Tropical Subterranean Ecosystems in Mexico, Guatemala and Belize: A Review of Aquatic Biodiversity and Their Ecological Aspects

Mejía-Ortíz, Luis M.; Sprouse, Peter; Tejeda-Mazariegos, Juan C.; Valladarez, Jair; Martínez, Óscar Frausto; Collantes-Chavez-Costa, Alejandro L.; Ruíz-Cancino, Guillermo; Yáñez, German

doi:10.5772/intechopen.97694

Cited by 6 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…However, the collinearity between Pterygoplichthys abundance and conductivity deserves to be further studied. Although the gradient in conductivity is primarily related to the karstic soils within the Yucatan Peninsula and SPR sub-basin (Mejía-Ortíz et al, 2021) and is likely not to be a byproduct of the invasion, the distinction between the influence of conductivity and the invasive abundance should clarify the mechanisms underlying the changes in the trophic niche of native species.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does invasion by armored catfish shift trophic ecology of native fishes? Evidence from stable isotope analysis

Quintana

Keppeler

Winemiller

2023

Ecology

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Popular as aquarium fish, armored catfishes from South America (Pterygoplichthys spp.) have been introduced and become invasive in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. These ecosystem engineers can deplete basal resources (e.g., periphyton and detritus), with potential negative effects for native fauna. We studied the trophic ecology of fishes in the Usumacinta River Basin, Guatemala, where Pterygoplichthys is now widespread and locally abundant. We analyzed stable isotopes (δ13C, δ15N) in fish tissues and basal resources to assess the potential impact of Pterygoplichthys on the trophic ecology of six co‐occurring native fishes that feed at a similar trophic level (Astyanax aeneus, Dorosoma petenense, Thorichthys pasionis, Oscura heterospila, Poecilia mexicana, and Gambusia sexradiata). The study was conducted during the dry season in the La Pasion (LPR; high invasion) and San Pedro (SPR; low invasion) rivers. We compared isotopic spaces occupied by native fish and Pterygoplichthys, estimated isotopic overlap, and evaluated the trophic displacement of native species. We also evaluated the relationships of environmental factors, including the relative biomass of the invasive catfish, with δ13C and δ15N signatures. Except for P. mexicana, native species had lower isotopic overlap with the catfish in LPR. Native fish isotopic spaces were compressed and shifted toward higher trophic positions in LPR relative to SPR. Benthic food resources were important for Pterygoplichthys in both rivers, and water‐column resources had greater relative importance (RI) for native species in LPR. Native fish δ13C was significantly associated with Pterygoplichthys biomass, conductivity, and water flow velocity; and water depth and sedimentation had a significant association with native fish δ15N. Findings provide evidence that invasive Pterygoplichthys, along with environmental factors, impact the trophic ecology of native fish in the Usumacinta Basin. Additional field research conducted over longer time periods and mesocosm experiments that account for fish assemblage and environmental variation could elucidate Pterygoplichthys impacts via food resource depletion or habitat alteration.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does invasion by armored catfish shift trophic ecology of native fishes? Evidence from stable isotope analysis

Quintana

Keppeler

Winemiller

2023

Ecology

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“…¿Cómo los mayas o pueblos indígenas asentados en ese paisaje biocultural podrían apropiarse de la Selva Maya? La Selva Maya se puede considerar una evidencia de la preocupación mundial por preservar la naturaleza, en el entendido de su valor científico, y se justifica también como patrimonio a partir de los listados de flora y fauna endémica, los recursos hídricos o geológicos y, recientemente, con las oportunidades educativas o paisajísticas que aporta (véase, por ejemplo, De la Torre et al 2021;Fedick, 2003;Martínez-Reyes, 2016;Meave et al 2021;Mejía-Ortiz et al 2021). Salvaguardar determinadas representaciones biogeográficas es un éxito del conocimiento abstracto, pero en esos espacios también existen conocimientos tácitos que ejercen las y los pobladores al co-evolucionar en el territorio.…”

Section: Conclusionesunclassified

La construcción de un eco-frente en la región fronteriza de la Selva Maya

Laako¹,

Muñoz²,

Alvarado³

et al. 2022

REF

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El concepto de eco-frente analiza las acciones de actores ecológicos con la finalidad de considerar la manera en que contribuyen para transformar los territorios de alta biodiversidad. Los eco-frentes son apropiaciones espaciales y discursivas que evolucionan en etapas históricas. Este artículo analiza el caso de la Selva Maya como un eco-frente a partir de la década de 1970. La Selva Maya es un concepto construido por actores ecológicos para conservar selvas tropicales que cubre a la región fronteriza entre México, Guatemala y Belice. Se analizan materiales de primera mano que demuestran cómo la construcción del concepto ha transformado la región fronteriza en una eco-región paisajística para la conservación de selvas tropicales. Si bien, su apropiación de lo maya en su sentido científico y turístico refiere a la construcción de regiones fronterizas internacionales bioculturales, deja abierta la cuestión de derechos indígenas, su contexto multicultural, y de multiespecies.

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“…The extreme hot conditions cause the forest to be dry or semi-dry [4,5]. Over many years, these conditions have produced thousands of conduits and entrances [6,7] that reach to coastal areas as subterranean rivers. The richness of the Caribbean Sea establishes important conditions for the proliferation of coral reefs [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Subterranean Waters in Riviera Maya of the Yucatan Peninsula: Vulnerability and the Importance of Monitoring

Mejía-Ortíz¹,

Costa²,

López-Contreras³

et al. 2023

Environmental Sciences

Self Cite

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The Mexican Caribbean coast has great scenic beauty both on the surface and underwater, which is why it has been a developing area for tourism since the 1970s, establishing sites such as Cancun and Playa del Carmen and empowering others such as Cozumel and Tulum. Their biological richness is enormous, especially in the Mesoamerican Reef of which they are a part. However, this richness and scenic beauty are not possible without the ecological assemblages that exist within these regions’ adjacent ecosystems, mainly the surrounding seasonally dry tropical forest and the coastal wetlands that, together with the oceanographic characteristics of the Caribbean Sea, potentiate it, turning the region into the most visited in Latin America. To this end, groundwater plays a very important role in the assemblages of biotic and abiotic elements that are shared with the Caribbean Sea; thus, its constant monitoring allows us to identify how the changes that occur in the tropical forest are producing various changes in the composition and abundance of coastal reef elements. Here, we present results of our study of groundwater conditions (temp, pH, oxygen dissolved, and salinity) in nineteen cenotes and underground rivers of the Riviera Maya and six cenotes of Cozumel. We also profiled the predominant vegetation on the surface of this region, which is a seasonally dry tropical forest, to understand the components and functioning of these subterranean ecosystems to assess their vulnerability and identify their threats from human development (population growth, tourism development, mobility capacity). These threats not only affect the cave and coastal organisms but also the tropical karstic landscapes that are characteristic of these systems.

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Tropical Subterranean Ecosystems in Mexico, Guatemala and Belize: A Review of Aquatic Biodiversity and Their Ecological Aspects

Cited by 6 publications

References 26 publications

Does invasion by armored catfish shift trophic ecology of native fishes? Evidence from stable isotope analysis

Does invasion by armored catfish shift trophic ecology of native fishes? Evidence from stable isotope analysis

La construcción de un eco-frente en la región fronteriza de la Selva Maya

Subterranean Waters in Riviera Maya of the Yucatan Peninsula: Vulnerability and the Importance of Monitoring

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