Assessing the Risk of Extinction of Vascular Plants Endemic to the Yucatán Peninsula Biotic Province by Means of Distributional Data

Abstract An assessment of the extinction risk of the endemic plants from the Yucatán Peninsula Biotic Province (YPBP) was performed based on distributional data (B criteria of the IUCN) using the GeoCAT tool. The YPBP is located in southeastern Mexico and comprises the Mexican states of Campeche, Quintana Roo, and Yucatán, and the northernmost portion of Belize (districts of Belize, Corozal, and Orange Walk), as well as a portion of northern Guatemala (most of the department of Petén). An analysis of the YPBP flora identified 167 endemic taxa, 154 of which grow in at least one of the three Mexican states (Campeche, Quintana Roo, and/or Yucatán), whereas another 13 occur exclusively in Belize and/or Guatemala. Eighty-five are in some category of risk (50.9%): 17 taxa (10.18%) are categorized as Critically Endangered (CR), 40 (23.95%) as Endangered (EN), and 28 (16.77%) as Vulnerable (VU). Eighty-one (48.5%) species are not threatened: 12 (7.19%) as Near Threatened (NT) and 69 (41.32%) as Least Concern. A single species (0.6%) is considered Data Deficient (DD). The greatest number of endemic species and endemic threatened species inhabit dry and subhumid forests, and some inhabit semi-evergreen forests. The habits of endemic species and threatened endemic species are diverse, but trees, grasses, and shrubs predominate. The official system of protected natural areas (PNA) does not guarantee the conservation of all endemic species in the region. Ninety-eight (58.68%) of the endemic taxa have more than one population (record) within a PNA.