Assessing the species diversity and spectral signatures of Poaceae from the Tilacancha Private Conservation Area, northern Peru

Aguilar V.; Bustamante D.E.; Calderon M.S.; García L.; Veneros J. · Ecological Genetics and Genomics (2026) · DOI: 10.1016/j.egg.2026.100465

Resumen

The Tilacancha Private Conservation Area is vital for biodiversity and is the main water source for Chachapoyas. However, it is under threat from human activity and climate change. The area's ecologically important Poaceae grasslands, which retain rainfall and fog, remain poorly studied. In this study, the diversity of Poaceae species in these grasslands was characterized using molecular techniques (i.e., DNA barcoding with the intergenic plastid marker trnH-psbA ), and their spectral signatures were determined using multispectral imagery captured by a Parrot Sequoia drone (UAV). The generated barcodes enabled the identification of six species within the Poaceae family: Cinnagrostis deserticola var. breviaristata , Cinnagrostis viridis , Cortaderia selloana , Festuca rubra , Peyritschia deyeuxioides , and Relchela panicoides . Five of these species, all except P. deyeuxioides , represent new records for the flora of Peru. Furthermore, the obtained reflectance values delineated the spectral behaviour of the Poaceae grasslands. The maximum reflectance was 0.6893 at 660 nm, indicating that this wavelength is the most suitable for discriminating and evaluating the spectral response of Poaceae. This integrated approach enables the precise monitoring of vegetation and the improved detection of hidden biodiversity. It emphasises the urgent need to protect and preserve the conservation area.

Instituciones: Universidad Nacional Toribio Rodríguez de Mendoza de Amazonas