Abundancia, distribución en los forófitos y producción de frutos de la primera población de Telipogon helleri (Orchidaceae) descubierta en México

Abstract

México, con su variedad de ecosistemas, posee una gran diversidad de orquídeas, con aproximadamente 1 150 especies registradas actualmente (Espejo et al., 2004), cifra que probablemente aumente a 1 300-1 400 especies, con la continuidad de los estudios de esta familia botánica (Hágsater et al., 2005).La región del Soconusco en el estado de Chiapas, al suroeste del país, fronteriza con Guatemala, tiene una superficie de 5 475 km² que incluye llanuras costeras y parte de la cordillera de la sierra Madre, con ecosistemas de bosques tropicales y templados (Sánchez y Jarquín, 2008). A pesar de la sistemática destrucción de los ecosistemas de la región, podemos encontrar 293 especies de orquídeas, considerándose el corredor biológico Tacaná-Boquerón como la segunda región con mayor riqueza de orquídeas en México, después de El Mormón-Las Margaritas-Montebello (Damon, 2011).El bosque mesófilo de montaña o bosque nublado, es el ecosistema más rico en orquídeas del mundo y del país, 60% de la flora de orquídeas de México es originaria de este hábitat. En el Soconusco aún existen fragmentos de bosque nublado, pero la mayor parte ha sido transformado en plantaciones de café (Coffea arabica L.

Telipogon helleri (Orchidaceae): population characteristics, new locality in Mexico and risk of extinction

“…In 2009 the only known population of Telipogon helleri in Mexico grew exclusively in a shade coffee plantation and had 46 individuals (García-González and Damon, 2013). In this plantation, five years later, the panorama is different and the population has increased 1.7 %, counting at present with 78 individuals.…”

“…The height and DBH (diameter at breast height) of all the phorophytes were measured in both populations. The height and diameter were also measured at the points where plants of Telipogon helleri were found growing, using the same methods as García-González andDamon (2013).…”

“…However, in the case of the phorophyte in Locality 2, the twigs were also taken into account considering that, unlike the shade trees in coffee plantations, the trees in the cloud forest fragment were not subject to periodic pruning. The life stages and cardinal orientation were determined using the methods proposed by García-González and Damon (2013).…”

“…In this study we inform of the discovery and characterization of a new population of Telipogon helleri in Mexico, in a different habitat to that in which the first population was found in 2009, and the reevaluation of the original population five years after its discovery (Solano-Gómez et al, 2011;García-González and Damon, 2013). We evaluated T. helleri by applying the Risk Assessment Method of Extinction for plants in Mexico (MER-Plantas).…”

“…Telipogon helleri (L.O. Figure 1A, B), recently found in shaded coffee plantations in the region of Soconusco (Solano-Gómez et al, 2011;García-González and Damon, 2013), is a small epiphytic species with deciduous leaves and thick, succulent, slightly flattened roots. Flowering occurs from October to January, in which a single inflorescence is usually produced, carrying minute flowers measuring 4.5-5 mm in diameter, which open sequentially.…”