Abstract

ENCINA-DOMINGUEZ, Juan Antonio; MEAVE, Jorge A.  and  ZARATE-LUPERCIO, Alejandro. Structure and woody species diversity of the Dasylirion cedrosanum (Nolinaceae) rosette scrub of central and southern Coahuila State, Mexico. Bot. sci [online]. 2013, vol.91, n.3, pp.335-347. ISSN 2007-4476.

The most prominent vegetation type in the state of Coahuila, in northern Mexico, is Chihuahuan Desert Scrub. This plant formation encompasses the little known Dasylirion cedrosanum (sotol) rosette scrub, a community that extends over more than one fourth of Coahuila and whose most distinctive species is subjected to intense extraction from its native communities for a variety of purposes. Based on a highly replicated sampling procedure that included 131 plots located in the state's central and southern portions, we analyzed vegetation structure, floristics, and species diversity of this plant community. A cluster analysis allowed us to differentiate five variants (associations) of the Dasylirion cedrosanum rosette scrub, which together host a richness of 97 species of vascular plants distributed in 61 genera and 28 families. These communities occurred across an elevational range of 850-2,550 m a.s.l. Dasylirion cedrosanum density varied between 193 and 705 ind./ha, with the highest value occurring in the Quercus intricata-Dasylirion cedrosanum association. Other prominent species in these scrublands were Agave lecheguilla and Euphorbia antisyphilitica. The Agave lecheguilla-Dasylirion cedrosanum association was the most broadly distributed and it hosted the highest richness species, while the largest Shannon diversity index value was recorded for the Dasylirion cedrosanum-Viguiera greggii association. The effects of human utilization of this species on the structure of those plant communities where it occurs are largely unknown; further studies are needed to better understand its dynamics and to be able to suggest more adequate regulations for its commercial harvesting.

Keywords : Chihuahuan Desert; cluster analysis; elevation gradient; natural resources utilization; sotol production.

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