ABSTRACT
Oak forests of Colombia are characterized by the dominance of two species of Fagaceae, Quercus humboldtii and Colombobalanus excelsa. Both species comprise the core of various Neotropical montane forest ecosystems. However, past and present use of these ecosystems regionally has led to high levels of deforestation for agriculture, forest fragmentation, and loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Indeed, some authors estimate the existing cover of oak forest in Colombia represents only 10%–40% of the original extent (Gentry 1993; Rangel-Ch 2000; Etter et al. 2006). Aronson and Andel (2006) asserted ecological restoration should be prioritized in landscapes exemplied by these remnant Andean oak forests where the human dependence and inuence over native ecosystems is strong, and plant and animal diversity remains relatively high.
