PARENT SESSION
Oral Session #13: Success Criteria and Monitoring Restoration.
Presiding: D. Gluesenkamp
Monday, August 5. 1:00 PM to 3:45 PM. Mohave Meeting Room, TCC.

Restoration of tropical dune vegetation in the Port of Vercruz, Mexico.

Moreno-Casasola, Patricia^*,1, Martinez, G.¹, Castillo, G.¹, ¹ Instituto de Ecologia AC, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico

ABSTRACT- Veracruz, along the Gulf of Mexico, has extensive dune fields. There is little experience in dune stabilization and there are no nurseries where native plants can be bought for dune restoration. The expansion of the Port of Veracruz destroyed the original dunes, which had to be rebuilt in part. Two types of vegetation cover were used. One was direct planting of Panicum maximum and the other was transferring pieces of pasture soil covered with Paspalum spp. including the seedbank. Vegetation cover and composition have been monitored during the last five years using permanent quadrats. Plant cover, structure and species composition have been recorded every 6 months. Both systems were efficient in obtaining a dense vegetation cover which stabilzed the dunes. Panicum grew so dense that hardly any other plants have become established. Paspalum cover has allowed an increase in species richness and a few of the original dune plants have become established. A total of 142 species have been registered. 17 % of the species were only recorded in the original sampling and only 11 % have been present throughout the 5 years. Multivariate analysis comparing initial and final composition has shown that both sites still keep a different flora. An evaluation of these methods as a means of dune stablization and restoration of original flora are compared for use in tropical areas.

KEY WORDS: dune restoration, ,