BackgroundAlthough the flora of the State of Nuevo León is well known, there are few records of ethnobotancial information. An ethnobotanical study was undertaken in order to know the medicinal plants used by people living at the scrublands and oak-pine forest areas in the southern Nuevo León. Collection of plants specimens and interviews were carried out among the people of the municipalities of Aramberri, Galeana, and Zaragoza. Since former studies in the region are scarce, the aim of this work was to record the medicinal species and their uses in the scrublands and oak-pine forest areas, of southern Nuevo León, Mexico, and also to know if there are differences in the number of species and number of uses knowledge by people.MethodsField work was carried out over a 2 years period; useful plants were collected and a total of 105 people from 46 different villages were interviewed. A database was compiled using data collected by means of semi structured interviews. The data were analyzed by means of non-parametric statistics, using goodness-of-fit test (Chi-squared) (number of species known by people of each municipality, number of uses known by people of each municipality), Chi-squared modified to incorporate the Yates Correction (number of species known by people living at scrublands and oak-pine forest); the Kruskall-Wallis test (number of species known by women and men of the three municipalities), and the Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient (age and number of species known, and age and number of uses).ResultsA total of 163 medicinal plant species were recorded in the study area, comprising 108 wild and 55 cultivated plants. A total of 117 species were recorded in the oak-pine forest, and 111 in the scrublands area, a total of 68 were recorded in both areas; 68 medicinal species are used in all three municipalities, 40 wild and 28 cultivated. We documented 235 different medicinal uses. The most common plant parts used for medicinal purposes were found to be leaves (123 species), stems (55), fruits (28), roots (17), and bark (14). No differences were noted in the number of medicinal plant species identified among people, but differences were significant in their knowledge with respect to the number of uses among people of the three municipalities studied; people from both, scrublands and oak-pine forest know similar number of species and number of uses. Men and women of the three different municipalities knew statistically the same number of species and number of uses. There was no correlation between resident’s age and number of species known and resident’s age and number of uses either in Galeana or in Aramberri, but, there was high correlation among these variables in Zaragoza.ConclusionIn southern Nuevo León people use at least 5% of the total State flora as medicinal plants, and most of these species are included in few plant families. Most of medicinal species are wild and indigenous to the region. The two most important major plant communities, scrublands and oak-pine forest provide almost the same n...

BackgroundTrough collections of plants and interviews with 110 individuals, an ethnobotanical study was conducted in order to determine the knowledge and use plant species in Rayones, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The aim of this study was to record all useful plants and their uses, to know whether differences exist in the knowledge about the number of species and uses between women and men, and to know if there is a correlation between the age of individuals and knowledge of species and their uses.MethodsA total of 110 persons were interviewed (56 men, 56 women). Semistructured interviews were carried out. The data were analyzed by means of Student t test and the Pearson Correlation Coeficient.ResultsA total of 252 species, 228 genera and 91 families of vascular plants were recorded. Astraceae, Fabaceae and are the most important families with useful species and Agave and Opuntia are the genera with the highest number of useful species. One hundred and thirty six species are considered as medicinal. Agave, Acacia and Citrus are the genera with the highest number of medicinal species. Other uses includes edible, spiritual rituals, construction and ornamentals. There was a non-significant correlation between the person’s age and number of species, but a significant very low negative correlation between the person’s age and number of uses was found.ConclusionsKnowing their medicinal uses is an important issue for the people of Rayones. Boiling and preparing infusions are the main ways of using plants by residents. The leaves, the branches, and the fruits are the most commonly used parts. Almost 18% of the flora is used for wood and construction purposes. Several uses such as cosmetic, shampoo, firming skin tonics and health hair products recorded in Rayones has not been reported for other areas in the state of Nuevo León. In Rayones, women have a greater knowledge about plants and their uses than men, particularly, medicinal plants, but, men have a greater knowledge about wood and construction species.

5Autor para la correspondencia: csaenzromero@gmail.com.Resumen: El modelado del hábitat climático propicio para la distribución potencial de especies es una herramienta poderosa para proyectar los impactos del cambio climático y sugerir medidas de manejo que permitan aminorar sus efectos negativos. Los objetivos del presente trabajo fueron: (1) determinar la distribución potencial del hábitat climático propicio para Swietenia macrophylla primariamente para la Península de Yucatán, México y para Guatemala, Belice y este de Honduras y (2) sugerir medidas de manejo para reacoplar las poblaciones contemporáneas al clima que les será propicio en la década centrada en el año 2030. Se obtuvieron registros geográficos para S. macrophylla del Inventario Nacional Forestal y Suelos y grids climáticas para clima contemporáneo (promedio 1961-1990), y futuro (década centrada en 2030), con escenarios de concentraciones intermedias (6.0 W/m 2 ) de gases de efecto invernadero. Se modeló la distribución potencial bajo el clima contemporáneo y futuro usando MaxEnt. Para el año 2030 se proyecta una pérdida de hábitat climático del 60 % en relación al contemporáneo para la Península de Yucatán, Guatemala, Belice y este de Honduras. El hábitat climático propicio prácticamente desaparece en Quintana Roo, desplazándose hacia la Reserva de la Biosfera de Calakmul. Se propone recolectar semilla en la distribución actual en Quintana Roo y plantar en esa Reserva, con el propósito de realizar conservación ex-situ, reacoplando las poblaciones al clima futuro que les es propicio. Palabras clave: Cambio climático, clima contemporáneo, hábitat climático, MaxEnt, Península de Yucatán. Abstract:The suitable climate habitat modeling for the potential distribution of species is a powerful tool to project the impacts of climate change and to suggest management measures that may mitigate its negative effects. The objectives of this study were: (1) To determine the potential distribution of Swietenia macrophylla primarily for the Yucatan Peninsula, México and for Guatemala, Belize and eastern Honduras, and (2) to suggest management actions for recoupling the contemporary populations to their suitable climate habitat by the decade centered in the year 2030. Geographical records for S. macrophylla were obtained from the Mexican National Forest and Soil Inventory and the grids for contemporary (average 1961-1990) and future (decade centered on 2030), with intermediate greenhouse-effect gas concentration scenarios (6.0 W/m 2 ). Potential distribution under the contemporary and future climate was modeled using MaxEnt. For the decade of 2030 it is projected a climatic habitat loss of 60 % in relation to contemporary distribution at the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, Belize, and eastern Honduras. Suitable climate habitat practically disappears in Quintana Roo, moving to the Calakmul Biosphere Reserve. It is proposed to collect seed in the current distribution in Quintana Roo and planting inside the Reserve, with the purpose of conducting ex situ conservation...

El modelaje del hábitat climático para la distribución potencial de especies es una herramienta útil para proyectar los impactos del cambio climático e implementar estrategias de manejo para atenuar sus efectos negativos. El objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar la distribución potencial del hábitat climático contemporáneo y futuro (década centrada en el año 2030) de Tzalam, Lysiloma latisiliquum (L.) Benth., árbol de bosque seco y caducifolio de la Península de Yucatán. Se obtuvieron registros geográficos para L. latisiliquum del Inventario Nacional Forestal y Suelos (INFS) y rejillas climáticas para clima contemporáneo (promedio 1961-1990) y futuro (década centrada en 2030), con escenarios de concentraciones intermedias de gases de efecto invernadero (6.0 W m-2). Se modeló la distribución potencial con el algoritmo MaxEnt. Para el año 2030 se proyecta una pérdida de hábitat climático del 43 % en relación con el contemporáneo, confinándose principalmente en el centro de la Península de Yucatán. Se propone recolectar semilla en la distribución actual, principalmente en las poblaciones cercanas a la costa, y plantar en el centro de la Península; además, conservar germoplasma ex situ con el propósito de reacoplar las poblaciones al clima futuro y asegurar la conservación de la diversidad genética del Tzalam.