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Analysis of the non-native flora of Ensenada, a fast growing city in northwestern Baja California

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Abstract

Urbanized areas show a high proportion of non-native plants and can work as dispersal points to the surrounding areas. Ensenada is a fast growing city located in the northwestern peninsula of Baja California (Mexico). It is the southern extreme of a bi-national, coastal urban corridor that extends from Los Angeles, California south to Ensenada. This corridor is part of the biodiversity hotspot of the California Floristic Province. The aim of this study was to analyze the composition and distribution of the spontaneous flora in the city of Ensenada. We systematically sampled two differentiated urban environments, vacant lots and arroyos, in 2006 and 2007. We found a total of 158 plant species, 61% of them were non-native species. Arroyo areas showed higher non-native species richness than vacant lots (21.9 vs. 13.6 species/transect) and could be potential dispersal vectors for non-native species to natural areas outside of the city, or in the reverse direction also.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Daniel Vázquez for his help in the field work and to Charlotte E. González-Abraham for her assistance with maps. The financial support that made possible this work was provided by Instituto Nacional de Ecología, México (INE).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dpto. Biología de la Conservación, CICESE, Km 107 Ctera. Tijuana-Ensenada, 22860, Ensenada, B.C., México

    Pedro P. Garcillán

  2. San Diego Natural History Museum, P.O. Box 121390, San Diego, CA, 92112, USA

    Jon P. Rebman

  3. Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Km 107 Ctera. Tijuana-Ensenada, 22830, Ensenada, B.C., México

    Francisco Casillas

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  1. Pedro P. Garcillán
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Correspondence to Pedro P. Garcillán.

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Garcillán, P.P., Rebman, J.P. & Casillas, F. Analysis of the non-native flora of Ensenada, a fast growing city in northwestern Baja California. Urban Ecosyst 12, 449–463 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11252-009-0091-1

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