Diversidad florística del bosque mesófilo en el norte de Chiapas y su relación con México y Centroamérica

Abstract

The distribution of woody genera in the montane cloud forest in the northern highlands of Chiapas was registered and compared with other 23 localities in Mexico and Central America. A total of 312 genera in 99 families were recorded. The most diverse families were Rubiaceae (19), Leguminosae (16), Ericaceae ( 15) and Compositae ( 14). Quercus, Clelhra, Cornus, Oreopanax, and Ceslrum were present in more than 95% of the si tes, while 32 genera ( 10%) alone were registe red once. Non-metric multidimentional scaling analysis showed the presence of six groups of localities according to their diversity values and geographical position. Sierra de Manantlán, El Triunfo, Cordillera of Talamanca, and Northern highlands of Chiapas were the most diverse localities. The greater proportion of the genera (41 %) have a meridional distribution (except pantropical), 15% holarctic, 4% american-african, 9% malayan-american, 3% austral-antarctic, 14% pantropical, 5% widely distribution and 9% of the genera are considered exclusive of Mexico and/or Central America.