PAPER
Modeling the potential distribution of floristic assemblages of high Andean wetlands dominated by Juncaceae and Cyperaceae in the Argentine Puna
"In a recent paper, the ecologists Casagranda and Izquierdo studied the distribution of two previously described plant communities in high Andean vegas of the Puna and High Andes regions of Argentina."
Plant communities are the main biological factor determining ecosystem functional processes, and in high altitude deserts of the Andes, vegas are important wetlands that constitute essential habitats for numerous species of flora and fauna, and play a crucial role in the ecological balance of the region. Under the current context of climate change, these ecosystems are considered highly vulnerable to projected changes in precipitation and temperature.
The paper studies the potential distribution of two previously described vegas plant communities, dominated by plants of the families Juncaceae (Oxychloe andina) and Cyperaceae, respectively. For this purpose, plant community occurrence records and environmental data were used to create models that predict the potential distribution of these communities. We observed that the distribution of these communities is influenced by several environmental factors, such as temperature, precipitation and soil characteristics. The results show that Juncaceae-dominated communities tend to be found in areas with higher altitude, higher humidity and lower temperature. While Cyperaceae-dominated vegas tend to be located at lower altitudes, lower humidity and higher temperatures. These distribution patterns highlight the vulnerability of these ecosystems to climate change scenarios that predict an increase in temperature and less precipitation, which may have implications for their conservation.
The study represents a valuable contribution to the understanding of Argentina's high altitude wetlands, but its relevance extends beyond geographic boundaries. Understanding which environmental variables determine the distribution of these plant communities is key to informing conservation efforts and management practices for these important ecosystems.
Full article can be read in: Casagranda E, Izquierdo AE. 2023. Modeling the potential distribution of floristic assemblages of high Andean wetlands dominated by Juncaceae and Cyperaceae in the Argentine Puna. Vegetation Classification and Survey 4:47-58. https://doi.org/10.3897/VCS.95779