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Abstract

Knowledge of the ecological requirements, the current extensions, and cover of a species is important for its management conservation, but this information is lacking for many species of Polylepis (ROSACEA). Here we use niche modeling to understand the ecological requirements of two Polylepis species natively found in sympatry within the Huascarán National Park (HNP) (Cordillera Blanca, Peru), Polylepis albicans and P. webebaueri, and produce species distribution maps restricted by forest cover to estimate each species' current cover within the park . Based on presence/absence data collected systematically throughout their local elevational distribution and analyzed using a Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) and generalized linear models (glm), the best models show that P. albicans and P. weberbaueri have different environmental niches and their occupation is maximized at different climatic ranges mainly associated with temperature (annual mean temperature and mean monthly temperature range) and solar radiation during the dry season. P. albicans occupies warmer and drier areas than P. weberbaueri, which leads to a spatial segregation that has implications for the conservation management of each species. However, it is necessary to evaluate if the models described here adequately capture the environmental niche of other populations of P. weberbaueri, or if these could be new species. Our results indicate that within the HNP, the extension of Polylepis forests (~ 24,000 ha; 11,361 ha of P. albicans and 12,627 ha of P. weberbaueri) is significantly greater than that previously reported and confirm that this protected area harbors the greatest extensions of both species in Peru and its proper management is key for their conservation and that of the ecosystems they constitute.

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