Evaluación preliminar de la composición florística y usos de la vegetación en bosques secu ndarios, provincia de Azua y

The high Andean secondary forests have been poorly studied floristically in southern Ecuador. They have great attributes in diversity and vegetation structure. This study evaluated parameters richness, diversity and vegetation structure in two altitude belts and their relationships with uses of vegetation. Were installed 20 plots located in two altitudinal belts. The values of the parameters were analyzed through mean comparisons between the two-altitudinal belts. The variation in the floristic composition was analyzed trough species turnover and non-metric multidimensional scaling ordination (NMDS). The parameters that best explained the variation in floristic composition were selected and analyzed through ordination, correlation and association in principal components. This registered higher values in richness, structure and potential use of fustales in plots located in the second altitudinal belt. This registered a lower exchange of species, obtaining two different altitudinal belts floristically. Richness, abundance, and dominance in fustales is correlated with potential uses, and these are associated with the plots located at higher altitudes. According the dissimilarity floristic, we conclude that species composition is explicitly related with variables that co-vary with elevation, stage and management or use of vegetation.