Vascular Plants and Vegetation of the Sayula sub-basin, Jalisco, Mexico

Background: The Sayula sub-basin presents a complex landscape composed of plants communities that to date have not been studied in a timely manner, so this study contributes to the knowledge of the flora and vegetation of the area and the State. Question: i) How many and which families, genera and species are in the Sayula sub-basin? ii) What are the main biological forms of the species? iii) Are there species under any category of protection? iv) How many vegetation types are present within the region? Studied species: Ferns, Gymnosperms and Angiosperms. Study site and years of study: The Sayula sub-basin, Jalisco, Mexico; from February 2012 to October 2015. Methods: Through the literature review and field work the floristic checklist was elaborated. In addition, with the use of geographic information systems, a map of land use and vegetation was made. Results: A total of 687 species were recorded, including 415 genera and 113 families. The five main families were Poaceae, Asteraceae, Fabaceae Solanaceae and Euphorbiaceae representing 42.6 % of the total species and 36.6 % of the genera. It should be noted that the predominant biological forms were herbs with 409, 105 shrubs and 74 trees. On the other hand, 47 species registered under some protection category of which, only one species Cleomella jaliscensis is endemic to the region. Finally, eight vegetation types were determined, being the tropical deciduous forest the one that occupies greater surface and presents greater floristic diversity. Conclusions: It is important to emphasize that during the realization of the work, agricultural activities were detected affecting the flora and vegetation, threatening the biodiversity and the natural balance of the region.