Vegetation recovery on a gas-pipeline track along an altitudinal gradient in the Argentinean Yungas forests

• Published in: Ecología austral Vol. 14; no. 2
• Main Authors: Agustina Malizia, Natacha P. Chacoff, Héctor R. Grau, Alejandro D. Brown
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Asociación Argentina de Ecología 01.12.2004
• Subjects: disturbance; environmental impact; life forms; revegetation; subtropical montane forest
• ISSN: 0327-5477; 1667-782X

After one growing season of recovery, vegetation cover and height, species richness, and life forms composition were surveyed in 15 sites located along a gas-pipeline track running through an altitudinal range from 400-2000 m in the subtropical mountains of north-western Argentina (23°S). Vegetation cover was negatively correlated with altitude but was generally high at all sites (> 60%) after one year. Total species richness and maximum vegetation height did not vary significantly with altitude. Cover of grasses, and cover and species richness of trees, small shrubs and climbers were negatively correlated with altitude. Herb species richness correlated positively with altitude. Large shrub richness and cover showed no statistical relationship with altitude. The relative cover of herbs and grass species richness did not vary along the altitudinal gradient. Overall, these results indicate that in the altitudinal range studied, vegetation recovery is relatively high after this type of disturbance, probably due to low dispersal limitations and to the availability of species well adapted to intense disturbances. Vegetation recovery after gas-pipeline construction or similar perturbations may lead to relatively fast ecological restoration in subtropical montane forest ecosystems.