Resumen en inglés

Ferns are considered the second most diverse group of vascular plants on Earth. This group of plants can occupy from 6 to 27% of the flora in the Bh-T, being an important group in Colombia as this country is considered one of the most diverse in America. Their dispersal by means of spores, gametophytic reproduction and physiology limit these plants with climatic conditions. The close relationship between climate and ferns has led to changes in their distribution along altitudinal gradients. This distribution can be altered by anthropic disturbances, such as slashing, burning, expansion of the agrarian frontier, and climate change. Problems that are not alien to the Bh-T of Cerro Murrucucú, where human settlements have put pressure on this ecosystem in recent decades. Considering the threats to the distribution of ferns, the general objective was to characterize their taxonomic diversity in the altitudinal gradient from 100 to 1.000 masl, by estimating the richness and abundance of the species in the different altitudinal ranges and the description of its altitudinal distribution. For this, eight plots of 400 m² were made, where the species were collected and the number of individuals was counted in the ranges 100-200, 300-400, 500-600, 700-800 and 900-1.000 masl. The data was systematized and tabulated in Microsoft Excel, to later perform accumulation curves, richness-height and abundance-height correlation analysis. As additional information, climatic data were analyzed using Spearman correlation analysis. Among the results, the high richness of the Dryopteridaceae, Hymenophyllaceae, Cyatheaceae and Polypodiaceae families, and the high abundance of the Dryopteridaceae, Cyatheaceae, Marattiaceae, and Hymenophyllaceae families stand out. The distribution of the species presented differences in the altitudinal gradient, being significant in general terms for richness but not for abundance, however, the differences were notorious when comparing these variables between families for both cases. It is concluded that the species vary in their altitudinal distribution, changes that are expressed with greater force in the taxonomic groups. 700-800 masl recorded the greatest richness, while the lowest was from 100 to 200 masl. It is recommended to carry out research on ferns, since these works are scarce in the department of Córdoba. Increase the sampling effort within the altitudinal ranges studied, extend the sampling sites to other sectors of Cerro Murrucucú. Implement sampling at different times of the year, carry out studies of habitat disturbances, relationships with the substrate, climatic variables and interspecific relationships that may influence the altitudinal distribution of ferns.