Fern diversity in altitude and anthropogenic gradients in a temperate forest in Mexico City, Mexico

Natural diversity and composition patterns of ferns depend highly on environmental conditions such as moisture, temperature, and light imposed by altitudinal gradients. Currently, the main factor that causes changes in the diversity patterns of plants at different altitudes is the increased intensity of human activities. This research analyzed the response in the composition and diversity of terrestrial fern species in an Abies religiosa forest to the altitude and magnitude of anthropogenic disturbance. The effect of human disturbance and altitude on the composition and abundance of ferns was evaluated through Generalized Linear Models, a Structural Equations Model (SEM), and a Canonical Correspondence Analysis. The community of terrestrial ferns was found to be composed of ten species belonging to five families. The SEM showed that anthropogenic factors affect the richness and abundance patterns of ferns in the studied area. We suggest that Dryopteris wallichiana could be an indicator of open and most anthropogenically disturbed sites in temperate forest.