Structure and diversity of woody plants of the semideciduous forest in central Veracruz, Mexico

Background and Aims: The study of tropical forests is of great interest due to its high biodiversity related to the variability of the environment, which increases the diversity and specificity of its components. This study presents an evaluation of the structure, richness and diversity of woody angiosperms of the semideciduous forest (SMsC) in the center of the state of Veracruz, with the aim of contributing to their knowledge and to identify areas of high value for the conservation of the few fragments of primary vegetation that still exist in the area. Methods: Sixty-seven plots of 100 m(2) each were delineated, distributed in five study sites in the municipalities of Jalcomulco and Tlaltetela. In each plot, all individuals with DBH >= 5 cm were registered and measured and coverage, density, basal area and height were estimated, as well as the values of a diversity (total richness, richness per plot and a Fisher index), beta diversity (similarity matrix with Jaccard and % similarity), and as the species ecological importance by the Curtis Relative Importance Value (RIV). Key results: Ninety-eight woody plant species were registered, grouped in 84 genera and 35 families of angiosperms. The most diverse families were Fabaceae and Euphorbiaceae. The predominant life form were trees (75.5%). This tropical forest shows a high richness and species turnover. The dominant species according to the RIV were Resinanthus aromaticus and Brosimum alicastrum, although the set of six dominant species varied greatly between the study sites. Conclusions: The presence of some key species such as Brosimum alicastrum, Resinanthus aromaticus and Sapranthus microcarpus allowed to identify the characteristic features of the semideciduous forest and its ecotones with the medium evergreen forest and the deciduous forest.