Structure, diversity, and environmental determinants of high-latitude threatened conifer forests
Pilgerodendron uviferum (D. Don) Florin is an endemic, threatened conifer that grows in South America. In the sub-Antarctic territory, one of the most isolated places in the world, some forest patches remain untouched since the last glaciation. In this study, we analyze the tree structure and tree diversity and characterize the environmental conditions where P. uviferum-dominated stands develop within the Magellanic islands in Kawésqar National Park, Chile. An environmental matrix using the databases WorldClim and SoilGrids and local topography variables was used to identify the main environmental variables that explain the P. uviferum-dominated stands. PCA was used to reduce the environmental variables, and PERMANOVA and nMDS were used to evaluate differences among forest communities. The results show that two forest communities are present within the Magellanic islands. Both forest communities share the fact that they can persist over time due to the high water table that limits the competitive effect from other tree species less tolerant to high soil water table and organic matter. Our results contribute to knowledge of the species’ environmental preference and design conservation programs.
Spatially explicit vulnerability analysis of contaminant sources in a karstic watershed in southeastern Mexico
A water vulnerability assessment was performed on the Río Grande-Lagos de Montebello watershed, in southeastern region of Chiapas, Mexico. This is a karstic environment highlighted by well-preserved lakes, close to Guatemala border. We used multicriteria analysis to identify areas vulnerable to water contamination at subbasin scale using geographic information system and spatial analysis. Potential contamination sources were georeferenced and overlapped with precipitation and slope layers to identify areas prone to contaminant transport and infiltration. The results showed that both irrigation and rainfed agriculture were the main contamination sources, followed by wastewater discharge. Supported by land use and forest change analysis, agricultural activities were the most important drivers of change. A water vulnerability map at subbasin scale is presented as an outcome, which enables the ranking of water contamination potential in presence of different contamination sources using the weighted sum and linear normalization methods. Two subbasins were identified within the most vulnerable categories, Comitán and El Triunfo. No previous water vulnerability analyses have been performed for this region. We propose this vulnerability map as a decision-making tool for sustainable water management at watershed scale in areas with scarce information and increasing water quality degradation processes.