Database Report

VegPáramo -- a flora and vegetation database for the Andean páramo

Gwendolyn Peyre & Xavier Font

GIVD Database ID: SA-00-002	Last update: 2021-01-03
VegPáramo	Web address: http://www.vegparamo.com
Database manager(s): Gwendolyn Peyre (gf.peyre@uniandes.edu.co)
Owner: Gwendolyn Peyre; Ut. Botany, Dpt. Plant Biology; Fac. Biology, University of Barcelona Av. Diagonal 645, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
Scope: Phytosociological data from Andean Páramo ecosystems.
Abstract: Andean páramo is a diverse ecosystem found between 3.000–5.000 m elevation in the central and northern Andes and it is one of the world’s most biodiverse high mountain ecosystems (Lozano et al., 2009), with a very high endemism (Sklená&#345; et al., 2005). Páramos are ecologically fragile (Ramsay, 1992) and provide many ecosystem services, including water, which are of considerable value (Sklená&#345; & Balslev, 2005). The biogeography of the Páramo plant communities remains little explored and what studies do exist are methodologically heterogeneous and spatially scattered. Consequently data compilation, sampling standardization and certain scientific extension are needed. VegPáramo is a biological database of vegetation relevés, from the zonal páramo vegetation which is distributed from northern Peru to Venezuela. VegPáramo uses a standard phytosociological format for presentation of data that follows the Information System for Iberian and Macaronesian Vegetation (Font et al., 2010). It contains tables for phytosociological relevés, bibliographical references, georeferences, ecology and an updated taxa checklist. Around 2700 relevés derived from literature sources have been checked and uploaded, and these were supplemented with 300 newly sampled relevés from páramos that had been lees sampled until now. With about 3000 relevés databased, VegPáramo is as significant source of information about the Páramo vegetation. Sampling and updating will be continued to improve VegPáramo’s value. A web portal will later be created for VegPáramo, through which scientists and environmental managers, wishing to develop research or conservation projects, will have free access for consulting and downloading vegetation data on páramos.
Availability: free online	Online upload: no	Online search: yes
Database format(s): MySQL	Export format(s): plain text file, other, b-VegAna XML
Plot type(s): normal plots	Plot-size range (m²): (1) 10 to 100 (400)
Non-overlapping plots: 3000	Estimate of existing plots: 3000	Completeness: 100%	Status: ongoing capture
Total no. of plot observations: 3000	Number of sources (biblioreferences, data collectors): 38	Valid taxa: 2220
Countries (%): VE: 13; CO: 52; EC: 33; PE: 3
Formations: Non Forest: 100% = Terrestrial: 100% (Arctic-alpin: 100%)
Guilds: [NA]
Plot size categories (%): < 1 m2: <1%; 1-10 m2: 14%; 10-100 m2: 59%; 100-1000 m2: 9%; 1000-10000 m2: 0%; >= 10000 m2: 0%; unknowmn: 18%;
Environmental data (%): altitude: 97; slope aspect: 62; slope inclination: 72; microrelief: 0; surface cover other than plants (open soil, litter, bare rock etc.): 42; other soil attributes: 0; soil pH: 0; land use categories: 0; soil depth: 0
Performance measure(s): presence/absence only: 0%; cover: 100%; number of individuals: 0%; measurements like diameter or height of trees: 0%; biomass: 0%; other: 0%
Geographic localisation: GPS coordinates (precision 25 m or less): 10%; point coordinates less precise than GPS, up to 1 km: 81,5%; small grid (not coarser than 10 km): 8,5%; political units or only on a coarser scale ( above 10 km): 0%
Sampling periods: before 1920: 0%; 1920-1929: 0%; 1930-1939: 0%; 1940-1949: 0%; 1950-1959: 1%; 1960-1969: 0%; 1970-1979: 1%; 1980-1989: 16%; 1990-1999: 14%; 2000-2009: 46%; 2010-2019: 17%; unknown: 5%
Information as of 2026-06-14; further details and future updates available from http://www.givd.info/ID/SA-00-002

Gwendolyn Peyre* (gf.peyre@uniandes.edu.co)
Botany, Plant Biology, Biology, University of Barcelona, 645 Av. Diagonal, 08028 Barcelona, SPAIN
Xavier Font (xfont@ub.edu)
Botany, Plant Biology, Biology, University of Barcelona, 645 Av. Diagonal, 08028 Barcelona, SPAIN
* corresponding author