Influence of Microclimatic Variations on Morphological Traits of Ferns in Urban Forests of Central Veracruz, Mexico

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:	Plants vol. 14, no. 11 (2025), p. 1732
Autor principal:	Landeros-López, Jessica G
Otros Autores:	Krömer Thorsten, Gómez-Díaz, Jorge A, Velázquez-Rosas Noé, Carvajal-Hernández, César I
Publicado:	MDPI AG
Materias:	Mexico Urbanization Vegetation Species diversity Urban forests Indicator species Forests Radiation Canopies Ferns Urban areas Plant morphology Radiation measurement Principal components analysis Solar radiation Variation Relative humidity Epiphytes Leaf area Humidity Flowers & plants Morphology Biodiversity Plants (botany) Leaves Ecosystems Dry matter Environmental conditions Temperature
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Descripción
Resumen:	Urban forests are remnants of forest habitats within urban areas. Their structural alterations create stressful microclimatic conditions that can influence the morphology of sensitive plants, such as ferns. This study analyzed variations in the morphological traits of ferns in four urban forest sites in central Veracruz, Mexico, considering the microclimatic differences arising from vegetation structure. Temperature, humidity, canopy openness, and radiation were measured, along with eight foliar traits, while assessing the impact of site and habit (terrestrial or epiphytic) on the response. Sites with greater alterations in vegetation structure exhibited increased canopy openness, solar radiation, temperature, and a higher number of days with lower relative humidity. In these sites, leaves showed an increase in dry matter content and vein density, indicating a greater investment in resource storage and structural resistance. In the less-disturbed sites, terrestrial ferns demonstrated larger leaf area and specific leaf area, suggesting greater growth potential. Conversely, epiphytes generally had smaller leaves, which could represent an adaptive advantage for these species. The results also suggest a process of biotic homogenization within this plant group, reflecting a similar morphological response, except for indicator species restricted to less disturbed sites. Thus, this study reveals that microclimatic variations induced by urbanization significantly affect plant morphology and, ultimately, species diversity.
ISSN:	2223-7747
DOI:	10.3390/plants14111732
Fuente:	Agriculture Science Database