Woody neotropical streetscapes: a case study of tree and shrub species richness and composition in Xalapa
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Instituto de Ecología, A.C.
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The urbanization process goes far beyond the replacement of preexisting non-urban systems, transforming the land in such way that represents worrisome ecological threats. In the novel urban systems, original vegetation is removed and/or replaced with a combination of native and exotic species. In this study, our aim was to generate an updated species list of the trees and shrubs that thrive in the street - scape of Xalapa (Veracruz, Mexico), describing their native/exotic ratio. For this, we followed a city-wide approach comprised by a grid of 106 sampling sites. We recorded a total of 140 tree and shrub species, of which 32 had not been previously reported for the city. Exo - tics represented more than half of the recorded species, which together with native ones were distributed unevenly throughout the city. Most frequent species include: Weeping Fig ( Ficus benjamina ), Chinese Hibiscus ( Hibiscus rosa-sinensis ), Paperflower ( Bougainvillea glabra ), Rhododendron ( Rhododendron sp.), Mexican Cypress ( Cupressus lusitanica ), and Little-leaf Boxwood ( Buxus microphylla ). It is noticeable that sites at which we recorded no trees or shrubs were located near downtown and peripheral areas of the city. Our findings should be considered carefully, as the unequal distribution of plant diversity in urban areas can compromise the benefits that vegetation provides to citizens, as well as their ecological functions.
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