Abstract

LEBGUE, Toutcha; SOSA, Manuel  and  SOTO, Ricardo. the flora of the Copper Canyon, Chihuahua, Mexico. Ecol. apl. [online]. 2005, vol.4, n.1-2, pp.17-23. ISSN 1726-2216.

Copper Canyon is a zone of deep geologic depressions within the Sierra Madre Occidental region. Its physical and biological features have singled it worldwide. The objective of this study was to obtain taxonomic information on the plant species. The study site has an area of 126 653 hectares, extending over the Batopilas and Urique Municipalities, on the southwestern portion of the State of Chihuahua, bordering the States of Sonora and Sinaloa. A subtropical type climate dominates the Copper Canyon providing high temperatures from March to July and rainfall from June to September. The plant communities are mainly Tropical Deciduous Forests, with dominant plant species. The 5 year study ( 1998 - 2003 ) resulted in a floristic check list of about 770 species, ( 184 genera and 121 families ). The most dominant families in term of species were: Poaceae 134 species, Asteraceae 78 species, Fabaceae 76, Solanaceae 24, Euphorbiaceae 20, Mimosaceae 19, Malvaceae and Scrophulariaceae with 18 species each. It was concluded that the Copper Canyon biodiversity is highly rich and that the majority of the plant species were concentrated in the Tropical Deciduous Forest which is the dominant plant association compared to the Oak Forest and Coniferous Forest found in the higher areas of the region.

Keywords : flora; Copper Canyon; plant association; biodiversity.

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