Propagation of native species from the basin of La Vega River, Tunja, Boyacá, with potential for ecological restoration

Abstract

The main objetive of this paper was to identify and propagate the most important native species for ecological restoration in the basin of La Vega River. Species were identified and selected by using a criteria matrix through which we obtained the following species: Xylosma spiculifera, Croton purdiei, Baccharis macrantha, Verbesina centroboyacana, Duranta mutisii, Lupinus bogotensis and Dodonaea viscosa on which two techniques of propagation were assayed. The first, a sexual propagation technique (seeds) where we used a random blocks design with two treatments: seeds cooled at 5 °C for 15 days, and the second, rescue of seedlings employing 20 to 40-cm high seedlings and three treatments: T0, seedling without pruning; T1, seedlings with root pruning, and T2, seedlings with leave pruning. In general, propagation through seedling rescue with pruning proved to be more effective than the sexual propagation technique.