Flora associated with a morichal (palm swamp) preserved in the high plains of Colombia: farm Manacacías from Universidad de los Llanos

Abstract

The Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales de la Orinoquia Colombiana (ICAOC) in collaboration with the Centro de Innovación y Tecnología Instituto Colombiano del Petróleo (ICP) joined efforts to characterize the flora associated with the morichal of the Manacacías farm (latitude 4.172383 and 4.167133; longitude -72.043167 and -72.060983), as a strategic ecosystem for capturing of CO₂ in biomass, necromass and soil. Then, 75 families, 143 genera and 226 species were registered, including trees, shrubs, palms, lianas, herbs, epiphytes and hemiparasites. Biological material was deposited in the Herbario LLANOS of the Universidad de los Llanos. Among the species, Xylopia plowmanii was recorded, categorized as Vulnerable (VU) according to the IUCN and Cyathea microdonta included in Appendix II of CITES. Clitoria hermannii and Cybianthus llanorum, species restricted to the Orinoquia, were also recorded. Likewise, Henriettea goudotiana, Ouratea membranacea and Protium macrophyllum distributed exclusively to Colombia. Records allow to increase the knowledge of the flora associated with the morichal ecosystems in the Colombian Orinoquia and highlight the importance of its conservation. The list is available in Darwin Core format (https://doi.org/10.15472/wan8uq) by GBIF and the biological material was deposited in the Herbario LLANOS of the Universidad de los Llanos.