16.6 Conclusions
Only chronosequence studies are available for the region, yet floristic replacement delineates major successional trends toward a closely related set of old-growth forest types within a range of altitudinal, climatic and edaphic conditions. Species richness, basal area, and accumulated litter increase with successional age, yet canopy cover peaks at both ESF and old-growth stages. Oscillations of air temperature and relative humidity decrease as stands become older. Traditional land use involving long-term, sparse, and differential use of pines and broad-leaved trees may drive succession toward species-poor pinelands at mesic sites where Quercus-dominated forests should prevail. Land use associated to a rapidly increasing human population strongly affects secondary succession processes; our understanding of these processes is of utmost importance for their sustainable use.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Barrón-Sevilla JA (2002) Efecto del disturbio antropogénico sobre la estructura y riqueza arbórea en bosques de pino-encino de Los Altos de Chiapas, México. MSc Thesis, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico
Breedlove DE (1981) Flora of Chiapas, part 1. Introduction to the flora of Chiapas. California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco
Breedlove DE (1986) Listados florísticos de México. IV. Flora de Chiapas. Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City
Camacho-Cruz A, González-Espinosa M, Wolf JHD, de Jong BHJ (2000) Germination and survival of tree species in disturbed forests of the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Can J Bot 78:1309–1318
Cayuela L, González M, Rey JM, Ramírez N, Martínez M (2005) Imágenes de satélite revelan cómo desaparece el bosque en Chiapas. Quercus 232:60–61
Córdova J, del Castillo RF (2001) Changes in epiphyte cover in three chronosequences in a tropical montane cloud forest in Mexico. Diss Bot 346:79–94
Galindo-Jaimes L, González-Espinosa M, Quintana-Ascencio P, García-Barrios L (2002) Tree composition and structure in disturbed stands with varying dominance by Pinus spp. in the highlands of Chiapas, México. Plant Ecol 162:259–272
García-Barrios L, González-Espinosa M (2004) Change in oak to pine dominance in secondary forests may reduce shifting agriculture yields: experimental evidence from Chiapas, Mexico. Agric Ecosys Environ 102:389–401
González-Espinosa M, Quintana-Ascencio PF, Ramírez-Marcial N, Gaytán-Guzmán P (1991) Secondary succession in disturbed Pinus-Quercus forests of the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. J Veg Sci 2:351–360
González-Espinosa M, Ochoa-Gaona S, Ramírez-Marcial N, Quintana-Ascencio PF (1995) Current land-use trends and conservation of old-growth forest habitats in the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. In: Wilson MH, Sader SA (eds) Conservation of Neotropical migratory birds in Mexico. Maine Agric For Exp Sta, Orono, Maine, Misc Publ 727, pp 190–198
González-Espinosa M, Rey-Benayas JM, Ramírez-Marcial N, Huston MA, Golicher D (2004) Tree diversity in the northern Neotropics: regional patterns in highly diverse Chiapas, Mexico. Ecography 27:741–756
González-Espinosa M, Ramírez-Marcial N, Méndez-Dewar G, Galindo-Jaimes L, Golicher D (2005) Riqueza de especies de árboles en Chiapas: variación espacial y dimensiones ambientales asociadas al nivel regional. In: González-Espinosa M, Ramírez-Marcial N, Ruiz-Montoya L (eds) Diversidad biológica de Chiapas. Plaza y Valdés, Mexico City, pp 81–125
Holder CD (2004) Changes in structure and cover of a common property pine forest in Guatemala, 1954–1996. Environ Conserv 31:22–29
Hong S-K, Nakagoshi N, Kamada M (1995) Human impacts on pine-dominated vegetation in rural landscapes in Korea and western Japan. Vegetatio 116:161–172
Kappelle M, Brown AD (eds) Bosques nublados del neotrópico. Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad (INBio), Santo Domingo de Heredia, Costa Rica
Kappelle M, Geuze T, Leal ME, Cleef AM (1996) Successional age and forest structure in a Costa Rican upper montane Quercus forest. J Trop Ecol 12:681–698
López-Barrera F (2003) Edge effects in a forest mosaic: implications for oak regeneration in the highlands of Chiapas, México. PhD Thesis, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh
Miranda F (1952) La vegetación de Chiapas, vol 1. Gob Estado, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas
Miranda F, Hernández-X E (1963) Los tipos de vegetación de México y su clasificación. Bol Soc Bot Méx 28:133–176
Montes-Avelar CA (2001) Patrones de diversidad florística en el paisaje agrícola de Los Altos de Chiapas, México. BSc Thesis, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City
Ochoa-Gaona S, González-Espinosa M (2000) Land-use and deforestation in the high-lands of Chiapas, Mexico. Appl Geogr 20:17–42
Palacio-Prieto JL, Bocco G, Velázquez A, Mas J-F, Takaki-Takaki F, Victoria A, Luna-González L, Gómez-Rodríguez G, López-García J, Palma-Muñoz M, Trejo-Vázquez I, Peralta-Higuera A, Prado-Molina J, Rodríguez-Aguilar A, Mayorga-Saucedo R, González-Medrano F (2000) La condición actual de los recursos forestales en México: resultados del Inventario Forestal Nacional 2000. Inv Geogr 43:83–203
Quintana-Ascencio PF, González-Espinosa M (1993) Afinidad fitogeográfica y papel sucesional de la flora leñosa de los bosques de pino-encino de Los Altos de Chiapas, México. Acta Bot Mex 21:43–57
Quintana-Ascencio PF, González-Espinosa M, Ramírez-Marcial N (1992) Acorn removal, seedling survivorship, and seedling growth of Quercus crisipipilis in successional forests of the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico. Bull Torrey Bot Club 119:6–18
Quintana-Ascencio PF, Ramírez-Marcial N, González-Espinosa M, Martínez-Icó (2004) Sapling survival and growth of coniferous and broad-leaved trees in successional highland habitats in Mexico. Appl Veg Sci 7:81–88
Ramírez-Marcial N (2003) Survival and growth of tree seedlings in anthropogenically disturbed Mexican montane rain forests. J Veg Sci 14:881–890
Ramírez-Marcial N, González-Espinosa M, García-Moya E (1996) Establecimiento de Pinus spp. y Quercus spp. en matorrales y pastizales de Los Altos de Chiapas, México. Agrociencia 30:249–257
Ramírez-Marcial N, González-Espinosa M, Williams-Linera G (2001) Anthropogenic disturbance and tree diversity in montane rain forests in Chiapas, Mexico. For Ecol Manage 154:311–326
Ramírez-Marcial N, Camacho-Cruz A, González-Espinosa M (2005) Potencial florístico para la restauración de bosques en Los Altos y Montañas del Norte de Chiapas. In: González-Espinosa M, Ramírez-Marcial N, Ruiz-Montoya L (eds) Diversidad biológica de Chiapas. Plaza y Valdés, Mexico City, pp 325–369
Richardson DM, Rejmánek M (2004) Conifers as invasive aliens: a global survey and predictive framework. Diversity Distrib 10:321–331
Román-Cuesta, RM, Gracia M, Retana J (2003) Environmental and human factors influencing fire trends in ENSO and non-ENSO years in tropical Mexico. Ecol Appl 13:1177–1192
Romero-Nájera I (2000) Estructura y condiciones microambientales en bosques perturbados de Los Altos de Chiapas, México. BSc Thesis, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City
Steyermark JA (1950) Flora of Guatemala. Ecology 31:368–372
Vetaas OR (1997) The effect of canopy disturbance on species richness in a central Himalayan oak forest. Plant Ecol 132:29–38
Wagner PL (1963) Natural and artificial zonation in a vegetation cover: Chiapas, Mexico. Geogr Rev 52:253–274
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2006 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
González-Espinosa, M., Ramírez-Marcial, N., Galindo-Jaimes, L. (2006). Secondary Succession in Montane Pine-Oak Forests of Chiapas, Mexico. In: Kappelle, M. (eds) Ecology and Conservation of Neotropical Montane Oak Forests. Ecological Studies, vol 185. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-28909-7_16
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-28909-7_16
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-28908-1
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-28909-8
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)