Abstract

VELASCO BAUTISTA, Efraín et al. Diagnosis and characterization of the trees of the San Juan de Aragón forest. Rev. mex. de cienc. forestales [online]. 2013, vol.4, n.19, pp.102-111. ISSN 2007-1132.

Cities are considered the most artificial man-made ecosystems and have been shown to be the cause of serious environmental hazards. It is therefore crucial to preserve the urban green areas. On the other hand, urban forest science allows the study, management and maintenance of the tree species that have been established in the cities. For this reason, a general diagnosis of the San Juan de Aragón Forest (Bosque San Juan de Aragón, BSJA) was carried out by means of a complete inventory of its trees, in which both quantitative and qualitative variables were included. 88 species were identified, of which seven account for 73.67% of the trees. The most common stage of development of the trees is maturity (58.33%), followed by youth (41.18%). As for their vigor, 59.95% are vigorous trees, while 28.72% show an incipient decline; the physical and sanitary condition of the stem and crown are dominated by the "good" and "fair" categories. 5 252 specimens were found to require at least some type of pruning; restorative and hygienic pruning are the most needed. The proportion of trees with an associated risk was 7.9%, and only 3.14% had some type of fauna. Overall, urban forests show a low diversity of species; however, their general condition is considered to be good.

Keywords : Urban green areas; San Juan de Aragón forest; urban forest science; general diagnosis; forest inventory; environmental issues.