Forest Structure and Projections of Avicennia germinans (L.) L. at Three Levels of Perturbation in a Southwestern Gulf of Mexico Mangrove

Forests

Jordán-Garza Adán Guillermo¹  Basáñez-Muñoz Agustín de Jesús²  Serrano Arturo³ 

[1] Coral Reefs Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Cuerpo Académico Ecosistemas Costeros, Universidad Veracruzana, Tuxpan 92870, Mexico;Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Cuerpo Académico Manejo de Ambientes Marinos y Costeros, Universidad Veracruzana, Tuxpan 92870, Mexico;Observatorio Marino y Costero, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad Veracruzana, Tuxpan 92870, Mexico;

关键词: mangrove;    Gulf of México;    population;    Leslie matrix;   

DOI  :  10.3390/f12080989

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Mangrove forests have declined worldwide and understanding the key drivers of regeneration at different perturbation levels can help manage and preserve these critical ecosystems. For example, the Ramsar site # 1602, located at the Tampamachoco lagoon, Veracruz, México, consists of a dense forest of medium-sized trees composed of three mangrove species. Due to several human activities, including the construction of a power plant around the 1990s, an area of approximately 2.3 km² has suffered differential levels of perturbation: complete mortality, partial tree loss (divided into two sections: main and isolated patch), and apparently undisturbed sites. The number and size of trees, from seedlings to adults, were measured using transects and quadrats. With a matrix of the abundance of trees by size categories and species, an ordination (nMDS) showed three distinct groups corresponding to the degree of perturbation. Projection matrices based on the size structure of Avicennia germinans showed transition probabilities that varied according to perturbation levels. Lambda showed growing populations except on the zone that showed partial tree loss; a relatively high abundance of seedlings is not enough to ensure stable mangrove dynamics or start regeneration; and the survival of young trees and adult trees showed high sensitivity.

【 授权许可】

Unknown