HIGHLIGHTS We compared dispersion by two species of bats with two species of birds, and concluded that bats are more efficient dispersers of this columnar cactus.
The importance of specific ...plant-animal interactions for the fitness of the interacting groups is mostly driven by the morphological, physiological and behavioural traits of the two interacting species. This work aims to describe dispersal of seeds of the columnar cactus Stenocereus queretaroensis by its main fruit consumers (bats and birds), using the criteria of legitimacy and efficiency. A disperser is legitimate when seeds pass through the gut without losing germination capability, and is efficient if the seeds are transported to places where they have the potential for germination and establishment as seedlings. We conducted direct observations in order to identify the main consumer species of S. queretaroensis fruits. Seed germination was evaluated by comparing those that pass through the gut of two bat species, Artibeus lituratus and Leptonycteris yerbabuenae, and two bird species, Icterus pustulatus and Melanerpes chrysogenys, using the parameters germination percentage and germination rate. To evaluate seed deposition patterns by bats and birds within the study area, 20 seed traps were set: 10 below the canopies of local trees, and 10 in open spaces. Nine species of bats and 13 species of birds were found to consume S. queretaroensis fruits. The four tested species can be considered legitimate dispersers, but germination percentage differed among these disperser species. Seeds defecated by birds show the highest speed of germination and lowest average time to germinate, compared with control seeds. In terms of deposition patterns, however, the bats dropped the highest number of seeds, and deposited them both under the canopy and in open areas, whereas birds drop a lower amount and under the canopy only.
Stenocereus queretaroensis is an endemic, chiropterophilous, columnar cactus of economic importance in Mexico. To investigate the effect of artificial selection on genetic diversity, inter-simple ...sequence repeat (ISSR) markers were used to estimate the genetic variation of wild, orchard, and backyard populations of S. queretaroensis from two regions in western Mexico. Six primers were used to generate 62 bands, of which 39 were polymorphic (62.9%). The total genetic diversity was similar in the wild (HT = 0.296) and orchard (HT = 0.291) groups, and slightly lower in the backyard group (HT = 0.281). Wild populations (FST = 0.13) were less differentiated than backyard (FST = 0.17) and orchard (FST = 0.21) populations. The wild and backyard groups were genetically closer (0.015) than the wild and orchard (0.018) groups. A Mantel test revealed a positive correlation between genetic and geographic distances (r = 0.433, p = 0.002). In conclusion, gene flow and the prevailing management system have efficiently maintained genetic diversity and facilitated inter-population differentiation in S. queretaroensis.
•Stenocerous queretaroensis genetic diversity assessed by ISSR markers.•Traditional management of pitayo has efficiently maintained genetic diversity.•High genetic differentiation among cultivated populations of S. queretaroensis.•Positive isolation by distance among populations of pitayo.•Wild pitayo is genetically closer to backyard than to orchard populations.
Las colecciones biológicas de las instituciones académicas son repositorios de la biodiversidad de una región en particular. Su utilidad va más allá del conocimiento científico. En este trabajo se ...presentan los resultados de llevar a las comunidades locales una pequeña muestra de los especímenes de flora y fauna de las colecciones biológicas del Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur en el estado de Jalisco. Los objetivos eran mostrar a los pobladores una parte de la riqueza biológica que los rodea, dar información sobre las especies que por considerarse dañinas son destruidas, resaltar aquellas que sí lo son, y promover un cambio de actitud en favor de la conservación de la biodiversidad regional. El interés para que la exposición itinerante sea mostrada en diferentes eventos locales e instituciones educativas en el estado ha crecido, resaltando el potencial que esta actividad tiene como instrumento de educación ambiental y de conservación.
Las colecciones biológicas de las instituciones académicas son repositorios de la biodiversidad de una región en particular. Su utilidad va más allá del conocimiento científico. En este trabajo se ...presentan los resultados de llevar a las comunidades locales una pequeña muestra de los especímenes de flora y fauna de las colecciones biológicas del Centro Universitario de la Costa Sur en el estado de Jalisco. Los objetivos eran mostrar a los pobladores una parte de la riqueza biológica que los rodea, dar información sobre las especies que por considerarse dañinas son destruidas, resaltar aquellas que sí lo son, y promover un cambio de actitud en favor de la conservación de la biodiversidad regional. El interés para que la exposición itinerante sea mostrada en diferentes eventos locales e instituciones educativas en el estado ha crecido, resaltando el potencial que esta actividad tiene como instrumento de educación ambiental y de conservación.
Biannual cycles of reproduction and molt are in birds, with most species exhibiting a single annual cycle. We studied the breeding and molting phenology of the Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer ...(Diglossa harituid), a nectar feeding passerine, in western Mexico. Monthly captures from December 1994 to May 1998 revealed clear biannual breeding and molting cycles. The two breeding seasons took place from January to April (dry season) and from July to October (rainy season). Their July to October breeding season coincided with the single breeding season exhibited by resident hummingbirds at our study site. Even though flowerpiercers and hummingbirds use the same food resources, hummingbirds only molt and breed once a year. Male flowerpiercers breed and molt flight feathers twice a year, whereas females appear to breed only once. A higher proportion of females bred in the rainy season (90%) than in the dry season (30%), and they underwent a complete molt only during the rainy season. Proportions of males in breeding condition during the dry and the rainy season were similar (86 and 92%). Some males (40%) showed an incomplete molt in the dry season, while most males (80%) underwent a complete molt in the rainy season. Differences in proportions of breeding and molting individuals between the dry and the rainy season suggest that the dry season cycle is limited by food availability. We hypothesize that D. baritula individuals use soft fruits in addition to flowers to fuel their breeding during the dry season. /// Los ciclos bianuales de reproducción y muda son raros en las aves. La mayoría de las especies presentan un ciclo anual único. En este trabajo estudiamos la fenología reproductiva y de muda de Diglossa baritula, un paseriforme nectarívoro, en el occidente de México. Los muestreos mensuales con redes de niebla (Diciembre 1994-Mayo 1998) mostraron que esta especie presenta ciclos bianuales de reproducción y muda. Las dos temporadas reproductivas ocurrieron en Enero-Abril (secas) y Julio-Octubre (lluvias). La temporada reproductiva de lluvias se traslapó con la temporada de reproducción única de los colibríes residentes en nuestra área de estudio. Aunque los colibríes y D. baritula utilizan los mismos recursos alimenticios, los colibríes se reproducen y mudan sólo una vez por año. Los machos de D. baritula se reprodujeron y mudaron plumas de vuelo dos veces por año, mientras que las hembras parecen hacerlo sólo una vez. Se reprodujeron más hembras en la temporada de lluvias (90%) que en la de secas (30%). Los porcentajes de machos en condición reproductiva fueron similares para las dos temporadas (secas 86% y lluvias 92%). Algunos machos (40%) mostraron una muda incompleta en la temporada de secas, mientras que la mayoría presentó una muda completa en la temporada de lluvias (80%). Las diferencias en las proporciones de individuos reproductivos/ mudando entre la temporada seca y la temporada de lluvias sugieren que durante la temporada de secas la disponibilidad de recursos alimenticios es limitante. Conjeturamos que D. baritula combina flores y frutos blandos para satisfacer los requisitos energéticos de su reproducción durante la época seca.
La información actualizada sobre la representatividad geográfica y taxonómica de los ejemplares depositados en 28 colecciones mastozoológicas mexicanas y la disponible en las bases de datos Mammal ...Networked Information System (MaNIS), y de la Unidad de Informática para la Biodiversidad (UNIBIO) se recopiló con el fin de analizar y comparar el estado actual de los ejemplares de mamíferos mexicanos depositados en colecciones de Norteamérica. Se documentaron un total de 421,466 ejemplares de mamíferos depositados en 120 colecciones mastozoológicas, de los cuales 233,116 ejemplares se encuentran en colecciones de Estados Unidos de América y Canadá, y 188,350 ejemplares en colecciones de México. Las colecciones con el mayor número de ejemplares de mamíferos de México son la Colección Nacional de Mamíferos (CNMA 46,000), la Universidad de Kansas (KU 44,301), y la Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas (ENCB 43,985). En colecciones mexicanas, los estados del norte de México están escasamente representados en número de ejemplares (< 3,000), y en las colecciones extranjeras, los estados del centro de México están pobremente representados. Los estados mexicanos mejor representados por número de ejemplares (> 10,000) son Baja California Sur, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Puebla y Veracruz. Los órdenes mejor representados por el número de ejemplares son Rodentia y Chiroptera (234,978 y 120,956, respectivamente). Los estados mexicanos con menor extensión territorial tienen la mayor densidad de ejemplares colectados (ejemplares/km²): Distrito Federal (3.2), Tlaxcala (1.4), Colima (1.06) y Morelos (0.9). Se espera contar con una línea base que permita establecer estrategias adecuadas para completar el inventario nacional de los mamíferos mexicanos, y lograr que este patrimonio natural este adecuadamente representado en colecciones de México.
Biannual cycles of reproduction and molt are rare in birds, with most species exhibiting a single annual cycle. We studied the breeding and molting phenology of the Cinnamon-bellied Flowerpiercer ...(Diglossa baritula), a nectar feeding passerine, in western Mexico. Monthly captures from December 1994 to May 1998 revealed clear biannual breeding and molting cycles. The two breeding seasons took place from January to April (dry season) and from July to October (rainy season). Their July to October breeding season coincided with the single breeding season exhibited by resident hummingbirds at our study site. Even though flowerpiercers and hummingbirds use the same food resources, hummingbirds only molt and breed once a year. Male flowerpiercers breed and molt flight feathers twice a year, whereas females appear to breed only once. A higher proportion of females bred in the rainy season (90%) than in the dry season (30%), and they underwent a complete molt only during the rainy season. Proportions of males in breeding condition during the dry and the rainy season were similar (86 and 92%). Some males (40%) showed an incomplete molt in the dry season, while most males (80%) underwent a complete molt in the rainy season. Differences in proportions of breeding and molting individuals between the dry and the rainy season suggest that the dry season cycle is limited by food availability. We hypothesize that D. baritula individuals use soft fruits in addition to flowers to fuel their breeding during the dry season.
The Sierra Madre Occidental of Chihuahua in Northern Mexico is inhabited by indigenous Raramuris, mestizos, and other ethnic groups. The territory consists of canyons and ravines with pine, oak and ...pine-oak forests in the higher plateaus. A great diversity of potentially edible mushrooms is found in forests of the Municipalities of Bocoyna and Urique. Their residents are the only consumers of wild mushrooms in the Northern Mexico; they have a long tradition of collecting and eating these during the "rainy season." However, despite the wide diversity of edible mushrooms that grow in these areas, residents have a selective preference. This paper aims to record evidence of the knowledge and use of wild potentially edible mushroom species by inhabitants of towns in the Sierra Tarahumara of Chihuahua, Mexico.
Using a semi-structured technique, we surveyed 197 habitants from seven locations in Urique, Bocoyna, and the Cusarare area from 2010 to 2012. Known fungi, local nomenclature, species consumed, preparation methods, appreciation of taste, forms of preservation, criteria for differentiating toxic and edible fungi, other uses, economic aspects, and traditional teaching were recorded. To identify the recognized species, photographic stimuli of 22 local edible species and two toxic species were used.
The respondents reported preference for five species: Amanita rubescens, Agaricus campestris, Ustilago maydis, Hypomyces lactifluorum, and the Amanita caesarea complex. No apparent differences were found between ethnic groups in terms of preference, although mestizos used other species in Bocoyna (Boletus edulis and B. pinophilus). Some different uses of fungi are recognized by respondents, i.e. home decorations, medicine, as food in breeding rams, etc.
The studied population shows a great appreciation towards five species, mainly the A. caesarea complex, and an apparent lack of knowledge of nearly 20 species which are used as food in other areas of Mexico. There are no apparent differences among Sierra inhabitants in terms of gender, occupation, or language regarding the recognition and consumption of species. The rejection of certain species is due mainly to fear of poisoning and the traditional selective teaching of families in the mountain communities of the Sierra Tarahumara.
PDF
