ELECTRONIC PUBLICATIONS: HabitatNet: A Global Biodiversity Monitoring Project

HabitatNet: The Habitat

At least three distinct plant communities are represented at El Eden Ecological Reserve:

Type 1: Medium Semideciduous Forest
(Mature trees up to 20 meters in height)

Dominant Tree Species:

  • Cedrela mexicana (tropical cedar)
  • Brosimum alicastrum (ramon)
  • Manilkara zapota (chicle)
  • Bursera simaruba (chaca)
Type 2: Transition Swamp Forest
(Mature trees up to 12 meters in height)

Dominant Tree Species:
  • Haemetoxylon campechianum (logwood tree or "tinto")
  • Cresentia cujete (calabash)
  • Erythroxylon campechianum (coca tree: related)
  • Paurotis wrightii (tasiste palm)
Type 3: Savannah
(found in Karstic depressions)

Dominant Plant Species: (Gramineae and Cyperaceae Families):
  • Cladium jamaisense (saw grass)
  • Typha latifolia (cattail)
Tree Species Present:
  • Paurotis wrightii (tasiste palm)
  • Cresentia cujete (calabash)
  • Brysonima crassifolia (nanche)

It is worth noting that a fourth plant community (or sere), namely a low to medium height (up to 5 m) scrubby brush community exists in areas that have been extensively altered by disturbance and currently undergoing secondary succession. Bracken fern species and a variety of bullhorn acacia trees (including an endemic species) with accompanying Azteca ants (!!) were noted but not studied.
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