Prediction of the climatic distribution of the Colombian oak Quercus humboldtii Bonpl. (Fagaceae)

Abstract

Spatial analyzes of climatic variables are important to understand the possible adaptation of plants to unstable environmental conditions. This article presents the potential climatic distribution of Q. humboldtii Bonpland in Colombia. Data from herbarium collections were used to generate the distribution map. The distribution data was loaded into the FloraMap simulation package, which used 36 climate variables to generate a climate prediction map. The prediction is based on principal component analysis, which interpolates the latitude and longitude of each of the herbarium records with respect to the elevation above sea level and each of the 36 climate variables. Q. humboldtii is reported to be distributed throughout the three mountain ranges from southern Panama to northern Nariño. It was shown that it is adapted to a great variety of climatic conditions, with adaptation to temperature ranges that vary between 9.3 and 27.9 degrees Celsius and an average annual rainfall amount between 788 and 2,681 millimeters. Altitude, the Oak is distributed from 1,100 m above sea level to more or less 3,000 m. Although a specific environmental condition was not identified, two climatic types were detected that are conditioned by the average temperature: a dry climate in low areas and a humid climate in high elevations. As a result of these conditions, it is possible to argue that the species has a broad climate-environmental adaptation throughout the Colombian Andes. A new collection of the species is reported in the Department of Bolívar, Serranía de San Lucas at 1,100 m. This distribution record is important because it suggests the possible existence of more populations in areas even further north. This is an incentive to carry out more expeditions in which the species could be collected and thus propose conservation studies of isolated populations.