Guía ilustrada de especies vegetales con interés de conservación del bosque húmedo montano bajo, en la cuenca media de la quebrada Manizales, ciudad de Manizales, Caldas

Abstract

Vegetation constitutes a natural resource of innumerable and invaluable benefits for ecosystems and especially for the restoration of habitats that have presented fragmentation processes. Unfortunately, the lack of knowledge of this valuable natural resource is very wide, which it is imperative to renew the understanding and perception of plant species, which represents a significant parameter to open the way to their knowledge and appreciation. Thus, as the purpose of this degree work is to generate an illustrated guide to the vegetation of the middle basin of the Manizales creek, which can contribute to the conservation of this representative lower montane moist forest ecosystem, where there are processes of fragmentation caused mainly by anthropic factors. For this reason, through the collection of primary and secondary information, 21 [Twenty one] interesting plant species were selected, whose ecological and ethnobotanical properties play a valuable role with the interest of restoration and conservation of this ecosystem, with which, the elaboration of the illustrated guide, as a useful and easy-to-consult tool, that promotes knowledge about the vegetation of this site, expressing a complete description of each plant species with its corresponding photograph and illustration, to strengthen its recognition and in this way, amplify knowledge about these and contribute to the appropriation and appreciation of human communities with respect to the plant diversity of the Andean region.