Species richness of Cyatheales in the upper Santo Domingo Canyon, Antioquia, Colombia

The Regional Protective Forest Reserve of the Canyons of the Melcocho and Santo Domingo Rivers in eastern Antioquia, Colombia, spans 26,533 ha with elevations from 706 to 2,937 m above sea level. This study addresses the limited prior research on ferns in the region by observing tree ferns and allied species (Cyatheales) between 1,967 and 2,600 m above sea level. We identified 11 species: Alsophila erinacea (H.Karst.) D.S.Conant, Cyathea cnemidaria Lehnert, Cyathea latevagans (Baker) Domin, Cyathea planadae N.C.Arens & A.R.Sm., Cyathea pauciflora (Kuhn) Lellinger, Cyathea nigripes (C. Chr.) Domin, Cyathea squamipes H. Karst., Cyathea tryonorum (Riba) Lellinger, Cyathea vilhelmii Domin, Lophosoria quadripinnata (J.F.Gmel.) C.Chr. and Sphaeropteris quindiuensis (H.Karst.) R.M.Tryon. All species are newly recorded from the reserve, with some records representing extensions of their known distributions. This species richness within a small altitudinal gradient highlights the reserve’s importance for the conservation of tree ferns in Colombia’s Central Cordillera.