Abstract

ACOSTA TORRES, Luis Enrique; REYES HERNANDEZ, Humberto; MUNOZ ROBLES, Carlos Alfonso  and  LEIJA LOREDO, Edgar Gregorio. Distribution and conservation of Quercus oleoides Schltdl. & Cham. in the Sierra del Abra Tanchipa Biosphere Reserve. Rev. mex. de cienc. forestales [online]. 2019, vol.10, n.52, pp.55-78. ISSN 2007-1132.  https://doi.org/10.29298/rmcf.v10i52.453.

Tropical oak forests (Quercus oleoides) are environmental regulators and provide wood products to the local inhabitants of the Sierra del Abra Tanchipa Biosphere Reserve; however, some human activities have modified considerably this vegetation community. The aims of this study were to determine the current and potential distribution of Quercus oleoides, to know its current use and define priority conservation areas. For the current distribution, documentary and herbarium review as well as fieldwork were made, and the modeling of the potential distribution was done by means of spatial analysis based on GIS. Several criteria assessed by experts were analyzed using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and multi-criteria evaluation to locate sites suitable for conservation. Within the Reserve and its influence area, Quercus oleoides is distributed as dispersed relicts. Its current distribution is associated with thin soils, gentle slopes and elevations < 350 m asl. It is likely that oak forests occupied an area >15 000 ha in the past. However, the conversion of the original forest cover to agriculture and the intense use of this species have nearly led to its disappearance. The areas suitable for conservation comprise less than 200 ha, where protection and restoration strategies should be applied.

Keywords : Conservation; potential distribucion; multicriteria evaluation; Quercus oleoides Schltdl. & Cham.; MaxEnt; Sierra del Abra Tanchipa.

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