Seed bank and established vegetation in the last remnants of the Mexican Central Plateau wetlands: the Lerma marshes

Seed banks play a central role in vegetation dynamics of many wetlands. Therefore, knowledge of seed reservoirs in the soils of aquatic communities should provide useful tools for conservation and restoration efforts. This study was conducted in the Lerma marshes, one of the last remnants of the vas...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Authors: Carmen Zepeda G., Antonio Lot, Xanat Antonio Nemiga, Javier Manjarrez
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2014
Country:México
Institution:Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
Repository:Redalyc-UNAM
OAI Identifier:oai:redalyc.org:44931383004
Online Access:https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44931383004
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Biología
flora
Mexico
Key words
id MX_f8462843ef2fe4e47d4635a79f6f6bf8
oai_identifier_str oai:redalyc.org:44931383004
network_acronym_str MX
network_name_str México
repository_id_str
spelling Seed bank and established vegetation in the last remnants of the Mexican Central Plateau wetlands: the Lerma marshesCarmen Zepeda G.Antonio LotXanat Antonio NemigaJavier ManjarrezBiologíaflorafloraMexicoMexicoKey wordsSeed banks play a central role in vegetation dynamics of many wetlands. Therefore, knowledge of seed reservoirs in the soils of aquatic communities should provide useful tools for conservation and restoration efforts. This study was conducted in the Lerma marshes, one of the last remnants of the vast wetlands that were once in the Mexican Central Plateau. The main objective was to determine the composition and abundance of seed bank and its relationship with established vegetation of the three Lerma marshes. In each marsh, we systematically selected 18 to 40 sampling sites. In each site, the composition of vascular plant vegetation was evaluated in two 10m lines perpendicular to the shore. Every 0.5m, we determined the coverage of species by measuring the intercepted length for each plant or group of plants. At each sampling site where we had evaluated the established vegetation, we collected a sample of the top 10cm of sediment; the soil cores were divided into an upper layer (0-5cm) and a lower layer (5-10cm). These samples were used to evaluate the seed bank by the seedling emergence method. All samples were placed in a greenhouse at 20-25ºC and remained flooded for 15 weeks. Forty-nine species were recorded in the vegetation. Chiconahuapan had the richest and most diverse flora and the greatest number of perennial species. A life-forms analysis showed that perennial herbs, especially rooted-emergent hydrophytes, dominated in the three wetlands. Sixty-one species were identified in the total seed bank; Chimaliapan had the most diverse total seed bank, whereas the mean seedling density was higher in Chignahuapan. Only two species of the total seed bank of each marsh had a density greater than 10% of the total, and more than half were uncommon. The upper layer of sediment (0-5cm) contained two times more seeds/m 2 and species per sample than the lower layer (5-10cm), and there was a significant decrease of seed density with depth. The detrended correspondence analysis produced a clear separation between the composition of the seed banks and established vegetation. In general, in each marsh there was less species diversity in the established vegetation than in the seed bank. Dominance by a few spe - cies in the seed bank, the presence of opportunistic species, and the low representation of established species in the seed bank suggest wetland degradation and a low probability of regenerating the natural communities from the seed bank. To ensure the permanence of these marshes, their biodiversity, and therefore the environmental services they provide, up to date planning is a must, and efforts to control and monitor hydrology, water qual - ity, and the influence of human activities are suggested. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (2): 455-472. Epub 2014 June 01.Universidad de Costa Rica2014info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleapplication/pdf0034-7744https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44931383004Revista de Biología Tropical (Costa Rica) Num.2 Vol.62reponame:Redalyc-UNAMinstname:Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Méxicoinstacron:UNAMenhttp://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=449Revista de Biología Tropicalinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:redalyc.org:449313830042025-09-03T18:05:50Z
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Seed bank and established vegetation in the last remnants of the Mexican Central Plateau wetlands: the Lerma marshes
title Seed bank and established vegetation in the last remnants of the Mexican Central Plateau wetlands: the Lerma marshes
spellingShingle Seed bank and established vegetation in the last remnants of the Mexican Central Plateau wetlands: the Lerma marshes
Carmen Zepeda G.
Biología
flora
flora
Mexico
Mexico
Key words
title_short Seed bank and established vegetation in the last remnants of the Mexican Central Plateau wetlands: the Lerma marshes
title_full Seed bank and established vegetation in the last remnants of the Mexican Central Plateau wetlands: the Lerma marshes
title_fullStr Seed bank and established vegetation in the last remnants of the Mexican Central Plateau wetlands: the Lerma marshes
title_full_unstemmed Seed bank and established vegetation in the last remnants of the Mexican Central Plateau wetlands: the Lerma marshes
title_sort Seed bank and established vegetation in the last remnants of the Mexican Central Plateau wetlands: the Lerma marshes
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Carmen Zepeda G.
Antonio Lot
Xanat Antonio Nemiga
Javier Manjarrez
author Carmen Zepeda G.
author_facet Carmen Zepeda G.
Antonio Lot
Xanat Antonio Nemiga
Javier Manjarrez
author_role author
author2 Antonio Lot
Xanat Antonio Nemiga
Javier Manjarrez
author2_role author
author
author
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Biología
flora
flora
Mexico
Mexico
Key words
topic Biología
flora
flora
Mexico
Mexico
Key words
description Seed banks play a central role in vegetation dynamics of many wetlands. Therefore, knowledge of seed reservoirs in the soils of aquatic communities should provide useful tools for conservation and restoration efforts. This study was conducted in the Lerma marshes, one of the last remnants of the vast wetlands that were once in the Mexican Central Plateau. The main objective was to determine the composition and abundance of seed bank and its relationship with established vegetation of the three Lerma marshes. In each marsh, we systematically selected 18 to 40 sampling sites. In each site, the composition of vascular plant vegetation was evaluated in two 10m lines perpendicular to the shore. Every 0.5m, we determined the coverage of species by measuring the intercepted length for each plant or group of plants. At each sampling site where we had evaluated the established vegetation, we collected a sample of the top 10cm of sediment; the soil cores were divided into an upper layer (0-5cm) and a lower layer (5-10cm). These samples were used to evaluate the seed bank by the seedling emergence method. All samples were placed in a greenhouse at 20-25ºC and remained flooded for 15 weeks. Forty-nine species were recorded in the vegetation. Chiconahuapan had the richest and most diverse flora and the greatest number of perennial species. A life-forms analysis showed that perennial herbs, especially rooted-emergent hydrophytes, dominated in the three wetlands. Sixty-one species were identified in the total seed bank; Chimaliapan had the most diverse total seed bank, whereas the mean seedling density was higher in Chignahuapan. Only two species of the total seed bank of each marsh had a density greater than 10% of the total, and more than half were uncommon. The upper layer of sediment (0-5cm) contained two times more seeds/m 2 and species per sample than the lower layer (5-10cm), and there was a significant decrease of seed density with depth. The detrended correspondence analysis produced a clear separation between the composition of the seed banks and established vegetation. In general, in each marsh there was less species diversity in the established vegetation than in the seed bank. Dominance by a few spe - cies in the seed bank, the presence of opportunistic species, and the low representation of established species in the seed bank suggest wetland degradation and a low probability of regenerating the natural communities from the seed bank. To ensure the permanence of these marshes, their biodiversity, and therefore the environmental services they provide, up to date planning is a must, and efforts to control and monitor hydrology, water qual - ity, and the influence of human activities are suggested. Rev. Biol. Trop. 62 (2): 455-472. Epub 2014 June 01.
publishDate 2014
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2014
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
info:eu-repo/semantics/article
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 0034-7744
https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44931383004
identifier_str_mv 0034-7744
url https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=44931383004
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv en
language_invalid_str_mv en
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv http://www.redalyc.org/revista.oa?id=449
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv Revista de Biología Tropical
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv Revista de Biología Tropical
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.format.none.fl_str_mv application/pdf
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv Universidad de Costa Rica
publisher.none.fl_str_mv Universidad de Costa Rica
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv Revista de Biología Tropical (Costa Rica) Num.2 Vol.62
reponame:Redalyc-UNAM
instname:Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
instacron:UNAM
instname_str Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
instacron_str UNAM
institution UNAM
reponame_str Redalyc-UNAM
collection Redalyc-UNAM
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
_version_ 1858177732371808256
score 14,964248

Similar Items