Flora vascular y liquénica asociada a especies simpátricas de Puya (Bromeliaceae) en el Parque Nacional Natural Chingaza (Colombia)

Abstract

In the páramo ecosystem of Chingaza National Natural Park, seven sympatric species of the genus Puya (family Bromeliaceae) have been reported. These species may exhibit evolutionary and ecological adaptations or strategies to avoid competition among them, a phenomenon known as ecological niche partitioning. To identify patterns of biological associativity that indicate niche fragmentation in the species Puya cryptantha and P. goudotiana, individuals of angiosperms and lichens associated with these two species of puyas were recorded in the Piedras Gordas locality (Fómeque, Cundinamarca). Eighteen morphotypes of flowering plants and 23 of lichens were identified, with the most represented families being Asteraceae and Parmeliaceae, respectively. Most of the angiosperm (14) and lichen species (16) were associateed with P. goudotiana, while five angiosperms and 13 lichens were associated with P. cryptantha; only one flowering plant and five liches were associated to both Puya species. However, the associativity patterns could be more related to environmental and microclimatic characteristics provided by the paramo ecosystem and human interventions in the locality. Further sampling efforts are needed to determine whether niche partitioning strategies are adopted by the Puya species in Chingaza National Natural Park.