Riqueza y distribución de leguminosas en un gradiente ambiental dentro del Área Natural Protegida Altas Cumbres, Tamaulipas, México

Background: Altas Cumbres is a protected natural area located in the center of the state of Tamaulipas, which has not been sufficiently studied. Although legumes are a family well represented in the area, until now, no studies had been carried out to reveal their richness and distribution. Questions: How many and which legume species are found in the study area and how are they distributed along an environmental gradient? Species study: Fabaceae family. Study site and dates: Altas Cumbres, Tamaulipas, Mexico, during 2022 and 2023. Methods: Botanical material was collected and identified using specialized bibliography; Herbarium specimens and online databases were reviewed. An analysis of similarity was carried out with the sites studied, using the Jaccard index to obtain β diversity and observe its distribution. Results: A total of 132 species were obtained, belonging to 57 genera and three subfamilies. The greatest diversity of legumes belonged to the subfamily Papilionoideae (86 species / 37 genera), followed by Caesalpinoideae (41/18) and finally Cercidoideae (5/2). Herbaceous plants were dominant with respect to woody plants. Most species were recorded in an elevation range between 300 and 499 m asl, in submontane scrub and pine-oak forest communities. Conclusions: Altas Cumbres is an important reservoir for legumes from Tamaulipas and Sierra Madre Oriental considering its high richness and endemism (33 species restricted to Mexico).