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Abstract

Of the total numbers of microsites present in an environment, only a fraction presents adequate conditions to ensure the regeneration of the forest. This study analyzes the facilitation given by the environment and the microsites in the P. tarapacana regeneration in the High Andes. We worked with 21 forests in Jujuy, Argentina, registering variables of forest structure, soil moisture and the offer of microsites. Pearson correlation analyses were done between environmental variables and forest structure of seedling and trees and shrubs. In addition, a simple ANOVA were performed using 8 categories of microsites as the main factor to analyze soil moisture and the density of seedling. The density of seedling represents 36.8% of the density of trees and shrubs. At greater slopes, the presence of seedling decreases, but no significant differences were found with altitude. A higher seedling density (201.2 and 279.5 ind.ha−1) was found in microsites under the influence of rocks that coincide with higher soil moisture, but not in microsites with litter, with the same moisture content. There was a varied offer of microsites that could be found in the study area, where the density of the seedling was positively related to the offer of microsites under the influence of rocks and was associated with their relative humidity. These results define microsites favorable for regenerating P. tarapacana which can be used to identify the most suitable areas for restoration and preservation of this species.

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