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Richest families (A) and genera (B) of plants recorded in the 14 forested riparian belts sampled, and proportion of species for each of three types of seed dispersal vector (C): A = animal, W = wind and O = other vector; and for each of three growth forms (D): T = tree; Sr = shrub; h = herb; O = other (number of species per category are shown above each bar).
Source publication
Background:
Cloud forest in central Veracruz is highly fragmented. However, different arboreal elements are still present within the agricultural matrix, including small patches of secondary forest, isolated trees and forested riparian belts. These elements could be important for cloud forest species conservation.
Questions:
What is the structure...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... all plant species 66 were trees and 65 shrubs, the rest (19 % of total richness) had different growth forms, including herbs, palms and ferns. Regarding their dispersal syndrome, 112 species (69 %) were zoochorous (i.e., animal dispersed), 34 species (20 %) were anemochorous (winddispersed), and the remaining 15 species (11 %) had other dispersal syndromes (Figure 2). ...
Context 2
... profiles for each riparian belt, showed that the AF and TF sites were not only the richest in observed species (i.e., q0 = 55 and 49 species, respectively), but also in the number of typical species (Shannon diversity; q1 > 30 spp.) and also of very abundant species (Simpson diversity; q2 > 20 spp.). Whereas the TR belt was the site with the lowest number of typical (q1 = 12) and very abundant (q2 = 7) species of all sampled belts ( Figure S2). ...
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Shade-tolerant forest species are among the most susceptible to habitat loss in agricultural mosaics, where a variety of croplands is connected to forests at different levels of anthropogenic disturbance. We aimed to evaluate the community similarity of shade-tolerant species among different land use types across agricultural mosaics with different...
Citations
... Posteriormente, las especies fueron agrupadas en grupos tróficos, los cuales fueron definidos como: insectívoros, granívoros, omnívoros, nectarívoros, frugívoros, carroñeros y piscívoros; de esta manera al sumar los valores del IVI de cada especie por grupo trófico se obtuvieron valores de importancia de cada gremio. El IVI puede ser visto como un proxi de la dominancia, debido a que este índice señala la dominancia que ejerce una o más especies en las comunidades en virtud de su número o tamaño poblacional, de esta manera adquiere valores porcentuales en una escala de 0 a 100 (Loya-Salinas y Escofet, 1990;Gatto et al., 2005;Arias-González et al., 2011;Hernández-Dávila et al., 2020, Sáenz, 2020. ...
Background. Livestock activities generate changes in ecosystems that impact bird communities, which fulfill diverse ecological functions such as pollination, fruit and seed dispersal, and biological control of insects and/or pests. Objective. To characterize the community of birds in a livestock landscape in northern Veracruz. Methodology. From 2020 to 2021, 144 visits were made to live fences (CV; n = 3) and cattle pastures (PA; n = 3), where the fixed-radius point count technique was used to identify and count the birds present. Results. A total of 6,450 individuals and 107 species were recorded. In general, de CV were more diverse than de Aps, which were more dominant. The importance value index reflects that in the VCs the importance of the species is similar, while in the PAs certain species stand out, however, at the level of trophic guilds, insectivorous birds dominate. Through a canonical correspondence analysis, three community assemblages were distinguished: one station in the VCs, one station in the APs and the rest of the stations. Implications. The work suggests further studies that will allow us to know why birds are using these man-made livestock systems. Conclusion. The live fences obtained greater diversity, so it is necessary to integrate more trees within the pastures to increase the ecological functions, such as the control of insects through insectivorous birds. RESUMEN Antecedentes. Las actividades ganaderas generan cambios en los ecosistemas que generan impactos sobre las comunidades aves, mismas que cumplen diversas funciones ecológicas como la polinización, la dispersión de frutos y semillas, control biológico de insectos y/o plagas. Objetivo. Caracterizar las comunidades de aves en un paisaje ganadero en el norte de Veracruz. Metodología. Del 2020 al 2021 se realizaron 144 visitas a cercas vivas (CV; n = 3) y pastizales ganaderos (PA; n = 3), donde se utilizó la técnica de conteo por puntos de radio fijo para la identificación y conteo de las aves presentes. Resultados. Se registraron 6,450 individuos y 107 especies. En general las CV fueron más diversas que los PA el cual presentaron mayor dominancia. El índice del valor de importancia refleja que en las CV la importancia de las especies es similar, mientras que en los PA ciertas especies destacan, no obstante, a nivel de gremios tróficos, las aves insectívoras dominan. A través de un análisis de correspondencia canónico se distinguieron tres ensambles comunitarios distribuidos en: una estación de las CV, una estación del PA y el resto de las estaciones. Implicaciones. El trabajo sugiere realizar más estudios que nos permitan conocer por qué las aves están utilizando estos sistemas ganaderos creados por el hombre. Conclusión. Las cercas vivas obtuvieron mayor diversidad, por lo †
... De Jager et al. [41] stated that in lowland streams, the smaller seeds generally disperse at shorter distances than larger seeds. The seed dispersal strategy relates to its germination strategy, indicating that the seed shape indirectly affects the dispersal and germination type [41][42][43]. Zhou et al. [44] explained that seed morphological characteristics become one of the factors affecting the seed dispersal through seed dispersal trajectory, in addition to environmental factors. ...
... Most of the seeds of 12 plant species from BTSNP have fleshy fruits, hence they are allegedly dispersed by animals, such as birds, bats, and non-flying mammals (zoochory mechanism). Animals will disperse seeds based on morphological characters i.e., color, shape, texture, and scents of seeds and generally found in fleshy fruits [43,55,56]. Seeds of R. communis and Z. tetragona are dispersed by self-dispersal since they have explosive fruits. ...
Seed morphological characters assessed through morphometry, include both qualitative and quantitative parameters. These are crucial for supporting taxonomic identification and classification processes, as well as predicting traits related to seed dispersal strategies. This study aimed to identify the most influential morphometric characters for classifying seed types and their dispersal strategies. Seeds from 12 selected species, collected during a plant exploration at Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park (BTSNP), were analyzed. Measurements include seed length, width, thickness, weight, volume, and hilum size, along with observations of seed color, texture, and shape to calculate the Eccentricity Index (EI) and Flatness Index (FI). Data were analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis in PAST ver.4.04. The results revealed two seed groupings of species associated with M. acuminata from BTSNP based on morphometric influences: Group I, influenced by weight, color, hilum size, shape, texture, and EI value; and Group II: influenced by length, width, thickness, volume, and FI value. Overall, quantitative characters were more influential than qualitative ones in identifying the seeds of the 12 species studied. Thus, numerical characters serve as valuable supporting features for species grouping. Additionally, most seeds from the 12 species are likely dispersed by animals.
... Los bosques ribereños contribuyen a la conservación de bosques, ya que actúan como corredores ecológicos que facilitan el desplazamiento de fauna silvestre (Lees y Peres, 2008;Sekercioglu, 2009), son fuentes de propágulos y sirven de hábitat de organismos dispersores, como aves y murciélagos, que favorecen la recuperación de bosques que han sido fragmentados (Hernández-Dávila et al., 2020). Además, cumplen con diversas funciones ecológicas como la de regular el microclima del río, generar microhábitats para especies terrestres y acuáticas, filtrar la entrada de sedimentos y sustancias químicas, ser zona de recarga de aguas subterráneas, su valor recreativo y cultural. ...
La identificación de áreas para la restauración de bosques aporta información para el diseño de acciones que favorecen la conectividad y la cobertura forestal. El objetivo del estudio fue identificar áreas prioritarias para la restauración de bosques ribereños de la zona alta de la cuenca del río La Antigua, Veracruz. Se realizó un análisis multicriterio con 16 parámetros integrados en 9 grupos: conservación biológica, potencial de restauración, zonas ribereñas/corredores hidrológicos, topografía, clima, suelo, perturbación, beneficiarios, y peligro frente a eventos naturales. Se definieron, estandarizaron y ponderaron los criterios para generar un mapa de áreas prioritarias para la restauración. De acuerdo con los resultados, las categorías de prioridad alta, media, baja representaron 6.8%, 6.9% y 1.4% de la superficie total del área de estudio, respectivamente. Las áreas con alta prioridad se distribuyen mayormente en potreros, cerca de ríos, entre 1,098 y 2,974 m snm, con precipitaciones anuales promedio ~ 1,373 mm, pendientes ligeras, con bajo riesgo de incendio y zonas con riesgo de deslizamientos. Los resultados identifican las áreas en donde los esfuerzos de restauración local podrían tener mayor impacto.
... In the humid tropics, riparian vegetation represents an essential element in the maintenance of plant, bird, amphibian, small mammal and bat diversity (Hernández-Dávila et al. 2020;Paise et al. 2020;Rodríguez-Mendoza and Pineda 2010;Salvarina 2016). This habitat functions as longitudinal biodiversity island in the landscape (Giraldo et al. 2022). ...
To investigate whether trees and palms scattered in pastures contribute to the maintenance of bat assemblages in landscapes highly fragmented by livestock farming activities, we evaluated the bat assemblages and foraging guilds between wooded pastures and riparian vegetation. Using mist nets, we captured 1013 bats from 29 species and four taxonomic families. We found that the abundance, richness, and composition of bat species were not significantly different between vegetation types. Frugivores were the most abundant guild, and their abundance did not differ between vegetation types, indicating that wood-pastures allow the presence of these bats in the landscape. On the other hand, insectivores were more abundant in riparian vegetation and, interestingly, nectarivores were more abundant in pastures, likely due to the great plasticity of species of the genus Glossophaga . Our results are encouraging, since they demonstrate that a rustic pasture management that promoting the presence of scattered trees and palms along with belts of riparian vegetation, allows the maintenance of bat assemblages in a highly fragmented landscape.
... However, they are considered to be one of the most valuable habitats (Gregory et al., 1991) due to their role as ecological corridors at the interface between aquatic and terrestrial environments along rivers, lakes or streams banks (Naiman and Décamps, 1997;Naiman et al., 2010). Riparian forests are shaped by geomorphological conditions (e.g., slope and erosion) and fluvial and flooding dynamics, leading to the creation of a complex and heterogeneous mosaic of habitats promoting a high level of biodiversity (Havrdová et al., 2023;Brown et al., 1997). ...
... Numerous studies have highlighted the great biological richness and diversity of riparian forests and their crucial role in biodiversity conservation (Tockner and Stanford, 2002;Naiman et al., 1993;Sabo et al., 2005). They have shown that riparian forests are essential for several taxa such as birds (e.g., Bennett et al., 2014;Mitchell et al., 2018;Knutson et al., 1996;de Oliveira Ramos and dos Anjos, 2014), plants (e. g., Pollock et al., 1998;Hernández-Dávila et al., 2020;Naiman and Décamps, 1997), butterflies (e.g., Oliveira et al., 2021;Montejo-Kovacevich et al., 2022;Galiano et al., 1985) and other invertebrates (e.g., Marx et al., 2012;Otto and Floren, 2010;Rykken et al., 2007), especially saproxylic species like beetles, which are considered to be at higher risk of extinction than species in other types of forests (Seibold et al., 2015). Riparian forests are assumed to disproportionately contribute to regional biodiversity by hosting different species pools or a higher number of species than other adjacent habitats within the same geographic area (Sabo et al., 2005;Naiman et al., 1993). ...
Riparian forests are considered as complex and biologically rich habitats. They play a crucial role for biodiversity conservation, in particular in landscapes under strong management pressure. Tree-related microhabitats (TreMs) support a wide array of biodiversity and some authors have suggested using them as indirect biodiversity indicators in forest ecosystems. This study investigates TreM profiles of a temperate riparian forest as last natural forest ecosystem in a context of intensively managed landscape along the Ciron river and of surrounding pine plantations of the Landes de Gascogne forest (France) and explores their drivers at tree and plot scales. A total of 28 transects perpendicular to the river, representing 84 0.1 ha-plots, were selected along the Ciron river and three of its tributaries. At tree scale, diameter at breast height (dbh), tree species and tree status (living, standing or lying dead) were significant predictors of TreM diversity. At plot scale, Alnus glutinosa was found to significantly contribute to riparian forest TreM profiles by hosting specific TreMs. The same role was highlighted for broadleaved species in pine plantations. At plot scale, the drivers of TreM diversity varied depending on plot location in the transect (riparian forest, plantation forest, intermediate area). We found that the presence of lying dead trees is an important driver of TreM diversity at plot scale, particularly in plantation stand and we thus suggest lying dead trees be included in future studies focusing on TreMs. The rich TreM profile of riparian forests highlights their crucial role in biodiversity conservation.
... The riparian vegetation of the Senguio Microbasin in the MBBR is in a good state of conservation, maintaining similar species richness throughout the altitudinal and management gradients. This confirms the relevance of this type of vegetation to preserve important fragments of the regional biodiversity in a relatively reduced space (Nilsson 1992, 2002, Hernández-Dávila et al. 2020, Parker et al. 2016. ...
... Thus, the riparian vegetation preserves plant diversity even in modified landscapes like croplands, urban and suburban areas, tree plantations, and managed forests. The riparian vegetation is essential to maintain the composition of plant and animal associations, and its interaction with adjacent anthropic spaces (Zermeño- Hernández et al. 2020). Casas et al. (2008Casas et al. ( , 2015 and Clement et al. (2021) documented the dominance of highest culturally important and useful species in the vegetation of areas with strong human presence. ...
Background: Rivers and their associated vegetation are considered highly complex natural systems representing high biodiversity areas that work as biological corridors. Nevertheless, riparian vegetation of the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve (MBBR) has not been studied nor considered in the reserve’s management program.
Questions: Which is the composition, structure, diversity, and state of conservation of the riparian vegetation of the MBBR?
Study site and dates: The Senguio Microbasin, part of Sierra Chincua Priority Terrestrial Region, within the MBBR, in central México. 2016-2017.
Methods: Using high-resolution imagery from 2014, we identified five joint categories in relation to the protection status (Core Zone, Buffer Zone, and Influence Area) and land use (conserved forest, highly disturbed forest, and farmland). We sampled three sites per category (N = 15) to analyze the composition, richness, and α- and β-diversity of the riparian communities.
Results: We registered 108 species, 46 genera, and 18 families, of which 98 % are native and 2 % exotic. Richness and α-diversity were not significantly different among sites, but the composition and β-diversity showed significant differences depending on land use. The riparian vegetation is well conserved both in the Reserve´s Core and Buffer zones, and preserves high coverage, species richness, and individuals’ abundance.
Conclusions: The riparian vegetation of the Senguio Microbasin hosts a biodiversity richness critical for the ecosystem’s health and evidences the relevance of considering the human use of the riparian systems to succeed in the conservation strategies.
... In this context, natural remnants of cloud forest within transformed landscapes play an important role in maintaining biodiversity (Toledo-Aceves et al., 2014). Riparian forest strips crossing agricultural or man-modified areas represent forest remnants that could be important for biodiversity conservation since they provide food, refuge, and habitat corridors for several species of flora and fauna in drastically simplified and impoverished sites (Lees and Peres, 2008;Carrasco-Rueda and Loiselle, 2019;Hern andez-D avila et al., 2020). ...
... In our study site the deforested areas, mostly converted into extensive pastures to raise cattle, are crossed by long, narrow tracts of arboreal vegetation left uncut on both sides of permanent rivers in order to protect the riverbank. These riparian forest strips could be extremely important to the local flora and forest fauna within this highly degraded landscape, and might function as arboreal corridors that connect forest fragments and other arboreal patches (i.e., living fences, isolated trees, etc.) that are currently separated (Hern andez-D avila, 2013;Hern andez-D avila et al., 2020). In a region like this, we would expect that the number of birds and plants interacting in the riparian strips would be low, forming extremely poor, simple networks. ...
... The vegetation is composed of remnants of tropical montane cloud forest where tree species such as Platanus mexicana (Platanaceae), Quercus lancifolia (Fagaceae), Clethra macrophylla (Clethraceae), Liquidambar styraciflua (Altingiaceae), Styrax glabrescens (Styracaceae), Carpinus tropicalis (Betulaceae) and Turpinia insignis (Staphyleaceae) dominate. For a detailed description of the vegetation structure and floristic composition of these remnants see Williams-Linera et al. (2013) and Hern andez-D avila et al. (2020). In this study, we use the term riparian strips to denote the cloud forest vegetation left along the riverbanks by local farmers to protect the river channel when converting their plots to crop-fields or pastures. ...
Worldwide, tropical montane cloud forest is one of the most important and biodiverse ecosystems, however it is also one of those most threatened by anthropic activities. These activities lead to a fragmented, deforested landscape with narrow riparian forest strips immersed in an agricultural matrix dominated by pastures. Here, we characterize the interaction network between frugivorous birds and zoochorous plants in riparian strips of cloud forest in deforested landscapes of Central Veracruz, Mexico. To characterize the network of this mutualistic interaction, we estimated network- and species-level metrics using the Bipartite R package. Nestedness, modularity and robustness were used to describe network structure. Centrality measures of degree, closeness, betweenness centrality and their relative contribution to nestedness were used to determine the importance of each bird/plant species to the network’s structure. This interaction network has 24 species of birds and 30 species of plants, with low connectance (0.11), low nestedness (11.53), and intermediate but not significant modularity (0.49). The bird species most important to network stability were Chlorospingus flavopectus, Myadestes occidentalis, and Catharus mexicanus. The most important plants were Conostegia xalapensis, C. arborea, and Rubus ulmifolius. Network robustness varied from 0.36 to 0.86 and its stability is compromised when species of birds or plants with the highest values of centrality are removed, with plant removal more detrimental. Riparian strips of cloud forest crossing deforested areas maintain a relatively rich set of birds that disperse the seeds of many forest plants, thus they are crucial to the preservation of this mutualistic network in anthropic landscapes. Network stability is severely undermined by the loss of any of the few species — whether birds or plants — with high centrality values. The most important plants for this stability are pioneer tree and shrub species that provide food for several bird species, and they are also crucial to cloud forest regeneration. A worrisome finding is that some of the bird species most important to network stability are also among the most sought-after as ornamental birds by illegal collectors in the region.
... Worldwide, and particularly in the tropics, secondary forests are significant contributors to carbon sequestration, species conservation, and ecosystem services Norden et al., 2009;Poorter et al., 2016). Riparian areas of tropical secondary forests can be prominent features in fragmented landscapes, from cloud forests to semi-arid highlands (Schmitt et al., 2019;Hernández-Dávila et al., 2020;Villamarín et al., 2020). However, in montane secondary forests with uniform tree canopy, riparian areas of headwater streams may appear to be hidden in plain sight as these do not stand out from the rest of the forest landscape. ...
... Vegetation life forms that quickly colonize or re-establish under these conditions often dominate riparian zones. Riparian vegetation structure and composition affect aquatic fauna and serve as corridors for fauna movement and plant dispersal (Kinnaird, 1992;Andersson et al., 2000;Honnay et al., 2001;Funch et al., 2002;Iwata et al., 2003;de Souza et al., 2013;Yeung et al., 2017;Calle & Holl, 2019;Schmitt et al., 2019;Hernández-Dávila et al., 2020). ...
Questions
Although past land use effects on composition and structure are described for many forest types, forested riparian areas have been overlooked. Riparian areas may contain unique species and high species richness, as well as contribute basal leaf-litter resources for aquatic fauna. We asked: Does past land use alter composition in riparian versus upland areas in wet tropical forest? Which vegetation life-forms characterize riparian zones? What is the composition and quantity of leaf-litter in riparian zones compared to uplands?
Location
Riparian and upland locations in tropical wet forest, Luquillo Forest Dynamics Plot (LFDP), Luquillo Experimental Forest, Puerto Rico.
Methods
Stratified-random sampling was conducted in riparian and upland areas of LFDP with high and low past land use. Understory vegetation life-form composition and cover were sampled in plots. Leaf-litter species composition and components were estimated with collecting baskets placed throughout riparian zones and uplands.
Results
Ferns and lianas were more abundant in riparian areas than uplands. Ordination of species composition groups was distinct for riparian and upland areas with different past land use when based on leaf-litter, but this ordination pattern was not as clear in plot vegetation.
Conclusion
Characterized by greater presence of ferns and lianas, riparian zones had higher species richness values and greater leaf-litter biomass. Distinct leaf-litter species composition within riparian and upland areas may result from a combination of different land use histories, various plant types, and environmental conditions. Although riparian areas are proportionally a small component of the forested landscape, they are significant contributors to ecosystem process, terrestrial and aquatic linkages, and plant community composition.
El diseño, implementación y manejo de sistemas agropecuarios productivos que contemplen la incorporación del componente arbóreo como un eje estratégico para salvaguardar la diversidad ecosistémica en las regiones, es vital cuando se quiere preservar la biodiversidad local y recuperar la conectividad ecológica de fragmentos boscosos en las cuencas hidrográficas. La heterogeneidad del paisaje, la diversidad de cultivos en los sistemas productivos agrícolas y el análisis de los árboles dispersos en predios rurales productivos, son parte de los aspectos constitutivos para el estudio de la conectividad a escala local y regional logrando determinar, los cambios en las coberturas vegetales, la provisión de material genético e incluso, establecer puntos locales para acciones de restauración de ecosistemas. Esta investigación estudió las coberturas del suelo de 32 fincas ubicadas en los municipios de Chipaque, Cáqueza, Quetame y Guayabetal, en el oriente de Cundinamarca y analizó los indicadores de conectividad generados por los árboles remanentes con el fin de establecer indicadores que permitan en el futuro optimizar los procesos de reforestación. Se seleccionaron 8 predios por cada uno de los municipios. La información fue recolectada directamente en campo a partir de mediciones de áreas, coberturas e inventarios florísticos predio a predio. Para facilitar el análisis de la información se utilizó el software fragstats versión 4,2,1. El estudio muestra que en algunos casos las coberturas más abundantes corresponden a pastos, pero que en otros casos existen parches importantes de bosque que pueden ser tenidos en cuenta para orientar más eficientemente los procesos de reforestación a futuro.
En esta nota reportamos el consumo del fruto y dispersión no endozoócora de semillas de una especie vegetal que no había sido mencionada en la dieta de los murciélagos, y que no presenta las características típicas de quiropterocoria. Este evento fue registrado mientras realizábamos capturas nocturnas con redes de niebla, en fragmentos de vegetación secundaria en el área metropolitana de la ciudad de Xalapa de Enríquez, México. Un ejemplar hembra de Artibeus toltecus, capturada en junio de 2018, llevaba consigo dos frutos de Hoffmannia excelsa (Rubiaceae). Aunque H. excelsa es un arbusto común en el centro de Veracruz, éste es el primer registro conocido de dispersión en esta especie, llevada a cabo por murciélagos. El consumo de este fruto, con características ornitócoras, posiblemente obedece a una situación de oportunismo frente a un recurso temporalmente abundante.
