Abstract

CUE-BAR, Eva M.; VILLASENOR, José Luis; MORRONE, Juan J.  and  IBARRA-MANRIQUEZ, Guillermo. Identifying priority areas for conservation in Mexican Tropical deciduous forest based on tree species. INCI [online]. 2006, vol.31, n.10, pp.712-719. ISSN 0378-1844.

The main objective was to identify and rank areas for the conservation of exclusive, or nearly exclusive, tree species of the tropical deciduous forest in Mexico, a land cover type greatly endangered worldwide. A list of 425 tree species (67.5% endemic to Mexico), including 56 families and 185 genera registered at the state level, was compiled from an exhaustive revision of specialized floristic literature. The conservation status of these species was assessed by registering their presence in the tropical deciduous forest areas, located within the limits of Mexican natural protected areas. Parsimony analysis of endemicity led to identify 16 areas of endemism, supported by 54 synapomorphies and 73 autapomorphies (72.4% endemic to Mexico). Protected areas include a low to medium proportion both of widespread tree species (129 species, 30.3%) and species characterizing areas of endemism (56 species out of 127, 44.1%). In the latter group, only 7 species are included within a risk category. Analyses of complementarity (total richness of species and of species within areas of endemism) and of phylogenetic diversity (families and genera) are coincident in assigning high conservation priority for areas in the states of Chiapas, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Oaxaca, and Yucatán. Based on the results, specific recommendations are provided for the development of strategies of tree conservation in the Mexican tropical deciduous forest.

Keywords : Biogeography ; Complementarity Analysis; Neotropics; Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity; Phylogenetic Diversity.