AFINIDADES FITOGEOGRÁFICAS DEL BOSQUE MESÓFILO DE MONTAÑA DE LA ZONA DE PLUMA HIDALGO, OAXACA, MÉXICO

Abstract

A generic-level phytogeographical study of the
cloud forest of the Pluma Hidalgo region, an
important area for biodiversity in the Sierra
Madre del Sur of Oaxaca is presented. The
geographical and floristic affinities of this
region with other Mexican cloud forests from
different phytogeographical provinces were
analyzed at the generic level using Sörensen's
similarity index.
In terms of genera, the neotropical element was
found to be the most important (34.4 %)
followed by the pantropical (24.8 %). If the
element of wide distribution (15.2 %) is
excluded, the elements following in importance
are: the American (including plants distributed
outside the neotropics, 7.2 %), the AmericanAsiatic (4.8 %), the holartic (4 %), the Mexican
(4 %), the American-African (3.2 %) and
finally, those with other distribution patterns
(2.4 %).
With respect to the floristic similarities of this
cloud forest with others found in Mexico, the
results are surprising, since the Pluma Hidalgo
region was found to be more similar to the
closer cloud forests of Teocelo, Veracruz, than
to the La Chinantla, Oaxaca, or to that found in
the Sierra Madre del Sur of the state of
Guerrero. Perhaps these relationships are a
result of the climatic changes that took place
during the Tertiary and the Pleistocene.