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

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.

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Characterising weather patterns associated with fire in a seasonally dry tropical forest in southern India

International Journal of Wildland Fire ◽

10.1071/wf13002 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 23 (2) ◽

pp. 196 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Nandita Mondal ◽

Raman Sukumar

Keyword(s):

Relative Humidity ◽

Tropical Forest ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

Southern India ◽

Dry Tropical Forest ◽

Seasonally Dry ◽

Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests ◽

Dry Tropical Forests ◽

Fine Fuels ◽

Forest Managers

Anthropogenic fires in seasonally dry tropical forests are a regular occurrence during the dry season. Forest managers in India, who presently follow a fire suppression policy in such forests, would benefit from a system of assessing the potential risk to fire on a particular day. We examined the relationship between weather variables (seasonal rainfall, relative humidity, temperature) and days of fire during the dry seasons of 2004–2010, based on MODIS fire incident data in the seasonally dry tropical forests of Mudumalai in the Western Ghats, southern India. Logistic regression analysis showed that high probabilities of a fire day, indicating successful ignition of litter and grass fuel on the forest floor, were associated with low levels of early dry season rainfall, low daily average relative humidity and high daily average temperatures. These weather conditions are representative of low moisture levels of fine fuels, suggesting that the occurrence of fire is moderated by environmental conditions that reduce the flammability of fine fuels in the dry tropics. We propose a quantitative framework for assessing risk of a fire day to assist forest managers in anticipating fire occurrences in this seasonally dry tropical forest, and possibly for those across South Asia.

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Biogeographical identity of the Mesoamerican dominion with emphasis on seasonally dry tropical forests

Phytotaxa ◽

10.11646/phytotaxa.376.6.3 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 376 (6) ◽

pp. 277 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

GENARO MONTAÑO-ARIAS ◽

ISOLDA LUNA-VEGA ◽

JUAN J. MORRONE ◽

DAVID ESPINOSA

Keyword(s):

Central America ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

Geographical Information ◽

Greater Antilles ◽

Southern Mexico ◽

Mexican Pacific ◽

Seasonally Dry ◽

South Central ◽

Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests ◽

Dry Tropical Forests

Several studies on the geographical limits and regionalization of the Neotropics have recognized this region as a biogeographical unit. Recent regionalization proposals recognize the existence of a Mesoamerican dominion within the Neotropics, extending from the northern portion of the Mexican Pacific coast into the lowlands of south-central Mexico and most of northern Central America (Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua). In this study, we assessed the biogeographical identity of the Mesoamerican dominion through the analysis of the geographical patterns of diversity of 356 species included in 28 genera and 16 families of plants, with a preferential distribution in the seasonally dry tropical forests of Mexico and Central America. Occurrence data were obtained from online databases (e.g., GBIF, SNIB, MEXU and TROPICOS) and refined using taxonomic and geographical information. We used the Biodiverse 2.0 program to obtain maps of species richness, centres of endemism and conducted analyses of similarity among areas. The analyses led to corroborate the geographical limits of the Mesoamerican dominion. With respect to the species with distributions that extend to America arid, the Brazilian sub-region and Florida and the Greater Antilles. From these analyses, we could identify for the Mesoamerican dominion two highly diverse areas in southern Mexico: the Balsas Basin (more than 60 species) and the Central Valleys of Oaxaca (28). We also identified seven areas of higher dissimilarity corresponding to river basins throughout the study area: Grande de Santiago, Armería-Coahuayana, Tepalcatepec (western Balsas), Eastern Balsas, Papagayo, Verde, higth Papaloapan (Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley) and Tehuantepec. The high values of dissimilarity in the Pacific watershed of southern Mexico are responsible for the high species turnover observed for the seasonally dry tropical forests in the Mesoamerican dominion.

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Castela senticosa (Simaroubaceae: Sapindales), a New Species from the Caribbean Clade Endemic to Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest on Hispaniola

Systematic Botany ◽

10.1600/036364421x16370109698560 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 1033-1041

Author(s):

Lucas C. Majure ◽

Kasey Pham ◽

Teodoro Clase

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Tropical Forest ◽

Photographic Plate ◽

Greater Antilles ◽

Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest ◽

Dry Tropical Forest ◽

Seasonally Dry ◽

Dry Tropical Forests ◽

Close Relatives ◽

A New Species

Abstract— Recent fieldwork in the Sierra Martín García in southwestern Dominican Republic has yielded a new species of the American clade Castela (Simaroubaceae), Castela senticosa sp. nov., from seasonally dry tropical forest. This species has been collected from two separate localities, including Môle St. Nicolas in northwestern Haiti in 1929, but until now fertile material with both flowers and fruit was unknown. We provide a photographic plate and illustration, place it phylogenetically using plastome data, and compare it morphologically with close relatives. This increases the number of known species of Castela on Hispaniola from one to two, both of which are endemic but from different clades, and yields another species for the Greater Antilles, a known biodiversity hotspot and clear center of diversification for this group of arid-adapted, thorny shrubs. This work emphasizes that seasonally dry, tropical forests, although often understudied, house as yet undiscovered biodiversity and deserve far more comprehensive studies.

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PALEOCLIMATIC AND PALEOECOLOGICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF A MIDDLE TO LATE EOCENE SOUTH AMERICAN SEASONALLY DRY TROPICAL FOREST

10.1130/abs/2019am-336594 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Camila Martínez ◽

◽

Carlos Jaramillo ◽

Jhonatan Martínez Murcia ◽

Federico Moreno ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tropical Forest ◽

Late Eocene ◽

South American ◽

Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest ◽

Dry Tropical Forest ◽

Seasonally Dry

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El Niño-Southern Oscillation affects the water relations of tree species in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-89835-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Jorge Palomo-Kumul ◽

Mirna Valdez-Hernández ◽

Gerald A. Islebe ◽

Manuel J. Cach-Pérez ◽

José Luis Andrade

Keyword(s):

Water Potential ◽

Leaf Area ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

Specific Leaf Area ◽

Tree Species ◽

Deciduous Species ◽

Mature Trees ◽

Seasonally Dry ◽

Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests ◽

Dry Tropical Forests

AbstractWe evaluated the effect of ENSO 2015/16 on the water relations of eight tree species in seasonally dry tropical forests of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. The functional traits: wood density, relative water content in wood, xylem water potential and specific leaf area were recorded during the rainy season and compared in three consecutive years: 2015 (pre-ENSO conditions), 2016 (ENSO conditions) and 2017 (post-ENSO conditions). We analyzed tree size on the capacity to respond to water deficit, considering young and mature trees, and if this response is distinctive in species with different leaf patterns in seasonally dry tropical forests distributed along a precipitation gradient (700–1200 mm year−1). These traits showed a strong decrease in all species in response to water stress in 2016, mainly in the driest site. Deciduous species had lower wood density, higher predawn water potential and higher specific leaf area than evergreen species. In all cases, mature trees were more tolerant to drought. In the driest site, there was a significant reduction in water status, regardless of their leaf phenology, indicating that seasonally dry tropical forests are highly vulnerable to ENSO. Vulnerability of deciduous species is intensified in the driest areas and in the youngest trees.

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S. H. Bullock, H. A. Mooney & E. Medina (eds) 1995. Seasonally dry tropical forests. Cambridge University Press, xvii + 450pp. Hardback. ISBN 0 521 43514 5. Price £65.00.

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s0266467400010361 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 161-162 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

M. D. Swaine

Keyword(s):

Tropical Forests ◽

Cambridge University ◽

Seasonally Dry ◽

Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests ◽

Dry Tropical Forests

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Taxonomic revision of Amorimia W.R. Anderson (Malpighiaceae)

Hoehnea ◽

10.1590/2236-8906-47/2017 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

pp. 238-306 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rafael Felipe de Almeida

Keyword(s):

South America ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

Taxonomic Revision ◽

Identification Key ◽

Risk Assessments ◽

Distribution Maps ◽

Seasonally Dry ◽

Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests ◽

Dry Tropical Forests

ABSTRACT The taxonomic revision of Amorimia (Malpighiaceae) is presented, including typifications, and descriptions for all accepted species. The genus is endemic to Seasonally Dry Tropical Forests and Rainforests of South America, and its species can be distinguished by morphological details of leaves, indumenta, inflorescences, flowers, and fruits. This study includes an identification key for the subgenera and species of Amorimia, illustrations, distribution maps, conservation risk assessments, and comments on ecology, nomenclature, and taxonomy for all species. Additionally, I provide a key to differentiate Amorimia from the remaining genera of the Malpighioid clade.

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Quantitative estimates of deciduousness in woody species from a seasonally dry tropical forest are related to leaf functional traits and the timing of leaf flush

10.1101/2021.03.03.433407 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Souparna Chakrabarty ◽

Sheetal Sharma ◽

Shatarupa Ganguly ◽

Asmi Jezeera ◽

Neha Mohanbabu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tropical Forest ◽

Functional Traits ◽

Woody Species ◽

Leaf Phenology ◽

Deciduous Species ◽

Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest ◽

Leaf Functional Traits ◽

Dry Tropical Forest ◽

Seasonally Dry ◽

Quantitative Estimates

AbstractLeaf phenology based classification of woody species into discrete evergreen and deciduous categories is widely used in ecology, but these categories hide important variation in leaf phenological behaviour. Few studies have examined the continuous nature of deciduousness and our understanding of variation in quantitative estimates of leaf shedding behaviour and the causes and consequences of this is limited. In this study we monitored leaf phenology in 75 woody species from a seasonally dry tropical forest to quantify three quantitative measures of deciduousness, namely: maximum canopy loss, duration of deciduousness, and average canopy loss. Based on proposed drought tolerance and drought avoidance strategies of evergreen and deciduous species, respectively, we tested whether the quantitative measures of deciduousness were related to leaf functional traits. Additionally, to understand the functional consequences of variation in deciduousness we examined relationships with the timing of leaf flushing and senescing. We found wide and continuous variation in quantitative measures of deciduousness in these coexisting species. Variation in deciduousness was related to leaf function traits, and the timing of leaf flushing. Along a continuous axis ranging from evergreen to deciduous species, increasing deciduousness was associated with more acquisitive leaf functional traits, with lower leaf mass per area and leaf dry matter content, and greater leaf nitrogen content. These results indicate that the continuous nature of deciduousness is an important component of resource acquisition strategies in woody species from seasonally dry forests.

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Threatened Neotropical seasonally dry tropical forest: evidence of biodiversity loss in sap-sucking herbivores over 75 years

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.201370 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

Author(s):

J. A. Pinedo-Escatel ◽

G. Moya-Raygoza ◽

C. H. Dietrich ◽

J. N. Zahniser ◽

L. Portillo

Keyword(s):

Tropical Forest ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Distribution Patterns ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Data Matrix ◽

Dry Tropical Forest ◽

Seasonally Dry ◽

Strong Trend ◽

Arthropod Species

Tropical forests cover 7% of the earth's surface and hold 50% of known terrestrial arthropod species. Alarming insect declines resulting from human activities have recently been documented in temperate and tropical ecosystems worldwide, but reliable data from tropical forests remain sparse. The sap-sucking tribe Athysanini is one herbivore group sensitive to anthropogenic perturbation and the largest within the diverse insect family Cicadellidae distributed in America's tropical forests. To measure the possible effects of deforestation and related activities on leafhopper biodiversity, a survey of 143 historic collecting localities was conducted to determine whether species documented in the Mexican dry tropical forests during the 1920s to 1940s were still present. Biostatistical diversity analysis was performed to compare historical to recent data on species occurrences. A data matrix of 577 geographical records was analysed. In total, 374 Athysanini data records were included representing 115 species of 41 genera. Historically, species richness and diversity were higher than found in the recent survey, despite greater collecting effort in the latter. A strong trend in species decline was observed (−53%) over 75 years in this endangered seasonally dry ecosystem. Species completeness was dissimilar between historic and present data. Endemic taxa were significantly less important and represented in the 1920s–1940s species records. All localities surveyed in the dry tropical forest are disturbed and reduced by modern anthropogenic processes. Mexico harbours highly endemic leafhopper taxa with a large proportion of these inhabiting the dry forest. These findings provide important data for conservation decision making and modelling of distribution patterns of this threatened seasonally dry tropical ecosystem.

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