Combining spaceborne lidar from the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation with local knowledge for monitoring fragmented tropical landscapes: A case study in the forest-agriculture interface of Ucayali, Peru.

Improving our ability to monitor fragmented tropical ecosystems is a critical step in supporting the stewardship of these complex landscapes. We investigated the structural characteristics of vegetation classes in Ucayali, Peru, employing a co-production approach. The vegetation classes included three agricultural classes (mature oil palm, monocrop cacao, and agroforestry cacao plantations) and three forest regeneration classes (mature lowland forest, secondary lowland forest, and young lowland vegetation regrowth). We combined local knowledge with spaceborne lidar from NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation mission to classify vegetation and characterize the horizontal and vertical structure of each vegetation class. Mature lowland forest had consistently higher mean canopy height and lower canopy height variance than secondary lowland forest (µ = 29.40 m, sd = 6.89 m vs. µ = 20.82 m, sd = 9.15 m, respectively). The lower variance of mature forest could be attributed to the range of forest development ages in the secondary forest patches. However, secondary forests exhibited a similar vertical profile to mature forests, with each cumulative energy percentile increasing at similar rates. We also observed similar mean and standard deviations in relative height ratios (RH50/RH95) for mature forest, secondary forest, and oil palm even when removing the negative values from the relative height ratios and interpolating from above-ground returns only (mean RH50/RH95 of 0.58, 0.54, and 0.53 for mature forest, secondary forest, and oil palm, respectively) (p < .0001). This pattern differed from our original expectations based on local knowledge and existing tropical forest succession studies, pointing to opportunities for future work. Our findings suggest that lidar-based relative height metrics can complement local information and other remote sensing approaches that rely on optical imagery, which are limited by extensive cloud cover in the tropics. We show that characterizing ecosystem structure with a co-production approach can support addressing both the technical and social challenges of monitoring and managing fragmented tropical landscapes.

Expanding the Universe of Hemoplasmas: Multi-Locus Sequencing Reveals Putative Novel Hemoplasmas in Lowland Tapirs (Tapirus terrestris), the Largest Land Mammals in Brazil.

The lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is the largest land mammal in Brazil and classified as a vulnerable species, according to the assessment of the risk of extinction. The present study aimed at investigating the occurrence and genetic diversity of hemoplasmas in free-ranging T. terrestris from the Brazilian Pantanal and Cerrado biomes. Blood samples were collected from 94 living and eight road-killed tapirs, totalizing 125 samples Conventional PCR targeting four different genes (16S rRNA, 23S rRNA, RNAse P, and dnaK) were performed, and the obtained sequences were submitted for phylogenetic, genotype diversity, and distance analyses. The association between hemoplasma positivity and possible risk variables (age, gender, and origin) was assessed. Out of 122 analyzed samples, 41 (41/122; 33.61% CI: 25.84-42.38%) were positive in the 16S rRNA-based PCR assay for hemoplasmas. Positivity for hemoplasmas did not differ between tapirs' gender and age. Tapirs from Pantanal were 5.64 times more likely to present positive results for hemoplasmas when compared to tapirs sampled in Cerrado. BLASTn, phylogenetic, genotype diversity, and distance analyses performed herein showed that the sampled lowland tapirs might be infected by two genetically distinct hemoplasmas, namely 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoterrestris' and 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematotapirus'. While the former was positioned into "Mycoplasma haemofelis group" and closely related to 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum, the latter was positioned into "Mycoplasma suis group" and closely related to 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haematobos'. The impact of both putative novel species on tapir health status should be investigated.

Diversidad y conservación de los murciélagos de Loreto, Perú / Diversity and conservation of bats from Loreto, Peru

Resumen En este trabajo presentamos una lista actualizada de los murciélagos de Loreto basada en la revisión de bases de datos, colecciones científicas y literatura especializada. Encontramos que Loreto es el departamento con mayor diversidad de murciélagos del Perú, con 114 especies agrupadas en 7 familias (19.9% de la mastofauna peruana), y que incluyen dos de las nueve especies endémicas para Perú: Micronycteris (Micronycteris) matses y Hsunycteris dashe. Además, se encontraron 444 localidades diferentes con registros de especímenes, principalmente ubicadas a lo largo de ríos. Las especies registradas en cuatro o menos localidades únicas fueron consideradas como raras, mientras que las especies registradas en 111 o más localidades únicas fueron consideradas comunes. Presentamos un mapa de las ecorregiones de Loreto con las localidades únicas, tanto históricas como contemporáneas, además de un mapa de densidad de localidades por cada 25 km2 donde se identifican 6 zonas de vacíos de información: 1) norte y centro de Putumayo 2) noroeste de Maynas y noreste de Loreto, 3) centro de Maynas, 4) centro-norte del Datem del Marañón, norte de Alto Amazonas y extremo occidental de Loreto, 5) centro-sur de Requena y extremo oriental de Ucayali y 6) extremo occidental de Ucayali. Finalmente presentamos mapas de distribución para cada especie aquí reportada para Loreto.

Abstract In this work, an updated list of species of bats from Loreto is presented, this was elaborated using information of databases, zoological collections, and specialized literature. The results confirm Loreto as the most diverse department of Peru with 114 species of bats grouped into 7 families (19.9% of the Peruvian mastofauna), which include two of the nine endemic species to Peru: Micronycteris (Micronycteris) matses and Hsunycteris dashe. Additionally, 444 different locations were found with specimen records, located mainly along rivers. Species recorded in four or less different locations are considered rare, while species recorded in 111 or more different locations are considered common. We present a map of the Loreto ecoregions with the different localities, both historical and contemporary, as well as a map of density of locations per 25 km2, which identifies 6 areas of information gaps: 1) North and middle Putumayo, 2) Northwest Maynas and northeast Loreto, 3) Middle Maynas, 4) North-middle Datem del Marañón, north Alto Amazonas and western end of Loreto, 5) South-middle Requena and eastern end of Ucayali and 6) Western end of Ucayali. Finally we present distribution maps for each species reported here for Loreto.

Diversidad y conservación de los mamíferos mayores de Loreto, Perú / Diversity and conservation of the large mammals from Loreto, Peru

Resumen En el presente trabajo, presentamos una lista actualizada de mamíferos mayores para Loreto compuesta por 72 especies en 8 órdenes y 25 familias. Esta lista fue elaborada a partir de la minuciosa revisión de bases de datos, colecciones zoológicas y publicaciones científicas. En Loreto se encuentran 5 especies endémicas nacionales: Lagothrix flavicauda, Saguinus (Leontocebus) illigeri, Saguinus (Leontocebus) nigrifrons, Pithecia aequatorialis y Pithecia isabela, siendo las tres últimas también endémicas para Loreto. Se encontraron 292 localidades diferentes a partir de 3286 registros de mamíferos mayores. Se presenta un mapa de distribución de las localidades analizadas remarcando ecorregiones y registros históricos (antes del 2001) y contemporáneos (después del 2001). Asimismo, se presentan mapas con la distribución de las localidades donde han sido registradas las 72 especies estudiadas, y un mapa de densidad de las localidades registradas, el cual permite identificar dos zonas con vacíos de información: 1) la zona Datem del Marañón-Loreto y 2) la zona Alto Amazonas-Ucayali. Estas zonas requieren evaluaciones urgentes para complementar el conocimiento de la biodiversidad de Loreto y sustentar adecuadamente los planes de conservación y desarrollo sustentable.

Abstract In this work, we present an updated list of large mammals for Loreto composed of 72 species in 8 orders and 25 families. This list is elaborated from review of databases, zoological collections, and scientific publications. In Loreto is registered five Peruvian endemic species: Lagothrix flavicauda, Saguinus (Leontocebus) illigeri, Saguinus (Leontocebus) nigrifrons, Pithecia aequatorialis and Pithecia isabela; the last three have presence only in Loreto. We found 292 different locations and 3286 records of large mammals and build a distribution map highlighting ecoregions and historical (before 2001) and contemporary (after 2001) records. Likewise, we build maps for each of the 72 species with records in Loreto, and a density map that reveal two areas with information gaps: 1) the Datem del Marañón-Loreto zone, and 2) the Alto Amazonas-Ucayali zone. These zones require urgent evaluations to complement knowledge of Loreto's biodiversity and adequately support conservation and sustainable development plans.

Genetic imprints of Brosimum alicastrum Sw. in Mexico.

PREMISE: The mechanisms generating the geographical distributions of genetic diversity are a central theme in evolutionary biology. The amount of genetic diversity and its distribution are controlled by several factors, including dispersal abilities, physical barriers, and environmental and climatic changes. We investigated the patterns of genetic diversity and differentiation among populations of the widespread species Brosimum alicastrum in Mexico. METHODS: Using nuclear DNA microsatellite data, we tested whether the genetic structure of B. alicastrum was associated with the roles of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and the Isthmus of Tehuantepec as geographical barriers to gene flow and to infer the role of past events in the genetic diversity patterns. We further used a maximum-likelihood population-effects mixed model (MLPE) to identify the main factor affecting population differentiation in B. alicastrum. RESULTS: Our results suggested that Mexican B. alicastrum is well differentiated into three main lineages. Patterns of the genetic structure at a finer scale did not fully correspond to the current geographical barriers to gene flow. According to the MLPE mixed model, isolation by distance is the best model for explaining the genetic differentiation of B. alicastrum in Mexico. CONCLUSIONS: We propose that the differentiation patterns might reflect (1) an ancient differentiation that occurred in Central and South America, (2) the effects of past climatic changes, and (3) the functions of some physical barriers to gene flow. This study provides insights into the possible mechanisms underlying the geographic genetic variation of B. alicastrum along a moisture gradient in tropical lowland forests.

DNA barcodes of birds from northern Colombia.

DNA barcode datasets are a useful tool for conservation and aid in taxonomic identification, particularly in megadiverse tropical countries seeking to document and describe its biota, which is dropping at an alarming rate during recent decades. Here we report the barcodes for several low elevation bird species from northern Colombia with the goal to provide tools for species identification in this region of South America. We blood-sampled birds in a lowland tropical forest with various degrees of intervention using standard 3 × 12 m mist-nets. We extracted DNA and sequenced the COI barcode gene using standard primers and laboratory methods. We obtained 26 COI sequences from 18 species, 10 families and three orders and found that barcodes largely matched (but not always) phenotypic identification (> 90%) and they also facilitated the identification of several challenging passerine species. Despite our reduced sampling, our study represents the first attempt to document COI barcodes for birds (from blood samples) in this part of Colombia, which fills a considerable gap of sampling in this part of South America.

Records of chromatic disorder in Molossus molossus and Sturnira bakeri (Chiroptera) from western Ecuador / Registros de desorden cromático en Molossus molossus y Sturnira bakeri (Chiroptera) en el occidente de Ecuador

Abstract Herein we report cases of leucism in Molossus molossus and Sturnira bakeri from three locations of lowlands of western Ecuador, which include three gravid females, five juvenile, four subadult, and six adults. The M. molossus specimens showed white spots on several parts in the soft part of body (ears, tragus, propatagium, uropatagium), and fur (throat, abdomen), while individual of S. bakeri presented a whitish-yellowish patch on its dorsal region, very contrast in yellow-shoulder bats. Although South America has a significant information gap about chromatic disorders in bats, been necessary to continue reporting cases of chromatic disorders to try to determine their causes.

Resumen Reportamos casos de leucismo en las especies de murciélagos Molossus molossus y Sturnira bakeri capturados en tres localidades de tierras bajas del occidente de Ecuador, los cuales incluyen tres hembras grávidas, cinco juveniles, cuatro subadultas, y seis adultos. Los ejemplares de M. molossus presentaron manchas blancas en distintas partes blandas del cuerpo (orejas, trago, propatagio y uropatagio) y en el pelo (garganta y abdomen), mientras que el ejemplar de Sturnira bakeri presentó un parche blanco-amarillento en la región dorsal, a nivel del omoplato, muy contrastante en murciélagos de hombros amarillos. En América del Sur, se tiene poco conocimiento sobre los trastornos cromáticos en los murciélagos, por lo que es necesario informar estos casos e investigar los factores que los provocan.

Mammal diversity among vertical strata and the evaluation of a survey technique in a central Amazonian forest

Mammal groups have a vast variety of habitats, which include aquatic, aerial, arboreal, and terrestrial. For terrestrial habitats, camera traps are used as a common technique to record mammals and other vertebrates and have been recently utilized to observe arboreal animals as well. Here, we compare the difference in mammal diversity between floor and canopy strata and evaluate the use of camera trapping in a lowland forest in central Amazon. We installed nine paired camera traps, one in the canopy stratum and other in the floor stratum, in the Alto Cuieiras Biological Reserve (Brazilian Amazon). With a sampling effort of 720 camera-days, we recorded 30 mammal species: nine in canopy strata, 14 in floor strata, and seven in scansorial strata (sharing both strata). On the forest floor, the species with the greatest abundance was Myoprocta acouchy;in the canopy, Isothrix paguros had the greatest abundance; and among the scansorial species, Proechymis sp. was the most abundant. Our results show the differences in mammal diversity between floor and canopy strata; canopy strata contained more small and frugivorous mammals. Although we obtained a relatively low sampling effort with the camera-trap method compared with other studies utilizing different techniques, our results were especially similar to those of previous studies that worked with canopy and floor strata. Thus, camera trap can be very effective for recording short periods of time, and this method is less physically exhaustive and expensive for researchers to study vertical strata.(AU)

Multiple stressors and social-ecological traps in Pampean streams (Argentina): A conceptual model.

Fluvial systems are particularly sensitive to changes in the terrestrial ecosystems where they are embedded, receiving simultaneously the impact of multiple stressors. The design of adequate management policies requires analyzing fluvial systems as social-ecological systems, because the decoupling of natural and social systems can lead to a severe mismatch between maintaining ecological integrity and the pursuit of human well-being. Pampean streams are especially prone to the impact of human activities because they are located in a region that provides almost half of the agricultural production of Argentina and concentrates 66% of the whole population of the country. In the present work, we conceived a general social-ecological framework that links the occurrence of multiple stressors and their impacts on ecosystem services, with changes in environmental perception of streams, which in turn feedback over institutional actions at the watershed's governance. We identified four current key drivers of the dynamics in Pampean streams: a dominant agro-industrial model for the region, a command-and-control governance regime mainly based on an engineering hydraulic perspective, the real estate market speculation of surrounding lands, and the persistence of structural poverty in urban areas. The resulting dynamics resembles the occurrence of different kinds of social-ecological traps, i.e., a highly stable but undesirable state of the system that is difficult to escape. Based on this analysis, we provide a leverage point perspective to avoid this trap. Together, this approach could be applied to other fluvial systems of the world to link the ecological and social domains to multiple stressors analysis, and to improve institutional fit for the sustainability of fluvial social-ecological systems.

Mammal diversity among vertical strata and the evaluation of a survey technique in a central Amazonian forest

Abstract Mammal groups have a vast variety of habitats, which include aquatic, aerial, arboreal, and terrestrial. For terrestrial habitats, camera traps are used as a common technique to record mammals and other vertebrates and have been recently utilized to observe arboreal animals as well. Here, we compare the difference in mammal diversity between floor and canopy strata and evaluate the use of camera trapping in a lowland forest in central Amazon. We installed nine paired camera traps, one in the canopy stratum and other in the floor stratum, in the Alto Cuieiras Biological Reserve (Brazilian Amazon). With a sampling effort of 720 camera-days, we recorded 30 mammal species: nine in canopy strata, 14 in floor strata, and seven in scansorial strata (sharing both strata). On the forest floor, the species with the greatest abundance was Myoprocta acouchy; in the canopy, Isothrix paguros had the greatest abundance; and among the scansorial species, Proechymis sp. was the most abundant. Our results show the differences in mammal diversity between floor and canopy strata; canopy strata contained more small and frugivorous mammals. Although we obtained a relatively low sampling effort with the camera-trap method compared with other studies utilizing different techniques, our results were especially similar to those of previous studies that worked with canopy and floor strata. Thus, camera trap can be very effective for recording short periods of time, and this method is less physically exhaustive and expensive for researchers to study vertical strata.

Mammal diversity among vertical strata and the evaluation of a survey technique in a central Amazonian forest

Abstract Mammal groups have a vast variety of habitats, which include aquatic, aerial, arboreal, and terrestrial. For terrestrial habitats, camera traps are used as a common technique to record mammals and other vertebrates and have been recently utilized to observe arboreal animals as well. Here, we compare the difference in mammal diversity between floor and canopy strata and evaluate the use of camera trapping in a lowland forest in central Amazon. We installed nine paired camera traps, one in the canopy stratum and other in the floor stratum, in the Alto Cuieiras Biological Reserve (Brazilian Amazon). With a sampling effort of 720 camera-days, we recorded 30 mammal species: nine in canopy strata, 14 in floor strata, and seven in scansorial strata (sharing both strata). On the forest floor, the species with the greatest abundance was Myoprocta acouchy; in the canopy, Isothrix paguros had the greatest abundance; and among the scansorial species, Proechymis sp. was the most abundant. Our results show the differences in mammal diversity between floor and canopy strata; canopy strata contained more small and frugivorous mammals. Although we obtained a relatively low sampling effort with the camera-trap method compared with other studies utilizing different techniques, our results were especially similar to those of previous studies that worked with canopy and floor strata. Thus, camera trap can be very effective for recording short periods of time, and this method is less physically exhaustive and expensive for researchers to study vertical strata.

Review of the mite genus Krantzolaspina Datta & Bhattacharjee (Mesostigmata, Parholaspididae) with re-description of K. angustatus comb. nov. (Ishikawa) from Indonesia.

Herein, we update the diagnosis and description of the genus Krantzolaspina Datta & Bhattacharjee and provide a list of the three valid species including new combinations and synonyms, as follows: 1) Krantzolaspina angustatus (Ishikawa, 1987) comb. nov. (= Indutolaelaps jiroftensisHajizadeh et al., 2017syn. nov.), 2) K. rebatii Datta & Bhattacharjee, 1989 and 3) K. solimani (Metwali, 1983) comb. nov. Finally, we re-describe K. angustatus (Ishikawa, 1987) comb. nov. based on the holotype from Japan, voucher specimens from Iran and additional females that we found in soil samples from oil palm plantations in Sumatra, Indonesia.

31P-NMR Metabolomics Revealed Species-Specific Use of Phosphorous in Trees of a French Guiana Rainforest.

Productivity of tropical lowland moist forests is often limited by availability and functional allocation of phosphorus (P) that drives competition among tree species and becomes a key factor in determining forestall community diversity. We used non-target 31P-NMR metabolic profiling to study the foliar P-metabolism of trees of a French Guiana rainforest. The objective was to test the hypotheses that P-use is species-specific, and that species diversity relates to species P-use and concentrations of P-containing compounds, including inorganic phosphates, orthophosphate monoesters and diesters, phosphonates and organic polyphosphates. We found that tree species explained the 59% of variance in 31P-NMR metabolite profiling of leaves. A principal component analysis showed that tree species were separated along PC 1 and PC 2 of detected P-containing compounds, which represented a continuum going from high concentrations of metabolites related to non-active P and P-storage, low total P concentrations and high N:P ratios, to high concentrations of P-containing metabolites related to energy and anabolic metabolism, high total P concentrations and low N:P ratios. These results highlight the species-specific use of P and the existence of species-specific P-use niches that are driven by the distinct species-specific position in a continuum in the P-allocation from P-storage compounds to P-containing molecules related to energy and anabolic metabolism.

A new rare and endemic species of Sloanea (Elaeocarpaceae) from the Chocó region of Ecuador.

A new species collected in the lowland forests of the Chocó region of Ecuador, Sloanea cayapensis, is described and illustrated and its morphological similarities with other species of Sloanea are discussed.

Colonización de macroinvertebrados acuáticos en tres tipos de sustratos artificiales, en un río tropical / Aquatic macroinvertebrate colonization on three artificial substrates, in a tropical river

Introducción: Existen diferentes metodologías para la recolecta de macroinvertebrados acuáticos (p.e., la red D y Red Surber), sin embargo, algunas de estas no son efectivas en todos los cuerpos de agua o representa un riesgo para la persona que adquiere la muestra. Los sustratos artificiales pueden emplearse en ríos profundos, contaminados o con presencia de cocodrilos. En Costa Rica hay estudios donde se utilizó los sustratos artificiales, para determinar la riqueza y abundancia en humedales tipo lago y lagunas, no obstante se desconoce la efectividad de un tipo de sustrato sobre otro y en sistemas lóticos. El objetivo del estudio fue demostrar la efectividad de tres tipos de sustratos artificiales. Métodos: las muestras se obtuvieron de manera bimensual entre los años 2013 y 2017, en el Río Parismina, Costa Rica, en cuatro sitios a lo largo del río y se evaluó los sustratos piedra, madera y hojas. Se aplicó una prueba de Kruskal-Wallis para determinar las diferencias entre la abundancia y el tipo de sustrato, como también para determinar la diferencia entre la abundancia y el sitio de muestreo. Además, para determinar si existe una diferencia entre los sustratos por sitio, se aplicó una prueba Permanova de dos vías. Un análisis de correspondencia múltiple para determinar el grado de asociación de la comunidad con respecto al tipo de sustrato. Resultados: Un total de 1159 organismos fueron recolectados, siendo Diptera y Ephemeroptera los órdenes más abundantes. La madera y hojas fueron los sustratos con mayor biodiversidad, como también los sitios con mayor vegetación. Conclusiones: El uso en conjunto de los tres tipos de sustratos artificiales, es efectivo para obtener una mayor riqueza de organismos, ya que se observó afinidad por un sustrato según el género de macroinvertebrado acuático.

Introduction: Different methodologies exist for sampling aquatic macroinvertebrates, however, some of these (e.g., kick-net, Surber) are not well suited for deep, contaminated rivers or rivers with presence of crocodiles, which represent a risk to the person who must take the sample. One alternative is to use artificial substrates. The use of artificial substrates to evaluate the aquatic macroinvertebrate biodiversity in wetlands has been studied previously in Costa Rica, but no research has been conducted to determine which types of substrates are most effective. The present study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of three artificial substrates (i.e., stones, leaves and wood). Methods: Samples of the three substrates were taken bi-monthly between 2013 and 2017 in four sites of the Parismina River. A Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to determine differences between the macroinvertebrate abundance among substrate type. Beside to determine if there is a difference between substrates per site, a two-way PERMANOVA test was applied and a multiple correspondence analysis was used to correlate the substrate type with the macroinvertebrate community. Results: A total of 1 159 organisms were collected, with Diptera and Ephemeroptera being the most abundant. Wood and leaves were the substrates with greatest biodiversity and abundance of organisms; in addition the two sites with greatest vegetation were the most diverse. Conclusions: Most of the organisms were registered on any of the three types of artificial substrates, thus we recommend the joint use of the three types of substrates for biomonitoring or taxa richness studies.

Expanding the knowledge of plankton diversity of tropical lakes from the Northeast Colombian Andes / Ampliación del conocimiento de la diversidad de plancton de los lagos tropicales de los Andes nororientales colombianos

Introduction: A large number of planktonic communities found in tropical lakes have not yet been recorded, limiting understanding of how these ecosystems function and of the role that organisms play within them. Objective: Add new records of previously described species and to contribute to the knowledge of the planktonic communities present in tropical mountain and lowland lakes of the northeast Colombian Andes. Methods: Planktonic samples were collected and physicochemical variables measured in nine tropical lakes. Organisms were identified and a bibliographic search was carried out in databases and research articles to the identification of the new records to Colombia. Results: We present the data corresponding to six physicochemical variables measured in tropical lakes of this region and expand the existing information on organisms present in tropical lakes with a list of 391 taxa (299 phytoplankton and 92 zooplankton). The proportion of planktonic species unique to tropical lakes and the low similarity between lake types found with a Jaccard analysis indicated high heterogeneity of ecological conditions in the studied lakes. Conclusions: The 391 taxa found and 15 new records contribute to the list of planktonic organisms present in tropical lakes located in high and low areas of the Colombian northeast Andes.

Introducción: En los lagos tropicales, un gran número de comunidades planctónicas no han sido registradas aún, limitando el entendimiento de como estos ecosistemas funcionan, y el papel que estos organismos cumplen dentro de él. Objetivo: Contribuir al conocimiento de las comunidades planctónicas presentes en lagos tropicales ubicados en zonas altas y bajas de los Andes nororientales colombianos y reportar nuevos registros de especies previamente descritas. Métodos: Se recolectaron muestras planctónicas, se tomaron variables fisicoquímicas en nueve lagos tropicales, se identificaron los organismos y se realizó una revisión en portales de datos y artículos científicos con el fin de conocer cuales eran nuevos registros para Colombia. Resultados: Se presentan los datos correspondientes a seis variables fisicoquímicas para lagos tropicales de esta región y se amplía información que existe sobre organismos presentes en lagos tropicales mediante la elaboración una lista con 391 taxones (299 fitoplancton y 92 zooplancton). La proporción de taxones únicos identificados y la baja similitud encontrada en el análisis de Jaccard indican alta heterogeneidad de condiciones ecológicas en los nueve lagos tropicales estudiados. Conclusiones: La identificación de los 391 taxones y los 15 nuevos registros, contribuyen al listado de organismos planctónicos presentes en lagos tropicales, ubicados en zonas altas y bajas del noreste de los Andes colombianos.

A basin-level analysis of flood risk in urban and periurban areas: A case study in the metropolitan region of Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Flooding in urban and periurban areas is a complex phenomenon that results from the interplay between urban expansion and the dynamics of the hydrological system. Understanding both processes is essential to manage flood risk. This study aimed to analyze the flood risk in urban and periurban areas of the upper and middle basin of the Luján River (Metropolitan Region of Buenos Aires, Argentina) between 1985 and 2015. We assessed the factors that affect flood frequency by analyzing the precipitation variations obtained from meteorological data and applying hydrological models. We also used supervised classification of remote sensing imagery to detect increases in impervious surface areas that could enhance flooding. Furthermore, we combined both analyses to identify flood risk situations in the region. Our results indicated that maximum precipitation and hydrometric values remained stable during the study period, with a marked interannual variability due to the presence of dry and wet phases. During the dry phase (2011-2015), when flooding events were infrequent, there was a steady urban sprawl in the floodplain area and, as a result, more people would have subsequently become exposed to flood risk. Our results evidence the lack of regional policies to regulate the urban sprawl in flood risk regions.

Relationship between soil solution electrochemical changes and methane and nitrous oxide emissions in different rice irrigation management systems.

Rice (Oryza sativa L.) intermittent irrigation is a potential strategy to mitigate methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, but the effects of dry-wetting intervals on soil electrochemical changes and plant characteristics should be considered. This study was conducted in a greenhouse evaluating CH4 and N2O fluxes in rice under five different irrigation management practices (continuous irrigation (CI), intermittent irrigation with flooding resumption in saturated soil condition (SSI) and soil moisture at field capacity (FCI), saturated soil and irrigation resumption with soil moisture bellow field capacity (FCS), and soil at field capacity (FCD)) and its relation to plant development and global warming potential (GWP). Soil electrochemical conditions and CH4 and N2O emissions were expressively affected by irrigation management. The CI system presented the greatest CH4 flux (20.14 g m-2) and GWP (462.7 g m-2 eq. CO2), whereas intermittent irrigation expressively reduced CH4 emissions. Overall, the N2O flux was low (bellow 20 µg m-2 h-1) even with N application, with greater emissions occurring at the FCD treatment at the beginning of the rice season. Soil moisture at field capacity had no CH4 flux but presented greater GWP (271 g m-2 eq. CO2) than intermittent irrigation systems due to N2O flux while compromising rice plant development. The best soil moisture condition to initiate a flooding cycle during intermittent irrigation is at saturated soil conditions.

Greater root phosphatase activity of tropical trees at low phosphorus despite strong variation among species.

Soil phosphorus (P) availability in lowland tropical rainforests influences the distribution and growth of tropical tree species. Determining the P-acquisition strategies of tropical tree species could therefore yield insight into patterns of tree ß-diversity across edaphic gradients. In particular, the synthesis of root phosphatases is likely to be of significance given that organic P represents a large pool of potentially available P in tropical forest soils. It has also been suggested that a high root phosphatase activity in putative nitrogen (N) -fixing legumes might explain their high abundance in lowland neotropical forests under low P supply. Here, we measured phosphomonoesterase (PME) activity on the first three root orders of co-occurring tropical tree species differing in their N-fixation capacity, growing on soils of contrasting P availability in Panama. Our results show that root PME activity was higher on average in P-poor than in P-rich soils, but that local variation in PME activity among co-occurring species within a site was larger than that explained by differences in soil P across sites. Legumes expressed higher PME activity than nonlegumes, but nodulated legumes (i.e., actively fixing nitrogen) did not differ from legumes without nodules, indicating that PME activity is unrelated to N fixation. Finally, PME activity declined with increasing root order, but the magnitude of the decline varied markedly among species, highlighting the importance of classifying fine roots into functional groups prior to measuring root traits. Our results support the hypothesis that low-P promotes a high root PME activity, although the high local variation in this trait among co-occurring species points toward a high functional diversity in P-acquisition strategies within an individual community.

Uanauna gen. nov., a new genus of fireflies endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic forest (Coleoptera: Lampyridae), with key to brazilian genera of Lucidotina.

Here, we propose Uanauna gen. nov. (Lampyridae: Photinini), a new monotypic genus of fireflies endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Uanauna angaporan sp. nov. occurs in Submontane and Montane forest habitats at the Serra do Mar mountain range, in the Southern Fluminense region (Rio de Janeiro State, Southeastern Brazil). The new species was recorded both on the mainland, at the municipality of Itaguaí and Rio de Janeiro, and at the continental island of Ilha Grande, in Angra dos Reis, at the Rio de Janeiro State. An occurrence map and illustrations of diagnostic features are given for the new taxa, as well as a key to Lucidotina genera in Brazil.