Resumen

CUYCKENS, Griet A. E  y  RENISON, Daniel. Ecology and conservation of Polylepis montane forests: An introduction to the special issue. Ecol. austral [online]. 2018, vol.28, n.1, suppl.1, pp.157-162. ISSN 1667-782X.

The genus Polylepis belongs to the Rosaceae family and includes shrubs and trees that grow in the high mountains of the Andes and the Sierras Grandes of Córdoba. It forms forests with a canopy mainly dominated by one species of the genus Polylepis. The genus is characterized by paper-thin layers of rust-red bark, sinuous trunks and branches, tiny compound leaves and inconspicuous flowers; it is found mostly in rocky canyons because of necessity or habitat aptitude. Evolutionarily, it was probably originated from the genus Acaena by polyploidy. The Polylepis forests provide valuable environmental and socio-economic services, such as the protection of water sources, erosion control and regulation of the microclimate, and offers habitat for numerous species. The Polylepis trees have economic importance for the peasant communities. In this special issue, we present some of the latest advances in the study of Polylepis. Many of them were presented during the last meeting of Ecology and Conservation of Polylepis, held in Jujuy, Argentina, in 2016. We hope that the next meeting (to be held in Ecuador) will have an increasing number of studies and participants.

Palabras clave : South America; Andes; Distribution; Quantitative review.