The science of tropical dendrochronology is now emerging in regions where tree-ring dating had previously not been considered possible. Here, we combine wood anatomical microsectioning techniques and ...radiocarbon analysis to produce the first tree-ring chronology with verified annual periodicity for a new dendrochronological species,
(commonly known as "algarrobo blanco") in the tropical Andes of Bolivia. First, we generated a preliminary chronology composed of six trees using traditional dendrochronological methods (i.e., cross-dating). We then measured the
C content on nine selected tree rings from two samples and compared them with the Southern Hemisphere (SH) atmospheric
C curves, covering the period of the bomb
C peak. We find consistent offsets of 5 and 12 years, respectively, in the calendar dates initially assigned, indicating that several tree rings were missing in the sequence. In order to identify the tree-ring boundaries of the unidentified rings we investigated further by analyzing stem wood microsections to examine anatomical characteristics. These anatomical microsections revealed the presence of very narrow terminal parenchyma defining several tree-ring boundaries within the sapwood, which was not visible in sanded samples under a stereomicroscope. Such newly identified tree rings were consistent with the offsets shown by the radiocarbon analysis and allowed us to correct the calendar dates of the initial chronology. Additional radiocarbon measurements over a new batch of rings of the corrected dated samples resulted in a perfect match between the dendrochronological calendar years and the
C dating, which is based on good agreement between the tree-ring
C content and the SH
C curves. Correlations with prior season precipitation and temperature reveal a strong legacy effect of climate conditions prior to the current
growing season. Overall, our study highlights much potential to complement traditional dendrochronology in tree species with challenging tree-ring boundaries with wood anatomical methods and
C analyses. Taken together, these approaches confirm that
can be accurately dated and thereby used in climatic and ecological studies in tropical and subtropical South America.
Bolivia is one of the most biologically diverse countries on the planet. Between the Andes and the Amazon drainage basin spans the Yungas, a vast forested region shown to be extremely species rich in ...macro-organisms. However, it remains unclear whether this high diversity is also reflected in microbial diversity. Here we assess the genetic, taxonomic and functional diversity of root-associated fungi surrounding Cinchona calisaya trees, a typical element of the intermediate altitudes of the Bolivian Yungas. We determine the relative effects of edaphic properties, climate, and geography in regulating fungal community assembly. We show that α-diversity for these fungal communities was similar to temperate and arid ecosystems, averaging 90.1 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) per sample, with reads predominantly assigned to the Ascomycota phylum and with a saprotrophic lifestyle. ß-diversity was calculated as the distance-decay rate, and in contrast to α-diversity, was exceptionally high with a rate of -0.407. Soil properties (pH and P) principally regulated fungal community assembly in an analogous manner to temperate environments, with pH and phosphorus explaining 7.8 and 7.2% of community variation respectively. Surprisingly, altitude does not influence community formation, and there is limited evidence that climate (precipitation and temperature) play a role. Our results suggest that sampling should be performed over a wide geographical and environmental range in order to capture the full root-associated fungal diversity in subtropical regions. This study sheds further light on the diversity and distribution of the world's "hidden biodiversity."
Retracing pathways of historical species introductions is fundamental to understanding the factors involved in the successful colonization and spread, centuries after a species’ establishment in an ...introduced range. Numerous plants have been introduced to regions outside their native ranges both intentionally and accidentally by European voyagers and early colonists making transoceanic journeys; however, records are scarce to document this. We use genotyping-by-sequencing and genotype-likelihood methods on the selfing, global weed,
Plantago major
, collected from 50 populations worldwide to investigate how patterns of genomic diversity are distributed among populations of this global weed. Although genomic differentiation among populations is found to be low, we identify six unique genotype groups showing very little sign of admixture and low degree of outcrossing among them. We show that genotype groups are latitudinally restricted, and that more than one successful genotype colonized and spread into the introduced ranges. With the exception of New Zealand, only one genotype group is present in the Southern Hemisphere. Three of the most prevalent genotypes present in the native Eurasian range gave rise to introduced populations in the Americas, Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, which could lend support to the hypothesis that
P. major
was unknowlingly dispersed by early European colonists. Dispersal of multiple successful genotypes is a likely reason for success. Genomic signatures and phylogeographic methods can provide new perspectives on the drivers behind the historic introductions and the successful colonization of introduced species, contributing to our understanding of the role of genomic variation for successful establishment of introduced taxa.
Abstract
We introduce the FunAndes database, a compilation of functional trait data for the Andean flora spanning six countries. FunAndes contains data on 24 traits across 2,694 taxa, for a total of ...105,466 entries. The database features plant-morphological attributes including growth form, and leaf, stem, and wood traits measured at the species or individual level, together with geographic metadata (i.e., coordinates and elevation). FunAndes follows the field names, trait descriptions and units of measurement of the TRY database. It is currently available in open access in the FIGSHARE data repository, and will be part of TRY’s next release. Open access trait data from Andean plants will contribute to ecological research in the region, the most species rich terrestrial biodiversity hotspot.
La ciencia ciudadana incentiva la participación de las personas en proyectos de investigación científica. Una de las iniciativas más conocidas es el concurso City Nature Challenge, dirigido a ...registrar la biodiversidad en las ciudades mediante la aplicación iNaturalist. La región metropolitana de La Paz, Bolivia, participó en este concurso en 2019 y 2022 bajo el nombre Reto Ciudad Naturaleza, gracias al impulso de Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Bolivia, la Carrera de Biología y el Instituto de Ecología de la Universidad Mayor de San Andrés (UMSA) y el Museo Nacional de Historia Natural (MNHN), los cuales conformaron un comité organizador. El objetivo fue fortalecer los vínculos de la población urbana con la naturaleza, en aras de generar datos sobre el conocimiento y la conservación de la biodiversidad. Las actividades consistieron en la promoción y difusión del concurso, eventos de capacitación en el manejo de iNaturalist, registros fotográficos, identificación taxonómica y entrega de certificados a los participantes. En 2019, La Paz compitió con 158 ciudades y consiguió el octavo lugar en número de especies (3005), el tercer lugar en número de participantes (1500) y el segundo en número de observaciones (46 931). En 2022 participaron 447 ciudades, y La Paz lideró en las tres categorías del concurso, con 137 345 observaciones, 5320 especies y 4296 participantes. Más allá de estos resultados, se destaca el compromiso de la ciudadanía paceña con su biodiversidad, lo que repercute en un vínculo cada vez más estrecho entre la población urbana y su entorno natural.
Paspalum procurrens
Quarin and
P. volcanense
Zuloaga, Morrone & Denham are two rare species of South American grasses inhabiting geographically restricted areas which are exposed to ecological ...degradation due to landscape transformation and biodiversity losses. We present new records for these species, from the provinces of Jujuy, Salta, Tucumán and Catamarca (Argentina) and departments of Tarija, Chuquisaca, and Santa Cruz (Bolivia). New geographic distribution maps and the biological relevance of these findings are discussed pinpointing the need for imperative and assiduous botanical explorations in biodiversity hotspots sensible to the impact of human activities. Ploidy levels in these two species are studied.
The Andean fever tree (
L.; Rubiaceae) is a source of bioactive quinine alkaloids used to treat malaria.
Vahl is a valuable cash crop within its native range in northwestern South America, however, ...genomic resources are lacking. Here we provide the first highly contiguous and annotated nuclear and plastid genome assemblies using Oxford Nanopore PromethION-derived long-read and Illumina short-read data. Our nuclear genome assembly comprises 603 scaffolds with a total length of 904 Mbp (∼82
of the full genome based on a genome size of 1.1 Gbp/1C). Using a combination of
and reference-based transcriptome assemblies we annotated 72,305 coding sequences comprising 83% of the BUSCO gene set and 4.6% fragmented sequences. Using additional plastid and nuclear datasets we place
in the Gentianales order. This first genomic resource for
opens new research avenues, including the analysis of alkaloid biosynthesis in the fever tree.
Abstract A fundamental objective of evolutionary biology is to understand the origin of independently evolving species. Phylogenetic studies of species radiations rarely are able to document ongoing ...speciation; instead, modes of speciation, entailing geographic separation and/or ecological differentiation, are posited retrospectively. The Oreinotinus clade of Viburnum has radiated recently from north to south through the cloud forests of Mexico and Central America to the Central Andes. Our analyses support a hypothesis of incipient speciation in Oreinotinus at the southern edge of its geographic range, from central Peru to northern Argentina. Although several species and infraspecific taxa of have been recognized in this area, multiple lines of evidence and analytical approaches (including analyses of phylogenetic relationships, genetic structure, leaf morphology, and climatic envelopes) favor the recognition of just a single species, V. seemenii. We show that what has previously been recognized as V. seemenii f. minor has recently occupied the drier Tucuman-Bolivian forest region from Samaipata in Bolivia to Salta in northern Argentina. Plants in these populations form a well-supported clade with a distinctive genetic signature and they have evolved smaller, narrower leaves. We interpret this as the beginning of a within-species divergence process that has elsewhere in the neotropics resulted repeatedly in Viburnum species with a particular set of leaf ecomorphs. Specifically, the southern populations are in the process of evolving the small, glabrous, and entire leaf ecomorph that has evolved in four other montane areas of endemism. As predicted based on our studies of leaf ecomorphs in Chiapas, Mexico, these southern populations experience generally drier conditions, with large diurnal temperature fluctuations. In a central portion of the range of V. seemenii, characterized by wetter climatic conditions, we also document what may be the initial differentiation of the leaf ecomorph with larger, pubescent, and toothy leaves. The emergence of these ecomorphs thus appears to be driven by adaptation to subtly different climatic conditions in separate geographic regions, as opposed to parapatric differentiation along elevational gradients as suggested by Viburnum species distributions in other parts of the neotropics.
Aunque no son monedas legales es decir no son emitidas por un gobierno central, pueden desempeñar un papel importante como alternativa de financiación para organizaciones de tipo social no ...financiero, por lo que su valor se basa en la confianza y la aceptación dentro de la comunidad que las utiliza. Las organizaciones de tipo social no financiero pueden considerar la adopción de monedas sociales como una forma de financiamiento alternativo que se alinea con sus objetivos de promover el bienestar comunitario y el desarrollo sostenible. Palabras-clave: Monedas sociales, monedas alternativas, financiación, organizaciones de tipo social no financiero. Abstract: Social currencies are a form of alternative currency used within a specific group or community to facilitate the exchange of goods and services, operating in a complementary or independent manner to the national currency. ...their value is based on trust and acceptance within the community that uses them. Non-financial social organizations may consider adopting social currencies as an alternative form of financing that aligns with their goals of promoting community well-being and sustainable development. Kegwords: Social currencies, alternative currencies, financing, non-financial social organizations. 1. Introducción En un mundo cada vez más orientado hacia la sostenibilidad y la responsabilidad social, las organizaciones de tipo social no financiero enfrentan desafíos significativos para asegurar su financiamiento y continuar con sus iniciativas destinadas a mejorar la calidad de vida de las comunidades. Estas organizaciones, que se enfocan en áreas como el medio ambiente, la educación, la salud y la justicia social, a menudo carecen de recursos suficientes para llevar a cabo sus proyectos y programas de manera efectiva. En este contexto, las monedas sociales emergen como una alternativa de respuesta innovadora y financiación prometedora que se alinea con los principios de la economía solidaria y el desarrollo sostenible, las monedas sociales no solo representan una herramienta financiera, sino también un catalizador para el cambio social y la responsabilidad comunitaria, En cualquier país la moneda social se define como una alternativa a la moneda en curso (oficial), cuyo objetivo es fomentar la economía en una determinada localidad, incentivando el consumo solidario (Cernev y Proença, 2016), en este contexto se formula la siguiente pregunta de investigación. ¿Cómo las monedas sociales pueden ser efectivamente utilizadas como una alternativa de financiación para las organizaciones de tipo social no financiera, y cuáles son los impactos económicos, sociales y sostenibles asociados con su implementáción?" 2. "Se podría decir que cada moneda social es creada con un propósito, parecido o completamente opuesto a otra, según la idiosincrasia de cada divisa, podemos encontrar un sin fin de metas que se pretenden alcanzar con dicha moneda (Abad y Abad, 2014). Las monedas sociales a menudo se utilizan para facilitar el acceso a bienes y servicios esenciales para personas y comunidades que podrían tener dificultades para adquirirlos utilizando moneda nacional. Específicamente la historia en el Ecuador de las monedas sociales varía según su región, algunos de los factores que influyeron son: * Contexto de Crisis Económica: La inestabilidad financiera y la falta de acceso a monedas nacionales estables en algunas regiones llevaron a la búsqueda de soluciones locales. * Movimiento del Trueque: La gente intercambiaba bienes y servicios sin utilizar moneda tradicional, lo que sentó las bases para sistemas de intercambio basados en créditos. Esto proporcionó un marco legal para el desarrollo de monedas sociales y sistemas de intercambio locales. * Influencia de la Moneda Social en otros Países: Ecuador ha observado el éxito de iniciativas de monedas sociales en otras partes del mundo, como el Banco Palmas en Brasil, En el año de 1992 empezó a circular la moneda social recursos en la localidad Rumihuaico, ubicada en el Valle de Tumbaco al nororiente de Quito. Ejemplos notables incluyen en la ciudad de Cuenca la moneda social y virtual denominada "jurupi" (Hirota, 2020a,). Beneficiarios de la Moneda Social Los beneficiarios de las monedas sociales son todos quienes estén interesados en participar en una economía basada en solidaridad, cooperación y desarrollo sostenible.
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