Carbohydrate Dynamics in a Disturbed Forest in Mexico

Authors

  • Edwin Amir Briceño-Contreras

    Departamento de Ingeniería Industrial, Tecnológico Nacional de México (TecNM)–Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Lerdo, Lerdo C.P. 35150, Mexico
  • Jesús Gerardo Muñoz-Zavala

    Posgrado en Ciencias en Producción Agropecuaria, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro Unidad Laguna, Torreón C.P. 27054, Mexico
  • Luis Manuel Valenzuela-Núñez

    Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Gómez Palacio C.P. 35010, Mexico
  • Dalia Ivette Carrillo-Moreno

    Posgrado en Ciencias en Producción Agropecuaria, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro Unidad Laguna, Torreón C.P. 27054, Mexico
  • Viridiana Contreras-Villarrea

    Posgrado en Ciencias en Producción Agropecuaria, Universidad Autónoma Agraria Antonio Narro Unidad Laguna, Torreón C.P. 27054, Mexico
  • Ernesto Concilco-Alberto

    Facultad de Agricultura y Zootecnia, Universidad Juárez del Estado de Durango, Gómez Palacio C.P. 35010, Mexico
  • Elizabeth Macías-Cortés

    Departamento de Ingeniería Industrial, Tecnológico Nacional de México (TecNM)–Instituto Tecnológico Superior de Lerdo, Lerdo C.P. 35150, Mexico

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i3.12664
Received: 4 November 2025 | Revised: 12 March 2026 | Accepted: 16 March 2026 | Published Online: 11 June 2026

Abstract

This research was carried out in three sites of temperate forest in northern Mexico in two species: Pinus cembroides Zucc and Quercus grisea L. and two phenological stages: summer and winter. Sites evaluated were: a) a site with grazing-impact (GI), b) a site with tourism-impact (TI) and a site with minimal-impact (NI). The main objective was to evaluate the concentrations (mg·g DM) of starch (STR) and total soluble sugars (TSS) in pine and oak. Carbohydrate concentrations were determined by UV-visible spectrophotometry. In the pine, the root in the GI site was the highest value in the summer stage (X̅ = 45.13 mg·g DM, F = 33.94, df = 8, p < 0.001). In the TSS, there was a difference in the root (X̅ = 30.29 mg·g DM, F = 7.68, df = 8, p < 0.022) in the summer stage. In the oak, there was a difference in the NI site: the highest concentration of STR in the leaves was present in the summer stage (X̅ = 41.77 mg·g DM, F = 9.97, df = 8, p < 0.012). In the TSS in the leaves, a difference was observed, as the GI site was the site with the highest concentration (X̅ = 35.31 mg·g DM), followed by the NI site (X̅ = 33.97 mg·g MS) (F = 12.93, df = 8, p < 0.007). The highest concentration was observed in the sites GI and MI.

Keywords:

Pinus cembroides; Quercus grisea; Carbohydrates; Tourism; Grazing

References

[1] Khosa, J., Bellinazzo, F., Kamenetsky-Goldstein, R., et al., 2021. Phosphatidylethanolamine-Binding Proteins: The Conductors of Dual Reproduction in Plants with Vegetative Storage Organs. Journal of Experimental Botany. 72(8), 2845–2856. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erab064

[2] Diaz-Toribio, M.H., Putz, F.E., 2021. Underground Carbohydrate Stores and Storage Organs in Fire-Maintained Longleaf Pine Savannas in Florida, USA. American Journal of Botany. 108(3), 432–442. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1620

[3] Clausing, S., Pena, R., Song, B., et al., 2021. Carbohydrate Depletion in Roots Impedes Phosphorus Nutrition in Young Forest Trees. New Phytologist. 229(5), 2611–2624. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.17058

[4] Ivanov, Y.V., Kartashov, A.V., Zlobin, I.E., et al., 2019. Water Deficit-Dependent Changes in Non-Structural Carbohydrate Profiles, Growth and Mortality of Pine and Spruce Seedlings in Hydroculture. Environmental and Experimental Botany. 157, 151–160. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2018.10.016

[5] Plavcová, L., Jandová, V., Altman, J., et al., 2024. Variations in Wood Anatomy in Afrotropical Trees with a Particular Emphasis on Radial and Axial Parenchyma. Annals of Botany. 134(1), 151–162. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcae049

[6] Lu, L.L., Liu, H., Wang, J., et al., 2024. Seasonal Patterns of Nonstructural Carbohydrate Storage and Mobilization in Two Tree Species with Distinct Life-History Traits. Tree Physiology. 44(7), tpae042. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpae042

[7] Piper, F., Hoch, G., Fajardo, A., 2019. Revisiting the Relative Growth Rate Hypothesis for Gymnosperm and Angiosperm Species Co-Occurrence. American Journal of Botany. 106(1), 101–112. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ajb2.1221

[8] Spicer, R., 2014. Symplasmic Networks in Secondary Vascular Tissues: Parenchyma Distribution and Activity Supporting Long-Distance Transport. Journal of Experimental Botany. 65, 1829–1848. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/ert459

[9] Smith, M., Miller, R., Arndt, S., et al., 2017. Whole-Tree Distribution and Temporal Variation of Non-Structural Carbohydrates in Broadleaf Evergreen Trees. Tree Physiology. 38(4), 570–581. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpx141

[10] Qian, N., Li, G., Wang, L., et al., 2025. Linking Wood Formation and Non-Structural Carbohydrate Dynamics in Larix olgensis along an Elevational Gradient. Dendrochronologia. 94, 126418. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dendro.2025.126418

[11] Augustaitis, A., Sidabriene, D., 2026. Adaptive Capacity of Scots Pine Trees to Meteorological Extremes in Highly Oligotrophic Soil in Hemi-Boreal Forest. Forests. 17(1), 98. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/f17010098

[12] Rodríguez-González, L., Medina, G.A.M., Méndez-Carmona, J.Y., et al., 2024. Arid Zone Description and Its Biodiversity. In: Aguilar, C.N., Meléndez-Renteria, N.P., Ramirez-Guzman, K.N. (Eds.). Exploration and Valorization of Natural Resources from Arid Zones. Apple Academic Press: New York, NY, USA. pp. 1–24.

[13] Rotenberg, E., Yakir, D., 2010. Contribution of Semi-Arid Forests to the Climate System. Science. 327(5964), 451–454. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1179998

[14] Sáenz-Ceja, J.E., Arenas-Navarro, M., Torres-Miranda, A., 2022. Prioritizing Conservation Areas and Vulnerability Analyses of the Genus Pinus L. (Pinaceae) in Mexico. Journal for Nature Conservation. 67, 126171. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnc.2022.126171

[15] Fuentes-Amaro, S., Legaria, J., Ramírez-Herrera, C., 2019. Genetic Structure of Pinus cembroides Populations from Central México. Revista Fitotecnia Mexicana. 42(1), 57–65. DOI: https://doi.org/10.35196/rfm.2019.1.57 (in Spanish)

[16] Tellez, O., Mattana, E., Diaz-Granados, M., et al., 2020. Native Trees of Mexico: Diversity, Distribution, Uses and Conservation. PeerJ. 8, e9898. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9898

[17] Martínez Calderón, V.M., Siqueiros Delgado, M.E., Martínez Ramírez, J., 2017. Species of Genus Quercus (Fagaceae) in Natural Protected Area of Sierra Fria, Aguascalientes, México. Investigación y Ciencia de la Universidad Autónoma de Aguascalientes. 71, 12–18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.33064/iycuaa201771336 (in Spanish)

[18] Maza-Villalobos, S., García-Ramírez, P., Endress, B.A., et al., 2022. Plant Functional Traits under Cattle Grazing and Fallow Age Scenarios in a Tropical Dry Forest of Northwestern Mexico. Basic and Applied Ecology. 64, 30–44. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2022.06.006

[19] Li, J., Bai, Y., Alatalo, J.M., 2020. Impacts of Rural Tourism-Driven Land Use Change on Ecosystems Services Provision in Erhai Lake Basin, China. Ecosystem Services. 42, 101081. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2020.101081

[20] Valenzuela-Núñez, L.M., Maillard, P., González-Barrios, J.L., et al., 2014. Carbohydrate Balance in Different Plant Compartments of Oak (Quercus petraea) and Beech (Fagus sylvatica) Subjected to Defoliation and Shade. Revista Chapingo Serie Zonas Áridas. 13(1), 33–38. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5154/r.rchsza.2012.06.027

[21] van Handel, E., 1968. Direct Microdetermination of Sucrose. Analytical Biochemistry. 22(2), 280–283. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/0003-2697(68)90317-5

[22] Ebell, L.F., 1969. Specific Total Starch Determinations in Conifer Tissues with Glucose Oxidase. Phytochemistry. 8(1), 25–36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)85790-8

[23] Haissig, B.E., Dickson, R.E., 1982. Glucose Measurement Errors in Enzymatic Starch Hydrolysates at High Enzyme-Glucose Weight Ratios. Physiologia Plantarum. 54(3), 244–248. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1399-3054.1982.tb00254.x

[24] Klein, T., Vitasse, Y., Hoch, G., 2016. Coordination between Growth, Phenology and Carbon Storage in Three Coexisting Deciduous Tree Species in a Temperate Forest. Tree Physiology. 36(7), 847–855. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpw030

[25] Liu, H., Shangguan, H., Zhou, M., et al., 2019. Differentiated Responses of Nonstructural Carbohydrate Allocation to Climatic Dryness and Drought Events in the Inner Asian Arid Timberline. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology. 271, 355–361. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2019.03.008

[26] Cho, N., Agossou, C., Kim, E., et al., 2022. Recent Field Findings and Modeling on Non-Structural Carbohydrates (NSCs): How to Synthesize? Ecological Informatics. 70, 101695. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoinf.2022.101695

[27] Valenzuela-Nuñez, L.M., Gérant, D., Maillard, P., et al., 2011. Evidence for a 26kDa Vegetative Storage Protein in the Stem Sapwood of Mature Pedunculate Oak. Interciencia. 36(2), 142–147.

[28] Briceño Contreras, E.A., Valenzuela Núñez, L.M., Espino Castillo, D.A., et al., 2018. Content of Starch in Walnut Organs (Carya illinoensis Koch) in Two Phenological Stages. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Agrícolas. 20, 4161–4173. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29312/remexca.v0i20.987 (in Spanish)

[29] Camarero, J.J., Colangelo, M., Valeriano, C., et al., 2023. Reversible Impacts of a Cold Spell on Forest Cover, Tree Growth and Carbohydrates in Mediterranean Pine and Oak Forests. Forests. 14(4), 678. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/f14040678

[30] Dettenmaier, S.J., Messmer, T.A., Hovick, T.J., et al., 2017. Effects of Livestock Grazing on Rangeland Biodiversity: A Meta-Analysis of Grouse Populations. Ecology and Evolution. 7(19), 7620–7627. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.3287

[31] Briceño-Contreras, E.A., Moreno-Reséndez, A., Valenzuela-Núñez, L.M., et al., 2021. Starch Balance in Perennial Organs of Carya illinoinensis Koch in a Production Cycle. Revista Brasileira de Fruticultura. 43(5), 1–12. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/0100-29452021017

[32] He, Y., Yu, M., Ding, G., et al., 2023. Precipitation Pattern Changed the Content of Non-Structural Carbohydrates Components in Different Organs of Artemisia ordosica. BMC Plant Biology. 23, 505. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-023-04512-4

[33] Amico Roxas, A., Orozco, J., Guzmán-Delgado, P., et al., 2021. Spring Phenology is Affected by Fall Non-Structural Carbohydrate Concentration and Winter Sugar Redistribution in Three Mediterranean Nut Tree Species. Tree Physiology. 41(8), 1425–1438. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpab014

[34] Chapin, F.S., Schulze, E., Mooney, H.A., 1990. The Ecology and Economics of Storage in Plants. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics. 21, 423–447. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.es.21.110190.002231

[35] Encinas-Valero, M., Esteban, R., Hereş, A.M., et al., 2022. Holm Oak Decline is Determined by Shifts in Fine Root Phenotypic Plasticity in Response to Belowground Stress. New Phytologist. 235(6), 2237–2251. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18182

[36] Rivera, M., Polanía, J., Ricaurte, J., et al., 2019. Soil Compaction Induced Changes in Morpho-Physiological Characteristics of Common Bean. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition. 19(1), 217–227.

[37] Pan, S., Anees, S.A., Li, X., et al., 2023. Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Non-Structural Carbohydrates in Faxon Fir (Abies fargesii var. faxoniana), Subalpine Mountains of Southwest China. Forests. 14(7), 1438. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/f14071438

[38] Miranda, J.C., López de Heredia, U., Fernández, V., et al., 2023. Phenotypic Plasticity in Pinus canariensis Seedlings Growing at Chilling and Freezing Temperatures. Frontiers in Forests and Global Change. 6, 1303886. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/ffgc.2023.1303886

[39] Noriega, J.A., Zapata-Prisco, C., García, H., et al., 2020. Does Ecotourism Impact Biodiversity? An Assessment Using Dung Beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) as Bioindicators in a Tropical Dry Forest Natural Park. Ecological Indicators. 117, 106580. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106580

[40] Fermaniuk, C., Fleurial, K.G., Wiley, E., et al., 2021. Large Seasonal Fluctuations in Whole-Tree Carbohydrate Reserves: Is Storage More Dynamic in Boreal Ecosystems? Annals of Botany. 128(7), 943–957. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcab099

[41] Du, X., Zhang, X., Chen, X., et al., 2024. Drought Stress Reduces the Photosynthetic Source of Subtending Leaves and the Transit Sink Function of Podshells, Leading to Reduced Seed Weight in Soybean Plants. Frontiers in Plant Science. 15, 1337544.

[42] Arévalo, J.R., Encina-Domínguez, J.A., Mellado, M., et al., 2021. Impact of 25 Years of Grazing on the Forest Structure of Pinus cembroides in Northeast Mexico. Acta Oecologica. 111, 103743. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actao.2021.103743

[43] Encina-Domínguez, J.A., Estrada-Castillón, E., Mellado, M., et al., 2022. Livestock Grazing Impact on Species Composition and Richness Understory of the Pinus cembroides Zucc. Forest in Northeastern Mexico. Forests. 13(7), 1113. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/f13071113

[44] Barbaroux, C., Bréda, N., Dufrêne, E., 2003. Distribution of Above-Ground and Below-Ground Carbohydrate Reserves in Adult Trees of Two Contrasting Broad-leaved Species (Quercus petraea and Fagus sylvatica). New Phytologist. 157(3), 605–615. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1469-8137.2003.00681.x

Downloads

How to Cite

Briceño-Contreras, E. A., Muñoz-Zavala, J. G., Valenzuela-Núñez, L. M., Carrillo-Moreno, D. . I., Contreras-Villarrea, V., Concilco-Alberto, E., & Macías-Cortés, E. (2026). Carbohydrate Dynamics in a Disturbed Forest in Mexico. Research in Ecology, 8(3), 266–274. https://doi.org/10.30564/re.v8i3.12664

Issue

Vol.8, Iss.3 (June 2026)(In Progress)

Article Type

Article

License

Copyright © 2026 Edwin Amir Briceño-Contreras, Jesús Gerardo Muñoz-Zavala, Luis Manuel Valenzuela-Núñez, Dalia Ivette Carrillo-Moreno, Viridiana Contreras-Villarrea, Ernesto Concilco-Alberto, Elizabeth Macías-Cortés

Creative Commons License

This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) License.

Crossref
Scopus
Google Scholar
Europe PMC