Abstract
Abstract: Cloud forest ecosystems contain unique flora and fauna characterized by high levels of richness and endemism. However, this ecosystem is one of the most threatened because of land-use changes stemming from anthropogenic activities. Therefore, biological inventories are necessary to adequately assess the effects of land-use changes on species now and in the future. In this study, we conducted an inventory of plants and terrestrial vertebrates (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) in three fragments of cloud forest in southwestern Mexico. Field work was carried out for 15 days per biological group during distinct time periods (2005-2008). Conventional methods of species capture and observation were employed to record species. Recorded species were then categorized based on their endemism and risk category. A total of 67 species of plants, 17 species of amphibians, 25 species of reptiles, 93 species of birds, and 46 species of mammals were recorded. The species accumulation curves for most taxa, except for birds and mammals, showed an asymptotic trend. A total of 56 species endemic to Mexico and four quasi-endemic species were recorded. Plants, amphibians, and reptiles presented the greatest number of species exclusive to Mexico (13 species). Six species of herpetofauna endemic to Guerrero were recorded. According to Mexican laws, 24 of the encountered species are under special protection, while 16 are categorized as threatened and seven as endangered. Reptiles and birds presented the greatest number of at-risk species (14 species). Bird and mammal richness in this study is high in comparison to that recorded in the cloud forests of the entire Mexican state of Guerrero (157 and 75 species, respectively). This data highlights the importance of cloud forests in the study area for local and regional biodiversity. Effective conservation strategies should be prioritized in cloud forests, as this ecosystem is poorly represented in natural protected areas.
Highlights
Mexico is a country that contains a large portion of the world’s biodiversity and is well represented in worldwide diversity lists, usually occupying one of the first places
A total of 67 plant species belonging to 30 families were recorded (Figure 2, Appendix 1), 32 of which are herbs (e.g., Lopezia racemosa, Monochaetum calcaratum, and Oenothera rosea), 22 are trees (e.g., Carpinus caroliniana, Pinus ayacahuite, and Quercus candicans), 11 are shrubs (e.g., Ageratum corymbosum, Monnina xalapensis, and Rumfordia floribunda), and two are lianas (i.e., Canavalia villosa and Phaseolus coccineus; Appendix 1)
With the exception of plants, the species richness obtained in our study area for the four evaluated animal groups represented more than half of the total species richness of cloud forests (CF) in the state of Guerrero
Summary
Mexico is a country that contains a large portion of the world’s biodiversity and is well represented in worldwide diversity lists, usually occupying one of the first places. Mexico occupies fourth place in plant richness (Villaseñor 2016), fifth in amphibian richness (Parra-Olea et al 2014), second in reptile richness (Flores-Villela & García-Vázquez 2014), eleventh in bird richness (Navarro-Sigüenza et al 2014), and third in mammal richness (Ramírez-Pulido et al 2014) These high levels of biodiversity are partly due to the convergence of the Nearctic and Neotropical biogeographical regions within Mexico’s territory, giving rise to species with both temperate and tropical affinities (Plascencia et al 2011). In the SMS, CF covers approximately 1,765 km and corresponds to 20% of the territory (INEGI 2010) As previously mentioned, this ecosystem is highly diverse and contains many exclusive flora and fauna species (Challenger 1998, Gual-Díaz & Rendón-Correa 2014). Limited biological information is available on the CF of this region
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