Study of the vegetation in the Multiple Use Natural Reserve of Monterrico (Guatemala)

The Multiple Use Natural Reserve of Monterrico lies on the Pacific coast of the southwest Guatemala in the Chiapas Sector of the Chiapaneca-Hondureña Province. It belongs to the Guatemalan System of Protected Areas and has a predominantly estuarine and coastal marine ecosystem. We took 218 vegetation relevés that contained 72 species belonging to 138 genera and 69 plant families. Multivariate analysis techniques have led to the determination of seven different associations. Three of them are mangrove swamp associations (<i>Lagunculario-Rhizophoretum manglis</i>; <i>Lagunculario-Avicennietum germinantis</i> Peinado, Alcaraz, Delgadillo, De la Cruz, Álvarez and Aguirre, 1994; <i>Rhizophoretum manglis</i> Cuatrecasas, 1958). Three new associations are proposed. These are one reed–bulrush association (<i>Typho domingensis-Phragmitetum australis</i><i>ass. nova</i>) and two sand-dwelling associations, one made up of evergreen grasses dominated by <i>Canavalia rosea</i> which grows on mobile dunes (<i>Thephrosio-Canavalietum roseae</i><i>ass. nova</i>) and a dry forest phytocoenosis dominated by deciduous and some evergreen species, such as <i>Pithecellobium dulce</i>, that grow on more consolidated sandy soils (<i>Gliricidio-Pithecellobietum dulcis</i><i>ass. nova</i>). Finally, special mention must be made of the presence of the pleustohelophytic association <i>Eichhornietum crassipedis</i> Samek and Moncada, 1971. This is the first time that these mangrove swamp associations and this hydrophytic association have been recorded in Guatemala.