Biogeographical identity of the Mesoamerican dominion with emphasis on seasonally dry tropical forests

Research confirms the distinct biogeographical identity of the Mesoamerican dominion, a region extending from Mexico's Pacific coast to northern Central America. This study, analyzing 356 plant species across 28 genera and 16 families, identified two highly diverse areas in southern Mexico: the Balsas Basin (over 60 species) and the Central Valleys of Oaxaca (28 species). It also pinpointed seven river basins with high species dissimilarity, contributing to the region's notable species turnover. The findings support the Mesoamerican dominion as a unique biogeographical unit within the Neotropics, characterized by its seasonally dry tropical forests. The study used occurrence data from global databases and advanced analytical tools like Biodiverse 2.0 to map species richness and centers of endemism.

MONTAÑO-ARIAS, G., LUNA-VEGA, I., MORRONE, J. J., & ESPINOSA, D. (2018). Biogeographical identity of the Mesoamerican dominion with emphasis on seasonally dry tropical forests. Phytotaxa, 376(6). https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.376.6.3