Structure and diversity of the semi-humid forest in the Guayacán community, La América parish, Jipijapa, Ecuador

The structure of tree vegetation allows for the analysis of forest strata (vertical structure) and the distribution of abundance by diameter classes (horizontal structure), providing key information on forest dynamics. This study aimed to describe the composition and the vertical and horizontal structure of the semi-humid forest in the Guayacán community, La América Parish, Jipijapa, Ecuador. Six sampling plots were established, where 99 tree individuals were recorded, belonging to 30 species and 16 botanical families. Fabaceae stood out as the richest family, contributing 10 species. The analysis of diameter and height distributions revealed a predominance of young trees and few mature individuals, suggesting a forest in a regeneration stage. Among the species with the highest ecological importance were Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees, Cordia eriostigma Pittier, and Cordia alliodora (Ruiz & Pav.) Cham., while species with the lowest ecological importance included Syzygium jambos (L.) Alston, Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Kunth ex Walp., and Persea americana Mill. In terms of diversity, the site showed medium diversity according to the dominant species. However, alpha diversity indexes, such as Margalef and Shannon-Wiener, reflected high species diversity, highlighting the richness of the studied semi-humid ecosystem.

• Hoofdauteur: Ganchozo Quimi, Máximo Terencio (author)
• Andere auteurs: Santistevan Parrales, Dayanara Lilibeth (author), Briones Anchundia, Gema Stephanya (author), Ramos Rodriguez, Marcos Pedro (author), Cali Ligua, Valeria Lissette (author), Cabrera Verdesoto, César Alberto (author)
• Formaat: article
• Taal: spa
• Gepubliceerd in: 2025
• Onderwerpen: Composición arbórea; Fabaceae; índices alfa; regeneración forestal; Tree composition, Fabaceae, alpha indices, forest regeneration, species richness.; Tree composition; alpha indexes; forest regeneration; species richness
• Online toegang: https://revistasespam.espam.edu.ec/index.php/Revista_ESPAMCIENCIA/article/view/545