University of Amsterdam (NL) - Páramo Vegetation Research, Paramos "Guantiva -La Rusia", Colombia

Study Extent

The study was done in The "Guantiva - La Rusia" páramo complex. The data was collected in May 1973.

Sampling

The vegetation sampling was done by the relevé method following the Braun-Blanquet principles. The relevé is a list of the plants in a delimited plot of vegetation, with information on species cover and on substrate and other abiotic features in the plot. The vegetation releve data were converted into species occurrence data.

Quality Control

The original data was taken in field books, consisting either of a valid species name or a code of the specimen with collection of it for its later taxonomical identification (when identification on the field was not possible). In total 6 releves were produced consisting of a species list with its cover, date, location, altitude, slope, etc. The data remained in paper until 2011, when the NLBIF financed digitizing the data. The data was digitized using the software TurboVeg, which is a software design for this type of vegetation information and then exported from community data into species occurrence data. The data stored in TurboVeg was checked to identify errors in the information or gaps needed to be filled. The two main fields identified to be checked/completed were the georeference data and the validation of the taxonomy of each species. Also the gaps in terms of the precision of the georeference data were filled.

Method steps

1. Releve data was stored in the software TurboVeg and then exported into species occurrence data. The species list used in TurboVeg was checked by an expert to confirm the valid taxonomy (taking into account taxonomy changes, synonyms, etc). (Guido van Reenen, paramo species list). This list was cross-checked with The Plant List (http://www.theplantlist.org/), for the period July 2011 until February 2013 (during this time frame the names where the accepted). All the "Guantiva - La Rusia" data was lacking a georeference and specific habitat indication. In 2013 to improve de dataset quality, this data was completed as detail and precise as possible, but due to time restriction only a general georeference was given to the data and a general indication for the habitat type was given. The georeference data assigned to the data set was based in google maps, where the paramos NW from Belen, the lagoon Laguna Grande, the locality known as vereda San Jose de la Montana and the pan de Azucar peak where taked into account to stablish a central point as a georeference and to estimate the precision (calculated as the longest distance from this point to the complex borders). Also the altitude range for the dataset was considered when the georeference was given. The original data was checked (data in paper) trying to find extra information on the locality and the listed point where founded. Also to complete the geographic coverage and the study extend recent literature was used to get info about the paramo complex. The most recent document available for Colombia is the "Atlas de Paramos de Colombia" published in 2007 and available online at http://www.humboldt.org.co/chmcolombia/servicios/jsp/paramos/enColombia.jsp

All plants identified to species level. Vegetation including phanerogams, bryophytes and lichens.

1. Plantae
   common name: Phanerogams rank: kingdom
2. Plantae
   common name: Bryophytes rank: kingdom
3. Fungi
   common name: Lichens rank: kingdom

The "Guantiva-La Rusia" paramo complex is located in the provinces of Santander and Boyaca, in the western side of the Eastern cordillera of Colombia. The "Guantiva-La Rusia" paramo ecosystems is located mainly in the municipalities of Encino, Onzaga y Coromoro in Santander. But also in municipalities of Boyaca such as Paipa, Duitama and Beteitiva and in the highest mountains of Encinos, Belen and Susacón. The alitudinal range of this paramo complex varies from 3100m a.s.l. up to 4280m a.s.l. and the dataset covers a range between 3100 m.a.s.l. until 4220m a.s.l.