Cloud Forest Research Papers - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

2025, Psychology and Education: A Multidisciplinary Journal

This study investigated the species composition, diversity, and relative abundance of crustose and Physcia lichens in the montane forest of Mt. Hamiguitan, located in San Isidro, Mati, and Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental. Two sampling sites were established at approximately 1,200 meters above sea level, where lichen specimens were collected along transect lines using handpicking and scraping methods from various substrates such as tree trunks, rocks, decayed logs, and branches. Specimens were identified based on morphological characteristics, documented, and validated by a lichen specialist. Data were analyzed using biodiversity indices, including species richness, the Shannon-Wiener Index, Simpson's Index, and evenness. Results revealed a total of seven (7) species representing seven (7) genera across four (4) families. These include three families of crustose lichens-Pyrenulaceae, Graphidaceae, and Porinaceae-and one foliose genus, Physcia, under Physciaceae. Physciaceae was the most dominant, comprising over half of the specimens. The computed indices showed a species richness (S) of 4, ShannonWiener Index (H) of 1.154, Simpson's Index (1-D) of 0.612, and evenness (E) of 0.832. These values suggest a moderately diverse and ecologically balanced lichen community, characteristic of stable montane ecosystems. The findings confirm the presence of a morphologically and taxonomically varied lichen flora in Mt. Hamiguitan and underscore the importance of continued biodiversity monitoring and expanded surveys to support conservation planning in this protected area.

2025, Brazilian Archives of Biology and Technology

Surface runoff in agricultural areas promotes the transport of biological structures, such as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) spores, along with mineral particles, nutrients, and organic matter. Limited information exists regarding the relationships between the erosive process and the loss of AMF spores at the hillslope scale, as well as the effect of terracing on these relationships. The objective of this study was to quantify the loss of AMF spores in surface runoff water from agricultural soil managed under no-till and terraced conditions. The research was conducted in the Ribeirão Vermelho watershed, in a hillslope area in Cambé, Paraná, Brazil. Two experimental plots measuring 2.5 hectares each were installed, with one managed without terraces (NTP) and the other with level terraces (TP). At the lower end of the plots, a runoff flow measurement structure (H-channel) was installed to determine the flow rate and suspended spore count. The runoff duration, peak flow rate, and spore count were determined during the period from October 2019 to October 2022. The terrace reduced over 35% of suspended spore loss, and the hysteresis pattern showed a counterclockwise loop in NTP and a clockwise loop in TP for events with higher peak flow rates. The hysteresis pattern indicated rapid spore mobilization and transport in TP, suggesting that spores originated from more distant sources or required more energy for transportation in NTP. Overall, there is evidence that the terrace influences spore variability on the hillslope, reinforcing the need for terracing in agricultural hillslope areas. • The terracing reduces the peak flow of surface runoff. • The terracing reduces the duration of the surface runoff period. • The lower flow and duration of surface runoff decrease the loss of AMF spores.

2025, Oecologia

Litter decomposability has been linked to "soft" traits of green leaves, but relationships with "hard" traits associated with leaf anatomy remain unexplored. Examining anatomical traits within the leaf economic spectrum may enhance our understanding of litter decomposability. In this study, we analyzed the relationships between leaf anatomical traits and decomposability at both species and community levels along a successional gradient of upper Andean tropical forests in Colombia. We conducted a reciprocal translocation field experiment with 15 upper Andean species in 14 permanent plots around Bogotá, collecting 2520 litterbags at four times (3, 6, 12, 18 months). Using a multiple regression model based on foliar traits, we estimated decomposability for the remaining 48 species that compose the plant community (63 species in total) in the studied successional gradient. We measured several leaf anatomical traits in all 63 species and calculated community-weighted means and functional diversity indices with the most effective anatomical predictors of decomposability. We found that thicker cuticles, larger vascular bundles, higher spongy mesophyll proportion, and lower palisade mesophyll proportion are related to low decomposability. Plant communities with thicker protective structures slow down decay rates, while large palisade tissues with cylindrical cells increase litter breakdown. Decomposability did not change along succession due to the balance between high functional evenness in secondary forests and high functional richness in mature forests. Despite potential circularity and interdependence between functional diversity metrics, our study provides novel insights into the anatomical basis of decomposability and community dynamics in successional gradients of upper Andean tropical forests.

2025, Hydrological Sciences Journal

A cloud belt frequently forms on the windward side of Madeira Island, between 800 and 1600 m a.s.l., as a result of adiabatic cooling of the northeastern trade winds that are forced upward. Temperate laurel forest is the most common vegetation inside that cloud belt altitudinal range. Cloud water interception was estimated by comparing precipitation and throughfall during a hydrological year. It totalled 200 mm (8% of rainfall) during 65 days (3 mm d -1 ) and seems to constitute a larger fraction of water input during drier months. Multiple linear regression between gauge standard deviation and throughfall throughout rain events shows that cloud interception is common before the onset of rainfall. Its role in the ecohydrology of laurel forest and in the island's hydrology should be acknowledged. Further studies on this issue should be a priority in order to better understand these dynamics and provide tools for the correct management of this protected forest and the island's groundwater resources. Key words cloud water interception; Madeira Island; temperate laurel forest; groundwater recharge L'interception de l'eau des nuages dans la forêt tempérée de lauriers de l'Ile de Madère Résumé Une ceinture de nuages se forme fréquemment sur le côté au vent de l'île de Madère, entre 800 et 1600 m d'altitude, à la suite du refroidissement adiabatique des alizés de Nord-Est qui sont poussés en altitude. La forêt tempérée de lauriers est la végétation la plus courante dans cette fourchette d'altitude de la ceinture de nuages. L'interception de l'eau des nuages a été estimée en comparant les précipitations et le pluviolessivat au cours d'une année hydrologique. Ce dernier s'élève à 200 mm (8% des précipitations) pendant 65 jours (3 mm jour -1 ) et semble constituer une partie importante de l'apport d'eau pendant les mois les plus secs. La régression linéaire multiple entre l'écart-type des précipitations et le pluviolessivat pendant les épisodes de pluie montre que l'interception de l'eau des nuages est fréquente avant le début des pluies. Son rôle dans l'écohydrologie du laurier et sur l'hydrologie de l'île devrait être reconnu. La poursuite des études sur cette question devrait être une priorité afin de mieux comprendre cette dynamique, et de pouvoir fournir des outils pour une bonne gestion de cette forêt protégée et des ressources en eau souterraine de l'île. Mots clefs interception de l'eau des nuages; Ile de Madère; forêt tempérée, laurier; recharge des eaux souterraines

2025, Hydrological Processes

Cloud water interception (CWI) occurs when cloud droplets are blown against the forest canopy, where they are retained on the vegetation surface, forming larger water droplets that drip into the forest floor. CWI was measured from 1 October 1997 to 30 September 1999, on a first‐line tree heath (Erica arborea), at Bica da Cana, Madeira Island. Rainfall was corrected for wind‐loss effect and compared with throughfall and other climatological normals. The CWI depletion rate along a forest stand transect was also analysed during three distinct fog events in 2008. Cloud water was 28 mm day−1, corresponding to 68% of total throughfall and 190% of the gross precipitation. Cloud water correlates directly with monthly normals of fog days and wind speed and correlates inversely with the monthly air temperature normal. CWI has an exponential correlation with monthly relative humidity normal. Cloud water capture depletion along the stand shows a logarithmic decrease. Although a forest stand doe...

2025, International Forestry and Environment Symposium

The central highland cloud forest of Sri Lanka serves as the primary source of water for the nation, playing a pivotal role in preserving biodiversity, preventing soil erosion, and sustaining the flow of 103 rivers. This ecosystem harbours a diverse array of endemic and endangered species within unique ecological niches. However, anthropogenic activities, including invasive species spread, illegal logging, forest encroachment, and manmade fires, have subjected certain forest patches to heightened stress. This project proposes a restorative initiative focusing on the degraded central highland cloud forest in Agarapathana, Bopaththalawa (6°80'95.06" N, 80°69'58.25" E) by Olu Water. Project aims to enhance the health of the local cloud forest vegetation, prioritize wildlife conservation, and establish safe pathways for wildlife movement, thereby mitigating the impacts of fragmentation. Recognizing the importance of preserving vital connections within the ecosystem, project addresses the long-term well-being of both flora and fauna. Over the initial 20 months (March 2022-November 2023) of the project, a comprehensive biodiversity survey was conducted on the 23-hectare restoration site and its wider buffer area. Utilizing visual encounter survey methodology with random sampling, opportunistic observations, and confirmation records from scat, skulls, and recorded dead species, the study documented 12 amphibians, 11 butterflies, 12 dragonflies, seven reptiles, two freshwater fish, nine mammals, 63 birds, and 121 plants. Notably, 33.3% of the recorded species fell under threatened categories. To facilitate restoration, local pioneer cloud forest plant species were identified, and community plant nurseries were established to cultivate Shorea spp., Syzygium rotundifolium, Calophyllum spp., Neolitsea cassia, Melicope lunu-ankenda, Elaeocarpus subvillosus/ E. glandulifer, Symplocos spp., Neolitsea fuscata, Arundinaria densifolia, Macaranga peltata and Ochlandra stridula plant varieties. The project empowered 11 local smallholder families to participate in home garden planting for forest restoration, providing an alternative livelihood fostering community-based restoration. Saplings will be continuously purchased and planted along the restoration border during the rainy season to aid natural regeneration. Additionally, a 3 m wide fire prevention belt was implemented during drought periods to mitigate the risk of man-made forest fires. In line with restoration efforts, community awareness activities are ongoing communicating the importance of the cloud forest preventing illegal activities such as poaching, gem mining, and deforestation. The project is committed to continuing its restorative initiatives until 2026, with the support provided in the first year by the Adaptation Research Alliance. Furthermore, the initiative is poised to implement a volunteer carbon and biodiversity offsetting mechanism in the coming five years.

2025, Congreso EEII 2025, Murcia

Una de las EEI con carácter más agresivo en el P.N. de Garajonay es Tradescantia fluminensis, que altera la estructura y composición de la vegetación autóctona. Tras realizar actuaciones de erradicación, se evaluaron situando 6 parcelas de seguimiento. Tras 11 años, los resultados son: Aumenta la cobertura de especies de laurisilva, germinación de árboles y estratificación forestal, descenso de ruderales y necesidad de revisar las manchas de Tradescantia, para impedir su reinvasión y expansión.

2025, Antony Watton - Biosurvey

Los árboles y arbustos se muestrearon en la zona sur de la isla de Ometepe, fuera del gran lago de Nicaragua, a altitudes de 500m a 1350m. Además, se encontraron árboles y arbustos de 500m a cero cerca del lago y en la zona norte de... more

2025, Antony Watton - Biosurvey

The trees and shrubs were surveyed in the southern side of the island of Ometepe outside of the large lake in Nicaragua at altitudes from 500m to 1350m. In addition trees and shrubs are down from 500m to zero next to the lake and in the... more

2025, Antony Watton - Biosurvey

Las especies de árboles, arbustos y helechos arborescentes se estudiaron en el bosque nuboso de cuatro bosques nubosos en Nicaragua saber Cerro Jesús en la provincia de Nueva Segovia en la frontera con Honduras, La Perla a La Cebollal de... more

2025, Antony Watton

2025, American Journal of Botany

The family Bromeliaceae (58 genera, ca. 3140 species) constitute one of the most morphologically distinctive, ecologically diverse, and species-rich clades of fl owering plants native to the tropics and subtropics of the New World ( Fig. ). Bromeliads range from mist-shrouded tepuis in Venezuela to sun-baked granitic outcrops of the Brazilian Shield, from cloud forests in Central and South America to the cypress swamps of the southern United States, and from the frigid Andean puna to the arid Atacama ( Smith and Downs, 1974 ; Givnish et al., 1997 ;. Their distinctive leaf rosettes often impound rainwater in central tanks, possess the CAM photosynthetic pathway, and bear absorptive trichomes, providing mechanisms to weather drought and obtain or conserve nutrients on rocks and exposed epiphytic perches (

2025, Remote Sensing

Tropical forests are disappearing at unprecedented rates, but the drivers behind this transformation are not always clear. This limits the decision-making processes and the effectiveness of forest management policies. In this paper, we address the extent and drivers of deforestation of the Choco biodiversity hotspot, which has not received much scientific attention despite its high levels of plant diversity and endemism. The climate is characterized by persistent cloud cover which is a challenge for land cover mapping from optical satellite imagery. By using Google Earth Engine to select pixels with minimal cloud content and applying a random forest classifier to Landsat and Sentinel data, we produced a wall-to-wall land cover map, enabling a diagnosis of the status and drivers of forest loss in the region. Analyses of these new maps together with information from illicit crops and alluvial mining uncovered the pressure over intact forests. According to Global Forest Change (GFC) da...

2025, European Journal of Taxonomy

Populus primaveralepensis A.Vázquez, Muñiz-Castro & Zuno sp. nov., a new species from relict gallery cloud forest in Bosque La Primavera Biosphere Reserve (Mexico), is described and illustrated. The new species belongs to P. subsect. Tomentosae Hart., and is morphologically similar to P. luziarum A.Vázquez, Muñiz-Castro & Padilla-Lepe, but differs from it in having taller trees without root suckers, white and ringed young stems and branches, a branching angle of ca 45º, leaves with higher blade to petiole ratio, leafs frequently elliptic or ovate to widely ovate (vs widely ovate to ovate-deltoid), denser inflorescences, and shorter capsules. The conservation status of the species was assessed as Critically Endangered (CR).

2025, Bulletin of The Museum of Comparative Zoology

2025, Journal of Tropical Ecology

2025, Revista de Biología Tropical

El objetivo del presente estudio fue determinar los géneros y estimar la cantidad de huevecillos y ooquistes de parásitos gastrointestinales (PGI) excretados durante un año en heces de venados cola blanca (Odocoileus virginianus yucatenensis) mantenidos en cautiverio en Yucatán, México. Se recolectaron muestras fecales en tres confinamientos ubicados en la zona centro del estado de Yucatán, de enero a diciembre de 1995. Diez muestras fueron colectadas de cada confinamiento cada dos semanas. Las muestras fueron procesadas mediante la técnica de Flotación Centrifugada y McMaster. Se realizaron cultivos de heces para obtener larvas infectan tes L3 mediante la técnica de Corticelli-Lai. Las heces positivas a ooquistes fueron cultivados en dicromato de potasio al 2%. Se determinaron siete géneros (Haemonchus spp, Cooperia spp, Isospora spp, Eimeria spp, Trichuris spp, Strongyloides spp y Moniezia spp) correspondientes a cinco órdenes. Haemonchus spp, Isospora spp y Eimeria spp fueron los...

2025, Mammalian Species

Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum Peters, 1882, is a rare bat known as the visored bat because it has a unique outgrowth on the face. This typical hornlike growth is sexually dimorphic, larger on males than on females, and also better developed in adults than in juveniles. This bat is endemic to tropical South America and present in Venezuela, Peru, Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, and Ecuador. It is present from the Amazon Basin to mountainous regions up to 3,000 m in elevation and has been captured in secondary rain forest, cloud forest, deciduous forest, and open areas. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources conservation status is Lower Risk/Least Concern.

2025, Antony Watton - Biosurvey

The taxa of trees, shrubs and tree ferns species were surveyed in the cloud forest of four cloud forests in Nicaragua namely Cerro Jesús in the province of Nueva Segovia on the Honduras border, La Perla to La Cebollal in the reserve of... more

2025, Phytotaxa

Baccharis nebularis, a new species belonging to B. subgen. Tarchonanthoides sect. Curitybenses, is described, illustrated, and compared to B. chionolaenoides and B. curitybensis. A key for its identification is provided. The new species occurs in patches of cloud forest thickets mixed with high altitude tropical grasslands in the southern Brazilian mountains. Data on distribution and habitat, phenology, conservation status, as well as a list of specimens examined are also presented.

2025, Primate Conservation

The white-bellied spider monkey, Ateles belzebuth, is one of the seven species that inhabits both lowland and montane forests in the Peruvian Amazon. The lowland populations are locally extinct over a large part of the species range there, but there is very little information on the montane forest populations other than records of some groups in a few localities. The lack of information motivated us to conduct this study to determine the current status of these spider monkeys and identify the threats to their populations. Transect censuses were carried out in November 2016, February 2017 and May-July 2017. In 786 km of transects walked, we observed 44 groups of five primate species, the most common being A. belzebuth and Cebus yuracus (both with 13 groups). Most of the A. belzebuth groups were observed in Las Hamacas (six groups) and La Meseta (four groups) belonging to the Área de Conservación Privada Los Chilchos. Of the four species for which we obtained complete group counts, the largest groups were those of A. belzebuth (average 16 ± 6.1, n = 5) and the smallest of Alouatta seniculus (average 4.8 ± 1.2). The highest relative abundance was for A. belzebuth (2.56 individuals/10 km) and lowest for A. seniculus (0.53 individuals/10 km). South of the Río Marañón, the distribution of A. belzebuth is restricted to the montane forests of the regions of Amazonas, San Martín, La Libertad, and part of Huánuco to the Río Monzón, but it is locally extinct between the ríos Tocache and Monzón. Logging, hunting and deforestation for agriculture and cattle ranching were found to be the main threats to the survival of A. belzebuth and other primates in the areas we surveyed.

2025, Acta zoológica mexicana

La colección Zoebisch está integrada por 3,790 ejemplares, de los cuales, 838 proceden del extranjero y 2,952 de México. Éstos pertenecen a 31 familias y 436 especies. Las familias mejor representadas son Scarabaeidae (2,601 especímenes), seguida por Carabidae (684). Por su parte Pleocomidae y Ochodaeidae están representadas por un ejemplar. El mayor número de especímenes de México procede del estado de Morelos (697). De los ejemplares extranjeros predominan aquellos de Perú, España y Estados Unidos. La información de los especímenes se encuentra en dos bases de datos: una para ejemplares extranjeros y otra para mexicanos.

2025

Evaluamos el efecto de una ruta como inhibidora del desplazamiento de las aves, dentro de La Reserva Provincial La Florida (Tucuman, Argentina). Esta ruta divide la reserva, separando un fragmento del resto del bosque. Durante 12 meses realizamos muestreos mensuales de aves con redes de niebla instaladas a ambos lados de la ruta, y censamos las aves que atraviesan la ruta. Los individuos capturados fueron clasificados en sedentarios (capturados mas de una vez) y transeuntes (1 captura). Si la ruta inhibe la llegada de nuevos individuos al fragmento (FG), el porcentaje de aves sedentarias en este sitio deberia ser mayor que en el bosque continuo (BC). En las redes capturamos 1742 aves (34 especies); la riqueza fue similar para ambos sitios (27 vs. 28). El numero de sedentarios no mostro diferencias entre sitios (BC=234, FG=194), al igual que el porcentaje mensual de aves sedentarias capturadas. Los transeuntes fueron mas abundantes en el BC (809 vs. 505); la abundancia de Turdus rufi...

2025, International Journal of Tropical Insect Science

This study was conducted in the Knuckles Forest Region in central Sri Lanka, and investigated how termite species richness, abundance and functional group diversity vary in different montane forest types and identified the likely causes of this pattern. Termite diversity declined with increased elevation, with upper montane forests recording a single endemic species, Postelectrotermes militaris Desneux. Transect sampling in lower montane forests yielded 26 species, with a higher number from dry forests (22 species) than from wet forests (15 species). Species specificity also was high in dry forests (11 species) compared with wet forests (four species). Termite abundance did not show a distinct trend in dry and wet forests. Live-wood termites were present only in upper montane and high-altitude lower montane dry forests. Wet forests had a higher relative abundance (78%) but not species richness (40%) of soil and soil -wood interface feeders. In dry forests, both species richness (82%) and abundance (88%) of fungus-growing wood feeders were higher. The study suggests that key drivers of the species distribution pattern are low temperature and differing forest floor conditions. In the upper montane forest floor where earthworms dominate, wet soil and damp, woody litter riddled with beetles are not favourable for termites. In lower montane wet forests, moist, thick decomposing leaf litter and in dry forests, drier, relatively undecomposed leaf litter with many dry sticks and branches support species with specific food habits.

2025, Zootaxa

Recent survey work in Costa Rica has resulted in the discovery of a wide variety of undescribed species of planthoppers in the families Derbidae and Cixiidae. During a light trapping event in the Los Angeles cloud forest, a large planthopper was collected and determined to belong to the genus Myconus in the family Achilidae. Herein, the novel taxon is described with accompanying molecular data for the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene, 18S rRNA gene, and histone 3 (H3) gene and an updated key for the New World Myconus is provided.

2025, Revista Mexicana De Micologia

Dentro del Reino Fungi, se ubican como hongos anamorfos a aquellas especies a las que no se les ha detectado mecanismos de reproducción sexual. Estos hongos tienen una amplia distribución geográfica, colonizan todo tipo de sustratos vivos o inertes tanto en ambientes domésticos como en ecosistemas silvestres. En México, el conocimiento de la diversidad de los hongos anamorfos ha sido pobremente atendido. Aunque en particular para el estado de Veracruz se han descrito mayor número de especies que para el resto de las entidades del país , aún quedan muchas áreas inexploradas, sobre todo en las áreas tropicales en donde es de esperar que prolifera una vasta riqueza fúngica. Diversas contribuciones han evidenciado la diversidad de anamorfos en los ambientes tropicales de Veracruz (Castañeda et al.,

2025, Water, Air, and Soil Pollution

Chemical composition of fog and rain water was studied during a 47-day experimental period. The differences between the fog and rain water were found to be significantly for most analyzed ions. H + , NH 4 + , NO 3 -, and SO 4 2-made up 85% of the total median ion concentration in fog and 84% in rain water. The total mean equivalent concentration was 15 times higher in the fog than in the rain water. The fog water samples were classified according to their air mass history. The analysis of the 120 h backward trajectory led to the identification of three advection regimes. Significant differences of ion concentrations between the respective classes were found. Air masses of class I travelled exclusively over the Pacific Ocean, class II were carried over the Philippines, and class III were advected from mainland China. The turbulent fog water deposition was determined by the means of the eddy covariance method. The total (turbulent plus gravitational) fog water fluxes ranged between +31.7 mg m -2 s -1 and -56.6 mg m -2 s -1 . Fog water droplets with mean diameters between 15 μm and 25 μm contributed most to the liquid water flux. The sample based nutrient input was calculated on the basis of the occult and wet deposition, and the concentrations of the simultaneously collected fog and rainwater samples, respectively. The nutrient input through wet deposition was about 13 times higher than through occult deposition.

2025

Resumen. La deforestación alrededor de grandes concentraciones urbanas usualmente crea un paisaje fragmentado con reducidas áreas naturales. El estudio de la biodiversidad en estos remanentes provee herramientas útiles para el diseño de estrategias de conservación que permiten maximizar la persistencia de la diversidad local y favorecen su conectividad. Inventarios focalizados en grupos taxonómicos particulares, han sido propuestos como un mecanismo útil que permite una aproximación al conocimiento del estado de la biodiversidad en un área determinada, siendo las mariposas uno de los grupos taxonómicos más empleados para este tipo de estudios. En el presente trabajo se estudió

2025, Phyllomedusa: Journal of Herpetology

Morphology and ecology of Sibon snakes (Squamata: Dipsadidae) from two forests in Central America. Physical measurements, abundance, and ecological observations were recorded for Sibon annulatus, S. argus, S. longifrenis, and S. nebulatus at two Neotropical habitats: a lowland swamp forest in Costa Rica and a montane cloud forest in Panama. Fourty-four and 58 adult snakes were recorded from Costa Rica and Panama, respectively. Differences in morphology and body condition showed minimal significant differences among species from both geographical locations. Observations of feeding, reproduction, abundance, distribution, and a new size record for S. annulatus are discussed.

2025, Huitzil

Las áreas naturales protegidas representan la principal estrategia de conservación de la biodiversidad. Sin embargo, sólo el 12.93% del territorio nacional se encuentra bajo protección legal. En este escenario surge la necesidad de encontrar alternativas para la conservación de la biodiversidad. Los agroecosistemas (ecosistemas bajo manejo antropogénico) pueden ser una alternativa de conservación, debido a su potencial de ser hábitats productivos para algunas especies silvestres. Aunque se ha encontrado que los agroecosistemas pueden albergar una gran riqueza de aves, hay pocos estudios sobre la

2025, Tropical Conservation Science

We present a simple method to use birds to assess and track the restoration of Tropical Montane Cloud Forests using birds as indicator species. The method is composed of three pieces: a classification of disturbance phases, the collection of speciesand assembly-level bird data, and the matching of these two data sets to understand its relationships. We were able to select three species of resident and three species of Neotropical migrants exclusively associated to each of the four habitat phases, as well as some characteristics at the assembly level that help understand the condition of habitats, prescribe restoration intervention plans, and to track its progress over time. The approach described here is intended to be of simple application, aimed for practitioners, and be easily replicated in other places.

2025, Restoration Ecology

Tropical Montane Cloud Forests (TMCFs) are among the vegetation types facing the greatest threats, both globally and in Mexico. Ecological restoration of TMCFs is a priority in several tropical countries. In this paper, we propose that restoration of TMCFs based on applied nucleation methods should be accompanied by a set of additional mechanisms that form a six‐prong strategy. In our experience, the essential set of tools to ensure positive results is composed of (1) a diagnostic‐prescriptive stage; (2) species selection and nursery management of native species for restoring the tree strata; (3) the use of a set of biological indicators to monitor its progression; (4) restoration training for local and government stakeholders; (5) active dissemination of information through a network of private landowners; and (6) voluntary land protection. The proposed framework is based on a decade of interdisciplinary work of the Mexican conservation nonprofit organization Pronatura Veracruz. Al...

2025, ADVC Kolijke, publicación especial No. 4

The progress made over 25 years in the environmental reconstruction of the vegetation of the ADVC Kolijke in the Sierra Norte of Puebla, Mexico, is reviewed. A list of the recorded species is presented, the causes of disturbance are... more

2025, American Journal of Botany

The adaptiveness of distyly has been typically investigated in terms of its female function, specifically pollen receipt. However, pollen loads on stigmas can only provide moderate support for Darwin's hypothesis of the promotion of legitimate crosses. To determine the effectiveness of hummingbirds as pollen vectors between floral morphs and the consequences in terms of male (pollen transfer) and female function (pollen receipt) in Palicourea padifolia (Rubiaceae), floral visitors, their foraging modes, and temporal patterns of floral visitation were observed and documented. Differences in pollen and stigma morphology, pollen flow, rates of pollen deposition, and/or stigmatic pollen loads were then evaluated for their contribution toward differences in reproductive output between floral morphs. A pollination experiment with stuffed hummingbirds that varied in bill size was done to evaluate the contribution of bill variation toward differences between floral morphs in pollen rece...

2025, Forest Ecology and Management

Although vascular epiphytes contribute substantially to the biodiversity of tropical montane forests, it is unclear how their diversity and community composition is affected by forest alteration. We studied the response of vascular epiphyte assemblages to different intensities of land-use in a montane wet forest of northeastern Ecuador: (1) unmanaged mature forest; (2) mature forest with mid-and understorey opened for cattle grazing; and (3) isolated remnant trees in cattle pastures. The numbers of individuals and species of epiphytes per host tree did not differ significantly between land-use types, neither did total epiphyte species richness (n = 30 trees). However, total species richness of pteridophytes was significantly lower on isolated remnant trees compared to unmanaged forest, whereas several taxa rich in xerotolerant species (Bromeliaceae, Orchidaceae, Piperaceae) exhibited the opposite trend. An analysis of floristic composition using ordination (NMS) and randomisation techniques (MRPP) showed that epiphyte assemblages on isolated remnant trees were significantly distinct from unmanaged forest while managed forest was intermediate between those two vegetation types. Ordination analysis further indicated reduced floristic heterogeneity in disturbed habitats. These results suggest considerable, rapid species turnover since land-use change 6 years prior to study, with pteridophytes being replaced by more xerotolerant taxa. We attribute this floristic turnover primarily to changes in microclimate towards higher levels of light and desiccation stress associated with forest disturbance. Our results support the notion that community composition offers a more sensitive indicator of human disturbance than species richness.

2025

Sierra de Manantlan is a Mexican biosphere reserve with a its peculiarities. The present work gives a brief introduction into this biosphere reserve.

2025, Ornitologia Neotropical

When François Vuilleumier (Figure ), Curator Emeritus at the Department of Ornithology of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and founding member of the Neotropical Ornithological Society, passed away on 11 January 2017 at his home in Piermont, New York, after a long battle with cancer, the scientific world lost one of its most famous and influental experts on avifauna and biogeography. He was 78 years old. Son of Willy Georges and Denise Geneviève (Privat) Vuilleumier, François was born on 26 November 1938 in Berne, Switzerland. His father was a well-known artist, a talent François himself also nurtured throughout his life. He described his passion for this activity in these words: "The schoolboy who drew birds eventually became an artist doing science. In the course of my career, I carried out research on the evolution of bird species all over the world, but mostly in the Andes of South America, from Venezuela to Tierra del Fuego. Some of the papers I published in technical journals incorporate my drawings. And wherever I went for my research, I drew birds. My portfolios include thousands of sketches of birds, sitting, feeding, preening, flying, scratching, or, simply, being birds" (extracted from Carolyn DeLisser Fine Art, 2017, François Vuillemier. An artist doing science. ser.com/fineart/francoispg2r.html; for examples see Figure ). Another skill that he cultivated during his life was the mastery of several languages, such as French (mother tongue), English, German, and Spanish, and even some Italian and Portuguese. This ability allowed him, in addition to his kind and respectful character, to relate to many people from different regions and cultures. François Vuilleumier obtained his Licence es sciences naturelles, at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, in 1961, and carried out postgraduate studies in ecology at the University of Illinois, Urbana, in 1962. Majoring in the natural sciences, he completed his Ph.D. in 1967 at Harvard University, Cambridge under the mentorship of Ernst Mayr. His thesis on "Speciation in High Andean Birds"

2025

Forest Fire risk zones delimited with the normalized diFFerentiated Burning radius (dnBr) in the sierra norte oF oaxaca, mexico mario ernesto suárez-mota*, teresa elvira martínez-martínez, Faustino ruiz-aquino, césar valenzuela-encinas,... more

2025, Annals of Biological Research

Standardized means of identification of endophytic organisms could become a necessary tool for the discovery and optimization of their vast bioactive metabolites. This study aimed to isolate, identified endophytic fungi from the Root (RT) and Leaves Blades (LB) of Annona senegalensis Pers using molecular techniques and analyzed the crude metabolites using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). Endophytic fungi unknown (RT1), Botryosphaeria laricina (RT2), Didymella macrostoma (RT3) and Oxydothis ragae (LB1) associated with Annona senegalensis Pers were successfully isolated and identified. Based on the 18S rRNA gene sequences, four endophytic fungi, RT1, RT2, RT3 and LB1 were assigned GenBank accession numbers MW672177, MW672178, MW672179 and MW672180 inclusive under submission code SUB7061858. The result showed four endophytic fungi; unknown (RT1), Botryosphaeria laricina (RT2), Didymella macrostoma (RT3) and Oxydothis ragae (LB1). The analysis of the crude metabolites reveals quite several chemical compounds most of which have been documented to have pharmacological activities, including N-hexadecanoic acid (8.34%), linoleic acid ethyl ester (40.5%), 1-H-2-benzopyran-1-one, 6-bromo-5-flouro-3-4-dihydro (4.20%), ethyl oleate (13.8%), methyl stearate (14.45%), 10-octadeconoic acid (16.65%), 3-Allyl-6-methoxy phenol (3.17%), caryophyllene (5.77%), eugenol (3.17%), tridecaenoic acid (18.57%), oleic acid (7.34%) among others. In conclusion, this study has shown that endophytic fungi isolated from Annona senegalensis could be rapidly identified using molecular techniques and their metabolites analyzed using GC-MS and FTIR.

2025, Zootaxa

We describe a new species of the Pristimantis orestes Group from cloud forest at 1700-1800 m in the Cordillera Occidental in northern Peru (Departamento de Cajamarca). The type series comprises one adult female and three males. The new species has a maximum snout vent-length of 29.4 mm, a long snout, dentigerous processes of vomers present, discs on outer fingers broadly expanded, males that have vocal slits present and nuptial pads absent, and a distinct color pattern consisting of tan blotches and spots on a brown venter, anterior and posterior surfaces of the thighs, concealed surfaces of the shanks, and axilla and groin, dark brown with tan blotches and spots. The Pristimantis orestes Group contains 12 species, of which nine occur in the Cordillera Occidental in northern Peru. Nuptial pads as diagnostic characters in Pristimantis are briefly discussed.

2025, Zootaxa

A new arboreal species of Rhinella tentatively assigned to the veraguensis Group is described from the National Park Yanachaga Chemillén at 2600 m elevation in central Peru (Departamento de Pasco).The new species is characterized by a maximum snout-vent length of 45.7 mm, a moderate body with relatively long and slim extremities, a dorsum with small tubercles and enlarged tubercles on legs, a distinct tympanum, distinct vertical keel on snout, weak orbitotympanic and postorbital crests, weakly defined row of dorsolateral tubercles, and males with vocal slits, nuptial pads, hypertrophied arms, and a protuberant, ventrally oriented cloaca. The new species is compared with other members of the veraguensis Group and is considered most similar to arboreal R. tacana from northern Bolivia. The skull of the new species is described and compared to other members of the veraguensis Group. Tadpole and call of the new species remain unknown.

2025, Journal of Mammalogy

This study reports results of a 14-month live-trap study of small-rodent communities in 2 habitats, cloud forest and disturbed areas, at Las Joyas Scientific Station of the Sierra de Manantla ´n Biosphere Reserve, western Mexico. Seven taxa of 2 families (Muridae, Heteromyidae) of small rodents were captured (Hodomys alleni, Liomys pictus, Oryzomys couesi, Peromyscus aztecus, Reithrodontomys fulvescens, R. sumichrasti, and Sigmodon alleni). Information about age structure, population dynamics, biomass, and reproduction were obtained with mark-recapture techniques for the most abundant species (P. aztecus and R. fulvescens) in both habitats. These species comprised 80.3% of the 707 captures in the cloud forest (P. aztecus, 51.2%; R. fulvescens, 29.1%), whereas, in the disturbed areas, R. fulvescens represented 81.7% of the 916 captures. Species varied in population density, relative abundance, and timing of reproduction, which was seasonal. Reproductive activity for P. aztecus peaked in the middle of the wet season (September 1995) in the cloud forest and in the wet season and middle of the dry-cold season (January 1996) in the disturbed areas. R. fulvescens showed reproductive activity in the wet season (July-October 1995) in both habitats. Density fluctuated annually for P. aztecus in both habitats, with a peak in January and February 1996; R. fulvescens showed the same patterns of density in both habitats with the highest values at the end of the wet season.

2025, Journal of Mammalogy

We tested whether differences in composition and nutrients of diet explained higher density of Peromyscus aztecus in mature cloud forest and higher density of Reithrodontomys fulvescens in disturbed cloud forest. P. aztecus ate dicot leaves, stems, fruit, and seeds in mature cloud forest and dicot leaves, stems, and seeds, and monocot seeds and insects during the dry-hot season in disturbed cloud forest. R. fulvescens ate dicot leaves, stems, fruit, and seeds in mature cloud forest but monocots and insects during the hot season; dicot leaves, stems, and seeds were eaten in disturbed cloud forest. The diet of P. aztecus contained more protein and soluble carbohydrates in disturbed cloud forest where rodent density was lower; the diet of R. fulvescens contained more protein, lipid, soluble carbohydrate, Na, Mg, and P in mature cloud forest where density was lower. Nutrient differences resulted from R. fulvescens eating more monocots and dicot fruit, P. aztecus eating more monocot seeds and less dicot fruit, and both species eating more insects. Differences in composition or nutrient content of diet did not explain between-habitat differences in demography because nutrients in diet were higher in habitat of lower rodent abundance, suggesting other factors must be considered.

2025

Although Bolivia is one of the countries with the most water per capita in the world, and demand is about 1% of supply, localised water scarcity continues to breed conflicts. Despite many attempts at integrated watershed management, there have been few successes. Interventions have usually been through top-down laws and regulations, few of which have succeeded. In this report, Fundación Natura Bolivia examines whether payment schemes can improve watershed management and the livelihoods of watershed residents. It describes the reports commissioned as part of the analysis, what they were intended to assess, and their findings. The report concludes by offering lessons learned for negotiating fair deals for watershed services in Bolivia.

2025, Forests

The protection of natural areas is considered an essential strategy for environment conservation. The objective of this work was to determine the level of vulnerability, considering the characterization and identification of the risk zones and ecological protection of the Pagaibamba Protection Forest (PPF, Peru). To determine the vulnerable areas, Landsat ETM satellite images, topographic, geological, ecological, and vegetation cover maps were used. Geological, physiographic, edaphological, vegetation cover, and land use potential characteristics, were analyzed. Three Ecological Protection and Risk Zones were identified, with the largest extension of the PPF corresponding to lands of very high and high vulnerability and high ecological risk, which include >85% of Protected Natural Areas (PNA) and 54% of the Buffer Zone (BZ). Moderate risk areas represent 30% of the Buffer Zone (BZ) and 13% of the PNA, and the low-risk areas (represent 15% of the BZ and 2% of the PNA). Biogeograph...

2025, Avances en Recursos …

Se describe una propuesta metodológica para evaluar el efecto de diferentes coberturas vegetales sobre el rendimiento hídrico en cuencas hidrográficas de pequeña extensión. Para este fin se emplean procedimientos estadísticos, dentro de los cuales se encuentra la prueba de hipótesis para la comparación de pendientes de líneas de regresión, la cual no ha sido empleada para este propósito, y cuya aplicación requiere información hidrológica de fácil obtención. Posteriormente se muestra su empleo en la cuenca hidrográfica de la quebrada La Murciélago (Piedras Blancas, Antioquia), cubierta por plantaciones forestales de Pinus patula y Cupressus lusitanica y por bosque natural. Los resultados muestran diferencias significativas entre la cobertura de pino y las coberturas de ciprés y bosque natural, siendo esta última la que posee una menor pendiente y por lo tanto un mayor efecto de regulación sobre el rendimiento hídrico.

2025, Acta Botanica Mexicana

Esta contribución es parte de una serie de artículos cuyo objetivo es incrementar el conocimiento de los hongos anamorfos saprobios que proliferan en el bosque mesófilo de montaña en el estado de Veracruz. Se presentan las descripciones e imágenes de 25 especies. Todas ellas, excepto Helminthosporium solani, son nuevos reportes para México. Dictyochaeta tumidospora, Fusariella intermedia, Hyphodiscosia queenslandica y Dictyosporium digitatum no habían sido registradas desde su descripción original. Se incluyen datos de su distribución y sustratos en los que se han colectado.

2025

Repetophragma paracambrense sp. nov. is characterized by subobclavate to somewhat lageniform, truncate at the base, 8-10-septate, brown, mostly verruculose, sometimes smooth conidia. Twelve new combinations are proposed for taxa previously included in Sporidesmium and Endophragmiella. A comparative table and key to Repetophragma species are provided.