Resumo

ALVAREZ-LOPEZTELLO, Jonás; RIVAS-MANZANO, Irma Victoria; AGUILERA-GOMEZ, Luis Isaac  e  GONZALEZ-LEDESMA, Manuel. Diversity and structure of a grassland at El Cerrillo, Piedras Blancas, Estado de México, Mexico. Rev. Mex. Biodiv. [online]. 2016, vol.87, n.3, pp.980-989. ISSN 2007-8706.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rmb.2016.06.006.

Current knowledge of the flora and vegetation dynamics in temperate grasslands of Mexico is still scarce. In order to mitigate this deficiency, in this study the floristic composition, diversity and structure of a temperate grassland of central Mexico were evaluated. A total of 118 species, 93 genera and 40 families were recorded. The best represented families, both at the generic and specific levels are: Poaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Orchidaceae. The latter including a new species belonging to the genus Cyclopogon. The herbaceous stratum of the grassland is complex, and covers 98% of the surface. A high percentage of native species was found (20.50) and a relatively high diversity index was calculated (Simpson and Shannon = 3.36). Muhlenbergia phalaroides was the dominant species and it corresponds to the highest importance value. The results suggest that these grasslands represent a sizable reservoir of species relevant for biological conservation, despite being subjected to frequent disturbances.

Palavras-chave : Temperate grasslands; Vegetation structure; Conservation; Herbaceous stratum; Grasslands ecology.