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Floristic diversity and structure in traditional cocoa plantations and natural forest (Sumaco, Ecuador)

Abstract:

The diversity, horizontal and vertical structure of tree and shrub vegetation in traditional cocoa plantations and primary forest were characterized. The alpha and beta diversity were evaluated and the relationships between richness with the structure of the arboreal vegetation were identified. The forest recorded the highest values in species richness, abundance and structure, followed by the traditional agroforestry system with cacao seed. The most important ecologically species in the forest were Iriartea deltoidea and Otoba glycycarpa. In all traditional agroforestry systems were Cordia alliodora and Cedrela odorata. In agroforestry systems with cocoa crops, the richness of species is positively correlated with the density and the basal area, marking a direct dependence between these variables. This result cannot be generalized because in the primary forest and the agroforestry system of subsistence, these dependencies are not recorded. This is possibly explained by the ages of trees, the size of the vegetation and the random distribution of individuals over the richness of the species. It was concluded that the primary forest and the agro-forestry system with cacao seeds are the most important systems for the conservation of tree and shrub species, according to the richness, diversity, similarity indices and vegetation structure.