Assessment of Lepthosphaeria polylepidis Decline in Polylepis tarapacana Phil. Trees in District 3 of the Sajama National Park, Bolivia

Abstract

The Sajama National Park (SNP) was the first protected area (1939) in Bolivia (Fig. Nowadays it is a National Park and Natural Management Area The SNP contains a forest of the native Andean tree known as queua or quehuia (Polylepis tarapacana Phil). Forest of this type is found only in the Bolivian Andes (Argollo et al. 2006), where it suffers from human disturbance, including tree felling, man-made fires, the grazing of domestic animals Indeed, its continued existence is threatened (Rivera 1998; mentioned by Daza von Boeck 2005).