Open AccessClassification of plant communities in Sierra Rica, Manuel Benavides, Chihuahua, Mexico
Author(s) -
Alicia Juárez-Pérez,
Alicia MelgozaCastillo,
Carmelo Pinedo-Álvarez,
Eduardo Estrada–Castillón
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of the botanical research institute of texas
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 22
eISSN - 2644-1608
pISSN - 1934-5259
DOI - 10.17348/jbrit.v13.i1.842
Subject(s) - shrubland , deserts and xeric shrublands , grassland , geography , vegetation (pathology) , forestry , plant community , ecology , biology , ecological succession , ecosystem , habitat , medicine , pathology
Sierra Rica is a mountain island located in the plains of the northeastern region of the Chihuahua Desert and has a diversity of vegetation patterns. To study this patterns the vegetation was characterized using GIS and cluster analysis, which identified five community types: pine forest (780 ha), oak forest (1640 ha), grassland (550 ha), desert scrub (866 ha), and rosetophyllous desert scrubland (628 ha). By the use of TWINSPAN software, four main vegetation groups containing 10 main plant associations were identified: (1) Pinus-Quercus forest, (2) grassland, (3) pine forest, (4) Rhus-Juniperus, (5) Pinus-Quercus and xeric species, (6) grassland-desert scrub, (7) desert microphyll scrub, (8) Quercus-Aloysia-Bouteloua association, (9) Acacia constricta scrubland, and (10) Larrea tridentata scrubland. The association among groups and species was significant (P < 0.0001). The subsequent analysis shows a high dependence among species inside the main groups and independence between groups.