TRANSITION ZONES AND BIOGEOGRAPHIC CHARACTERIZATION OF ENDEMISM IN THREE BIOGEOGRAPHIC PROVINCES OF CENTRAL MEXICO
Por:
Villasenor, Jose Luis, Ortiz E., Juárez D.
Publicada:
1 oct 2021
Categoría:
Plant science
Resumen:
Background: Sites of overlap in the species distribution among regions
are known as transition zones. Their floristic and biogeographic
complexity is rarely discussed.
Questions: Is it possible to identify transition zones amid the
biogeographic provinces of Mexico? Can transition zones also be
considered areas of endemism?
Study species: 315 Asteraceae taxa endemic to Mexico.
Study site: Volcanic Belt, Balsas Depression and Sierra Madre del Sur
biogeographic provinces.
Methods: For species of Asteraceae endemic to three biogeographic
provinces of central Mexico, we characterized the province to which each
species belonged and estimated the distance it could penetrate the
neighboring province. We defined transition zones between biogeographic
provinces as the average penetration distances of the species. We also
evaluated the presence of species with restricted distribution to
transition zones.
Results: Two transition zones were identified in the Balsas Depression,
first, at the junction with the Volcanic Belt with a width of 13 km, and
second, with the Sierra Madre del Sur, with a width of 12.3 km. There
were 45 species whose distribution was restricted to those transition
zones.
Conclusions: Understanding how richness and endemism are exchanged from
one region to another is essential to explain how their floras have been
assembling and evolving. This analysis has allowed us to better
understand the relationships among regions as complex as those studied
here.
Filiaciones:
Villasenor, Jose Luis:
Villasenor, JL (Corresponding Author), Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Biol, Dept Bot, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico. Villasenor, Jose Luis
Ortiz E.:
Villasenor, JL (Corresponding Author), Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Biol, Dept Bot, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico. Villasenor, Jose Luis
Juárez D.:
Villasenor, JL (Corresponding Author), Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Inst Biol, Dept Bot, Ciudad De Mexico, Mexico. Villasenor, Jose Luis
All Open Access; Gold
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