Abstract

VELDERRAIN-ALGARA, Luzali Angélica; LEON-DE LA LUZ, José Luis  and  MAYA-DELGADO, Yolanda. Vegetation structure in mounds from Bay of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Polibotánica [online]. 2010, n.29, pp.67-90. ISSN 1405-2768.

Sarcocaulescent scrub is the dominant vegetation of the Baja California Peninsula. The microtopography of the alluvial plains in the lower sector of Bahia de La Paz area is characterized by patches of soil mounds that accommodate characteristic plant species, the most dominant of which are shrubby, such as Jatropha cuneata, J. cinerea, Stenocereus gummosus, Bursera microphylla, Fouquieria diguetii, Caesalpinia placida, and Larrea divaricata. We performed tests of independence (χ² chi-square) between pairs of species to analyze relationships in the grouping of the dominant plant species on the soil mounds. Results show scarce positive interactions that behave consistently between the species, suggesting random clustering of the sampled species. Soil analysis of the mounds and the neighboring bare zones shows differences in salinity and organic matter content, which implies better nutrient conditions on the mounds. The micro-environmental conditions of the mounds identify them as resource islands that participate actively in the structure and dynamics of vegetation desert communities as here refered.

Keywords : Baja California; vegetation patches; arid zones; scrubland; sarcocaulescent scrub.

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