Plant diversity in a forest under timber production during rainy and dry seasons
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29298/rmcf.v17i96.1656Keywords:
trees, shrubs, seasonality, herbs, Shannon-Wiener, silvicultureAbstract
Knowledge of diversity is key for sustainable forest management. The aim of this study was to analyze plant diversity in a forest under timber production during the dry and rainy seasons in the Sierra Norte de Puebla, Mexico. Field data came from 23 0.1 ha-sampling units with nested subplots for measurement of vegetation attributes, in five silvicultural treatments, during the rainy season (2023, 2024) and the dry season of 2024. Alpha diversity was assessed using the Shannon-Wiener index, and beta diversity was analyzed using the Jaccard index. Understory vegetation included 72 species, with higher richness and diversity during both rainy seasons. Regeneration and release cuttings showed higher values of herbs and shrub diversity. Tree layer included 11 species with Pinus patula and Abies religiosa dominance showed higher diversity values in thinning and selection cuttings, and lower richness and diversity in regeneration cuttings. Floristic similarity between silvicultural treatments ranged from 0.3 to 0.7, with minimal variation among seasons. Results show that silvicultural treatments shape plant diversity, while the rainy season favors increases in plant diversity and richness relative to the dry season. The study confirms the importance of silvicultural systems in the conservation of plant diversity in managed forests.
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