Polylepis Presentation

Polylepis Forest

Group 9

Site Layout

● Front page● Navigation Bar● Topics

○ Subtopics

Dave M

so i figure here we talk about how the site is laid out before we begin

Michelle Shaffer

If we can, I think we need to try and make all of our pictures throughout the presentation as big as possible. The major part of the our information should be coming from what we are saying

Dave M

That's kinda hard to do because I'm literally taking screenshots of the site so I would have to make the pics bigger on the site. We could just not do site screenshots and only have the relevant pictures if that sounds better?

Michelle Shaffer

yea that's true, I ran into that problem when I tried to make some pictures bigger. I am kind of torn between just having the pictures from the website or having the actual screenshot.

Site Overview

Topics

biome description

conservation concerns

relevant links

Case studies

P. australis (plant transplants)

O. fraseri (radio tracking)

References

Literature cited

Photo credits

Dave M

I'm not sure if we need to cover the overview because isn't it just summarizing everything else? What do you guys think?

Michelle Shaffer

_Marked as resolved_

Michelle Shaffer

_Re-opened_sorry, not resolved lol. I think we could include a brief overview, just something simple about the major points we will touch on and in what order during the presentation

Dave M

True, we can do just a really short introduction; It would be better than nothing.

Dave M

how does this look? i just outlined the presentation

Major Defining Features

Genus Polylepis trees

28 species

gnarled-looking

Upper montane Andes

21 endemic bird species

10 on IUCN list

Worldwide Distribution

Found in the Andes Mountains

Elevations above 3500 meters

Distribution is fragmented and isolated

About 1% of original area is left

Abiotic Components

Temperature and Moisture

temp. and moisture

cloud condensation belt

upper and lower moisture limits

Soil

Soil pH 3.9 - 7.2

soil with salinity = growth rate

rocky slopes

Fire

Prevents Polylepis growth

strong historical ties in ecosystem

Biotic ComponentsPlants

28 species of Polylepis

tree to shrub-like based on elevation

red-colored, papery, layered bark

wind-dispersed seeds

fungus that decay wood

nutrient cycling

Animals

Oreomanes birds restricted to Polylepis

birds prefer higher elevations

conservation of fragments

no pollinator insects; arthropods in bark

beetles eaten by bird species

camelids, cats, armadillos

General ConservationCurrent Conservation

protected areas are not adequate

need expansion of protected areas

Tree usage (no other options)

fuel and construction

Burning

ground cover cleared

soil erosion

Livestock Grazing

destroys seed bank

plants less resilient

Climate Change on High-Altitude Trees

high-altitude trees have different morphology

changes could make morphology detrimental

IUCN Animals14 spp. of fauna ranging from vulnerable to critically endangered

Royal Cinclodes Cinclodes aricomae Critically Endangered

Violet-throated Metaltail Metallura baroni Endangered

White-browed Tit-spinetail Leptasthenura xenothorax Endangered

Andean Cat Leopardus jacobita Endangered

Dave M

we shouldn't spend too much time on iucn animals/plants just talk about the most important species imo

IUCN Plants15 spp. of flora ranging from least concern to vulnerable

Polylepis incana Vulnerable

Polylepis microphylla Vulnerable

Polylepis reticulata Vulnerable

Polylepis rugulosa Vulnerable

Links

Video (1:50)

Andean Cat Alliance camera trap

Andean mountain cat

Websites

The Mountain Institute

Alianza Gato Andino (AGA)

Case Study: P. australis

Human activities impact Polylepis forests

Study in high Cordoba Mountains of Argentina

restoring Polylepis forests via transplants

Collected seeds, grew seedlings in greenhouse, transplanted seedlings to 10 acre exclosure

designed to keep out livestock

measured microsite characteristics around plants

soil depth, substrate, vegetation cover

every winter survival and shoot height measured

found a 70% survival of plants

no difference of survival between microclimates

possible to restore Polylepis forests if livestock excluded

seed selection from best adult trees

enhance soil quality at sites before transplants

Renison, D. et al. 2005. The restoration of degraded mountain woodlands: effects of seed provenance and microsite characteristics on Polylepis australis seedling survival and growth in central Argentina. Restoration Ecology 13: 129-137

Case Study: O. fraseri (The Giant Conebill)

native ranges of birds unknown

more info. on fragmentation effects

O. fraseri provides a reference

four patches, two communities

vegetational structures assessed

radio tracking of O. fraseri

outlying locations connected

native ranges in between

tree density and ranges

↑ tree density = ↓ ranges

on trees or fragment edges

arthropods? thermoregulation?

conservation considerations

sunlight exposure

De Coster, Greet, et al. "Home range characteristics of the Near Threatened Giant Conebill Oreomanes fraseri in fragmented Polylepis forest." Bird Conservation International 19.03 (2009): 215-223.

Literature Cited & Photo Credits

Thank You

Dave M

finito

Michelle Shaffer

fin

Documents

Polylepis Presentation