Abstract
Some parts of the globe have a deficient vegetation coverage survey causing localized plant community qualities generalized from larger scales, hindering their particular configuration. This process is emphasized in megadiverse countries such as Mexico by transformation and loss of land cover. This can be reflected in the municipality of Susticacán, Zacatecas, settled in a mountainous, scarcely explored area, the Sierra de los Cardos. This study aimed to characterize its plant communities, produce a fine-scale map and compare them to other descriptions. Oak forests, pine forests, grasslands, nopaleras, chaparral, and rock outcrop vegetation were detected through satellite image analysis, sampled, statistically evaluated, and their descriptions supported by the literature. The first two presented a high diversity and endemism, despite a small surface. The chaparral occupied the largest area, and its structure and composition suggest its secondary vegetation in expansion. The presence of exotic–invasive species and human activities threaten the native flora. This study is the first to provide detailed information on the plant communities in Susticacán and is a model for the study of local-scale regions. It highlights the importance of describing and mapping them as a contribution to delineate conservation and management efforts.
Highlights
Vegetation in many parts of the world has poor coverage surveys, which produce insufficient data, making proper characterization and classification difficult
Vegetation classification is important, as it provides a common language for scientific communication, allows the comparison of communities between regions, and constitutes a baseline for decision making in the use and conservation of plant resources [8]
We suggest that local studies of plant communities can reveal important information for understanding the structural complexity of vegetation, as well as for future conservation and management plans
Summary
Vegetation in many parts of the world has poor coverage surveys, which produce insufficient data, making proper characterization and classification difficult. Fine-scale contingencies are more significant in plant communities where individuals are sessile, and interactions are local [4]. The first step to understanding systems with vegetation is to obtain information on their characteristics and distribution, which together allow their correct classification and location [6,7]. In this sense, vegetation classification is important, as it provides a common language for scientific communication, allows the comparison of communities between regions, and constitutes a baseline for decision making in the use and conservation of plant resources [8]. In Mexico and most neotropical countries, physiognomic features have been the most used, since they take into account elements of the landscape that define the types of vegetation [10,11] and influence how plants interact with other organisms and with the environment [1]
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