A Honey-Sealed Alliance: Mayan Beekeepers in the Yucatan Peninsula versus Transgenic Soybeans in Mexico's Last Tropical Forest

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 728-736 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irma Gómez González
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Yucatan Peninsula ◽  
Yucatán Peninsula

scholarly journals Coexistence of jaguars (Panthera onca) and pumas (Puma concolor) in a tropical forest in south–eastern Mexico

2020 ◽  
pp. 55-66
Author(s):  
D. M. Ávila–Nájera ◽  
C. Chávez ◽  
S. Pérez–Elizalde ◽  
J. Palacios–Pérez ◽  
B. Tigar
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Use ◽  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Puma Concolor ◽  
Yucatan Peninsula ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Peak Activity ◽  
Occupancy Models ◽  
Panthera Onca ◽  
Yucatán Peninsula

The biological ranges of the jaguar (Panthera onca) and puma (Puma concolor) overlap in the Yucatan Peninsula, corresponding to the most important population of jaguars in Mexico. The goal of this study in the El Eden Ecological Reserve (EER) was to investigate the factors that permit these two predators to coexist in the dense vegetation of medium–stature tropical forest and secondary forest in the north–eastern Yucatan Peninsula. We assessed their spatial and temporal overlap using Pianka’s index, and evaluated their habitat use by applying occupancy models. A total sampling effort of 7,159 trap–nights over 4 years produced 142 independent photographic records of jaguars, and 134 of pumas. The felids showed high to very high overlap in their use of different vegetation (0.68–0.99) and trail types (0.63–0.97) and in their activity patterns (0.81–0.90). However, their peak activity patterns showed some temporal separation. Time of day, particularly for peak activity time, was the best predictor to explain the coexistence of the felids in this habitat. While occupancy models showed that the presence of potential prey species and vegetation type could predict the presence of felids in the study area. Natural disturbances during 2010 (hurricane) and 2011 (fire) drastically changed habitat use and activity patterns, resulting in pumas and jaguars adjusting their resource–use and activity pattern through a strategy of mutual evasion.

The Impact of Hurricane Gilbert on Trees, Litterfall, and Woody Debris in a Dry Tropical Forest in the Northeastern Yucatan Peninsula

Biotropica ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis F. Whigham ◽  
Ingrid Olmsted ◽  
Edgar Cabrera Cano ◽  
Mark E. Harmon
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Yucatan Peninsula ◽  
Dry Tropical Forest ◽  
Yucatán Peninsula ◽  
The Impact

Forest Types and their Implications

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Pérez-Salicrup
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Yucatan Peninsula ◽  
Monthly Precipitation ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Seasonally Dry ◽  
The North ◽  
Yucatán Peninsula ◽  
Frontier Region

The southern Yucatán peninsular region contains the largest and most rapidly disappearing continuous tract of tropical forest in Mexico (Flores and Espejel Carvajal 1994; Delfín Gonzales, Parra, and Echazarreta 1995; Acopa and Boege 1998). Vegetation in the region is a mosaic of forest types with different structural appearances (Flores and Espejel Carvajal 1994; Hernández-Xolocotzi 1959; Miranda 1958) that primarily reflect variation in environmental and edaphic conditions (Ibarra-Manríquez 1996). However, the structure and tree composition of forests in the region, as elsewhere in the central Maya lowlands, has been and remains strongly influenced by human activity (Ch. 2). In spite of the abundance of botanical work throughout the Yucatán peninsula, little attention has been devoted to characterizing the forests in this frontier region quantitatively, and the variation and distribution of forests remain poorly documented. Yet, it is precisely this kind of documentation that is required for integrated land studies of the kind that the SYPR project is undertaking (Turner et al. 2001). Since the third decade of the twentieth century, botanical interest has focused on the flora of the Yucatán Peninsula, especially that located in the historically more accessible portion of the peninsula (Ibarra-Manríquez 1996). Early twentieth-century studies (Lundell 1938; Standley 1930) led to a broad classification of the primary vegetation as deciduous tropical forests (Miranda 1958), or evergreen tropical forests (Rzedowski 1981), controlled in distribution by the northwest to southeast precipitation gradient, distinctive dry season, and karstic terrain (Ch. 2). Today, the entire region is appropriately labeled a seasonally dry tropical forest (Bullock, Mooney, and Medina 1995). During the rainy season (May–October) most species have their canopies fully displayed and light is a limiting factor in the forest understory (Martínez-Ramos 1985, 1994). For the remainder of the year, monthly precipitation usually does not exceed 100mm. During the lowest rainfall months (February–April), water may become limiting and considerable defoliation takes place, especially in the north and west. Other factors controlling forest structure and composition include topography, twentieth-century land-use history, and hurricanes (Brokaw and Walker 1991; Cooper-Ellis et al. 1999).

scholarly journals Using satellite estimates of aboveground biomass to assess carbon stocks in a mixed-management, semi-deciduous tropical forest in the Yucatan Peninsula

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Stephanie P. George-Chacón ◽  
David T. Milodowski ◽  
Juan Manuel Dupuy ◽  
Jean-François Mas ◽  
Mathew Williams ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Yucatan Peninsula ◽  
Carbon Stocks ◽  
Yucatán Peninsula

scholarly journals Diversity, structure and regeneration of the seasonally dry tropical forest of Yucatán Península, Mexico.

2015 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 603 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angélica María Hernández-Ramírez ◽  
Socorro García-Méndez
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Yucatan Peninsula ◽  
Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest ◽  
Dry Tropical Forest ◽  
La Selva ◽  
Seasonally Dry ◽  
Yucatán Peninsula ◽  
Diversity Structure

Las selvas tropicales estacionalmente secas son consideradas como uno de los ecosistemas más amenazados en las tierras bajas de la región tropical. El objetivo de este estudio fue caracterizar la composición florística, riqueza, diversidad, estructura y regeneración de una selva tropical estacionalmente seca constituida por selva mediana, vegetación secundaria y selva baja inundable localizada en el noroeste de la Península de Yucatán, México. Se utilizó el protocolo de muestreo estandarizado propuesto por Gentry (0.1 ha por tipo de vegetación en 2007) con la finalidad de comprar los resultados obtenidos en este estudio con respecto a otras selvas estacionalmente secas en Mesoamérica. Se registraron un total de 77 especies pertenecientes a 32 familias de plantas. Fabaceae y Euphorbiaceae fueron las familias con el mayor número de especies observadas en los tres tipos de vegetación estudiados. Se observó un alto recambio de especies a nivel del paisaje (Índice de Similitud de Sorensen; 0.19-0.40). Las especies no-regenerativas fueron dominantes (50-51 %), seguida de las especies regenerativas (30-28 %) y colonizadoras (14-21 %) en los tres tipos de vegetación estudiados. Zoocoria fue el modo de dispersión comúnmente observado en el área de estudio. El 88 % de las especies observadas en el área de estudio se distribuyen en Centro América. La selva del noroeste de la Península de Yucatán compartió diversos atributos florísticos a los observados en otras selvas estacionalmente secas de Meosoamérica. Las características estructurales de la vegetación (número de individuos y área basal), así como el número de especies de lianas registradas en este estudio se asociaron a los eventos de alteración natural ocurridos recientemente en el área de estudio. Los resultados obtenidos en este estudio sugieren que la selva del noroeste de la Península de Yucatán ha sido resiliente a los eventos de alteración natural (huracanes), lo que le ha permitido mantener los valores de riqueza específica dentro del rango considerado como común para las selvas estacionalmente secas de Mesoamérica. Sin embargo, la recuperación y regeneración de la vegetación a largo plazo depende de los animales dispersores de semillas. Este estudio enfatiza en la importancia de establecer una red de áreas naturales protegidas con la finalidad de conservar tanto a la diversidad a como a la diversidad b en las selvas estacionalmente secas de Mesoamérica.

scholarly journals Synergy of Landsat, climate and LiDAR data for aboveground biomass mapping in medium-stature tropical forests of the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-400
Author(s):  
Alma D. Ortiz-Reyes ◽  
◽  
José R. Valdez-Lazalde ◽  
Gregorio Ángeles-Pérez ◽  
Héctor M. de los Santos-Posadas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Tropical Forests ◽  
Aboveground Biomass ◽  
Mean Squared Error ◽  
Yucatan Peninsula ◽  
Data Uncertainty ◽  
Landsat Images ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Yucatán Peninsula ◽  
Combined Use

Introduction: Tropical forests represent complex and dynamic ecosystems that cover extensive areas, hence the importance of determining biomass content and representing spatial variability. Objective: Estimating and mapping aboveground biomass and its associated uncertainty for medium-stature semi-evergreen (SMSP) and semi-deciduous (SMSC) tropical forests of the Yucatan Peninsula. Materials and methods: Aboveground biomass was estimated as a function of explanatory variables taken from Landsat images and climatic variables, using the random Forest algorithm. Aboveground biomass was mapped from previous biomass estimates for stripes of the territory with the presence of LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) and field data. Uncertainty at the pixel level was estimated as the coefficient of variation. Results and discussion: A combination of climatic and spectral variables showed acceptable capacity to estimate biomass in the medium-stature semi-evergreen and semi-deciduous tropical forest with an explained variance of 50 % and RMSE (root mean squared error) of 34.2 Mg·ha -1 and 26.2 Mg·ha -1 , respectively, prevailing climate variables. SMSP biomass ranged from 4.0 to 185.7 Mg·ha -1 and SMSC ranged from 11.7 to 117 Mg·ha -1 . The lowest values of uncertainty were recorded for the medium-stature semi-evergreen tropical forest, being higher in areas with lower amounts of aboveground biomass. Conclusion: Aboveground biomass was estimated and mapped by the combined use of auxiliary variables with an acceptable accuracy, against uncertainty of predictions, which represents an opportunity for future improvement.

scholarly journals Effect of Climatic Conditions and Land Cover on Genetic Structure and Diversity of Eunica tatila (Lepidoptera) in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Diversity ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Cavanzón-Medrano ◽  
Salima Machkour-M’Rabet ◽  
Landy Chablé-Iuit ◽  
Carmen Pozo ◽  
Yann Hénaut ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Population Structure ◽  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Yucatan Peninsula ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Habitat Characteristics ◽  
Fragmented Landscape ◽  
Model Species ◽  
Yucatán Peninsula ◽  
The Impact

Fragmentation is the third cause of the biodiversity declination. Population genetic studies using Lepidoptera as the model species in the context of loss of habitat are scarce, particularly for tropical areas. We chose a widespread butterfly from Mexico as the model species to explore how changes of habitat characteristics (undisturbed forest, anthropogenic disturbances, and coastal areas), and climatic conditions affect genetic diversity and population structure. The Nymphalidae Eunica tatila is a common species in the Yucatan Peninsula considered to be a bio-indicator of undisturbed tropical forest, with migratory potential and a possible sex-biased dispersal. We genotyped 323 individuals collected in eight undisturbed areas, using four Inter Simple Sequence Repeats primers. Results show a high genetic diversity and no population structure. Temperature and shrub density present a positive and significant relationship with polymorphism values. Furthermore, our results show the positive effect of surrounding forest habitat on genetic diversity, confirming that E. tatila is a bio-indicator of undisturbed tropical forest. We found evidence of sex-biased dispersal. This paper represents one of the few studies on population genetics of tropical butterfly in a fragmented landscape and is, therefore, an important step in understanding the impact of habitat fragmentation on the risk of a butterflies’ decline.

scholarly journals Tropical Subterranean Ecosystems in Mexico, Guatemala and Belize: A Review of Aquatic Biodiversity and Their Ecological Aspects

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis M. Mejía-Ortíz ◽  
Peter Sprouse ◽  
Juan C. Tejeda-Mazariegos ◽  
Jair Valladarez ◽  
Oscar Frausto-Martínez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tropical Forest ◽  
Yucatan Peninsula ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Freshwater Fishes ◽  
Aquatic Biodiversity ◽  
Freshwater Systems ◽  
Yucatán Peninsula ◽  
Ecological Aspects ◽  
Tropical Areas

The subterranean ecosystems in tropical areas of Mexico, North of Guatemala & Belize are very abundant because the karstic soil that allow these formations are the main composition in the Yucatán Peninsula and several mountains systems in these countries; also, they have a strong relationship with tropical forest adjacent where the main energy into the caves have an alloctonous origin. In these three countries there are three different cave conditions: a) freshwater semi-dry caves, b) flooded freshwater systems and c) anchialine systems. Mainly crustaceans and freshwater fishes are the major representative group in the aquatic diversity in these systems because the anchialine members are restricted to Yucatán Peninsula and Islands adjacent. Around 5000 entries to subterranean world there are among these countries, where the Yucatan Peninsula is the area with major caves or cenotes in comparison with southern of Mexico, North of Guatemala and Belize. Into these systems are possible found crustaceans and fishes from different families. The objective of this paper is present a review of these systems according with each karstic areas and show the current map including the location of each systems; as well their subterranean aquatic biodiversity and, finally discuss the relationships among these different areas using their biological aquatic richness in consideration with ecological subterranean conditions.

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