Vegetation of a tropical dry forest in a landscape with chronic disturbance: the case of the indigenous community of San Nicolás Zoyatlan (Guerrero, Mexico)

  • Virginia Cervantes-Gutiérrez Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana
  • Ignacio Méndez-Ramírez Depto. Probabilidad y Estadística. Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
  • Iván Ernesto Roldán-Aragón Depto. El Hombre y su Ambiente. Unidad Xochimilco, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana
  • Aurora Chimal-Hernández Depto. El Hombre y su Ambiente. Unidad Xochimilco, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana
  • Vicente Arriaga-Martínez Comisión Nacional de Biodiversidad
  • Julia Carabias-Lillo Depto. Ecología y Recursos Naturales. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
keywords: Balsas watershed, chronic disturbance, composition and structure, intensity of agricultural use, potential species

Abstract

Background. Tropical dry forests (TDF) provide numerous environmental services to its residents; this has led them to be humanized landscapes subjected to chronic disturbance with a high risk of disappearing.

Research question.  To establish the relationship of vegetation structure and composition of a chronically disturbed TDF, with some environmental factors and the intensity of agricultural land use.

Study site and period of research. Our study was conducted during six months (July through November) in the TDF of the community of San Nicolas Zoyatlan (Guerrero, Mexico); a territory with a history of over 500 years of agricultural use. This use has led to a complex mosaic of vegetation fragments.

Methods. A selection of 36 fragments was studied to determine vegetation structure and composition as well as environmental factors. Representative plants from sampled areas were collected. Data gathered was explored with regression and multivariate statistical analysis techniques.

Results. 59 families, 178 genera and 279 species were recorded. Species richness varied widely among fragments, in general with a low dominance and high turnover of species. Slope was the only factor that showed a solid relationship with vegetation variables. Three groups of fragments were established and the statistical differences between them were explained by the duration of fallow. The fragments with longer fallow period showed the best conditions in vegetation variables and 66.9% of the species were found in them.

Conclusions. Composition and structure of vegetation were related to intensity of agricultural land use. Although there is a process of impoverishment, vegetation dynamics involving species of the Fabaceae, Asteraceae and Burseraceae families show a potential for their use in the environmental restoration of Zoyatlan.

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Author Biography

Virginia Cervantes-Gutiérrez, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana
Profesor -  Investigador  Titular C. Depto. El Hombre y su Ambiente. Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana - Unidad Xochimilco.
Vegetation of a tropical dry forest in a landscape with chronic disturbance: the case of the indigenous community of San Nicolás Zoyatlan (Guerrero, Mexico)
Published
2017-10-10
How to Cite
Cervantes-Gutiérrez, V., Méndez-Ramírez, I., Roldán-Aragón, I. E., Chimal-Hernández, A., Arriaga-Martínez, V., & Carabias-Lillo, J. (2017). Vegetation of a tropical dry forest in a landscape with chronic disturbance: the case of the indigenous community of San Nicolás Zoyatlan (Guerrero, Mexico). Botanical Sciences, 95(3), 433-459. https://doi.org/10.17129/botsci.1113
Section
ECOLOGY / ECOLOGÍA