Composition of vascular flora, delimitation and state of conservation of lomas of Ochiputur mountain (Trujillo, Peru): a scope for the identification and management of desert ecosystems

Cuba-Melly N. · Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad (2025) · DOI: 10.22201/ib.20078706e.2025.96.5408

Resumen

The South American coastal desert is an extremely arid environment that receives water in the form of ocean mist and discontinuous precipitation provided by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Its particular climatic and geographical conditions are a refuge for highly specialized flora and fauna species, which in addition to having a high degree of endemism are threatened by human activities. The objectives of the present study were: to propose a delimitation of the lomas ecosystem in a locality in northern Peru known as Ochiputur mountain using remote sensing tools and the analysis of the Normalized Differential Vegetation Index (NDVI), and to carry out a vascular flora baseline and identify drivers of change in the area of study. The NDVI analysis allowed us to estimate the vegetation cover of the ecosystem, although it still has limitations. Likewise, the influence of ENSO on the vegetation cover and the advance of harmful anthropic activities is evident. We recorded 134 species of vascular plants distributed in 3 landscape units of the lomas ecosystem. Finally, a connection between the desert and high Andean ecosystems, and the efficiency of remote sensing in the delimitation of desert ecosystems, were discussed.

Instituciones: Universidad Científica del Sur