Figure 1. Study sites and vegetation communities located along an elevational gradient on Huascaran Biosphere Reserve (HBR) and Huascaran National Park (HNP)—Peru.

On each of the five study sites (white dots on the bottom left map), Eucalyptus forest are usually at valley glacial entrances (A), Polylepis sericea is the dominant species at lower and middle elevations (B), while P. weberbaueri is at higher elevations (C). The matrix is mostly dominated by either by shrubby areas of Gynoxys/Budleja/Baccharis/Lupinus species (D) or Puna grassland areas dominated by Stipa ichu (E).