Declive y muerte de los frailejones en los ecosistemas alpinos de los Andes del Norte: modelo conceptual.

Abstract

<title>Abstract</title> <p>This study focuses on the development of a conceptual model that collects, organizes and combines knowledge (concepts and hypotheses proposed) related to the death and decline of frailejones (<italic>Espeletia</italic>) in the tropical Alpine ecosystems of the Northern Andes. It also identifies the current knowledge gaps for this problem, the hypotheses proposed to explain it and a conceptual framework for the development of future strategies for monitoring and management of these effects. It highlights the use of the conceptual model in presenting three hypotheses that describe the frailejones interactions with other biological agents related to previously reported health problems, and provides a description of the factors that shape these interactions, mainly climate change and its effect on the distribution of paramo plants.</p>