A graphic panorama of the freshwater algae from Mexico

Abstract

The actual knowledge about the freshwater algae of Mexico is very uneven from various points of view, despite its recognized potential as indicators of environmental conditions and to be the basal part of trophic chains in aquatic environments. The largest number of records of algae is in the central area of the country, with five states comprising more than 56% of total number of records. The Bacillariophyta are the group with the highest number of records, both nationally and by number of states. To this inequality, must be added that there is generally a poor level of documentation of species. There are records with the species name only and whose description or illustration has not been possible to locate, even with the recent documentary search resources. The graphical review presented highlights the degree of knowledge we have of the algae by states, taxonomical groups and the most studied environments; the discussion is supported with some analysis of the causes that affect the poor knowledge of freshwater algae in Mexico.