Carbon Stocks, Species Diversity and Their Spatial Relationships in the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

Integrating information about the spatial distribution of carbon stocks and species diversity in tropical forests over large areas is fundamental for climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation. In this study, spatial models showing the distribution of carbon stocks and the number of species were produced in order to identify areas that maximize carbon storage and biodiversity in the tropical forests of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico. We mapped carbon density and species richness of trees using L-band radar backscatter data as well as radar texture metrics, climatic and field data with the random forest regression algorithm. We reduced sources of errors in plot data of the national forest inventory by using correction factors to account for carbon stocks of small trees (<7.5 cm DBH) and for the temporal difference between field data collection and imagery acquisition. We created bivariate maps to assess the spatial relationship between carbon stocks and diversity. Model validation of the regional maps obtained herein using an independent data set of plots resulted in a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.28 and 0.31 and a relative mean square error of 38.5% and 33.0% for aboveground biomass and species richness, respectively, at pixel level. Estimates of carbon density were influenced mostly by radar backscatter and climatic data, while those of species richness were influenced mostly by radar texture and climatic variables. Correlation between carbon density and species richness was positive in 79.3% of the peninsula, while bivariate maps showed that 39.6% of the area in the peninsula had high carbon stocks and species richness. Our results highlight the importance of combining carbon and diversity maps to identify areas that are critical—both for maintaining carbon stocks and for conserving biodiversity.

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Evaluation of the Use of Autonomous Reef Monitoring Structures (ARMS) for Describing the Species Diversity of Two Coral Reefs in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Diversity ◽

10.3390/d13110579 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 579

Author(s):

Lilian A. Palomino-Alvarez ◽

Xochitl G. Vital ◽

Raúl E. Castillo-Cupul ◽

Nancy Y. Suárez-Mozo ◽

Diana Ugalde ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Diversity ◽

Coral Reefs ◽

Native Species ◽

Marine Invertebrates ◽

Yucatan Peninsula ◽

Artificial Substrates ◽

Benthic Assemblages ◽

Yucatán Peninsula ◽

Reef Monitoring

Autonomous reef monitoring structures (ARMS) have been proposed as a standardized, passive, nondestructive sampling tool. This study assessed the ability of ARMS to capture the cryptic species diversity of two coral reefs by recording species richness and taxonomic representativeness using conventional taxonomy. The capacity of ARMS, as artificial substrates, to favor the establishment of nonindigenous species over native species was also evaluated. The use of ARMS allowed the detection of 370 species morphotypes from nine phyla, yielding 13 new records of geographic distribution expansion, one exotic species for the Gulf of México and the Caribbean Sea, and six newly described species. It was also possible to make spatial comparisons of species richness between both reefs. ARMS captured cryptic diversity exceptionally well, with the exception of echinoderms. Furthermore, these artificial structures did not hinder the colonization ability of native species; in fact, the colonization patterns on the structures themselves represented the spatial differences in the structure of benthic assemblages. This study represents the first effort to make a conventional taxonomic description of the cryptic fauna of the Yucatan Peninsula using ARMS. It is recommended to assess coral reef species diversity, but more taxonomists specialized in marine invertebrates are needed.

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Bat assemblages in a naturally fragmented ecosystem in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico: species richness, diversity and spatio-temporal dynamics

Journal of Tropical Ecology ◽

10.1017/s026646740500307x ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 22 (03) ◽

pp. 267-276 ◽

Cited By ~ 41

Author(s):

Salvador Montiel ◽

Alejandro Estrada ◽

Perla León

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Temporal Dynamics ◽

Yucatan Peninsula ◽

Yucatán Peninsula ◽

Spatio Temporal

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Sequential Decision Plans in Monitoring Benthic Macroinvertebrates: Cost Savings, Classification Accuracy, and Development of Plans

Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences ◽

10.1139/f88-033 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

pp. 280-286 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

John K. Jackson ◽

Vincent H. Resh

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Diversity ◽

Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽

Sampling Error ◽

Cost Savings ◽

Spatial And Temporal Variation ◽

Classification Error ◽

Sequential Decision ◽

Data Set ◽

Acceptable Risks

Sequential decision plans provide a statistical approach that can reduce the number of benthic sample units needed to classify a site as impacted or unimpacted, thus reducing the cost of using benthic macroinvertebrates in water quality assessment programs. These plans require information about unimpacted and impacted conditions, the mathematical distribution of the data, and acceptable risks of classification error. A large benthic data set (n = 55) was used for simulations that created and tested sequential decision plans. Using 10–60% reductions in species richness, mayfly (Cinygmula) population density, and species diversity as definitions of impact in the simulations, the average number of sample units processed for identification of the unimpacted reference site was reduced (compared with fixed sample-size methods that are commonly used) by 50–64% for species richness, 59–79% for density estimates, and 51–55% for species diversity. Unimpacted data sets were initially classified as representing impacted conditions in 0–5% of the cases. If classifications are to be interpreted properly, sampling error and spatial and temporal variation in biological parameters must be considered when sequential decision plans are created.

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Modeling Carbon Stocks in a Secondary Tropical Dry Forest in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Water Air & Soil Pollution ◽

10.1007/s11270-014-1925-x ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 225 (4) ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Zhaohua Dai ◽

Richard A. Birdsey ◽

Kristofer D. Johnson ◽

Juan Manuel Dupuy ◽

Jose Luis Hernandez-Stefanoni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Yucatan Peninsula ◽

Tropical Dry Forest ◽

Carbon Stocks ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Yucatán Peninsula

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Expansión de la soja en México y exclusión productiva de los pequeños agricultores de la península de Yucatán

Papeles de Geografía ◽

10.6018/geografia.432921 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Flavia Echánove Huacuja

Keyword(s):

Tropical Forests ◽

Yucatan Peninsula ◽

Gain Control ◽

Land Market ◽

Land Resource ◽

Yucatán Peninsula ◽

Palabras Clave ◽

Access Mechanisms

En la península de Yucatán se ha dado un reciente proceso de expansión del cultivo de la soja sobre tierras anteriormente dedicadas a maíz, pastizales y selvas tropicales. Este artículo se inscribe en el debate sobre la “teoría del acceso”, planteándose como objetivos la descripción y análisis de las causas o factores que han motivado dicha expansión, así como de sus impactos en el mercado de tierras e ingreso de los productores. También se reseñan los efectos en el medio ambiente (deforestación) y la economía de los apicultores. La investigación reveló cómo una elite de productores y agro–empresas han tenido la habilidad de ganar, controlar y mantener el recurso tierra, a través de diversos mecanismos de acceso, mientras que los pequeños productores (propietarios legales) se han convertido en rentistas de sus tierras, ubicándose en una situación de “exclusión productiva”. Palabras clave: soja; exclusión productiva; teoría del acceso; Península de Yucatán; México. In the Yucatan peninsula there has been a recent process of expansion of soybean cultivation, on lands previously dedicated to maize and grasslands, as well as tropical forests. This article is part of the debate on the "access theory", setting out as objectives the description and analysis of the causes or factors that have motivated this expansion, as well as its impacts on the land market and income of producers. The effects on the environment (deforestation) and the economy of beekeepers are also reviewed. The investigation revealed how an elite of producers and agro-business have had the ability to gain, control and maintain the land resource, through various access mechanisms, while smallholders (legal owners) have become rentiers of their lands, beeing place in a situation of "productive exclusion". Keywords: soybeans; productive exclusion; access theory; Yucatan Peninsula; Mexico.

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Metacommunities in Dynamic Landscapes

10.1101/021220 ◽

2015 ◽

Author(s):

Charles Novaes de Santana ◽

Jan Klecka ◽

Gian Marco Palamara ◽

Carlos J. Melián

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Diversity ◽

Field Data ◽

Landscape Connectivity ◽

Patch Dynamics ◽

Spatial Networks ◽

Dynamic Landscapes ◽

Spatiotemporal Scales ◽

The Many ◽

High Diversity

Predictions from theory, field data, and experiments have shown that high landscape connectivity promotes higher species richness than low connectivity. However, examples demonstrating high diversity in low connected landscapes also exist. Here we describe the many factors that drive landscape connectivity at different spatiotemporal scales by varying the amplitude and frequency of changes in the dispersal radius of spatial networks. We found that the fluctuations of landscape connectivity support metacommunities with higher species richness than static landscapes. Our results also show a dispersal radius threshold below which species richness drops dramatically in static landscapes. Such a threshold is not observed in dynamic landscapes for a broad range of amplitude and frequency values determining landscape connectivity. We conclude that merging amplitude and frequency as drivers of landscape connectivity together with patch dynamics into metacommunity theory can provide new testable predictions about species diversity in rapidly changing landscapes.

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Indicators for the Sea-floor Integrity of the Hellenic Seas under the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive: establishing the thresholds and standards for Good Environmental Status

Mediterranean Marine Science ◽

10.12681/mms.31 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 140 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

N. SIMBOURA ◽

A. ZENETOS ◽

M.A. PANCUCCI-PAPADOPOULOU ◽

S. REIZOPOULOU ◽

N. STREFTARIS

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Species Diversity ◽

Ecological Status ◽

Sensitive Species ◽

Marine Strategy Framework Directive ◽

Data Set ◽

Sea Floor ◽

Tolerant Species ◽

Environmental Status ◽

Good Environmental Status

A data set of 625 samples of benthic macroinvertebrates collected from the Hellenic Seas (Ionian and Aegean) was used to establish thresholds and reference standards for two of the indicators addressing the descriptors of Sea-floor Integrity under the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD): species diversity and richness and the ratio of sensitive species to tolerant species. The dataset was categorised according to the baseline ecological status assessment of the respective water bodies under the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Species diversity and richness were characterised using the Shannon diversity and species richness indices, respectively, and were analysed for three pre-defined substrate types, three depth zones and three sample-size categories, and the significant categories were statistically validated. Good Environmental Status (GEnS) threshold and reference values were established for the valid combinations of categories denoted as ‘ecotypes’ through the use of a boxplot and an analysis of variance. The limitations and specifications for an overall GEnS assessment using the above indices are highlighted based on the WFD experience. For the ratio of sensitive species to tolerant species, the BENTIX index classification scale is proposed for GEnS assessment, and an integrated approach to the assessment of diversity and species richness is suggested. Finally, the regionality of the tested indices in relation to the two Mediterranean sub-regions, including the Hellenic area, was tested.

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Forest Types and their Implications

Integrated Land-Change Science and Tropical Deforestation in the Southern Yucatan ◽

10.1093/oso/9780199245307.003.0013 ◽

2004 ◽

Author(s):

Diego Pérez-Salicrup

Keyword(s):

Twentieth Century ◽

Tropical Forest ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

Yucatan Peninsula ◽

Monthly Precipitation ◽

Forest Types ◽

Seasonally Dry ◽

The North ◽

Yucatán Peninsula ◽

Frontier Region

The southern Yucatán peninsular region contains the largest and most rapidly disappearing continuous tract of tropical forest in Mexico (Flores and Espejel Carvajal 1994; Delfín Gonzales, Parra, and Echazarreta 1995; Acopa and Boege 1998). Vegetation in the region is a mosaic of forest types with different structural appearances (Flores and Espejel Carvajal 1994; Hernández-Xolocotzi 1959; Miranda 1958) that primarily reflect variation in environmental and edaphic conditions (Ibarra-Manríquez 1996). However, the structure and tree composition of forests in the region, as elsewhere in the central Maya lowlands, has been and remains strongly influenced by human activity (Ch. 2). In spite of the abundance of botanical work throughout the Yucatán peninsula, little attention has been devoted to characterizing the forests in this frontier region quantitatively, and the variation and distribution of forests remain poorly documented. Yet, it is precisely this kind of documentation that is required for integrated land studies of the kind that the SYPR project is undertaking (Turner et al. 2001). Since the third decade of the twentieth century, botanical interest has focused on the flora of the Yucatán Peninsula, especially that located in the historically more accessible portion of the peninsula (Ibarra-Manríquez 1996). Early twentieth-century studies (Lundell 1938; Standley 1930) led to a broad classification of the primary vegetation as deciduous tropical forests (Miranda 1958), or evergreen tropical forests (Rzedowski 1981), controlled in distribution by the northwest to southeast precipitation gradient, distinctive dry season, and karstic terrain (Ch. 2). Today, the entire region is appropriately labeled a seasonally dry tropical forest (Bullock, Mooney, and Medina 1995). During the rainy season (May–October) most species have their canopies fully displayed and light is a limiting factor in the forest understory (Martínez-Ramos 1985, 1994). For the remainder of the year, monthly precipitation usually does not exceed 100mm. During the lowest rainfall months (February–April), water may become limiting and considerable defoliation takes place, especially in the north and west. Other factors controlling forest structure and composition include topography, twentieth-century land-use history, and hurricanes (Brokaw and Walker 1991; Cooper-Ellis et al. 1999).

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Tree Species Diversity and Population Structure in the Tropical Forests of North Central Eastern Ghats, India

Notulae Scientia Biologicae ◽

10.15835/nsb649382 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 448-453 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Dumpa PREMAVANI ◽

Maradana TARAKESWARA NAIDU ◽

Malleboyina VENKAIAH

Keyword(s):

Population Structure ◽

Species Richness ◽

Species Diversity ◽

Tropical Forests ◽

Tree Species ◽

Basal Area ◽

Eastern Ghats ◽

Tree Species Diversity ◽

North Central ◽

Central Eastern

The tree species diversity and population structure were studied in four stands of the tropical forests in the north-central Eastern Ghats, based on tree inventories conducted on four 1-ha plots. In the four independent plots, two 5 x 1000 m transects were established and all trees with ≥ 15 cm girth at breast height were enumerated. The density, frequency, basal area and IVI along with diversity indices viz. Shannon index, species richness, equitability and species dominance were computed to see the variation in tree community. A total of 92 species representing 73 genera under 40 families of angiosperms were recorded. Tree species richness was as low as 34 species per hectare plot in Geddapalli to as high as 48 species in Koruturu. Tree density ranged from 360 stems per hectare in plot Geddapalli to 526 stems in plot Chintapalli and that of total basal area from 16.31 m2 ha-1 in Koruturu to 31.15 m2 ha-1 in Chintapalli. The number of species and stems decreased from the smaller to the largest girth classes. The tree inventories of the study area when compared to those of the other tropical forests showed great differences in density and basal area. This may probably be due to differences in geography and annual rainfall patterns. The information on tree species structure and function can provide baseline information for conservation of the biodiversity.

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