B. Papp szerk.: Studia Botanica Hungarica 34. 2003 (Budapest, 2003)

Debreczy, Zsolt; Rácz, István: A re-assessment of the new taxa of firs (Abies Mill.) reported from Mexico in 1995

ziesii (Mirb.) Franco s.L, with particularly big (some 120 cm DBH) specimens of the latter along the little stream in a side valley, all cut down in the near past. Other associated species include Pinus durangensis Mart., P. ayacahuite Ehrenb. var. brachyptera Shaw, Acer glabrum Torrey, Arbutus glandulosa Mart, et Gal., Oestrum nocturnum L., Cornus sericea Michx., Juniperus deppeana Steud. var. robusta Mart., Lonicera involucrata (Rich.) Banks, L. pilosa (H., B. et K.) Willd., Mahonia repens (Lindl.) G. Don var. pumila (Greene) Fedde (or a form of M. eutriphylla Fedde), Populus tremuloides Michx., Quercus candicans Nee, Ribes madrensis Coville et Rose, Salix gooddingii Ball, Salix sp., Symphoricarpos rotundifolius A. Gray (the other 35 herbaceous or semi-woody species include Erigeron, Euphorbia, Fragaria, Galium, Gnaphalium, Lupinus, Luzula, Poa, Polypodium, Plantago, Potentilla, Ranunculus, Rubus, Senecio, Thalictrum, Valeriana, Veratrum, and Viola). Conservation: the habitat of this distinct fir, probably rare in its southern range, would be very important to preserve. Sr Leonel Iglesias Quitierrez, Director Forestal Noroeste Centro, Chihuahua, and M. C. Raul Narvaez Flores, Jefe del Campo Experimental Madera had been asked to collaborate in securing the species and to work on the possibilities for conservation of the land around the habitat, also to conduct further investigation of the distribution and habitat of the species and this variety. Participants in field work: Dr Gyöngyvér Biró, Dr Zsolt Debreczy, Dr István Rácz (IDRI and Hung. Nat. Hist. Museum, Budapest, Hungary), Éva Kertész (Botanical Collection, Munkácsy Mihály Múzeum, Békéscsaba, Hungary), Vince Zsigmond (University of Horticulture, Budapest, Hungary). CONSERVATION OF THE NEW TAXA The five true firs described from various locations in Mexico are considered rare, local, and threatened. In general, most of these new taxa can be saved mostly because of the difficult access to the locations where they grow. Their discovery brought the attention of flora researchers, forestry operators and the local conservation authorities. Since the range of distribution of these firs appears limited, and logging in these areas is still in practice, preservation of their habitat must be secured. Searching for additional merits of the forest stands where these firs occur and conducting synecological surveys to map their flora composition would also be important and may give further reasons to protect them. Early steps made toward the conservation of these firs are showing results. Further exploration of the habitat of Abies hidalgensis has been undertaken by re-