Néstor García

• PhD
• Professor at Pontifical Xavierian University

A new species of Blakea (Melastomataceae) from the department of Meta, Colombia is described and illustrated here, with comments on its etymology, distribution and habitat, phenology, conservation status and taxonomic affinities. Blakea cubarralensis sp. nov. is readily distinguished by its floral bracteoles that are longer than the calyx lobes, th...

Se presenta una revisión acerca de las especies colombianas de Ericaceae con frutos comestibles, con énfasis en su forma de uso, su propagación y su cultivo. Se registraron 25 especies en diez géneros, cuya mayor diversidad se concentra en Cavendishia, Disterigma, Gaultheria y Vaccinium. La mayoría de las especies se distribuyen en zonas medias y a...

Antecedentes y Objetivos: Blakea es un género Neotropical de plantas leñosas con 192 especies, de las cuales más de 80 se distribuyen en Colombia, con altos niveles de endemismo. A pesar de la alta diversidad del género en el país, pocos son los estudios taxonómicos realizados a nivel regional, por lo que el conocimiento sobre Blakea es escaso en g...

La familia Ericaceae es una familia representativa del Neotrópico cuyos frutos son conocidos por su alto contenido de antioxidantes. En específico el género Cavendishia, un género endémico del Neotrópico, que se encuentra distribuido en ecosistemas de alta montaña y páramos...

Many Neotropical representatives of Ericaceae have fruits with antioxidant activity and high nutritional value. However, in Colombia, these fruits are little consumed and are considered underutilized. One such example is the berries of Cavendishia nitida (Kunth) A.C.Sm. In this study, the nutritional value, the total phenolic, flavonoid and anthocy...

Functional traits play a key role in driving plant community effects on ecosystem function. We examined nine functional traits in various palm (Arecaceae) species and their relationships with moisture, tree-fall gaps, slope, and forest type at 29 transects (500×5 m) in the northeastern region of the Colombian Amazon. Redundancy analysis of mean tra...

Recognizing the imperative to evaluate species recovery and conservation impact, in 2012 the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) called for development of a “Green List of Species” (now the IUCN Green Status of Species). A draft Green Status framework for assessing species’ progress toward recovery, published in 2018, proposed 2 s...

Los frutos silvestres han sido una parte integral de la dieta de los habitantes rurales del trópico americano. En Colombia, la información acerca del uso de los frutos silvestres se encuentra dispersa en la literatura etnobotánica y en colecciones de herbario, limitando el diseño de estrategias de conservación y uso. Esta revisión tiene como propós...

This article describes the diversity and use of trees and shrubs in smallholder farming systems in three municipalities of the department of Boyacá in the Colombian Andes, and tests the relations between species richness, use, and a set of socio-economic and structural variables. We conducted ethnobotanical walks and semi-structured interviews on 2...

El presente documento hace parte de los productos pactados en el convenio específico de cooperación No. 16-14-331- 247CE, firmado entre el Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt y la Universidad Icesi, que tenía como objeto “Aunar esfuerzos técnicos, administrativos y financieros para consolidar y estructurar infor...

Attalea nucifera is a threatened palm endemic to the Magdalena River basin in Colombia. In the past its seeds were consumed by the inhabitants of the town of Guaduas, Cundinamarca, although currently its use is less frequent. To assess the productive potential of this palm, we studied its phenology, biometric parameters, and fruit productivity in a...

Attalea nucifera is an acaulescent palm native of Colombia that is in risk of extinction. Between 2016-2017 we evaluated the structure and density of populations in six localities of the Magdalena river valley, and studied the population dynamic in the locality of Guaduas, Cundinamarca (VC). Although the population structure differs among locations...

La palma amarga (Sabal mauritiiformis) es una especie del Caribe colombiano cuyas hojas se utilizan principalmente para techar viviendas rurales e infraestructura turística. Sus poblaciones silvestres hacen parte de sistemas agroforestales tradicionales, donde se ha favorecido su permanencia a pesar de la avanzada transformación antrópica del ecosi...

Compilación de las evaluaciones UICN de las especies de árboles y arbustos endémicos de Colombia, en el marco de proyecto Lista Roja de Árboles Endémicos de Colombia Fase 1

La palma Astrocaryum malybo es una especie en peligro que crece en relictos de bosque en las tierras bajas del caribe colombiano, donde sus cogollos suministran fibra para una próspera actividad artesanal. Se estudiaron su estructura y dinámica poblacional en Chimichagua, Cesar, con el fin de suministrar información ecológica para su manejo y conse...

Las huertas familiares son importantes reservorios de diversidad agrícola esenciales para sostener la seguridad alimentaria de las comunidades rurales. En este artículo se describe la riqueza y la composición de especies y variedades de plantas usadas para alimentación en huertas familiares del municipio de San Pablo, Magdalena Medio de Colombia; y...

The spear leaves of the palms Astrocaryum chambira and A. standleyanum have been traditionally used by Colombian indigenous communities as a source of fiber for handicraft production. Traditional management practices, including destructive harvest, have reduced population sizes of both species. We monitored a population of A. chambira in the Amazon...

We studied the management of the fiber-producing chambira palm Astrocaryum chambira by indigenous people in the Colombian Amazon. Between 2009 and 2012, we visited four communities and two marketing centers, where we interviewed 12 people. In addition, we specifically observed A. chambira harvesting, processing, and commercialization; studied palm...

We studied use and management of Astrocaryum standleyanum L.H. Bailey among the Wounaan people at the Pacific Coast of Colombia between 2009 and 2011, with the intention of generating recommendations for a sustainable management of the palm. We used ethnobotanical techniques and established plots to monitor palm populations. A. standleyanum grows i...

Traditional palm basketry of the Ba Yei and HaMbukushu people of the Okavango delta region in Botswana was introduced in the 1970s by a missionary to the Wounaan aborigines of western Colombia, who had a related weaving technique. The African technique was quickly assimilated by the Wounaan and enriched with shapes and decoration based on their own...

We reviewed information on management of useful palms in South America. We documented management for 96 species, from incidental activities intended to increase populations of wild palms to the inclusion of palms in complex agroforestry systems. Two species, Bactris gasipaes and Parajubaea cocoides, are domesticated. Managed species are remarkably...

Resumen Las palmas están entre los recursos más utilizados en los trópicos y por tanto muchas de sus especies son susceptibles de agotarse o incluso desaparecer, si no se establecen prácticas adecuadas de uso sostenible. Estas prácticas deben derivarse de investigación rigurosa con un protocolo adecuado. Se describe aquí un protocolo de investigaci...

Las palmas están entre los recursos más utilizados en los trópicos y por tanto muchas de sus especies son susceptibles de agotarse o incluso desaparecer, si no se establecen prácticas adecuadas de uso sostenible. Estas prácticas deben derivarse de investigación rigurosa con un protocolo adecuado. Se describe aquí un protocolo de investigación para...

Attalea butyracea (Mutis ex L.f.) Wess. Boer is a massive and abundant palm that grows in dry areas of northern, central and eastern Colombia, where it ranks as one of the most useful plants. Thirty-six uses in eight use categories are recorded for this species in Colombia, including food, animal feed, medicine, construction, and technological and...

The “tripeperro” (Philodendron longirrhizum) is a widely distributed hemiepiphyte along the Andean region of Colombia. The aerial roots of this spe cies have been employed as a source of fiber for the production of baskets and other handicrafts in the Eje Cafetero region (Cordillera Central). This activity is concentrated in the town of Filandia, i...

The "tripeperro" (Philodendron longirrhizum) is a hemiepiphyte widely distributed in the Colombian Andes. In the region known as the Eje Cafetero, the aerial roots of this species are employed as a source of fiber to produce baskets and other handicrafts. This activity has a long tradition in the region and is concentrated in the town of Filandia (...

Se describen e ilustran dos especies nuevas de Tillandsia (Bromeliaceae) endémicasde la C