The Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) from University of Amsterdam (UvA) has been working on the Paramos of Colombia since 1970, collecting information on different aspects of plant ecology. Chingaza, Cruz Verde, Monserrate and Guasca dataset is generated from six sources. 1. A study about the vegetation of the Natural National Park Chingaza by Rangel-Ch y Ariza published in 2000. 2. A vegetation mapping study done also in the Natural National Park Chingaza by Dierrikx and Kaandorp done in 1986. 3. A study on Andean Paramo's ecology by H. Sturm and O. Rangel done in 1985. 4. A study on the phytosociological analysis of paramo vegetation by R. Sanchez and O. Rangel in 1990. 5. A study of limit vegetation ecology done by M.L. Becking and J.J. Smeets in 1989 part of the ECOANDES project. 6. A study on the description of paramo vegetation communities by O. Vargas and D. Rivera in 1991. All studies provide information on the occurrence and location of 13949 plant species from the Paramo in this area collected in 631 releves. For the purpose of the GBIF data-publishing, vegetation releve data were converted into species occurrence data.
The data in this occurrence resource has been published as a Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A), which is a standardized format for sharing biodiversity data as a set of one or more data tables. The core data table contains 13,949 records. 1 extension data tables also exist. An extension record supplies extra information about a core record. The number of records in each extension data table is illustrated below.
Rangel-Ch., O and Ariza N. C. 2000. La vegetacion del Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza in Colombia Diversidad Biotica III, la región de Vida paramuna de Colombia. Rangel-Ch. J.O. 2000. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Editorial Unibiblios. Bogotá, Colombia.
The publisher and rights holder of this work is University of Amsterdam / IBED. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) 4.0 License.
This resource has been registered with GBIF, and assigned the following GBIF UUID: 5e50896f-8bbd-43e7-9ba5-ef7ed7b3e865. University of Amsterdam / IBED publishes this resource, and is itself registered in GBIF as a data publisher endorsed by Netherlands Biodiversity Information Facility.
The paramo complex Chingaza - Cruz Verde - Monserrate - Guasca is located in the center of Colombia on the eastern cordillera, close to Bogota. It includes the provinces of Cundinamarca, Meta and a small part of Boyacá. The PNN Chingaza located in the provinces of Cundinamarca and Meta, and the paramos located in the park belongs to 19 municipalities but the biggest area is concentrated in the municipalities of Fómeque, Guasca, Junín, San Juanito, La Calera, Guatavita and El Calvario. The park has an extension of about 64,500ha and the altitudinal range varies from 3,150m.a.s.l. up to 3,980m.a.s.l. The paramos of Cruz Verde is located east of Bogotá with an altitudinal range between 3300 and 3700m.a.s.l. It belongs to the municipalities of Distrito Capital (Bogota), Chipaque, Ubaque, Choachí and La Calera, all located in the province of Cundinarmarca. The Monserrate paramo is located in the center of Bogota and rises up to 3152 m.a.s.l. The paramo of Guasca is located in Cundinamarca and the altitude varies from 2600m.a.s.l up to 3300m.a.s.l.
All plants identified to species level. Vegetation including phanerogams, bryophytes and lichens.
Data provided by six projects. 1. La vegetacion del Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza by O. Rangel and C. Ariza in 2000. 2. Vegetation mapping in the Paramo Chingaza by L. Dierikx and M. Kaandorp, 1986 (second phase of ECOANDES project). 3. Andean Paramos Ecology by Sturm H., and O. Rangel 1985. 4. Estudio de la Bioflora de los Páramos de los alrededores de Bogota (R. Sanchez and O. Rangel, 1990). 4. Limit vegetation ecology by M.L. Becking and J.J. Smeets, 1989 part of the ECOANDES project. 6. Comunidades vegetales del Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza by O. Vargas and D. Rivera, 1991.
Rangel, O. and Ariza C., 2000. Literature study funded by Instituto Alexander von Humboldt, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales (ICN)-Universidad Nacional De Colombia. Dierikx L. and M. Kaandorp, 1986 funded by University of Amsterdam (Werkgroep Studiereizen Ontwikkelingslanden (WSO), The Hague and the Vakgroep Bijzondere Plankunde. Sturm H., and O. Rangel 1985, funded by: Universidad Nacional de Colombia Insituto de Ciencias Naturales (ICN) from Universidad Nacional de Colombia Empresa de Acueducto y Alcantarillado de Bogota The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Fondo Colombiano de Insvestigaciones Cientificas (COLCIENCIAS) Hugo de Vries Laboratory (IBED-University of Amsterdam) Sanchez R. and O. Rangel, 1990 funded by: Estudio de la Bioflora de los Páramos de los alrededores de Bogota project. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales (ICN), Universidad Nacional de Colombia. M.L. Becking and J.J. Smeets, 1989 (part of ECOANDES project see at the end funding information) Vargas, O and D. Rivera, 1991. Funded by Instituto Colombiano de la Ciencia y Tecnologia (COLCIENCIAS) - project No. 1203-05-013-87). ECOANDES project funded by: Insituto geografico "Agustin Codazzi" (Colombia), Insituto de Ciencias Naturales-ICN from Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Hugo de Vries Laboratory (IBED-University of Amsterdam) and Netherlands Foundation for the Advancement of Tropical Research-WOTRO (Grant No. W84-188).
The area includes the National Natural Park Chingaza and the paramos of Cruz Verde, Monserrate and Guasca. In Chingaza the altitudinal range of the data varies from 2290m.a.s.l up to 3800m.a.s.l. In Cruz Verde from 3300m.a.s.l. up to 3450m.a.s.l., in Monserrate from 3000m.a.s.l. up to 3250m.a.s.l. and in Guasca only at 3300m.a.s.l. With the variation in altitude among others, diverse biomass were taken into account like wetlands (bogs), zonal paramo species and Andean forest species. There is a big difference between the vegetation in the paramos located northwest from Bogota from those located to the eastern. In the PNN Chingaza the vegetation of the areas studied represent species of quite high environmental humidity and therefore is Chingaza one of the main water provider fro the inhabitants of Bogota. At the time of the studies the agricultural border in the paramos was increasingly moving up to elevated grounds, then studies about the ecosystems of this areas were required by managers and policy makers.
The method used for paramo vegetation sampling was based on the Braun-Blanquet or Zürich-Montpellier schools which take the relevé as the main sampling unit. The releves were made of zonal and azonal paramo vegetation. The Braun-Blanquet method is based on dominant species that are grouped in associations and then at a higher level in alliances. This is the standard methodology used in Europe, South Africa, United States, Japan and in the world in general. One of the final goals of the methodology mainly in Europe is to get to nature conservation, which is also the goal in the Colombian paramos.
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 to make as complete as possible description in terms of community composition. Different releves were done at different altitudes in the Paramo. The community vegetation releve data were converted into species occurrence data.
The paramo complex Chingaza - Cruz Verde - Monserrate - Guasca is located in the center of Colombia on the eastern cordillera, close to Bogota. It includes the provinces of Cundinamarca, Meta and a small part of Boyacá. The study in the PNN Chingaza, include the surrounding areas of the Chingaza lagoon, Chuza reservoir, headwater of Chuza river, Palacio Paramo, La Playa and Guatiquia rivers. In Cruz Verde paramo the localities include peat bogs located close to the road between Bogota-Choachi and to the Verjon lagoon. And in Guasca close to edge of the Peña Negra mountain close to the road between Guasca-Macheta. The altitudinal range of the dataset varies from 2290m.a.s.l. up to 3800m.a.s.l. The data was collected in different projects and dates between 1976 and 1989.
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.
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). Many of the data was lacking a georeference, precision of the georeference data and specific habitat indication. In 2012 to improve the dataset quality, it was completed as detail and precise as possible using several online resources, consultation with experts and revision of the original data. The georeference data was completed mainly with the use of Google Maps, in collaboration with A. Cleef and checking the original field notes and the publications.
Purpose 1: Data in TurboVeg Purpose 2: data converted to species occurrence. Data repatriation to Colombia to be used in actual research.
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