The excessive use of fertilizers in agriculture is mainly due to the recognized plant requirements for soluble phosphorus. This problem has limited the implementation of sustainable agriculture. A viable alternative is to use phosphate solubilizing soil microorganisms. This work aimed to isolate inorganic phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria from the soils of agroecosystems, to select and identify, based on sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, the bacterium with the highest capacity for in vitro solubilization of inorganic phosphate. Additionally, we aimed to determine its primary phosphate solubilizing mechanisms and to evaluate its effect on Habanero pepper seedlings growth. A total of 21 bacterial strains were isolated by their activity on Pikovskaya agar. Of these, strain ITCB-09 exhibited the highest ability to solubilize inorganic phosphate (865.98 µg/mL) through the production of organic acids. This strain produced extracellular polymeric substances and siderophores that have ecological implications for phosphate solubilization. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis revealed that strain ITCB-09 belongs to the genus Enterobacter. Enterobacter sp. ITCB-09, especially when immobilized in beads, had a positive effect on Capsicum chinense Jacq. seedling growth, indicating its potential as a biofertilizer.

Understanding the process underlying species coexistence is crucial in ecology. This challenge is relevant in tree communities inhabiting contrasting abiotic conditions, such as lowland floodplain and shallow hillslope karstic systems. We examined the influence of topographic variables and spatial factors on the structure of tree communities in the karstic system in Calakmul, Mexico. We measured 7050 trees (diameter at breast height ≥ 3 cm) in 152 circular plots and generated seven topographic variables from a digital elevation model. We employed redundancy analysis and variance partitioning to test the effects of environmental and spatial factors on tree communities. In addition, we used the null Raup–Crick model to uncover the relative importance of the deterministic and stochastic processes driving community assembly. Our study revealed significant floristic distinction between seasonally flooded and upland forests. The topographic wetness index (TWI) contribution to explaining the floristic differentiation in the studied tree assemblages was greater than that of the other topography-related variables. The explanatory power of the environmental and spatial factors varied slightly between datasets. The null model indicated a predominant influence of deterministic over stochastic processes. Our findings reaffirm the role of seasonal flooding as an abiotic filter. Additionally, the TWI can serve to identify flood-prone conditions within shallow depressions. The preservation of adjacent seasonally flooded and upland forests is relevant for the maintenance of tree diversity in the karst of the Yucatan Peninsula, since flooding drives the distribution of species.

Antecedentes y Objetivos: En los bosques tropicales la inundación estacional puede actuar como filtro ambiental afectando la supervivencia, el establecimiento y el crecimiento de las plántulas de especies arbóreas e influir en la estructura de las comunidades. Se simularon condiciones de inundación y sequía con el objetivo de evaluar su efecto como filtro ambiental sobre la supervivencia, crecimiento (longitud del tallo y número de hojas) y biomasa acumulada en plántulas de Brosimum alicastrum y Psidium sartorianum de la selva de Campeche, México. Métodos: Se estableció un experimento en condiciones de vivero con un diseño completamente al azar, con tres tratamientos (sequía, riego regular e inundación). Para cada tratamiento se utilizaron 45 plántulas de cada especie. Se evaluaron la supervivencia, altura y número de hojas de las plántulas al inicio del experimento y a intervalos de 30 días hasta su conclusión a los 120 días. Al finalizar, se cosecharon las plántulas y se midió la longitud de las raíces y la biomasa acumulada. Resultados clave: La inundación disminuyó la supervivencia de plántulas de B. alicastrum y no la de P. sartorianum, limitó la longitud del tallo, el número de hojas y la biomasa acumulada de ambas especies, pero no la biomasa de raíces de P. sartorianum. La supervivencia de las plántulas expuestas a sequía y riego regular no cambió y aumentó el crecimiento y biomasa acumulada. Conclusiones: Las respuestas de las especies contribuyeron a entender el papel del filtro ambiental en el establecimiento de las plántulas de especies arbóreas en los bajos de Calakmul, Campeche. La inundación estacional actúa como un filtro ambiental, elimina las plántulas de B. alicastrum en los bajos, mientras que esta especie predomina en áreas con suelos bien drenados como los lomeríos adyacentes a la zona inundada. Psidium sartorianum se adaptó a las condiciones de sequía e inundación, como se observa en su hábitat natural.