Abstract

RUIZ-JIMENEZ, Carlos Alberto; TELLEZ-VALDES, Oswaldo  and  LUNA-VEGA, Isolda. Classification of the Mexican cloud forests: floristic affinities. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2012, vol.83, n.4, pp.1110-1144. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.7550/rmb.29383.

A numerical classification analysis was made to compare the floristic-geographic-bioclimatic resemblance among Mexico's cloud forest (MCF). A MCF vascular flora database was made based on floristics, vegetation and sinecological published work; which contains 6 453 species, 1 426 genera and 213 families. The presence-absence matrix consists of 2 856 species (180 families and 897 genera) scattered through 83 localities; this was rated by means of a conglomerate analysis using the similarity indexes this was put together using the UPGMA method; dendrograms were also made. The bioclimatic profile of each group was obtained using BIOCLIM, the variable average was used to generate a matrix which was rated like the previous one. Based on the order analysis the importance of bioclimatic variables was evaluated through its main component. The floristical similar groups match Mexico's floristic provinces and bioclimatic profiles which back up such groupings. Based on their bioclimatic features the MCF are rated on three groups of localities. It has been noticed that the closer localities are geographically they exhibit greater floristic similarities. Based on the research of the MCF relationships among floristic provinces we reach stronger hypothesis.

Keywords : multivariate analysis; ordination analysis; bioclim; dendrogram; similarity index; floristic provinces.

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