Structure and composition of trees of secondary deciduous dry forest in the Central Depression, Chiapas, Mexico

The tropical deciduous forest is threatened and disturbed by agricultural activities; however, their successional dynamics and regeneration potential it is still little known. The objective of this research was assessing the regenerative capacity of the secondary deciduous forests of a Forest Reserve in Chiapas through comparison changes in richness, diversity, composition, and structure indicators. Twenty 1000m(2) sampling plots were established in secondary forests with different ages of abandonment (10, 19, 35 and. 40 years). All woody plants with diameter at breast height (DBH) >= 5 cm were measured. Statistics about structure and diversity were calculated in each age-class; ANOVA and Tukey test (p< 0.05) were employed to detect differences between them. Changes in the floristic composition were evaluated through ordination and classification analysis. 142 species grouped into 96 genera and 41 families were recorded. Leguminosae was the family with more species and individuals. The species with the highest relative abundances were Montanoa tomentosa (5.1%) and Tecoma stans (5%). Significative differences were found (p < 0.05) in accumulated richness, diversity (Shannon - Weiner H ' and 1D), the density of individuals (ind ha(-1)), maximum height (m), basal area (m(2) ha(-1)) and aerial biomass (Mg ha(-1)). The permutational multivariate analysis of variance showed significative differences (p < 0.05) in species composition between early (10 years and 19 years) and more advanced conditions (35 and >40 years). Our results support the notion that secondary forests recover their composition and structure slowly. Therefore, it is essential to implement activities conducive to its conservation in the short term.