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Diversity and Conservation Status of Mangrove Communities in Two Areas of Mesocaribea Biogeographic Region


Affiliations
1 Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology, Botany Section, Universidad de Jaen, Campus Universitario Las Lagunillas, Spain
2 Department of AGRARIA, ‘Mediterranea’ University of Reggio Calabria, Italy
3 Department of Landscape, Environment and Planning/Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Mediterranean, Portugal
4 Department of Biodiversity and Environmental Management (Botany), Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Leon, Spain
 

The study of mangrove communities (Avicennia germinans, Conocarpus erectus, Laguncularia racemosa and Rhyzophora mangle) in Central America reveals a total diversity of 121 species included in 7 plant communities, of which 15 are characteristic of mangroves and 31 of flooded areas with less pronounced salinity, while 75 are invasive species belonging to neighbouring communities. Frequent fires in the dry forest have caused intense erosion, leading to the silting of the lake basin. As a result, the first belt of Rhizophora vegetation is extremely rare. In contrast, there is a predominance of Laguncularia and Conocarpus mangrove plants, in addition to a belt of Phragmito Magnocaricetea Magnocaricetea with a high incidence of Phragmites australis, which acts as an indicator of sediment silting due to its shallowness.

Keywords

Biogeographic Region, Diversity and Conservation, Mangroves, Phytosociology.
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  • Diversity and Conservation Status of Mangrove Communities in Two Areas of Mesocaribea Biogeographic Region

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Authors

Ana Cano Ortiz
Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology, Botany Section, Universidad de Jaen, Campus Universitario Las Lagunillas, Spain
Carmelo M. Musarella
Department of AGRARIA, ‘Mediterranea’ University of Reggio Calabria, Italy
Jose C. Pinar Fuentes
Department of Animal and Plant Biology and Ecology, Botany Section, Universidad de Jaen, Campus Universitario Las Lagunillas, Spain
Carlos J. Pinto Gomes
Department of Landscape, Environment and Planning/Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Mediterranean, Portugal
Sara Del Rio Gonzalez
Department of Biodiversity and Environmental Management (Botany), Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Leon, Spain

Abstract


The study of mangrove communities (Avicennia germinans, Conocarpus erectus, Laguncularia racemosa and Rhyzophora mangle) in Central America reveals a total diversity of 121 species included in 7 plant communities, of which 15 are characteristic of mangroves and 31 of flooded areas with less pronounced salinity, while 75 are invasive species belonging to neighbouring communities. Frequent fires in the dry forest have caused intense erosion, leading to the silting of the lake basin. As a result, the first belt of Rhizophora vegetation is extremely rare. In contrast, there is a predominance of Laguncularia and Conocarpus mangrove plants, in addition to a belt of Phragmito Magnocaricetea Magnocaricetea with a high incidence of Phragmites australis, which acts as an indicator of sediment silting due to its shallowness.

Keywords


Biogeographic Region, Diversity and Conservation, Mangroves, Phytosociology.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv115%2Fi3%2F534-540