Phytosociology of a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in the State of Michoacán, Mexico

Abstract

Background: seasonally dry tropical forests are considered critical and important ecosystems because they harbor exceptional biological diversity. Mexico lacks sound phytosociological studies of Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest and Michoacán is no exception. The present study may be regarded the first phytosociological in most of the Mexican pacific coast where seasonally dry tropical forests occurs.
 Questions/Objective: We aimed at describing the representative plant associations of the seasonally dry tropical forest, distributed on western Michoacán and to provide a sintaxonomic classification framework based on the floristic differentiation of the recognized communities and highlight its phytocenotic diversity.
 Study site and dates: Estado de Michoacán; 20 years.
 Methods: A total of 82 phytosociological inventories were conducted. Data were submitted to multivariate two-way indicator species analyses to depict plant communities and their ecological affinities.
 Results: From its analysis and interpretation, nine plant groups were differentiated, of which all but one was given the rank of association, which are Lysilomo acapulcensis–Heliocarpetum terebinthinacei, Ceibo aesculifoliae–Lysilometum divaricatae, Caesalpinio platylobae-Cordietum elaeagnoidis, Cochlospermo vitifolii-Lueheetum candidae, Lysilomo divaricatae-Cordietum elaeagnoidis; Stenocereo quevedonis-Cordietum selerianae, Guazumo ulmifoliae-Cordietum elaeagnoidis¸ Lonchocarpo huetamoensis-Cordietum elaeagnoidis and the community of Spondias purpurea-Cochlospermum vitifolium. 
 Conclusions: Comparative floristic and structural profiles among plant communities permitted us to distinguish their bioclimatic relationships. Diagnostic species representative of all plant associations were selected and used for sintaxonomic nomenclature. Plant associations were finally array along bioclimatic and altitudinal gradients and showed in arranged phytosociological tables. The plant association/community’descriptions permitted to compare structural physiognomy, floristic composition, ecological affinities, distribution patterns and bioclimatic liaison among them.

Structures of tropical dry forests in the Andes: forest conservation, composition and the role of fabaceae and myrtaceae

“…The knowledge about neotropical biomes was greatly benefited by the extensive database of phytosociological studies set over the years (Oliveira-Filho, 2017;Oliveira-Filho & Fontes, 2000), but the TDFs in the Andes Mountains are still a gap in phytosociological data, which makes them necessary and important for many studies that need metaanalyses (Medina- García et al, 2020) such as conservation studies and sustainability diagnostic studies of human activities (Zerwes et al, 2018). In Colombia, more than 90% of the TDFs have been cleared, with only 5% of their original coverage remaining, with more than 70% of the transformed areas having soils with degradation and erosion, and more than 65% are in the process of desertification caused by continuous human activities (García et al, 2014).…”

Patterns of Species Richness and Distribution of the Genus Laelia s.l. vs. Laelia s.s. (Laeliinae: Epidendroideae: Orchidaceae) in Mexico: Taxonomic Contribution and Conservation Implications

“…This supports the assertion of Halbinger and Soto-Arenas [ 1 ], who mention that Mexican laelias are mostly mountain dwellers. This is important if we consider that the temperate forest is one of the largest biomes in the country; it is considered a critical and important ecosystem due to its high diversity and high level of endemism [ 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 ].…”

Merged phytosociological and geographical approach for multiple scale vegetation mapping as a baseline for public environmental policy in Mexico

“…Vegetation plot data were analyzed using a two‐way indicator species analysis to define the hierarchical phytosociological arrangement of all forest communities occurring in the state of Michoacán (Grandin, 2006). A thorough phytosociological description of the associations, databases with species coverage, syntaxonomical array, phytosociological nomenclature, and location of the relevés can be found in Velázquez and Cleef (1993), Almeida et al, (1994), Velazquez et al, (2000), Galán de Mera et al, (2002), Rivas‐Martinez (2004), Galán de Mera et al, (2006), Peinado et al, (2008), Pérez‐Vega et al, (2010), Medina‐García (2016), Takaki et al, (2019), Medina‐García et al, (2020a), and Medina‐Garcia et al, (2020b).…”

“…Lysilometalia acapulcensis (Medina-García et al, 2020b) Lysilomo acapulcensis-Ipomoeion murucoidis (Medina-García et al, 2020b) Cordietalia elaeagnoidis (Medina-García et al, 2020b) Lysilomo divaricatae-Cordion elaeagnoidis (Medina-García et al, 2020b) Stenocereo quevedoni-Cordion elaeagnoidis (Medina-García et al, 2020b) Class VI: RHIZOPHORETEA MANGLE (Bolós et al, 1991) Order Alliance…”