Weed richness and diversity in monocultures under Rainfed in the Altiplano Central de México
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.19136/era.a13n2.4988Keywords:
Agroecosystem, plant biodiversity, interspecific competition, agroecological management, species richnessAbstract
The composition, diversity, and abundance of weed communities in agroecosystems are influenced by various agronomic factors, including crop type and planting density. The objective of this study was to analyze the richness and diversity of weed plants associated with four monocultures (oat, barley, common bean, and maize) under rainfed conditions in central Mexico, and to evaluate the influence of crop density on weed community structure. The study was conducted across five locations, monitoring 103 plots belonging to local farmers. In each plot, the taxonomic identity of weeds, their abundance, and crop density were recorded using 1 m2 quadrants. Diversity indices were calculated, and correlation and regression analyses were performed. Forty-two weed species belonging to 20 families were identified; maize and barley exhibited the highest richness, while oat and bean recorded higher evenness. Distinct weed communities were observed for maize, barley, and oat, with unique indicator species for each crop, except for common bean. Furthermore, in oat, higher planting density was associated with lower richness but higher diversity (Shannon), whereas barley exhibited the opposite pattern. These findings suggest that crop type and planting density act as modulating factors for the weed community, whose influence depends on crop architecture and type, providing baseline information for the design of contextualized agroecological management strategies.
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