COMPOSICIÓN FLORÍSTICA EN BOSQUES DE GALERÍA EN EL AREA MINERA LA INCREIBLE 9 Y 11, GUASIPATI, ESTADO BOLÍVAR, VENEZUELA

The floristic and structural characterization of a part of the gallery forests at  the Incredible 9 and 11 Mining Concession, proximities of Guasipati, Bolívar state, Venezuela is presented. Three  types of forests were found: 1) Low thin gallery forest, 2)  Low medium gallery forest and 3) Medium medium gallery forest that were inventoried in 0.1 ha plots; one plot for each type of forest and all the individuals with DBH > 10 cm (trees and woody vines) were identified and measured. The floristic composition and forest canopy height and coverage were analyzed.  The most important species, according to the Importance Value Index (IVI) in the first forest were  Xanthoxylum caribaeum, Guettarda divaricata, Acacia glomerosa and Copaifera officinalis, whilst in the second predominated  Tapirira guianensis, Cupania scrobiculata, Xylopia nitida  and Cecropia latiloba  and in the third Pouteria stipitata, Guettarda divaricata, Copaifera officinalis and Vitex capitata showed as the most important.  The forests were different in canopy height (low to medium, 10-18 m), canopy coverage (thin to medium), density (430 - 750 ind./ ha) and basal area (11,8 – 18,5 m2/ha), but similar in number of species (14 – 16).