A preliminary assessment of the butterfly fauna of El Edén Ecological Reserve species richness and habitat preferences
The Yucatan Peninsula is a district subregion-not only biologically, but also geologically and climatically. It includes parts of southern Mexico, Belize, and Guatemala. The peninsula was once covered with forest, but at present, this forest does not have the same characteristics before human settlements (Welling 1966). Data from the Yucatan Peninsula indicate that the late Pleistocene and early Holocene epochs were dry (Metcalfe et al. 2000). In many cases, lake levels were strongly influenced by lower glacial sea levels and groundwater levels. Lake levels started to rise after 9000 yr. B.P. Moist conditions, possibly wetter than present, were established by about 6800 yr. B.P., but this was followed by a dry period between about 6000 and 5000 yr. B.P. (Metcalfe et al. 2000). The late Holocene was marked by strong variations in water balance, and the driest period of the Holocene was recorded at many sites sometime between 1500 and 900 yr. B.P. This very dry period is of considerable interest as it corresponds with the time of the collapse of the lowland Maya. Wetter conditions were then reestablished. Many sites in this region also provide records of human disturbance throughout the late Holocene (Metcalfe et al. 2000), and sometimes deliberate modification of the natural environment.
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Texto biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Subjects: | Mariposas, Hábitat (Ecología), Población animal, Artfrosur, |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|