Density, population structure, reproduction and survival of four useful plat species in the Tehuacán Valley, Mexico

Abstract

THIS WORK ANALYZES DENSITY, POPULATION STRUCTURE, INDIVIDUAL REPRODUCTION AND SURVIVAL OF 4 USEFUL PLANT SPECIES, IN ORDER TO DETERMINE THE CURRENT STATUS OF THEIR POPULATIONS AND THEIR REGENERATION CAPACITY. THE RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF SEXUAL REPRODUCTION AND VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION IN THE RECRUITMENT OF 2 OF THESE SPECIES WAS ALSO ANALYZED. POPULATIONS OF ALL SPECIES ARE COMPOSED OF MEDIUM SIZE PLANTS AND THEIR DENSITY IS VARIABLE. SMALL AND LARGE PLANTS ARE SCARCE. FOR ALL SPECIES FRUIT PRODUCTION VARIED BETWEEN POPULATIONS, ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE NUMBER OF SEEDS PER FRUIT AND PROPORTION OF GERMINATED SEEDS. SEEDLING SURVIVAL WAS LOW AND AFFECTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION WAS THE MOST COMMON MECHANISM FOR THE RECRUITMENT OF THOSE SPECIES WITH THIS TYPE OF REPRODUCTION. THE POTENTIAL PHYSICAL, BIOLOGICAL, AND HUMAN FACTORS THAT MIGHT LIMIT THE POPULATION REGENERATION CAPACITY, AS WELL AS THEIR EFFECTS ON THE USE OF THESE PLANTS ARE DISCUSSED.