Structure and woody species diversity of the Dasylirion cedrosanum (Nolinaceae) rosette scrub of central and southern Coahuila state, Mexico
| Autor: | Alejandro Zárate-Lupercio, Juan A. Encina-Domínguez, Jorge A. Meave |
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| Rok vydání: | 2013 |
| Předmět: | |
| Zdroj: | Botanical Sciences. 91:335-347 |
| ISSN: | 2007-4476 2007-4298 |
| Popis: | 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. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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