Estructura y estado de conservación de los bosques de Prosopis flexuosa D.C. (Fabaceae, subfamilia: Mimosoideae) en el noreste de Mendoza (Argentina)

the recommendation of management rules that regulate the use of forest resources must be based on the knowledge of the structure and dynamics of forests. this work allowed to find out about the population structure of the prosopis flexuosa woodlands of the northeast of mendoza, as well as their sanitary conditions and the management potential. a total of 1,471 prosopis individuals were sampled in the four most representative woodlands units. the total prosopis density was as follows: p. flexuosa semi-closed woodland with atriplex lampa and lycium tenuispinosum in valleys in-between dunes (woodland 1): 181 trees ha-1; p. flexuosa open woodland with trichomaria usillo and suaeda divaricata in the undulations (woodland 2): 155 trees ha-1; p. flexuosa open woodland with t. usillo (woodland 3): 233 trees ha-1, and p. flexuosa open woodland with a. lampa in soft undulations (woodland 4): 215 trees ha-1. the principal components analysis on the diametric structure grouped the sites surveyed in the different woodland units as per the proportion of individuals with larger basal diameter. the sites from woodland 1 (larger proportion of big trees), were separated from the sites with a higher proportion of small trees (woodland 2 and 4). due to the prosopis growth habit, the quantity of wood products from these forests is low. besides p. flexuosa presents in the area a high percentage of individuals with more than two stems, the tree shape is generally decumbent and the bole height is less than a meter. therefore, the possible use should be done at local scale, taking into account the inclusion of other complementary activities