Abstract

MARTINEZ AREVALO, José Vicente. Plant succession in fir for est edges (Abies guatemalensis Rehder) the west of Guatemala. Rev. mex. de cienc. forestales [online]. 2014, vol.5, n.23, pp.64-77. ISSN 2007-1132.

Different phases of vegetal succession were studied, which occur around forest patches of Abies guatemalensis in Western Guatemala, with the aim to recognize the characteristics of the process of plant succession in these forests and their application to ecological restoration. Ten locations were chosen, and vegetation was analyzed through five successional stages in three times of the year. Results show that vegetation is composed of 85 species of mountain flora, seven of which corresponds to trees. The alpha diversity Shannon index was statistically the same in all locations and beta diversity Dice index was from medium to low (0.7 to 9.95). The Cottam importance value indicates a codominance of species, as most have low values. The process of ecological succession is similar in the ten locations studied, with a different pattern to that produced in areas abandoned after cultivation. The environmental conditions and pattern of disturbance print special features of vegetation dynamics. Most plant species are present in different successional stages in a clear autosuccession process. Plant succession occurs in time rather than in space, represented by a mosaic of successional stages around the forest patches, so that the disturbance has caused disclimax, where each successional stage represents a semistable state, needing exogenous forces to switch to a higher successional stage.

Keywords : Abies guatemalensis Rehder; autogenic succession; vegetation dynamics; disclimax; diversity index; ecological succession.