EFFECTIVE DIVERSITY AND IMPORTANCE OF HERBACEOUS PLANTS ALONG RURAL ROADSIDES IN CERVANTES Y LOZADA, VERACRUZ, MEXICO

Rural roadsides represent an important alternative for biodiversity conservation. The objective of this study was to estimate the effective diversity and ecological importance in two herbaceous communities along rural roadsides. Twenty quadrats with an area of 1 m2 were systematically established across two 50-m transects. Data on richness, abundance, and plant coverage were obtained. Forty-two species were recorded, comprising 18 families, with Asteraceae being the most abundant (28.57 %). The estimated effective diversity for both transects was greater than 15 effective species, which may be equal to a quarter of the effective diversity of a cloud forest, four times greater than that of an edge of agricultural land, and comparable to that of an edge of a tropical evergreen forest. The importance value index indicated that Cenchrus ciliaris and Syagrus romanzoffiana for transect one and Sida rhombifolia and Aldama dentata for transect two are the species most likely to determine the composition, structure, and functioning of the two plant communities studied. Estimates of these indices allow more useful comparisons with similar studies and facilitate the visualization of the species that probably determine the existence of these ecological systems. This study is expected to eventually provide scientific knowledge in the ecological and environmental fields, which will allow the implementation of effective and viable conservation strategies for ecosystems present in rural roadsides.