PARENT SESSION
Poster Session 2: Forest Ecology
Monday, August 8, 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM, Exhibit Hall 220 A-E, Level 2, Palais des congrès de Montréal
Growth of conifers and vegetation loss in a temperate forest of central Mexico.
Trigo, Nuri1, 1 Departamento el Hombre y su Ambiente, México, D.F., México
ABSTRACT- Mexico is one of the most biologically diverse countries of the world. However, there are many elements that contribute to the loss of plant species. Most critical is land use change, biomass extraction for trade and uncontrolled grazing and fires. In the case of forests, the design of restoration proposals that can revert the damage caused by these factors requires information at different scales. This research was done in a temperate forest (Campo Experimental Forestal de San Juan Tetla) located in the eastern slopes of the Iztaccihuatl volcano, in central Mexico. The main purpose was to know the production of the conifer species and their relationship with limiting environmental factors. Also, the research aimed to relate the production with indices derived from remotely sensed data (from a photographic camera with a 180 degree lens and from a satellite image). Growth models were obtained for Abies religiosa (R2 = 0.6726), Pinus ayacahuite (R2 = 0.7816), P. hartwegii (R2 = 0.8323), P. montezumae (R2 = 0.6051) and P. patula (R2 = 0.737). The models will allow to make predictions on the growth of thsese species. Volume and biomass were estimated too. A temporal analysis made using NDVI values showed that the area has reduced 20% of its photosinthetically active surface during a period of 11 years (1991 to 2002). A proposal for zonnation is made that shall allow to direct the restoration efforts in the forests of the Campo Experimental Forestal and the adjacent ejidos.
Key words: growth models, NDVI, temperate forest