Abstract

DZIB-CASTILLO, Benito; CHANATASIG-VACA, Cristina  and  GONZALEZ-VALDIVIA, Noel A.. Structure and composition of two tree communities of tropical deciduous and subdeciduous forests in Campeche, Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2014, vol.85, n.1, pp.167-178. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.7550/rmb.38706.

Structure and composition of tropical dry forest (SBC) and tropical semideciduous forest (SMS) were described in 2 locations at Campeche, Mexico. We compare the species richness, abundance and distribution of trees as well as their dasometric characteristics within each plant communities. We established 27 plots (500 m²) were all individuals ≥ 3 cm of diameter at the breast height were counted and measured. We counted 3 162 individuals belonging to 83 species and 30 families. Tree species richness was higher in the SMS (70 species in 30 families; 13 species average per plot) than in SBC, were 50 species in 21 families and 11 species per plot were recorded. Tree diversity in SBC was 1.91 (±0.34) versus 2.10 (±0.32) in SMS. Consequently, communities are not equitably distributed both in SMS (J= 0.65±0.12) and SBC (J= 0.63±0.12). Species composition was statistically different between plant communities (ANOSIM, R= 0.19, p= 0.01). Beta diversity, estimated using the Sorensen index, confirms this, with 46 species non-shared (13 registered only for SBC and 33 only in SMS; while 37 species (45%) were common to both plant communities. Some species are considered as indicators of the SMS while others are for SBC as shown by SIMPER analysis; representative species of SMS were Coccoloba barbadensis, Croton reflexifolius, Diospyros albens, Swartzia cubensis and Tecoma stans. In SBC forests highlighted Diospyros tetrasperma, Gymnopodium floribundum, Mimosa bahamensis, Randia aculeata and Sideroxylon americanum. Conspicuous and dominant species present in both vegetation types were Lonchocarpus xuul, Lysiloma latisiliquum, Piscidia piscipula, Bursera simaruba and Vitex gaumeri.

Keywords : tree diversity; tropical ecosystems; Yucatán Peninsula.

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