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The implementation of a focused monitoring program for the impact’s assessment is especially relevant in coastal areas like those ecologically sensible to the impact of hidrometheorological events. The prediction, of possible impacts of extreme events, can be favored for the comprehension of vegetation dynamics. In the present work, it was assessed the possible changes in the structure, composition and species diversity in four times (February 2017, before the impact of Irma hurricane, and after it, on February and October 2018 and April 2019), for three vegetal formations of Paredón Grande key, Ciego de Ávila, Cuba. It was recorded the number of individuals per species in 12 plots of 10 x 10 m (four plots per each plant formation). It was measured the DBH of the individuals with more than 3 cm, cover of the arboreal, shrub and herbaceous strata, foliage density and canopy height. The vegetation monitoring did not show great changes nor in the structure neither in the in the species diversity during the three analyzed years. The found changes are associated to variations in the foliage density in the higher strata of the microphyllous evergreen forest and mixed mangrove. Among the three studied vegetation types, the coastal xeromorphic thicket seems to be the one of the more resistant to the effects of Irma hurricane. The vegetation of Paredón Grande key seems to present adaptations and/or mechanism that allow its resistance and resilience to hidrometheorological severe events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pollinator contribution to the reproductive success of species is made from the transfer of pollen, through the visit rate, which varies according to the expression of certain floral features. Rhytidophyllum lomense (Gesnerieae) is an endemic species of Cuba with tubular flowers and other characteristics that allow to predict the pollination syndrome by hummingbirds. Other species of the tribe with this corolla design, show low reproductive success. The study was directed to three questions: Does the floral design of R. lomense correspond to a specialist pollination system? Are there high levels of pollen limitation associated with the inefficiency of the specialist pollinator? and How does floral biology and reproductive assurance mechanisms determine reproductive success? The studies were carried out in three populations and 11 variables were used to describe the floral morphology. Direct observations were made to the flowers to determine the pollinators. The autogamy capacity was calculated through the self-fertilization index and, as pollinator efficiency measures, the indexes of pollen limitation, fruits/flowers and seeds/ovules were calculated. Chlorostilbon ricordii is the only R. lomense pollinator in concordance to its floral biology. The low visit rate of the hummingbird and the values of the calculated indexes show low efficiency of the pollinator. In addition, the low value of the index of self-fertility and the high levels of hercogamy and dicogamy do not show that R. lomense is in a period of transition a mechanism of reproductive assurance such as self-fertilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]