Primary succession of high-altitude vegetation on lahars of Volcán Cotopaxi, Ecuador

Abstract

Due to the harsh environment the vegetation succession on lahars of Cotopaxi is very slow and almost 500 years of development was not long enough for the vegetation to reach the climax. The plant communities change from lichen-dominated towards vascular plants-dominated vegetation.

The richness and community diversity are expected to decline as the tussock grasses become increasingly dominant upon approaching the “climax” stage.

Keywords

• Chronosequence
• community diversity
• equatorial Andes
• páramo
• plant growth forms
• tropical alpine
• volcanic disturbance