Exotic shrub-arboreal species in the Ramsar wetland Los Pantanos de Villa, Lima, Peru: Current state of knowledge

Background and aims: The “Los Pantanos de Villa” Wildlife Refuge is a representative sample of the wetlands of the South American Pacific arid coast; however, its exotic flora remains unknown and may threaten the ecosystem. This work aims to identify the presence and distribution of exotic shrub-arboreal species in the wetland, to analyze their relationship with native plant communities, and record their most frequent pests. M&M: A forest census was carried out in three plant communities: gramadal, totoral, and juncal, followed by an order and similarity analysis, and the identification of the phytophagous insects or pests registered in these exotic species. Results and discussion: Eleven exotic shrub-arboreal species were recorded, with a total of 481 individuals. The most abundant was Eucalyptus globulus (190 individuals), followed by Casuarina equisetifolia (74), Prosopis sp. (70), Washingtonia robusta (58), Phoenix dactylifera (41), Tamarix aphylla (21), Schinus terebinthifolius (15), Myoporum acuminatum (7), Acacia aroma (2), Thuja sp. (2), and Araucaria excelsa (1). The gramadal community presented the highest number of species and individuals of exotic flora (9 species/413 individuals), followed by the juncal (6/60) and the totoral (2/8). The three communities showed a low similarity (<50 %) of exotic flora. Thirteen species of phytophagous insects were recognized, with Icerya purchasi and Aleurodicus juleikae the most frequent ones. Conclusions: This study enhances the knowledge of exotic shrub-arboreal species in Los Pantanos de Villa Ramsar wetland, providing solid information to guide the development of management strategies for exotic species in this ecosystem type.