Tree flora richness and biogeography of the State of Colima, Mexico

Abstract

AS A RESULT OF THE REVISION OF TAXONOMIC PUBLICATIONS, HERBARIA SPECIMENS (IBUG, IEB, MEXU Y ZEA), AND FIELD WORK (800 SPECIMENS COLLECTED), WE REGISTER 92 FAMILIES, 285 GENERA, AND 550 TREE SPECIES IN THE STATE OF COLIMA. THE FAMILIES WITH MORE GENERA AND SPECIES ARE FABACEAE (42 AND 115, RESPECTIVELY), EUPHORBIACEAE (19 AND 36), AND RUBIACEAE (13 AND 23). THE RICHEST GENERA ARE QUERCUS (22), BURSERA (19), FICUS (12), LONCHOCARPUS (11), AND SENNA (11). WE FOUND THAT ONLY 3 SPECIES ARE ENDEMIC OF COLIMA AND 22 SPECIES ARE SHARED ONLY WITH ANOTHER STATE (21 WITH JALISCO AND ONE WITH MICHOACAN). A TOTAL OF 43.4% SPECIES ARE ENDEMIC TO MEXICO AND 40.2% ARE WIDELY DISTRIBUTED. 56.6% OF THE SPECIES ARE LOCATED IN ONLY ONE VEGETATION TYPE. TROPICAL DECIDUOUS FOREST HAD THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE OF RESTRICTED SPECIES (37.7%) AND RICHNESS (68.8%). A TOTAL OF 33 SPECIES ARE INCLUDED IN SOME RISK CATEGORY. THE SIERRA MANANTLAN BIOSPHERE RESERVE, LOCATED IN COLIMA AND JALISCO, HARBOURS 64% OF TREE SPECIES FOUND IN OUR STUDY. SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GIVEN FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF FLORISTIC STUDIES, AND TREE FLORA CONSERVATION EFFORTS IN COLIMA.