (Rubiaceae), Aristida torta, A. recurvata, Panicum cyanescens, Andropogon selloanus (Poaceae) and Rhynchospora caracasana (Cyperaceae), and the highest scores of woody species were for Gongylolepis benthamiana and Chromolaena laevigata (Asteraceae). Reproductive score (selected/non-selected species), natural distribution (disturbed/undisturbed distribution), and colonization of borrow pit (colonizing/non-colonizing species) interact significantly in the three factor dependence analysis (c2= 6.1; df= 1; P= 0.013519), indicating dependence of these variables on the colonization process. The combination of high reproductive score (70-81%), natural distribution on disturbed areas and capacity for spontaneous colonization of borrow pits is the best combination of traits for herbaceous species, other characters of which must be evaluated to design management and restoration plans for degraded areas.
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| Format: | Digital revista |
| Language: | English |
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ASOCIACIÓN INTERCIENCIA
2006
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| Online Access: | http://ve.scielo.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0378-18442006000500003 |
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