Donald Pinkava’s studies on the vascular flora of the Bolsón de Cuatro Ciénegas in the Chihuahuan Desert, updates, and taxonomic information on Acanthaceae in the region
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17348/jbrit.v16.i1.1233Abstract
In 1967 Donald Pinkava began botanical exploration of the then little-studied Bolsón de Cuatro Ciénegas in the east-central portion of the Chihuahuan Desert. This closed (i.e., internally drained) basin contains an unusual assemblage of biotic communities in a relatively small region. Following 10 years of field studies, between 1979 and 1984 Pinkava published catalogs of the vascular flora of his 2,000 km2 study area, and documented 860 species in 456 genera from 114 families. He also recognized and summarized eight “vegetation zones” in the study area: aquatic and semiaquatic habitats, gypsum dunes, basin sacaton grasslands, a transition zone, desertscrub, chaparral, oak-pine and oak woodlands, and montane conifer forests. Some updates and discussions are offered relative to both the flora and vegetation of the basin area. The botanical richness of this region is illustrated by Acanthaceae. A key to and synopsis of the 13 species in six genera of that family occurring there are provided. Lists comparing Acanthaceae in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts are also appended. Pinkava’s pioneering botanical inventory in and around the Bolsón de Cuatro Ciénegas was both timely and has had a significant impact on subsequent efforts to preserve this precious natural resource of international significance.
References
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PINKAVA, D.J. 1980. Vegetation and flora of the Bolsón of Cuatro Ciénegas Region, Coahuila, Mexico, II (Casuarinaceae to Loasaceae). Bol. Soc. Bot. México 39:107–127.
PINKAVA, D.J. 1981. Vegetation and flora of the Bolsón of Cuatro Ciénegas Region, Coahuila, Mexico: III Cactaceae to Compositae. Bol. Soc. Bot. México 41:127–151.
PINKAVA, D.J. 1984. Vegetation and flora of the Bolsón of Cuatro Ciénegas Region, Coahuila, Mexico: IV. Summary, endemism and corrected catalogue. J. Arizona-Nevada Acad. Sci. 19:23–47.
PINKAVA, D.J. 1987. An urgent need for preservation: Cuatro Cienegas. Agave 2:7–9.
PINKAVA, D.J. & J.A. VILLARREAL-QUINTANILLA. 1997. Cuatro Ciénegas Region, Mexico. In: S.D. Davis et al., eds. Centers of plant diversity, a guide and strategy for their conservation, volume 3, the Americas. World Wide Fund for Nature and IUCN. Gland, Switzerland. Pp. 167–171.
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WAUER, R.H. & D.H. RISKIND, EDS. 1978. Transactions of the symposium on the biological resources of the Chihuahuan Desert region, United States and Mexico, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas, 17–18 October 1974. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service Trans. Proc. Ser. No. 3. Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
ZAVALA-HURTADO, J.A. & M. JIMÉNEZ. 2020. Diversity and uniqueness at its best: Vegetation of the Chihuahuan Desert. In: M.C. Mandujano et al., eds. Plant diversity and ecology in the Chihuahuan Desert, emphasis on the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin. Cuatro Ciénegas Basin: an endangered hyperdiverse oasis series. Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham, Switzerland. Pp. 1–17.
BRIGGS, M.K., E.A. LOZANO-CAVAZOS, H.M. POULOS, J. OCHOA-ESPINOZA, & J.A. RODRIGUEZ-PINEDA. 2020. The Chihuahuan Desert: a binational conservation response to protect a global treasure. In: M.I. Goldstein & D.A. DellaSala, eds. Encyclopedia of the world’s biomes. Elsevier, Amsterdam, Netherlands. Pp. 126–138. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-409548-9.11966-9
BROWN, D.E., ed. 1982. Biotic communities of the American Southwest—United States and Mexico. Desert Pl. 4:1–341.
BROWN, D.E., F. REICHENBACHER, & S.E. FRANSON. 1998. A classification of North American biotic communities. University of Utah Press, Salt Lake City, U.S.A.
DANIEL, T.F. 1983a. Carlowrightia (Acanthaceae). Flora Neotrop. Monogr. 34:1–116.
DANIEL, T.F. 1983b. Systematics of Holographis (Acanthaceae). J. Arnold Arbor. 64:129–160.
DANIEL, T.F. 1997. The Acanthaceae of California and the peninsula of Baja California. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 49:309–403.
DANIEL, T.F. 2004. Acanthaceae of Sonora: taxonomy and phytogeography. Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci. 55:690–805.
DANIEL, T.F. 2013. Taxonomic, distributional, and nomenclatural notes on North American Acanthaceae. In: W.R. Buck & R.F.C. Naczi, eds. Harmony and grit, papers celebrating the Holmgren’s completion of the Intermountain Flora. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 108. New York Botanical Garden Press, Bronx, U.S.A. Pp. 85–114.
DANIEL, T.F. 2016. Acanthaceae, acanthus or shrimp-plant family. Canotia 12: 22–54.
GARCIA, J. 1976. Maps of the Chihuahuan Desert region. Published by the author. Cd. Chihuahua, Mexico.
EZCURRA, E., A. MARTÍNEZ-BERDEJA, & L.VILLANUEVA-ALMANZA. 2020. The evolution of North American deserts and the uniqueness of Cuatro Ciénegas. In: M.C. Mandujano et al., eds. Plant diversity and ecology in the Chihuahuan Desert, emphasis on the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin. Cuatro Ciénegas Basin: an endangered hyperdiverse oasis series. Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham, Switzerland. Pp. 45–60.
HENRICKSON, J. 1999. Studies in the genus Dyschoriste (Acanthaceae): I. Plants of northern Mexico, Texas to Arizona. Lundellia 2:72–99.
HENRICKSON, J. & R.M. STRAW. 1976. A gazetteer of the Chihuahuan Desert region: A Supplement to the Chihuahuan Desert Flora. Published by the authors, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A.
HERNÁNDEZ-BECERRA, N., Y. TAPIA-TORRES, O. BELTRÁN-PAZ, J. BLAZ, V. SOUZA, & F. GARCÍA-OLIVA. 2016. Agricultural land-use change in a Mexican oligotrophic desert depletes ecosystem stability. PeerJ 4:e2365. doi:10.7717/peerj.2365
MANDUJANO, M.C., I. PISANTY, & L.E. EGUIARTE, eds. 2020. Plant diversity and ecology in the Chihuahuan Desert, emphasis on the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin. Cuatro Ciénegas Basin: an endangered hyperdiverse oasis series. Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham, Switzerland.
MARSH, P.C., ed. 1984. Biota of Cuatro Ciénegas, Coahuila, Mexico (symposium proceedings). J. Arizona-Nevada Acad. Sci. 19:1–90.
MINCKLEY, W.L. 1969. Environments of the Bolsón of Cuatro Cienegas, Coahuila, Mexico, with special reference to the aquatic biota. Science Series No. 2. Texas Western Press, University of Texas at El Paso, U.S.A. 65 pages.
OCHOTERENA, H., H. FLORES-OLVERA, C. GÓMEZ-HINOSTROSA, & M.J. MOORE. 2020. Gypsum and plant species: a marvel of Cuatro Ciénegas and the Chihuahuan Desert. In: M.C. Mandujano et al., eds. Plant diversity and ecology in the Chihuahuan Desert, emphasis on the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin. Cuatro Ciénegas Basin: an endangered hyperdiverse oasis series. Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham, Switzerland. Pp. 129–165.
PINKAVA, D.J. 1978. Vegetation and flora of the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin, Coahuila, Mexico. In: R.H. Wauer & D.H. Riskind, eds. Transactions of the symposium on the biological resources of the Chihuahuan Desert region, United States and Mexico, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas, 17–18 October 1974. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service Transactions and Proceedings Series No. 3. Washington, D.C., U.S.A. Pp. 327–333.
PINKAVA, D.J. 1979. Vegetation and flora of the Bolsón of Cuatro Ciénegas Region, Coahuila, Mexico, I. Bol. Soc. Bot. México 38:35–73.
PINKAVA, D.J. 1980. Vegetation and flora of the Bolsón of Cuatro Ciénegas Region, Coahuila, Mexico, II (Casuarinaceae to Loasaceae). Bol. Soc. Bot. México 39:107–127.
PINKAVA, D.J. 1981. Vegetation and flora of the Bolsón of Cuatro Ciénegas Region, Coahuila, Mexico: III Cactaceae to Compositae. Bol. Soc. Bot. México 41:127–151.
PINKAVA, D.J. 1984. Vegetation and flora of the Bolsón of Cuatro Ciénegas Region, Coahuila, Mexico: IV. Summary, endemism and corrected catalogue. J. Arizona-Nevada Acad. Sci. 19:23–47.
PINKAVA, D.J. 1987. An urgent need for preservation: Cuatro Cienegas. Agave 2:7–9.
PINKAVA, D.J. & J.A. VILLARREAL-QUINTANILLA. 1997. Cuatro Ciénegas Region, Mexico. In: S.D. Davis et al., eds. Centers of plant diversity, a guide and strategy for their conservation, volume 3, the Americas. World Wide Fund for Nature and IUCN. Gland, Switzerland. Pp. 167–171.
SECRETARIA DE MEDIO AMBIENTE, RECURSOS NATURALES Y PESCA. 1999. Programa de manejo del área de protección de flora y fauna Cuatrociénegas, México. Instituto Nacional de Ecología. Cd. México. https://simec.conanp.gob.mx/pdf_libro_pm/151_libro_pm.pdf
TURNER, B.L. 2003. New varietal and species combinations for taxa occurring in Texas. In: B.L. Turner et al., Atlas of the vascular plants of Texas, volume 1. Sida, Bot. Misc. 24. Botanical Research Institute of Texas, Fort Worth, U.S.A. Pp. 4–8.
VÁSQUEZ-ALDAPE, R., A. GARCÍA-DÁVILA, J.C. IBARRA FLORES, & J.A. VILLARREAL-QUINTANILLA. 2001. Las plantas del Valle de Cuatrociénegas, Coahuila, México, lista acuualizada, complementada y ordenada alfabéticamente. Universidad Autónima Agraria Antonio Narro. Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico.
VILLARREAL-QUINTANILLA, J.A., J.A. BARTOLOMÉ-HERNÁNDEZ, E. ESTRADA-CASTILLÓN, H. RAMÍREZ-RODRÍGUEZ, & S.J. MARTÍNEZ-AMADOR. 2017. El elemento endémico de la flora vascular del Desierto Chihuahuense. Acta Bot. Mex. 118:65–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.21829/abm118. 2017.1201
WAUER, R.H. & D.H. RISKIND, EDS. 1978. Transactions of the symposium on the biological resources of the Chihuahuan Desert region, United States and Mexico, Sul Ross State University, Alpine, Texas, 17–18 October 1974. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, National Park Service Trans. Proc. Ser. No. 3. Washington, D.C., U.S.A.
ZAVALA-HURTADO, J.A. & M. JIMÉNEZ. 2020. Diversity and uniqueness at its best: Vegetation of the Chihuahuan Desert. In: M.C. Mandujano et al., eds. Plant diversity and ecology in the Chihuahuan Desert, emphasis on the Cuatro Ciénegas Basin. Cuatro Ciénegas Basin: an endangered hyperdiverse oasis series. Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham, Switzerland. Pp. 1–17.
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Published
2022-07-15
How to Cite
Daniel, T. F. (2022). Donald Pinkava’s studies on the vascular flora of the Bolsón de Cuatro Ciénegas in the Chihuahuan Desert, updates, and taxonomic information on Acanthaceae in the region. Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 16(1), 281–295. https://doi.org/10.17348/jbrit.v16.i1.1233
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