Background:

El Chico National Park (PNC), one of the first protected natural areas (ANP) in Mexico, is relevant for the environmental services and biodiversity it houses, so it is necessary to know its flora.

Questions:

What is the richness and distribution of lycophytes and ferns in the different types of vegetation in the PNC? How is the beta diversity, in both groups of plants in the PNC with respect to other ANP in Hidalgo State?

Studied species:

Ferns and lycophytes

Study site and dates:

El Chico National Park, 2008-2009, 2022.

Methods:

Specimens were collected in 18 localities and seven vegetation types, and determined to the species level. Taxonomic diversity, similarity in species composition, beta diversity and complementarity were estimated using standard techniques.

Results:

205 specimens were collected, and 63 species of ferns and five of lycophytes were determined. The representative families were Aspleniaceae, Dryopteridaceae, Polypodiaceae, Pteridaceae, and Selaginellaceae (> 5 species each). Richness was high in Abies-Quercus, Gallery, Quercus, and Abies forests (> 22 species in each). The number of species per area unit was high, compared to other ANP and neighboring regions; the complementarity was high with respect to the two ANPs with the largest territorial extension in Hidalgo.

Conclusions:

The PNC is home to 60.2 % of the species of lycophytes and ferns in the Basin of Mexico, and presents high taxonomic diversity and complementarity, compared to other ANPs in the entity, which highlights its importance as a biodiversity reservoir.

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