Effect of land use on the structure and diversity of riparian vegetation in the Duero river watershed in Michoacán, Mexico

Abstract

Riparian vegetation performs important ecosystem functions, since it maintains regional biodiversity and provides a range of environmental services. However, anthropogenic activity, land use type, and edge effects are factors that modify the riparian species assemblage and properties. The present study analyzes the influence of adjacent land use on the structure and diversity of riparian vegetation in four hydrographic regions that form the watershed of the river Duero, in the state of Michoacan, Mexico. Using a survey of woody plants of dbh ≥ 2.5 cm in ten different 0.1 ha sites, we found that the average number of stems and individuals was lower under agricultural (AGR) and urban (URB) land use, compared to forested areas (FOR). The proportion of multistemmed plants differs among land uses: this value was greater in AGR than in the FOR and URB categories. This proportion also differed among the four hydrographic regions. The land use type FOR presented the highest alpha and beta diversity, with a high number of native species occurring only in areas defined by this land use. The results indicate that the category FOR plays an important role in the conservation of regional flora and is a possible source of germplasm for restoration programs in sites degraded by human disturbance. This study shows how anthropogenic activities affect riparian vegetation and highlights the importance of further study of this ecosystem to apply sustainable management strategies that are compatible with its conservation.