Structural analysis of two tropic forest plots in Panama’s interoceanic region; Análisis estructural de dos parcelas de bosque de la región interoceánica de Panamá

Abstract

Forests play a fundamental role in balance and support of ecosystems and in an essential area as Panama Canal´s watershed; are basic for conservation of biological and hydrological dynamics that occur naturally. Also forests are valuable for the benefits that represent in life quality of human communities close to this area; therefore, knowledge and monitoring of the forests is vital to determine the state of environmental health, especially those places impacted by anthropogenic pressure. In this study, the floristic structure was compared bet­ween two 10 000 m2 plots of forest in the Interoceanic region of the Republic of Panama, one in the Province of Colón, in the area of Lake Gatún, and another in the province of Panamá Oeste in the Pacific Coast. Based on the inventories of the trees in these areas, the most representative species were calculated through the importance value index (IVI) and the measurement of vertical strata. 138 species of 102 tree genera were found, in both plots. In these samplings, a high affinity of species was not found when comparing the two sites, with only a coincidence of 24% of the total and also a difference in the value index of importance in the species present in both sampled areas, standing out a high wealthin both sites of study. © 2021 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.