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Comparative demographic analysis of three Neobuxbaumia species (Cactaceae) with differing degree of rarity

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Population Ecology

Abstract

In this study we use a demographic approach to analyse the differing abundance of three congeneric columnar cacti: Neobuxbaumia macrocephala (the rarest), Neobuxbaumia tetetzo (intermediate), and Neobuxbaumia mezcalaensis (the most common). Populations of these species were studied in the Tehuacan Valley (Central Mexico) over a 3-year period. We employed traditional models and life table response experiments (LTRE) to explore the association between particular demographic traits and the degree of rarity of each species. Most matrices showed population growth rate (λ) values close to unity; the only exception was N. mezcalaensis in 2001–2002 (λ=1.091±0.088). In the three species the highest elasticity values corresponded to entries referring to the stasis of pre-reproductive plant and small adults. However, the LTRE indicated that most important differences in the λ values between years and species were associated with variation in fruit production and seedling recruitment. N. mezcalaensis yielded the highest mean λ due to its high fecundity in 2001–2002. This result suggests that the variation in demographic behaviour observed between species is sufficient to explain the higher abundance of N. mezcalaensis compared to the rare N. macrocephala. The high fecundity values and recruitment success observed in the former, even if they occur only seldom, may result in higher average λ values accounting for its high population densities.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Mariana Hernández, Pedro Eloy Mendoza, Marcela Ruedas, Cynthia Ramírez, Oswaldo Núñez, Rocío Bernal, Vania Jiménez, Laura Hernández, Elena Vilchis, Eduardo Martínez, Octavio Esparza, Abraham Martínez and Liliana Santamaría for valuable assistance during the field work. We thank Marco Antonio Romero for help with hardware maintenance and Carlos Martorell for advice in relation to LTRE. We thank Dr Luis Eguiarte for helpful suggestions and comments during the development of this study. The comments and suggestions of two anonymous reviewers greatly improved the quality of this contribution. The first author received a PhD studentship from CONACyT-Mexico during the course of this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, México, DF, 04510

    Ligia Esparza-Olguín & Teresa Valverde

  2. Departamento de Ecología de la Diversidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Ciudad Universitaria, México, DF, 04510

    María C. Mandujano

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  1. Ligia Esparza-Olguín
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  2. Teresa Valverde
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  3. María C. Mandujano
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Correspondence to Teresa Valverde.

Appendices

Appendix 1

  Population projection matrices for the three species studied. Rows and columns refer to size categories. Only positive values are shown to facilitate reading. λ values±95% confidence intervals are given above each matrix. q x Size-specific mortality rate, n x number of individuals from which transitions were calculated, w stable size-class distribution, v size-specific reproductive values
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Appendix 2

  Elasticity matrices for the three species studied for the periods 1999–2000, 2000–2001 and 2001–2002. Rows and columns refer to size categories. Only positive values are shown to facilitate reading. Elasticity values reported as 0.000 are <0.0001 but >0.000001. λ values±95% confidence intervals are given above each matrix
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Esparza-Olguín, L., Valverde, T. & Mandujano, M.C. Comparative demographic analysis of three Neobuxbaumia species (Cactaceae) with differing degree of rarity. Popul Ecol 47, 229–245 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10144-005-0230-3

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