Contribución al conocimiento de la flora del sureste mendocino.

Different plant communities from the soutast of Mendoza are characterized in this research, some considered of high conservation importance, others of medium importance and others not considered so far. Seven physiographic areas were determined: A. Hillsides of the Cerro Nevado (Punta del agua and Los Toldos); B. Pampa de la Varita crossing (El Banderon and Puente Colorado) and C. Lower section of the Atuel River (Colonia Italiana, Paso el Barroso and Paso el Loro)). In each one, 16 circular sample units of 100m2 (radius of 5.65 m) were surveyed using the Braun Blanquet phytosociological method and represented in a comparative synthetic table. To differentiate plant communities and their different associations, cluster analysis was performed using the Jaccard index. In total, 118 species from 37 botanical families and 98 genera were recorded. The surveyed flora was constituted by 60% native species, 30% endemic and 10% of introduced and adventitious. Twenty one of the total endemic species are considered threatened. In terms of similarities, the Pampa de la Varita is more similar to those of the lower section of the Atuel River and floristically it moves away from the slopes of Cerro Nevado. As for the regions of the sampled river section, the area of Colonia Italiana shows greater floristic similarity with the area of Paso El Barroso. This work is expected to contribute to the flora of Mendoza and promote progress in the management of natural resources in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]