Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Vegetation patterns and environmental gradients in tropical dry forests of the northern Yucatan Peninsula

2004; Wiley; Volume: 15; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1658/1100-9233(2004)015[0151

1654-1103

David A. White, Craig S. Hood,

Plant Taxonomy and Phylogenetics

Journal of Vegetation ScienceVolume 15, Issue 2 p. 151-160 Vegetation patterns and environmental gradients in tropical dry forests of the northern Yucatan Peninsula D.A. White, Corresponding Author D.A. White Department of Biological Sciences, Loyola University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA Corresponding author; Fax +15048652920; E-mail dawhite@loyno.eduSearch for more papers by this authorC.S. Hood, C.S. Hood Department of Biological Sciences, Loyola University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USASearch for more papers by this author D.A. White, Corresponding Author D.A. White Department of Biological Sciences, Loyola University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA Corresponding author; Fax +15048652920; E-mail dawhite@loyno.eduSearch for more papers by this authorC.S. Hood, C.S. Hood Department of Biological Sciences, Loyola University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USASearch for more papers by this author First published: 24 February 2004 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-1103.2004.tb02250.xCitations: 75 Nomenclature:: White & Darwin (1995) and the floras and monographs used therein. AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Patterns of plant species composition and their relationships to soil and topographic variables were investigated in tropical dry forests across the north central Yucatan, Mexico. Seven sites were studied in the oldest accessible forests along a 200–km transect oriented northwest to southeast; an eighth site was located in a little-disturbed area located 75 km northeast of the transect. Two of the sites were on Mayan ruins. All sites were sampled using 9–24, 10m × 20m plots (<n= 132) for woody stems ≥ 3.0 cm diameter breast height. The important natural forest species were Bursera simaruba, Caesalpinia gaumeri, Gymnopodium floribundum, Piscidia piscipula, and Thouinia paucidentata. The two most important woody species in ruin woodlands were Brosimum alicastrum and Croton lundellii. Forest plots (n=108) had 17 species on average, ruin plots (n= 24) nine species. Mean basal area of stems at the forest plots (20.7 m2.ha-1) was lower than in ruin plots (28.4 m2.ha-1). Detrended Correspondence Analysis generally placed plots by site along the geographic transect. Natural forest plots and sites were separated from the plots on ruin sites. The five soil and topographic variables (slope, soil depth, percent surface rock, soil pH, total soil organic matter) differed significantly among sites. Plot values were correlated with DCA axe scores. Intersite floristic variation reflects an overall west to east environmental gradient affected by climate. Citing Literature Volume15, Issue2April 2004Pages 151-160 RelatedInformation