Vegetation of a tropical dry forest in a landscape with chronic disturbance: the case of the indigenous community of San Nicolás Zoyatlan (Guerrero, Mexico)
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 compositi...
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| Format: | Article |
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Sociedad Botánica de México, A. C.
2017-10-01
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| Series: | Botanical Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.botanicalsciences.com.mx/index.php/botanicalSciences/article/view/1113 |
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| author | Virginia Cervantes-Gutiérrez Ignacio Méndez-Ramírez Iván Ernesto Roldán-Aragón Aurora Chimal-Hernández Vicente Arriaga-Martínez Julia Carabias-Lillo |
| author_facet | Virginia Cervantes-Gutiérrez Ignacio Méndez-Ramírez Iván Ernesto Roldán-Aragón Aurora Chimal-Hernández Vicente Arriaga-Martínez Julia Carabias-Lillo |
| author_sort | Virginia Cervantes-Gutiérrez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
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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| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:21:29Z |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2007-4298 2007-4476 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T12:21:29Z |
| publishDate | 2017-10-01 |
| publisher | Sociedad Botánica de México, A. C. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Botanical Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-63ccfdb07cf54d0f93a0cde314a658ff2022-12-22T02:47:11ZengSociedad Botánica de México, A. C.Botanical Sciences2007-42982007-44762017-10-0195310.17129/botsci.1113Vegetation 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-GutiérrezIgnacio Méndez-Ramírez0Iván Ernesto Roldán-Aragón1Aurora Chimal-Hernández2Vicente Arriaga-Martínez3Julia Carabias-Lillo4Depto. Probabilidad y Estadística. Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de MéxicoDepto. El Hombre y su Ambiente. Unidad Xochimilco, Universidad Autónoma MetropolitanaDepto. El Hombre y su Ambiente. Unidad Xochimilco, Universidad Autónoma MetropolitanaComisión Nacional de BiodiversidadDepto. Ecología y Recursos Naturales. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México 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. https://www.botanicalsciences.com.mx/index.php/botanicalSciences/article/view/1113Balsas watershedchronic disturbancecomposition and structureintensity of agricultural usepotential species |
| spellingShingle | Virginia Cervantes-Gutiérrez Ignacio Méndez-Ramírez Iván Ernesto Roldán-Aragón Aurora Chimal-Hernández Vicente Arriaga-Martínez Julia Carabias-Lillo 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 Balsas watershed chronic disturbance composition and structure intensity of agricultural use potential species |
| title | Vegetation of a tropical dry forest in a landscape with chronic disturbance: the case of the indigenous community of San Nicolás Zoyatlan (Guerrero, Mexico) |
| title_full | Vegetation of a tropical dry forest in a landscape with chronic disturbance: the case of the indigenous community of San Nicolás Zoyatlan (Guerrero, Mexico) |
| title_fullStr | Vegetation of a tropical dry forest in a landscape with chronic disturbance: the case of the indigenous community of San Nicolás Zoyatlan (Guerrero, Mexico) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Vegetation of a tropical dry forest in a landscape with chronic disturbance: the case of the indigenous community of San Nicolás Zoyatlan (Guerrero, Mexico) |
| title_short | Vegetation of a tropical dry forest in a landscape with chronic disturbance: the case of the indigenous community of San Nicolás Zoyatlan (Guerrero, Mexico) |
| title_sort | vegetation of a tropical dry forest in a landscape with chronic disturbance the case of the indigenous community of san nicolas zoyatlan guerrero mexico |
| topic | Balsas watershed chronic disturbance composition and structure intensity of agricultural use potential species |
| url | https://www.botanicalsciences.com.mx/index.php/botanicalSciences/article/view/1113 |
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