Chapter 16
Interdune Wetland Restoration in Central
Veracruz, Mexico: Plant Diversity
Recovery Mediated by the Hydroperiod
Hugo López-Rosas, Patricia Moreno-Casasola,
Fabiola López-Barrera, Lorena E. Sánchez-Higueredo,
Verónica E. Espejel-González and Judith Vázquez
16.1 Introduction
Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems worldwide and provide critical
habitats for the survival of a diverse group of organisms, ecological services, and
economic benefits (Bobbink et al. 2006). For instance, even though wetlands only
cover 6 % of the world’s land surface, they contain about 12 % of the global carbon
pool, playing an important role in the global carbon cycle, as stated by the International
Panel on Climate Change (Erwin 2009). In spite of the high biodiversity and the
services they provide, wetland ecosystems have suffered severe disturbances owing to
their destruction and degradation as a result of a wide variety of human impacts.
Worldwide, more than 50 % of the wetland resources have been lost because of human
P. Moreno-Casasola (&) Á F. López-Barrera Á L. E. Sánchez-Higueredo
V. E. Espejel-González Á J. Vázquez
Red de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Antigua carretera a Coatepec No.
351, El Haya 91070 Xalapa, VER, Mexico
e-mail: patricia.moreno@inecol.edu.mx
F. López-Barrera
e-mail: fabiola.lopez@inecol.edu.mx
L. E. Sánchez-Higueredo
e-mail: lorenaelisa@gmail.com
V. E. Espejel-González
e-mail: espejelveronica@gmail.com
J. Vázquez
e-mail: judith-s18@hotmail.com
H. López-Rosas
Estación El Carmen, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, UNAM, Km 9.5 carretera
Carmen-Puerto Real 24157 cd. del carmen, Campeche, Mexico
e-mail: hugoloper@cmarl.unam.mx
M. L. Martínez et al. (eds.), Restoration of Coastal Dunes, Springer Series
on Environmental Management, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-33445-0_16,
Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
255
Interdune Wetland Restoration in Central
Veracruz, Mexico: Plant Diversity
Recovery Mediated by the Hydroperiod
Hugo López-Rosas, Patricia Moreno-Casasola,
Fabiola López-Barrera, Lorena E. Sánchez-Higueredo,
Verónica E. Espejel-González and Judith Vázquez
16.1 Introduction
Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems worldwide and provide critical
habitats for the survival of a diverse group of organisms, ecological services, and
economic benefits (Bobbink et al. 2006). For instance, even though wetlands only
cover 6 % of the world’s land surface, they contain about 12 % of the global carbon
pool, playing an important role in the global carbon cycle, as stated by the International
Panel on Climate Change (Erwin 2009). In spite of the high biodiversity and the
services they provide, wetland ecosystems have suffered severe disturbances owing to
their destruction and degradation as a result of a wide variety of human impacts.
Worldwide, more than 50 % of the wetland resources have been lost because of human
P. Moreno-Casasola (&) Á F. López-Barrera Á L. E. Sánchez-Higueredo
V. E. Espejel-González Á J. Vázquez
Red de Ecología Funcional, Instituto de Ecología, A.C., Antigua carretera a Coatepec No.
351, El Haya 91070 Xalapa, VER, Mexico
e-mail: patricia.moreno@inecol.edu.mx
F. López-Barrera
e-mail: fabiola.lopez@inecol.edu.mx
L. E. Sánchez-Higueredo
e-mail: lorenaelisa@gmail.com
V. E. Espejel-González
e-mail: espejelveronica@gmail.com
J. Vázquez
e-mail: judith-s18@hotmail.com
H. López-Rosas
Estación El Carmen, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, UNAM, Km 9.5 carretera
Carmen-Puerto Real 24157 cd. del carmen, Campeche, Mexico
e-mail: hugoloper@cmarl.unam.mx
M. L. Martínez et al. (eds.), Restoration of Coastal Dunes, Springer Series
on Environmental Management, DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-33445-0_16,
Ó Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013
255