Abstract

LEON-CARRENO, Mauricio et al. Tropical deciduous forest pollen rain from El Picante hill, San José Tilapa, Puebla, Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2019, vol.90, e903000.  Epub Dec 30, 2019. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.22201/ib.20078706e.2019.90.3000.

In this study, we analized for the first time the tropical deciduous forest pollen rain at San José Tilapa, Puebla, located within the biodiverse Tehuacán-Cuicatlán Valley. In 3 transects, 100 m each, bromeliads were collected every 10 m, for a total of 32 samples, from which palynomorphs were recovered and processed by mean of the acetolysis technique. A total of 11,520 pollen-spores belonging to 156 taxa were recorded. The analysis allowed us to recognize regional, local and extra local taxa identified as pollinic signals. The regional signal was characterized by temperate elements mainly from the cloud forest. The local signal had a high species richness and included Asteraceae, Bursera morelensis, B. aptera, Euphorbiaceae, Ceiba aesculifolia and C. parvifolia from the tropical deciduous forest of El Picante hill; while the extra local signal was represented by Sapindaceae, Caryophyllaceae, Meliaceae and Ephedra spp. which are elements of both tropical deciduous forest and xerophytic shrubland. The comparison between palynological assemblages with the structure of the tropical deciduous forest indicated that Acaciella sp., Asteraceae, Bursera aptera, B. morelensis, Ceiba aesculifolia, C. parvifolia and Mimosa spp. are pollinic indicators of this type of vegetation.

Keywords : Palynology; Pollen; Spores; Semiarid vegetation; Tropical deciduous forest; Biosphere reserve, Actuopalynology.