Diversity of the Pteridoflora of Montane Northwestern Mexico

This study compiles and updates the checklist of ferns and lycophytes from the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMOc). For this, we revised information on these taxa from regional floristic studies, databases, and herbaria. Our updated list includes 312 species, of which 276 are ferns and 36 are lycophytes...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diversity (Basel) 2023-02, Vol.15 (3), p.324
Main Authors: Tejero-Díez, J. Daniel, Contreras-Medina, Raúl, Torres-Díaz, Alin N, González-Elizondo, M. Socorro, Sánchez-González, Arturo, Luna-Vega, Isolda
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biodiversity
Biogeography
Biological diversity
Cold
distribution
Environmental aspects
Ferns
floristics
Flowers & plants
Forests
Humidity
lycophytes
Mountains
Pteridophytes
Quercus
Regions
Sierra Madre Occidental
Species richness
Statistics
Taxonomy
Transition zone
Vegetation
Volcanic belts
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Summary:This study compiles and updates the checklist of ferns and lycophytes from the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMOc). For this, we revised information on these taxa from regional floristic studies, databases, and herbaria. Our updated list includes 312 species, of which 276 are ferns and 36 are lycophytes integrated into 27 families and 75 genera. The richest families are Pteridaceae (118), Polypodiaceae (31), Selaginellaceae (30), Aspleniaceae (25), and Dryopteridaceae (25). The three most diverse genera were Selaginella (30), Asplenium (25), and Myriopteris (22). The species-rich Mexican states that include the SMOc are Durango (166 species), Chihuahua (149), and Jalisco (146). As in other tropical mountains, species richness in the SMOc is concentrated at the elevation interval of 1500 to 2000 m (236 species). The mid-mountain vegetation forests (Quercus and Pinus-Quercus forests) harbor the most pteridoflora richness (52% of the species). Four species of ferns are listed as threatened in the Mexican Official Norm NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010, 17 species are listed in the IUCN, and only one tree ferns are in CITES. The SMOc has a Nearctic affinity, and its fern and lycophyte diversity are lower than in other Mexican Transition Zone mountain chains, such as the Sierra Madre del Sur, the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt, and the Sierra Madre Oriental. Notwithstanding, its biological composition is unique and distinctive. The species number reported in the SMOc represents 31% of the pteridoflora diversity recorded in Mexico.
ISSN:1424-2818
1424-2818
DOI:10.3390/d15030324