Abstract

ILLESCAS-APARICIO, Miriam et al. Herpetofaunistic diversity and richness in forest management and plantation areas in Ixtlán de Juárez, Oaxaca. Acta Zool. Mex [online]. 2016, vol.32, n.3, pp.359-369. ISSN 2448-8445.

Pine-oak clear-cutting in Ixtlán de Juarez, Oaxaca, have been applied for more than 50 years; such forest management modify continuously the structure, arboreal composition, and associated biota. On the other hand, biota survey effort has been insufficient in communal forest areas in Sierra de Juarez, Ixtlán, Oaxaca. Particularly, it is not clear how this forest management affect the occurrence, presence and distribution patterns in reptiles. Our main goal was identifying composition of amphibian and reptiles, comparing distribution, richness and abundance in three areas with different degree of perturbation (agriculture plots, natural forest, and forest management plots). We found that reptile community is composed by 37 species, grouped in 25 genera and 11 families. According to our estimates, we recorded 76% of the extant species in the region and 8. 37% of the extant species in Oaxaca. Within management forest (BMF), constituted by undisturbed (FC) and clear-cutting areas (FA), we identified 15 species: 13 reptiles and two amphibians. We recorded nine species in FC and eight species in FC. In AM we recorded 31 species grouped in 22 genus and 10 families. Biodiversity richness was higher in disturbed areas (AM and FA) than in FC. Although FC and FA are neighboring areas, similarity was higher between AM, with more than 50 years disturbance; and FA, recently disturbed. We also observed interconnectivity among AM, FC and FA areas which can help to maintain the natural amphibian and reptile ensemble. Our results pointed out that distribution and abundance patters are modified during forest clear-cutting process. Further reptile and amphibian inventory in disturbed and natural areas are needed in order to prevent or diminish herptile biota diversity due to continuous forest management.

Keywords : abundance; clearcutting; microhabitat; richness; specificity; Sierra Norte.