The Biodiversity of the Yucatan Peninsula: A Natural Laboratory

Abstract

Advances of the biodiversity of the Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico, are presented. The area is known for settlement and development of the Mayan culture that had a profound understanding of their environment and has maintained a long-standing tradition in the use of natural resources spanning many centuries. The vegetation of this region is tropical and the territorial extension currently constitutes the second largest forest land in Latin America and it is formed by a very diverse terrestrial, freshwater and marine plant communities with more than 10 types or associations of vegetation such as forests, mangroves, coastal dune brushwood, hammocks, savannahs and diverse associations of fresh-water and marine hydrophytes. The coastal and marine environments of the peninsula include areas of coral reefs, coastal lagoons and sea grass beds. It is estimated that the peninsula has 2,300 species of vascular plants, grouped into 956 genera and 161 botanical families. Of the total number 203 are endemic, representing 8.82% of the Yucatan flora. There are more than 130 vegetative species used for construction; 145 plant species have been registered as food sources, 88 of which are native. So far, 680 plant species have been registered for medicinal use, 97 native plant species are ornamental; 36 species as bee plants, 27 species for handcrafted objects and 24 native species used as firewood; 12 native species have been reported as forage plants, 10 species as acaricides and 5 species are used as dye plants. The faunal wealth is over 7,300 species of wildlife with 5,765 species of invertebrates and 1,551 species of vertebrates. In the case of the invertebrates, the record shows 2,500 insect species, 350 arachnids, 715 crustaceans and 769 mollusks. The vertebrates reported are 700 fish species, 22 amphibians, 140 reptiles, 543 birds and 118 mammals. In the region, at least 81 species of 48 families and 21 taxonomic orders of terrestrial vertebrates are used. Fifteen species of reptiles (11 families), 38 species of birds belonging to 18 families are hunted, mainly as food, 28 species of mammals of 18 families are used and exploited. At least 40 species of wild vertebrates are used for medicinal purposes, of which 8 are reptiles, 15 birds and 17 mammals. With respect to marine resources are commercially exploited, 62 teleost species, 3 elasmobranchiae, 4 mollusks and 4 crustaceans. The Yucatan Peninsula has 39 protected natural areas, covering a surface area of 2,977,752 ha of terrestrial ecosystems, which represent 21.6% of the total surface area of the peninsula contributing significantly to the conservation of large extensions of forest and other tropical ecosystems together with the biodiversity inhabiting. The construction of the Seed Bank in 2013 by the Scientific Research Center of Yucatan for the conservation and management of the biodiversity found in the Mayan area is giving special attention to native plant species which are of medicinal agricultural, ecological, and forestry importance and is given special attention to endemic species and those which are known to be in danger of extinction.