Repositorio Digital Ikiam (Univ. Regional Amazónica)
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Evaluación de la biodiversidad, amenazas y estatus de conservación de la flora y fauna del Bosque Petrificado Puyango
Get PDF: El Bosque Petrificado (B. P.) Puyango alberga una diversa riqueza
de flora y fauna que ha recibido poca o nula atención gubernamental, a pesar
de ello posee un enorme potencial para la conservación de recursos naturales
y el fomento del ecoturismo. En consecuencia, los objetivos de este estudio
fueron reportar la biodiversidad, evaluar la categoría de conservación, las
amenazas y posibles medidas de mitigación. De esta manera, la metodología
se basó en describir las especies de dos reinos (Plantae y Animalia) en el
área de estudio y sus respectivas categorías de conservación con información
obtenida de bases de datos de acceso abierto y el listado de la Unión
Internacional para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (IUCN); los riesgos más
importantes para la biodiversidad de la flora y la vida silvestre se determinaron
mediante una búsqueda en bases de datos científicas y una revisión
bibliográfica de la literatura reciente. Entre los resultados se destacan: la
identificación de 202 especies, con una concentración principalmente en sector
occidental de B. P. Puyango, que se evidencia en un mapa de riqueza de
biodiversidad; se encontró también que cuatro especies se encuentran
catalogadas en peligro (EN) y tres especies están en la categoría vulnerables
(VU); además, se encontraron y evaluaron tres amenazas relevantes para la
biodiversidad: contaminación del agua, deforestación y falta de monitoreo de
materiales fosilizados. Se concluye que, la información de biodiversidad
generada compilada en esta investigación puede ser replicable a casos de
estudio similares y empleados como una herramienta para el desarrollo de
estrategias de mitigación a los desafíos ambiental
Checklist and prioritization for management of non-native species of phanerogam plants and terrestrial vertebrates in eight protected areas on the Ecuadorian coast
Get PDFProtected areas (PAs) are important tools for biodiversity conservation. In developing
countries, incomplete information about the presence of non-native species makes it
difficult to develop strategies to manage this threat to biodiversity. Although a list of
non-native species for continental Ecuador has recently been published, information on
the status of these species in PAs in terms of invasiveness and impacts is scarce. This
study presents a method that proposes criteria to prioritize the management of non-native
phanerogam plants and terrestrial vertebrate species in eight PAs in the coastal region
of Ecuador, based on the minimal information available. The study area covers 79.6%
of all coastal PAs. For the non-native species inventory, we collated information from
global biodiversity databases, research papers, theses and project repositories from local
private and public universities, public institutions, and management plans for the selected
PAs. To categorize the monitoring priority of the non-native species from the selected
PAs, we used a pipeline scheme based on species invasion risk principles. We
registered 78 non-native species within the eight PAs, consisting of 64 phanerogam
plants and 14 terrestrial vertebrates. The PA with the highest non-native plant species
richness is Manglares Churute Ecological Reserve (ER) with 25 species (39.1%; n =
64). For terrestrial vertebrates, the highest non-native species richness was in Isla
Santay National Recreation Area (NRA) (71.4%; n = 14). 15.6% of the phanerogam
plants and 78.5% of the terrestrial vertebrates were classified in the high priority
category. The majority of non-native plants are categorized as “more studies required”,
reflecting the state of art of invasion ecology in this country. This method allowed
us to classify the species based on theoretical and occurrence data. It can potentially
be replicated throughout the country and used as a rapid assessment method,
complemented with specific invasion/impact studies on PAs in Ecuado
Science and conservation of Amazonian crocodilians: a historical review
Get PDFCrocodilians represent one of the oldest extant vertebrate lineages. They have co-existed with humans throughout the Amazon basin for thousands of years, often having a strong cultural and economic influence on people's lives. Shifts in the socioeconomic and political reality of the Amazon basin during the last century have led crocodilian populations to face large variations in their numbers according to different levels of exploitation and strategies for their conservation. 2. This article reviews the scientific knowledge obtained between 1945 and 2019 on the biology, conservation and management for the four Amazonian crocodilian (caiman) species (Caiman crocodilus, Melanosuchus niger, Paleosuchus palpebrosus and Paleosuchus trigonatus). It provides a general overview on past and current population status and research efforts involving caimans in the Amazon basin and discusses perspectives for the future. 3. The most significant studies on the ecology, genetics and management strategies are examined in more detail and this information is contextualized to provide an overview of the most relevant findings that might explain caiman population trends over the last 75 years. 4. Systems for sustainable management in the Amazon basin have been discussed for the past 20 years, but remain rarely applicable. It is necessary to develop new ways to maintain healthy caiman populations through innovative management programmes. Sustainable harvesting of wildlife has been shown to promote conservation targets, especially those initiatives based on community co-management. In this article, we propose some general guidelines for future management schemes, in the expectation that the information provided by the scientific community will be considered fully without political agendas determining the priorities
Selección del sitio para la instalación de un relleno sanitario en la Amazonía Ecuatoriana utilizando sistemas de información geográfica y análisis multicriterio
Get PDFDeterminar zonas adecuadas para la disposición final de residuos urbanos es una
problemática que aqueja a los encargados de la planificación territorial debido a la gran
cantidad de información espacial que debe ser considerada. Se ha propuesto una
metodología que comprende técnicas de análisis multicriterio y análisis espacial basado en
sistemas de información geográfica para determinar de manera general el potencial de la
zona de estudio para albergar estas instalaciones. El territorio analizado corresponde al
cantón Tena Provincia del Napo. Para este fin, se construyó un modelo geográfico a partir
de los criterios de selección: distancia a asentamientos humanos, permeabilidad del suelo,
cuerpos de agua superficiales, vulnerabilidad de aguas subterráneas, pendiente, entre
otros. Se clasificó la zona en 5 categorías acorde a la capacidad de acogida: muy baja, baja,
media, alta, muy alta. Se determinó que apenas un 0.004% del territorio se considera apto
para la construcción del relleno sanitario del cantón, donde un 0.001% está catalogado con
un potencial medio, un 0.003% como alto y un 99.996% zonas restringidas. Se recomienda
el uso de esta herramienta para determinar zonas con potencial sobre las cuales enfocar
estudios más rigurosos en campo
To which world regions does the valence–dominance model of social perception apply?
Get PDFOver the past 10 years, Oosterhof and Todorov’s valence–dominance model has emerged as the most prominent account of how people evaluate faces on social dimensions. In this model, two dimensions (valence and dominance) underpin social judgements of faces. Because this model has primarily been developed and tested in Western regions, it is unclear whether these findings apply to other regions. We addressed this question by replicating Oosterhof and Todorov’s methodology across 11 world regions, 41 countries and 11,570 participants. When we used Oosterhof and Todorov’s original analysis strategy, the valence–dominance model generalized across regions. When we used an alternative methodology to allow for correlated dimensions, we observed much less generalization. Collectively, these results suggest that, while the valence–dominance model generalizes very well across regions when dimensions are forced to be orthogonal, regional differences are revealed when we use different extraction methods and correlate and rotate the dimension reduction solution
Discovery of antimicrobial peptides in spider silk glands using Expressed Sequence Tag data
Get PDFAntimicrobial peptides (AMP) emerge as a novel solution to the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance. AMPs have been described in several organisms by experimental or in silico analysis, but little efforts have been made to screen AMP in promising biomaterials such as spider silk. Spider silk is at high risk of microorganism infections from being exposed directly to the environment, and several reports show that this biomaterial can inhibit their growth. Although the mechanisms behind antimicrobial defense of spider silk is still unknow, studies suggest the presence of antimicrobial compounds. Here, I designed and implemented a pipeline to mine AMP from Expressed Sequence Tag (EST) data of spider silk gland tissues based on alignments with AMP databases and Hidden Markov Models profiles of AMP families. Using six EST datasets, we discovered five known and three novel peptides that are expressed in spider silk glands. Known peptides are suggested to be part of the humoral immune system of spiders. One of the three novel peptides has the potential to be antimicrobial due to its amphipathic structure, demonstrating the potential of spider silk glands as a source of AMPs. Although most peptides were discovered from silk glands, they need to be screened in silk once it is in the environment
Rediscovery of Laura’s glassfrog Nymphargus laurae (Anura: Centrolenidae) with new data on its morphology, colouration, phylogenetic position and conservation in Ecuador
No full textWe report the rediscovery of Laura’s Glassfrog, Nymphargus laurae Cisneros-Heredia & McDiarmid, 2007, based on two specimens collected at the Colonso-Chalupas Biological Reserve, province of Napo, Ecuador. The species was described and known from a single male specimen collected in 1955 at Loreto, north-eastern Andean foothills of Ecuador. Limited information was available about the colouration, systematics, ecology, and biogeography of N. laurae. We provide new data on the external morphology, colouration, distribution and comment on its conservation status and extinction risk. We discuss the phylogenetic relationships of N. laurae, which forms a clade together with N. siren and N. humboldti. The importance of research in unexplored areas must be a national priority to document the biodiversity associated, especially in protected areas
Carbon storage technologies applied to rethinking building construction and carbon emissions
Get PDFThis study has been conducted to offer an insight into the prospect of the
building industry decarbonization. The paper aims to analyze the carbon impact of
material production, transportation, and construction phases from the construction site
perspective in the first section. The focus was on modern alternatives that would allow
engineers to include Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies that could meet
the expectations and eventually be a reliable alternative to sustainable economic
development. One of the main reasons for climate change is the increasing
concentrations of Greenhouse Gases (GHG). There are two ways to reduce the GHG
emissions in the atmosphere: first, reducing directly and voluntarily the emissions by
stopping polluting activities, second, by capturing and storing the emissions. Among
the findings, the first proposed solution was decreasing the reliance on fossil carbon;
the second proposed alternative, CCS, is more related to reduce CO2 emissions from
energy and other energy-intensive sectors. The formulas and calculations of the Life
Cycle Assessment (LCA) were applied in a case study. Technical solutions should be
accompanied by legal regulations and policies, socio-cultural considerations. This paper
expects to raise the awareness of the readers of the construction sectors related to their
GHG emissions participation
(127-135) Proposals to add new Provisions and Recommendations to Division III of the International Code of Nomenclature for algae, fungi, and plants related to virtual participation in the Nomenclature Section.
Get PDFA Special-purpose Committee on Virtual Participation in theNomenclature Section (NS) was established at the XIX InternationalBotanical Congress in Shenzhen, China in 2017 (Wilson in Taxon68: 160–162. 2019). The mandate of this Special-purpose Commit-tee is“to investigate the possibility of and mechanisms for virtualparticipation and voting in the Nomenclature Section of an Inter-national Botanical Congress via the internet”. After discussingthe concepts of virtual participation and voting, we have arrivedat various suggestions, which are discussed in the accompanyingreport of the Committee (Landrum & al. in Taxon 70: 1399–1401. 2021
Revealing floristic variation and map uncertainties for different plant groups in western Amazonia
Get PDFQuestions Understanding spatial variation in floristic composition is crucial to quantify the extent, patchiness and connectivity of distinct habitats and their spatial relationships. Broad-scale variation in floristic composition and the degree of uniqueness of different regions remains poorly mapped and understood in several areas across the globe. We here aim to map vegetation heterogeneity in Amazonia. Location Middle Juruá river region, Amazonas State, Brazil. Methods We mapped four plant groups by applying machine learning to scale-up locally observed community composition and using environmental and remote sensed variables as predictors, which were obtained as GIS-layers. To quantify how reliable our predictions were, we made an assessment of model transferability and spatial applicability. We also compared our floristic composition map to the official Brazilian national-level vegetation classification. Results The overall performance of our floristic models was high for all four plant groups, especially ferns, and the predictions were found to be spatially congruent and highly transferable in space. For some areas, the models were assessed not to be applicable, as the field sampling did not cover the spectral or environmental characteristics of those regions. Our maps show extensive habitat heterogeneity across the region. When compared to the Brazilian vegetation classification, floristic composition was relatively homogeneous within dense forests, while floristic heterogeneity in rainforests classified as open was high. Conclusion Our maps provide geoecological characterization of the regions and can be used to test biogeographical hypotheses, develop species distribution models and, ultimately, aid science-based conservation and land-use planning