Premium
Secondary succession in disturbed Pinus‐Quercus forests in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico
Author(s) -
GonzálezEspinosa Mario,
QuintanaAscencio Pedro F.,
RamírezMarcial Neptalí,
GaytánGuzmán Patricia
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
journal of vegetation science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.1
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1654-1103
pISSN - 1100-9233
DOI - 10.2307/3235927
Subject(s) - ecological succession , shrubland , shrub , secondary succession , ecology , geography , floristics , grassland , plant community , secondary forest , forestry , agroforestry , biology , species richness , habitat
We present floristic and structural data on serai plant communities (Old‐Field, Grassland, Shrubland, and Early Successional, Mid‐Successional, and Mature Forest) resulting from the current land use pattern in the Pinus‐Quercus forests in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. The number of species ranged from 24 in the Old‐Field stage up to 100 in the Mature Forest, and the shrub layer was richest in all the forested stands. An almost complete floristic replacement exists between the open and the forested communities. Quercus and Pinus dominate the canopy of old‐growth stands, but their recruitment does not occur or is very low in the shade. Vigorous seedlings and saplings of these species are found only in the open serai stages or in forest gaps. Demographic and phytosociological data are used to indicate the successional role of dominant species in the forested stages. Some implications of the regional land use patterns for conservation and succession are discussed.