José García-Pérez’s research while affiliated with Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí and other places

En el estado de San Luis Potosí, las angiospermas están representadas por 49 órdenes, 189 familias, 1 288 géneros, alrededor de 3 974 especies y 360 taxones infraespecíficos. Tal diversidad representa cerca de 92% de órdenes, 76% de familias, 48% de géneros, 18% de especies y 12% de infraespecies del total de angiospermas reconocidas para México

Mexico is considered an exceptional area for floristic diversity and endemisms. There is a great concern because several anthropogenic activities and factors are impeding its conservation on the conservation of the mexican flora. In this paper, we present a list of endemic flora to the State of San Luis Potosí and adjacent regions. A total of 336 taxa with restricted distribution were recorded, 61 exclusive to the state. The families with more endemisms were: Compositae, Cactaceae, Crassulaceae, Asparagaceae, and Lamiaceae. The genera with more species were: Mammillaria, Turbinicarpus, Coryphanta, Salvia, Pinguicula, Sedum and Zephyranthes. The municipalities with the most endemism were: Guadalcázar, Rioverde, San Luis Potosí, Zaragoza, Villa Juárez, Xilitla, and Ciudad del Maíz. Queretaro is the state with shares more endemism whit San Luis Potosí. A total of 66 species are in some risk category both national and internationals laws. Floristic exploration in the state is still incomplete, and every year new species are described for the region. This information is useful to highlight zones that represent hotspots for the conservation of Mexican flora.

The distribution of the vegetation cover in the topographical gradient of the crater Joya Honda was analyzed; this site is located at the municipality of Soledad of Graciano Sánchez, San Luis Potosí, México. It is a volcanic structure of type maar, with an elliptical circumference and two contrasting areas: a suntrap zone located at North part and a shaded zone placed at south sector. During the field work botanical specimens were collected. Along three belts of the topographic gradient of the crater 33 plots were established. In each one, the cover of trees and shrubs was registered; the data were analyzed with multivariable ordination methods (DECORANA program) and classification (TWINSPAN program). A total of 87 species, corresponding to 67 genera and 30 botanical families were recorded. The ordination analysis shows a distribution pattern of plant species mainly associated with their topographic location, and secondly with the slope orientation. The classification analysis confirms the last statement. The observed patterns show the importance, in the section with steep slopes of Gochnatia hypoleuca and Helietta parvifolia. At the piedmont, Opuntia leucotricha, Opuntia streptacantha, Celtis pallida and Prosopis laevigata are predominant. The flat part of the center of the landform presents one open scrubland of P. laevigata and Maytenus phyllanthoides with Atriplex canescens, Koeberlinia spinosa y Cylindropuntia imbricata.

The floristics and structure of a cloud forest in Copalillos, San Luis Potos, is presented. Until very recently, this forest was not recorded in the existing cartography. A total of 199 species, corresponding to 165 genera and 91 botanical families, were recorded. The forest structure consists of three arboreal layers (upper, middle and lower), besides shrub and herbaceous strata. The dominant species in the upper tree stratum are Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus germana and Q. pinnativenulosa. The main tree species of the middle level were Magnolia schiedeana, Persea liebmannii and Ilex rubra. The lower tree layer was largely dominated by Eugenia xalapensis. This relict represents an important link within the set of cloud forest areas located between Hidalgo and Tamaulipas.

Se presenta la lista florística y se describe la estructura de un bosque de niebla en Copalillos, San Luis Potosí, el cual, hasta hace muy poco tiempo estuvo ausente en la cartografía de vegetación existente. Se registraron 199 especies, correspondientes a 165 géneros y 91 familias botánicas. La estructura vertical mostró tres estratos arbóreos, uno arbustivo y otro herbáceo. Las especies dominantes en el arbóreo superior fueron Liquidambar styraciflua, Quercus germana y Q. pinnativenulosa. En el arbóreo intermedio destacaron Magnolia schiedeana, Persea liebmannii e Ilex rubra. El arbóreo inferior estuvo ampliamente dominado por Eugenia xalapensis. Este bosque de niebla relicto representa un eslabón importante dentro del conjunto de áreas de este tipo de vegetación situadas entre Hidalgo y Tamaulipas.

Native communities’ erosion of ethnobotanical knowledge of food plants is a global concern. This investigation focuses on a Xi’iuy community in the Sierra Madre Oriental, San Luís Potosí, México. A total of 21 randomly - selected families participated (22% of the total population). The 56 people who were interviewed an average of 2.7 per family were separated into four groups (fathers, mothers, single sons, single daughters). To investigate the use value of each plant, a collection of 54 food specimens was shown to the informants. Knowledge of each food species’ uses was compared between genders and age groups. The results included figures that were lower than expected, as well as less knowledge among women than men, particularly among underage daughters. The difference in use value between men and women in this community is explicable by cultural factors: i.e., women’s participation in agriculture and plant collecting is minimal. This, along with men’s seasonal migration for work (men are usually wage laborers half the y ear in the sugarcane harvest, and the other half they cultivate their own land), plus increasing availability of commercial food in grocery stores, contributes to the steady loss of ethnobotanical knowledge.