title: Conserving tropical tree diversity and forest structure: the value of small rainforest patches in moderately-managed landscapes.
abstract: Rainforests are undergoing severe deforestation and fragmentation worldwide. A huge amount of small forest patches are being created, but their value in conserving biodiversity and forest structure is still controversial. Here, we demonstrate that in a species-rich and moderately-managed Mexican tropical landscape small rainforest patches (<100 ha) can be highly valuable for the conservation of tree diversity and forest structure. These patches showed diverse communities of native plants, including endangered species, and a new record for the country. Although the number of logged trees increased in smaller patches, patch size was a poor indicator of basal area, stem density, number of species, genera and families, and community evenness. Cumulative species-area curves indicated that all patches had a similar contribution to the regional species diversity. This idea also was supported by the fact that patches strongly differed in floristic composition (high β-diversity), independently of patch size. Thus, in agreement with the land-sharing approach, our findings support that small forest patches in moderately-managed landscapes should be included in conservation initiatives to maintain landscape heterogeneity, species diversity, and ecosystem services.
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
authors.forename: Manuel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Hernández-Ruedas
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
authors.forename: Víctor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Arroyo-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Jorge A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Meave
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez-Ramos
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones en Ecosistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
authors.forename: Guillermo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ibarra-Manríquez
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Botánica, Instituto de Biología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
authors.forename: Esteban
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martínez
authors.affiliation: Ejido Loma Bonita, Ocosingo, Chiapas, Mexico.
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jamangapé
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
authors.forename: Felipe P L
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Melo
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bráulio A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Santos
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D065928:Forests; D065947:Rainforest; D014197:Trees / Q000502:physiology*