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The aim of this research is to identify the patterns of use and knowledge of plant species growing in selected tropical homegardens in southern Morelos, Mexico. The method consisted of obtaining informed consent, interviews with homegarden managers, recording socioeconomic data, visits to the interior of each selected homegarden, and personal observations. Data were analyzed through multivariate analyses. The results included a floristic composition (132 species) and eight types of use. Grouping of homegardens by type of use differentiated two main groups: homegardens where principal use is for food plants, and others mainly for ornamental plants. Were found significant differences between homegardens by the number of species and type of use. The grouping of species by number of uses revealed two groups; the patterns of use of plants in homegardens differed according to the user's preferences; multiuse species were appreciated in group two, which dominated the ornamentals. It was found a significant correlation between age and number of plants known for the owners of the homegardens; while occupation, schooling, and income had no correlation. In conclusion, we rejected the hypothesis of nullity due to differences between richness and the preference of species, the management of homegardens, and by the null influence of the socioeconomic factors studied, with the exception of the age owners and their knowledge of the species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Diseases, such as cancer, peptic ulcers, and diabetes, as well as those caused by drug-resistant infectious agents are examples of some of the world's major public health problems. Amphipterygium adstringens (Schltdl.) Schiede ex Standl is an endemic tree to Mexico. Its stem bark has been used medicinally since pre-Hispanic times, but in recent decades it has been scientifically proven that it has properties that help counteract some diseases; extracts with organic solvents of the plant are outstanding for their anticancer, gastroprotective, and antimicrobial properties; terpenes and long-chain phenols have been identified as the main active compounds. Currently, overharvesting is causing a sharp reduction in natural populations due to an increase in demand for the stem bark by people seeking to improve their health and by national and transnational companies seeking to market it. Because of the growing interest of the world population and the scientific community, we reviewed recent studies on the bioactive properties of A. adstringens. Through the orderly and critical compendium of the current knowledge of A. adstringens, we provide a reference for future studies aimed at the rational use and protection of this valuable endemic natural resource. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioengineering is a technical option which uses selected biological elements to retain soil and rehabilitate areas with gullies. With this aim, bioengineering practices were implemented to recover areas affected by gully erosion in a micro-watershed located in the Mixteca, an important region in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The restoration plan was to rehabilitate an old stone check dam located in the lower part of the watershed and the establishment of live barriers with Erytrina americana Miller, upstream in the main gullies contributing to the drainage system. To assess the morphometry of the micro-watershed, a digital elevation model was generated by a drone. To assess the efficiency of rehabilitation practices, the volume of sediments retained by the structures was quantified by topographic surveys. Results show that the live barriers combined with the check dam retained as sediments weight 1,304.99 Mg. As the micro-watershed area is 37.06 hectares, without bioengineering structures, the specific degradation would have reached 35.27 Mg ha−1y−1. Thus, sediments retention obtained with the bioengineering system has proven to be efficient in decreasing waterflow speed and initiating the rehabilitation of gullied lands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Etnobiología is the property of Etnobiologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Agrociencia is the property of Colegio de Postgraduados and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad is the property of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Mexicana de Biodiversidad is the property of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Instituto de Biologia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The relationship between 27 mechanical parameters and density, shrinkage coefficients, moisture content, anisotropy ratio, and the fiber saturation point (FSP) in small specimens of Quercus crassifolia Humb. & Bonpl. and Q. laurina Humb. & Bonpl. wood, from Oaxaca, Mexico, is described. Wood from both oaks displayed low dimensional stability, while mechanical testing results revealed a strong material in most forms of stress, as well as a high impact-resistance wood. Wood mechanical properties in dry and green state were positively correlated with density, shrinkage coefficients, and FSP. Density was generally the single best predictor for mechanical strength, although the modulus of elasticity was a better predictor of the modulus of rupture in the bending tests. Univariate models to predict mechanical properties using the best regressor of the physical properties gave R values from 0.104 (p = 0.015) to 0.494 (p < 0.001), whereas multivariate regression significantly increased the predictive power of the models, with R values from 0.190 (p = 0.004) to 0.646 (p < 0.001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Chapingo Serie Ciencias Forestales is the property of Universidad Autonoma Chapingo and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• -Anthropogenic disturbance drives the long-term population decline of a dominant dry forest tree. • -Higher rainfall appears to have a bigger positive impact on population growth in a disturbed than a protected site. • -The interactive effects between rainfall and forest status (disturbed or protected) differentially affect the vital rates of A. adstringens. The interactive effects of anthropogenic disturbance and climatic variables can shape the demography of plant populations, but they remain poorly understood especially for long-lived species like tropical trees. Understanding these interactions is critical for designing forest management strategies in the face of both growing anthropogenic pressures and climate change. We explored the effects of habitat disturbance and interannual variation in rainfall on the population dynamics of Amphipterygium adstringens (Anacardiaceae), an ecologically dominant tree species endemic to the tropical deciduous forests of Mexico, that is heavily harvested for its medicinal bark. Specifically, we compared A. adstringens vital rates and long-term population growth rates of unharvested populations in a disturbed versus a protected tropical deciduous forest site; and explored the effects of inter-annual variation in annual rainfall on A. adstringens by comparing vital rates and population growth rates across three years with differing levels of rainfall. We established four plots in each of the two sites and monitored survival, growth and reproduction of 251 individuals over three years. We found that anthropogenic disturbance and rainfall differentially affected the vital rates of A. adstringens. Survival did not differ across sites or years. Growth tended to be lower and fecundity higher, in the protected site, but these effects varied across years and as a function of plant size. No seedlings were found in the disturbed site over the three years study period. Integral projection models showed that projected population growth rates (λ values) in the protected site were higher and much less variable over time than those of the disturbed site. Lambda values in the disturbed site were <1, indicating long-term population decline. In both sites, the rainiest year showed the highest population growth rate but the increase in λ was much higher in the disturbed site than in the protected site. These findings suggest that the population dynamics of A. adstringens are heavily affected by habitat disturbance forest management regime and that the impacts of interannual variability in rainfall or other environmental conditions may be exacerbated in disturbed conditions. The persistence of A. adstringens populations over time will require the exclusion of livestock as well as the implementation of silvicultural practices that will lead to seedling establishment and survival. This study provides key data for the management and conservation of A. adstringens, a highly valued medicinal species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Useful indicators for identification of plant species of importance to conservation were identified with the participation of informants from the town of Temimilcingo. The inhabitants of this central Mexican indigenous community use resources from the dry-deciduous forest within the Sierra de Monte Negro State Reserve. Semi-structured interviews and workshops were used, indicators and criteria were established, and local dimensions were identified. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. The cultural dominance in criteria and indicators was calculated and submitted to descriptive and multivariate analysis. Twenty-four indicators, nine criteria and five dimensions related to ecology, trade, use, categories of use (food, fuel, etc.), medicinal use (e.g. treat respiratory or digestive illness), and perceptions were identified. Indicators of Destructive Use and Scarcity were common among species, while the influence of Medicinal Use and its Perception varied. Indicators were connected to kinship, distribution of activities according to gender, level of interaction with external society and level of knowledge of plants. Some local indicators and scientific conservation indicators coincided. During the selection of species of importance to conservation, it should be possible to incorporate non-scientific indicators of Medicinal Use and Perception with scientific indicators. This allows for local participation in efforts toward sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Commercial harvests can threaten tree species harvested for their bark. Amphipterygium adstringens is a dioecious tree, endemic to the tropical dry forests of Mexico, where it is intensively harvested for its medicinal bark. Limited information hinders developing sustainable management strategies for A. adstringens. We assessed bark regeneration for male and female trees, and evaluated the effect of tree sex and diameter, debarking treatments and cutting seasons on bark regeneration and tree survival rates. Bark regeneration was higher for wet season harvested trees (vs. dry), regardless of their sex. Bark regeneration was higher on female than on male trees. There were significant interactions of harvest season, harvest treatment and tree sex diameter on bark regeneration and survival. Overall, the highest bark regeneration rates occurred in female trees with ≥20.1 cm diameter that were wet season harvested with a 50% debarking intensity. Consequently, wet season and intermediate intensity harvests appear to foster sound management, but we recommend against targeting exclusively a single demographic group (i.e., large female trees) due to potential negative impacts on species demography and bark supply. A grounded strategy for sustaining bark harvest would also need to take into account relevant aspects of local socio-ecological context, including harvest interactions with other land uses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, we describe the chemical composition of sapwood, heartwood and bark of Quercus laurina and Q. crassifolia , from Ixtlán de Juarez, Oaxaca, Mexico. We also report on the fuel characteristics of wood, bark and charcoal for these species. There was no significant difference in lignin (24.9–25.5%), α-cellulose (47.6–47.9%), and hemicellulose (22.4–23.2%) contents between Q. crassifolia and Q. laurina wood, while the ash content, hot water solubility, and total extractive content were higher in Q. crassifolia wood. The contribution of lignin, α-cellulose, hemicelluloses, suberin, and total extractives in barks, were 25.2–39.6%, 12.2–49.6%, 18.6–23.6%, 1.99–26.6%, and 12.7–31.7%, respectively. Bark had 4–8 times as much ash as the corresponding wood. The wood high heating value (HHV) of both oaks (19.3–19.4 MJ kg −1 ), was higher compared to other temperate hardwoods; the charcoal HHV varied from 32.0 to 33.3 MJ kg −1 . Because of its high polysaccharide (69.7–70.8%) and low extractive (5.29–8.88%) and ash (0.30–0.95%) contents, wood of both species is deemed as suitable for the production of cellulosic pulp, while the content of suberin in the outer bark (20.1–26.6%), suggests its potential as biopolymers source. The fuel properties of wood and charcoal from both species indicate their aptitude as solid fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating tree biomass is a means to determine the existing amounts of organic carbon in each of the tree components. Studies of biomass for Quercus species are scarce in Mexico, even though the country is considered a distribution center. The aim of this study was to generate allometric equations for estimating aboveground biomass of trees Quercus laurina Humb. & Bonpl. and Q crassifolia Humb. & Bonpl., in a forest community of Ixtlán de Juárez, Oaxaca, México. Sixteen trees were sampled per species, distributed in six diameter categories and biomass was determined in stem bark, branches and foliage. Different regression models were evaluated based on fitness and validity of their statistical indicators. An exponential equation was chosen in the form of Biomasa = e[-β0 + β1 1n(DN² × AT)], to calculate the biomass (kg) within a normal diameter (DN, cm) and total height (AT, m) of the trees. The total aboveground biomass was estimated at 100,15 Mg ha-1 for Q. laurina and 129,97 Mg ha-1 for Q. crassifolia. The proportional distribution of biomass per component of Q. laurina was 82,9%; 14,9% and 2,2% for stems, branches and foliage, respectively, while for Q. crassifolia the distribution was 82,3%; 16,0% and 1,7% in the same order. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Caesalpinia gaumeri Greenm is a highly prized species for construction of houses and poles in the Mayan region of Yucatan. In order to contribute to technological knowledge of its attributes and suggest potential uses of wood, were described its anatomical features and physical properties. This work was conducted in four trees in a tropical deciduous forest of Yucatan. It was found that the wood is dark brown color in the heartwood and chestnut in the sapwood, wire is cross, pronounced veining, texture and brightness are average, diffuse porosity; the elements of vessel have simple perforation plates, small pits and inclusions; the rays are uniseriate and biseriate, extremely low and thin; the axial parenchyma is aliform and confluent; fiber medium and cellular wall extremely thick; heavy density and for volumetric contraction as medium; there is no clear transition between early and late wood. By the anatomic characteristic (rays extremely low, thin and abundant, fiber medium and cellular wall extremely thick and inclusions) and physical properties such as heavy density, the wood of C. gaumeri can be used in the development of ties, poles, staves, and crafts. The wire cross and rhomboidal crystal of the wood limits the use in carpentry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]