MYCOSPORINE-LIKE AMINO ACIDS AND ANTIOXIDANT POTENTIAL IN GRACILARIA DOMINGENSIS: CHEMICAL PROFILING AND IMPLICATIONS

Abstract

The Chihuahua Desert, encompassing ten percent of the land in New Mexico, is recognized for its unique arid ecosystem and diverse flora and fauna. Luna County, entirely situated within this desert, harbors a plethora of arid-dwelling organisms, including Orthopterans, comprising grasshoppers, katydids, and crickets. These Orthopterans play pivotal roles in the local ecosystem dynamics (Richman et al., 1993). To unravel the diversity and distribution of Orthopterans in Luna County's Chihuahua Desert region, we conducted comprehensive fieldwork. Orthopteran specimens were meticulously collected across a 5-hectare expanse situated at approximately 32.17°N, 107.63°W, and an elevation of about 1,400 meters. This area is nestled on the northern flank of the Florida Mountains, situated approximately 25 kilometers southeast of Deming. The Florida Mountains, an inert fault-block mountain range predominantly composed of Paleozoic limestone and dolomite rocks extending north-south for about 38.6 kilometers, offer a distinctive geological backdrop to the region (Clemons, 1998). Encircling this range is a vast bajada that forms through the sporadic transport of sediments by ephemeral streams during rare rain events (Rech, 2021). The local precipitation averages 23.37 centimeters annually, primarily during the winter months. Temperature profiles reveal an average high of 35.5 ℃ and an average low of 18.3 ℃, based on data from the US Weather Service (2021). This study presents a comprehensive overview of the Orthopteran fauna in Luna County's Chihuahua Desert. The collected data offers insights into their distribution, abundance, and potential correlations with the unique geological and climatic features of the region. Understanding these relationships sheds light on the intricate dynamics within arid ecosystems and contributes to our broader comprehension of biodiversity in desert environments. Ultimately, this research not only adds to our knowledge of local biodiversity but also enhances our understanding of how these organisms adapt and thrive in the challenging conditions of arid landscapes