I CONGRESO DE GEOMÁTICA

 26 -  28 de septiembre 2001, Guanajuato, Gto.

TYPOLOGY OF MOUNTAIN FORESTED LANDSCAPES IN MEXICO

Prof. Dr. Vladimir Kremsa

Research Center for Applied Science and Advanced Technology

INSTITUTO POLITECNICO NACIONAL

Legaria 694, Col. Irrigacion, Mexico City 11500, Mexico

Vk@mail.cicata.ipn.mx

ABSTRACT

The article describes 1. The methodology of Forest Typology and Inventory in Mexico: 1.1. Satellite information: 1) Selection of satellite images, 2) Geometrical correction; 3) Interpretation of satellite images; 4) Basic cartography; 5) Map production; 1.2. Field survey: 1) Field manual elaboration and instruction, 2) Sample design , 3) Field measurements and observation); 1.3. Information processing and integration 1) Digital forest cartography, 2) Ground truth, 3) Integration of cartographic and field information ;

2. Results:  2.1. Cartographic products  obtained: 1) Forest vegetation and actual land use, 2) Zonation: production, conservation, restoration; 3)  Forest Atlas 2.2. Types of mountain forested landscape identified, investigated and described:

1) Pine forest landscape type (5,238,681 ha) (Pinus engelmanni, P.montezumae, P. pseudostrobus, P. ayacahuite, P. cooperi, P. durangensis, P. arizonica); 2)  Fir forest landscape type  (193,717 ha) (Abies religiosa, A. concolor, A.  arizonica, A. guatemalensis );  3) Other conifer forests landscape type (867,880 ha): Juniper forest (Juniperus mexicana, J. monosperma, J. flaccida,J. deppeana, J. montícola, etc.),  Douglas-fir and spruce forest (Pseudotsuga menziesii, P. mucronata, P. taxifolia;  Picea chihuahuana, P. mexicana); and Cypress forest (Cupressus lindleyi, C. arizonica, C. guadalupensis);  4) Pine–oak forest landscape type (10,937,964 ha):  (Pinus herrerai, P. teocote, P. patula, P. arizonica, P. engelmannii, P. montezumae, P. pseudostrobus) and (Quercus resinosa, Q. castanea, Q. arizonica, Q. rugosa, Q. crassifolia, Q. mexicana, etc.);  5) Fragmented forest landscape type (3,561,695 ha); 6) Oak forest landscape type  (9,518,561 ha) (Quercus tuberculata, Q. devia, Q. chihuahuensis, Q. arizonica, Q. crassifolia, Q. aristata, Q. resinosa y Q. mexicana; 7) Cloud forest landscape type (1,4411,879 ha) (Nyssa sylvatica, Ostya virginiana, Alnus arguta, Junglans mollis, Magnolia dealbata, Podocarpus matudae, Dussia mexicana,  Turpinia insignis, Cornus disciflora, Ficus velutina, Liquidambar styraciflua y Ulmus mexicana,etc.);

8) Submontane chaparral landscape   type (2,925,055 ha) (Helietta parviflora, Cordia boissieri, Mimosa leucaenoides, Gochnatia hypoleuca, Quercus fusiformis, Neopringlea integrifolia y Pithecellobium brevifolium, etc.).

For each landscape type the area, species composition, geographical distribution (natural units, states), climate and soil caracteristics are given. Interpretation key for all landscape types is presented.

Introduction

    National Periodical Forest Inventory (since 1992) has unprecedented characteristics in the history of Mexico (satellite images, maps 1:250 000 for all territory, sample units for ground-truth, zonation maps, computerized archives, etc.) and is fundamental part of forestry modernization.  As a part of NPFI we studied the mountain forested landscapes.

    The following material and methodology were used:

     I. Satellite information: 1) Selection of satellite images (LANDSAT TM 2, 3, 4); 2) Geometrical correction; 3) Interpretation of satellite images (interpretation key, visual interpretation, ground truth, etc.); 4) Basic cartography (ARC/INFO); 5) Map production for all territory (automatic edition);

     II. Field survey: 1) Field manual elaboration and instruction (register forms, data capture and automatic processing), 2) Sample design (2.5 x 2.5 km, GPS, ground precision 100-150 m, circular sample units 1,000 m ²), 3) Field measurements and observation (location, ecosystem, soil, geomorphology, ecology, species per stratum, environmental impacts, altitude, slope, exposition, physiography, soil depth, erosion, stones, regeneration 50 m²);

     III. Information processing and integration 1) Digital forest cartography, 2) Ground truth (computerized), 3) Integration of cartographic and field information (archives format DXF).

   Following cartographic outputs were produced: 1) Forest vegetation and actual land use (122 maps, 1:250 000), 2) Zonation: production, conservation, restoration (122 zone maps, 1:250 000); 3)  Forest Atlas (32 state forest maps; 32 state zone maps; national maps (1:10 000 000) of hydrographic regions, physiographic sub-provinces, forest vegetation, forest zones).

   Following categories of mountain forested landscape were identified, investigated and described:

   Pine forest landscape type (5,238,681 ha). Landscape covered with forest with more than 80% of the genus Pinus. Speces with greatest economic value include Pinus engelmanni, P. montezumae, P. pseudostrobus, P. ayacahuite, P. cooperi, P. durangensis, and P. arizonica. This landscape type is distributed mainly in mountain regions between 1,500-3,000 m  in climate with the medium annual temperature 6-28° C.  Pinus hartwegii is found above 3,000 m.

    Fir forest landscape type (193,717 ha) is formed by pure stands (Abies religiosa, A. concolor, A.  arizonica, A. guatemalensis ) or mixed stands with Pinus spp. and Quercus spp. between 2,400 – 3,600 m in slightly humid climate without could and warm seasons (temperature 7-15° C, medium annual precipitation 1,000 mm). This landscape type is found in isolated patches in Eje Transversal Volcánico (Pico de Orizaba, Cofre de perote, Nevado de Toluca, Pico de Tancítaro, Nevado de Colima ), Sierra Madre del Sur ( Teotepec in Guerrero, south of Miahuatlán and Sierra de Juárez in Oaxaca), Chiapas (los Altos, Tacaná),and some localities in Durango and Chihuahua.

    Other conifer forests landscape type (867,880 ha) includes following landscape subtypes:

a)     Juniper forest landscape (Juniperus mexicana, J. monosperma, J. flaccida,J. deppeana, J. montícola, etc.) covers small dry areas in Sierra Madre Oriental (from Tamaulipas to Chiapas) and physiognomy vary  from “matorral” to trees of 15 m.

b)     Douglas-fir and spruce forest landscape (Pseudotsuga menziesii, P. mucronata, P. taxifolia, in Coahuila, Nuevo León, Puebla;  Picea chihuahuana, P. mexicana in Sierra de Chihuahua and Durango) occupy reduced area  between 2,00-3,200 m in shaded and humid sites.

c)      Cypress forest landscape (Cupressus lindleyi, C. arizonica, C. guadalupensis) is located in small patches in fir and pine-oak forestsland , in stream beds and deep soils with humid and cool climate in highest parts of Isla Guadalupe in Baja California and in the center and south of Mexico (1,800-3,000 m).

    Pine–oak forest landscape type (10,937,964 ha) is formed by mixed communities of  Pinus  spp. (P. herrerai, P. teocote, P. patula, P. arizonica, P. engelmannii, P. montezumae, P. pseudostrobus) and Quercus spp. (Q. resinosa, Q. castanea, Q. arizonica, Q. rugosa, Q. crassifolia, Q. mexicana, etc.) in different proportion according to the soil and altitude, in almost all mountains and sierras from almost sea level to 3,100 m (medium temperature 10-26° C ; medium annual precipitaton 600-1,200 mm).

    Fragmented forest landscape type  (3,561,695 ha) in temperate climate was strongly affected by farming and animal husbandry; they are just patches of original vegetation, homogeneously distributed, as sources for possible recuperation of climax vegetation.

    Oak forest landscape type  (9,518,561 ha) (Quercus tuberculata, Q. devia, Q. chihuahuensis, Q. arizonica, Q. crassifolia, Q. aristata, Q. resinosa y Q. mexicana ) in mountain zones of almost all Mexico, composes with pine forests the main vegetation cover in temperate climate, cold and semi-humid, from sea level to 3,100 m (the majority 800-1,200 m).

    Cloud forest landscape type (1,4411,879 ha) (Nyssa sylvatica, Ostya virginiana, Alnus arguta, Junglans mollis, Magnolia dealbata, Podocarpus matudae, Dussia mexicana,  Turpinia insignis, Cornus disciflora, Ficus velutina, Liquidambar styraciflua y Ulmus mexicana, etc.) is located in transition areas on the hillslopes (400-1,000 m) with mist almost all the year, in the regions with rough relief, on  sites protected from wind and sunshine. Distributed in Sierra Madre Oriental  (from southwest of Tamaulipas to the north of Oaxaca); Chiapas (central depression and both slopes of Sierra Madre); in the Pacific watershed; Sierra Madre Occidental; in small areas of Balsas watershed and Valley of Mexico,  and in  exterior watershed of Sierra Madre del Sur (Guerrero, Oaxaca).

 Submontane chaparral landscape type (2,925,055 ha) (Helietta parviflora, Cordia boissieri, Mimosa leucaenoides, Gochnatia hypoleuca, Quercus fusiformis, Neopringlea integrifolia y Pithecellobium brevifolium, etc.) is found within the limits of arid chaparral, oak forest and tropical rain forest, principally in low part of slopes of Sierra Madre Oriental (from Nuevo león, San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato and Querétaro,  and in small elevations in the states Durango, Coahuila and Nuevo León, rarely above 2,000 m.

MOUNTAIN FORESTED LANDSCAPES INTERPRETATION KEY

Source: Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Fisheries, Mexico

* In the open forest, the crown cover is 10-40%, in the closed forest it is > 40%.