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Richness, diversity, and rate of primary succession over 20 year in tropical coastal dunes

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Abstract

The tropical coastal dunes in central Gulf of Mexico have been stabilizing over the last decades resulting in reduced substrate mobility, and promoting primary succession. We describe changes in species richness and diversity in dune vegetation during 20 years. Our questions: (a) Do species richness and diversity increase over time as predicted by models of ecological succession or do they show a hump-backed manner similar to the observations in temperate coastal dunes?, (b) What is the interaction between vegetation cover and diversity and species richness?, (c) Is there a relationship between species diversity and succession rate and does succession rate change over time?, and (d) How do plant functional types change during succession? In order to answer these questions, we set 140 4 × 4 m permanent plots in a mobile dune area and monitored vegetation cover and species richness from 1991 to 2011. In time, diversity increased in a logistic manner toward an asymptotic value once vegetation cover surpassed 60 %. Species richness increased in a humped-back shape, also reaching a maximum peak at 60 % vegetation cover. The succession rate of diversity was measured by the Euclidean distance, and showed a significant humped-back relation, meaning that it was slower in early and late successional stages. The study supports the intermediate disturbance theory. The conservation of coastal dunes vegetation should focus on all, species-poor and species-rich habitats that help to maintain the ecological integrity of these ecosystems. The understanding of community dynamics and diversity patterns becomes an essential component of coastal dune management and conservation.

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Acknowledgments

This study was partially funded by grant from SEMARNAT-CONACYT (Secretaría de Medio ambiente y Recursos Naturales-Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia) (23669) and two scholarships (LLAM and PFB). We are very grateful to Patricia Moreno-Casasola, Victor Parra-Tabla, and Gabriela Vázquez for their useful comments on early versions of the manuscript. Thanks to Deborah Lithgow for field assistance. Figure 1 was created by R. Landgrave.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Red de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología, AC. Antigua carretera a Coatepec no. 351, 91070, Xalapa, Coatepec, Mexico

    L. L. Álvarez-Molina, M. L. Martínez, O. Pérez-Maqueo & P. Flores

  2. Departamento de Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Sevilla, Apartado 1095, Sevilla España, Spain

    J. B. Gallego-Fernández

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  1. L. L. Álvarez-Molina
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  2. M. L. Martínez
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  5. P. Flores
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Correspondence to L. L. Álvarez-Molina.

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Álvarez-Molina, L.L., Martínez, M.L., Pérez-Maqueo, O. et al. Richness, diversity, and rate of primary succession over 20 year in tropical coastal dunes. Plant Ecol 213, 1597–1608 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11258-012-0114-5

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