Gypsum in the desert landscape: Floristic variations within the Cuatro Ciénegas basin in Coahuila, Mexico
Por:
Rodriguez-Sanchez, Mariana, Ochoterena, Helga, Pisanty, Irene, Ezcurra, Exequiel, Flores-Olvera, Hilda
Publicada:
1 ene 2022
Resumen:
Plant species growing on gypsum substrates, usually found in arid and semi-arid zones, create characteristic landscapes that can harbor highly specialized species, several of which are endemic. In the Cuatro Ciénegas basin (CCB) gypsum is abundant and creates patches of plant assemblages, but little is known about the floristic differences between them and the ecological factors driving them. In this study, we describe and compare the floristic composition of twelve fixed plots placed in six different positions on the landscape (five gypsum-rich sites and one with a minimal gypsum concentration, as a control site) within the CCB and the nearby La Virgen valley. Species presence was recorded twice a year for two years, the floristic composition of each plot was determined and compared through Beta diversity. A principal component analysis was performed to identify species contribution to the assemblage differentiation and the effect of gypsum and topographic variables were tested. A total of 98 species from 62 genera and 31 families were registered. The results show that gypsum plays an important role in community assembly and differentiation, and within gypsum-rich sites, species assemblages are related to the effect of topographic factors, slope and altitude. However, we suggest that within gypsic soils, more punctual environmental conditions like microclimate, water dynamics, and most likely soil characteristics such as salinity or texture (rockiness), other than gypsum concentration, influence community floristic differentiation. © 2022 Elsevier Ltd
Filiaciones:
Rodriguez-Sanchez, Mariana:
Posgrado en Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-233, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Posgrad Ciencias Biol, Mexico City, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Dept Bot, Inst Biol, Apartado Postal 70-233, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
Ochoterena, Helga:
Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-233, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Dept Bot, Inst Biol, Apartado Postal 70-233, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
Pisanty, Irene:
Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Fac Ciencias, Dept Ecol & Recursos Nat, Mexico City, Mexico
Ezcurra, Exequiel:
Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States
Univ Calif Riverside, Dept Bot & Plant Sci, Riverside, CA USA
Flores-Olvera, Hilda:
Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Dept Bot, Inst Biol, Apartado Postal 70-233, Mexico City 04510, Mexico
Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 70-233, Mexico City, 04510, Mexico
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