Abstract

CANIZALES-VELAZQUEZ, P. A. et al. Tree structure and diversity of an urban gallery forest in the Camachito River, Northeast México. Polibotánica [online]. 2021, n.51, pp.91-105.  Epub May 06, 2021. ISSN 1405-2768.  https://doi.org/10.18387/polibotanica.51.6.

Abstract: Gallery forests are vegetation communities located on the banks of rivers and streams. These plant communities are heterogeneous among them, and the variation in their structure and diversity is influenced by different factors such as the height, type of soil and climate of the area where they grow. They protect riverbanks from erosion, represent the habitat of different species of plants and animals, and provide other important ecosystem services. Due to their location, these forests are susceptible to anthropogenic impacts, so their conservation and use requires management strategies specific to the structure of the plant community that characterizes it. In this study, we assessed the structure and diversity of tree community of a gallery forest on the Camachito River, in the urban area of Linares, Nuevo León, México. Fifteen rectangular sampling sites of 250 m2 (25 x 10 m) each, located along the banks of the Camachito River, were set up to evaluate the vertical (height, h) and horizontal (normal diameter,d 1.30 m) structure, as well as the abundance (AR i ), dominance (DR i ), frequency (FR i ) and importance value indices (IVI), of specific diversity of Margalef (D Mg ), of Shannon (H’) and of real diversity ( 1 D). 21 tree species were registered, belonging to 19 genera, from which six are considered as introduced species. Taxodium mucronatum Ten. showed the highest IVI (35.2 %.). The community is characterized by a greater proportion of individuals with a maximum height of 26 m, and an average diameter of less than 20 cm; the community also recorded a Margalef diversity index (D Mg ) of 3.87, a Shannon diversity (H’) of 2.35 and a true diversity index ( 1 D) of 10.48. The diameter and height distribution are characteristic of growing populations, mostly presenting young trees, whereas both richness and diversity were higher compared to other gallery forests in Mexico.

Keywords : richness; Taxodium mucronatum; vertical structure.