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Ordoñez JC, Pinto E, Bernardi A, Cuesta F. Tree mortality and recruitment in secondary Andean tropical mountain forests along a 3000 m elevation gradient. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300114. [PMID: 38466663 PMCID: PMC10927132 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
This study addresses the understudied dynamics of mortality and recruitment in Tropical Mountain forests, critical determinants of forest structural processes and biomass turnover. We examine how these demographic processes change with elevation and varying degrees of forest recovery by utilizing two forest censuses (2015 and 2019) from 16 plots (0.36 ha) across a 600-3500 m asl elevation gradient in the Ecuadorian Andes. Employing multivariate PCA analyses, we characterize successional forest dynamics and explore relationships between demographic rates, elevation, and indicators of forest recovery using standard linear regression and generalized additive models (GAMs). Contrary to our hypothesis, mortality exhibits a unimodal response, peaking at mid-elevations, with no significant relationship to above-ground biomass productivity (AGBp). In our successional forests, dominance by fast-growing species alters expected patterns, leading to increased mortality rates and AGBp, particularly at low-mid elevations. Forest recovery emerges as a significant driver of mortality and the sole predictor of recruitment, especially across different recovery statuses. Although forest recovery doesn't impact mortality rates, it elucidates the identity of declining species in forests with varying recovery degrees. Our findings underscore that while forest recovery does not alter mortality rates, it provides critical insights into understanding which species are affected under varying recovery conditions. Recruitment, primarily driven by successional dynamics, exhibits higher rates in sites with less recovery. Furthermore, we demonstrate the utility of forest structure indicators, such as above-ground biomass, in inferring successional dynamics when the time since the last disturbance is unknown. The study emphasizes the importance of considering disturbances in comprehending the intricate interplay between the environment and forest dynamics in secondary forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny C. Ordoñez
- Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud -BIOMAS—Universidad de Las Américas (UDLA), Quito, Ecuador
| | - Esteban Pinto
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States of America
| | - Antonella Bernardi
- Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud -BIOMAS—Universidad de Las Américas (UDLA), Quito, Ecuador
| | - Francisco Cuesta
- Grupo de Investigación en Biodiversidad, Medio Ambiente y Salud -BIOMAS—Universidad de Las Américas (UDLA), Quito, Ecuador
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2
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Schiferl J, Kingston M, Åkesson CM, Valencia BG, Rozas-Davila A, McGee D, Woods A, Chen CY, Hatfield RG, Rodbell DT, Abbott MB, Bush MB. A neotropical perspective on the uniqueness of the Holocene among interglacials. Nat Commun 2023; 14:7404. [PMID: 37973878 PMCID: PMC10654573 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43231-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding how tropical systems have responded to large-scale climate change, such as glacial-interglacial oscillations, and how human impacts have altered those responses is key to current and future ecology. A sedimentary record recovered from Lake Junín, in the Peruvian Andes (4085 m elevation) spans the last 670,000 years and represents the longest continuous and empirically-dated record of tropical vegetation change to date. Spanning seven glacial-interglacial oscillations, fossil pollen and charcoal recovered from the core showed the general dominance of grasslands, although during the warmest times some Andean forest trees grew above their modern limits near the lake. Fire was very rare until the last 12,000 years, when humans were in the landscape. Here we show that, due to human activity, our present interglacial, the Holocene, has a distinctive vegetation composition and ecological trajectory compared with six previous interglacials. Our data reinforce the view that modern vegetation assemblages of high Andean grasslands and the presence of a defined tree line are aspects of a human-modified landscape.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Schiferl
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA
| | - M Kingston
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA
| | - C M Åkesson
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA
| | - B G Valencia
- Facultad de Ciencias de La Tierra y Agua, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena, Ecuador
| | - A Rozas-Davila
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA
| | - D McGee
- Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - A Woods
- Department of Geology and Environmental Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - C Y Chen
- Chemical and Isotopic Signatures Group, Nuclear and Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, CA, 94550, USA
| | - R G Hatfield
- Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - D T Rodbell
- Geoscience Department, Union College, Schenectady, NY, 12308, USA
| | - M B Abbott
- Department of Geology and Environmental Science, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - M B Bush
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL, 32901, USA.
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3
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Jungkunst HF, Heitkamp F, Doetterl S, Sylvester SP, Sylvester MDPV, Vetter V, Maqsood S, Zeppenfeld T, Kessler M, Fiedler S. Land-use induced soil carbon stabilization at the expense of rock derived nutrients: insights from pristine Andean soils. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4584. [PMID: 36941286 PMCID: PMC10027661 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30801-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Soils contain significantly more carbon than the atmosphere, hence we should understand how best to stabilize it. Unfortunately, the role of human interventions on soil organic carbon (SOC) persistence in the Anthropocene remains vague, lacking adequate sites that allow unbiased direct comparisons of pristine and human influenced soils. Here we present data from a unique study system in the High Andes that guarantees pristineness of the reference sites by physical inaccessibility through vertical cliffs. By comparing the isotopic signatures of SOC, mineral related carbon stabilization, and soil nutrient status across grazed versus pristine soils, we provide counterintuitive evidence that thousands of years of pastoralism increased soil C persistence. Mineral associated organic carbon (MAOC) was significantly higher in pastures. Land use increased poorly crystalline minerals (PCM's), of which aluminum correlated best with MAOC. On the other hand, human's acceleration of weathering led to acidification and higher losses of cations. This highlights a dilemma of lower soil quality but higher persistence of SOC due to millennia of pastoralism. The dynamics of soil genesis in the Anthropocene needs better understanding, but if human-induced weathering proves generally to promote soil carbon persistence it will need to be included in climate-soil feedback projections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hermann F Jungkunst
- iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829, Landau, Germany.
| | - Felix Heitkamp
- Environmental Control, Northwest German Forest Research Institute, Grätzelstrasse 2, 37079, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Doetterl
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Steven P Sylvester
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mitsy D P V Sylvester
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vanessa Vetter
- iES Landau, RPTU Kaiserslautern-Landau, Fortstraße 7, 76829, Landau, Germany
| | - Shafique Maqsood
- Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Organic Agricultural Sciences, University of Kassel, Steinstrasse 19, 37213, Witzenhausen, Germany
| | - Thorsten Zeppenfeld
- Forest Growth, Northwest German Forest Research Institute, Grätzelstrasse 2, 37079, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Michael Kessler
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sabine Fiedler
- Institute of Geography, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Johann-Joachim-Becherweg 21, 55128, Mainz, Germany
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4
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Mills SC, Socolar JB, Edwards FA, Parra E, Martínez-Revelo DE, Ochoa Quintero JM, Haugaasen T, Freckleton RP, Barlow J, Edwards DP. High sensitivity of tropical forest birds to deforestation at lower altitudes. Ecology 2023; 104:e3867. [PMID: 36082832 PMCID: PMC10078351 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Revised: 05/13/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Habitat conversion is a major driver of tropical biodiversity loss, but its effects are poorly understood in montane environments. While community-level responses to habitat loss display strong elevational dependencies, it is unclear whether these arise via elevational turnover in community composition and interspecific differences in sensitivity or elevational variation in environmental conditions and proximity to thermal thresholds. Here we assess the relative importance of inter- and intraspecific variation across the elevational gradient by quantifying how 243 forest-dependent bird species vary in sensitivity to landscape-scale forest loss across a 3000-m elevational gradient in the Colombian Andes. We find that species that live at lower elevations are strongly affected by loss of forest in the nearby landscape, while those at higher elevations appear relatively unperturbed, an effect that is independent of phylogeny. Conversely, we find limited evidence of intraspecific elevational gradients in sensitivity, with populations displaying similar sensitivities to forest loss, regardless of where they exist in a species' elevational range. Gradients in biodiversity response to habitat loss thus appear to arise via interspecific gradients in sensitivity rather than proximity to climatically limiting conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon C Mills
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jacob B Socolar
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Felicity A Edwards
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.,RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, RSPB, Cambridge, UK
| | - Edicson Parra
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | | | | | - Torbjørn Haugaasen
- Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway
| | - Robert P Freckleton
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Jos Barlow
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - David P Edwards
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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5
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Loughlin NJD, Gosling WD, Duivenvoorden JF, Cuesta F, Mothes P, Montoya E. Incorporating a palaeo-perspective into Andean montane forest restoration. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2022.980728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Reference ecosystems used in tropical forest restoration lack the temporal dimension required to characterise a mature or intact vegetation community. Here we provide a practical ‘palaeo-reference ecosystem’ for the eastern Andean forests of Ecuador to complement the standard ‘reference ecosystem’ approach. Pollen assemblages from sedimentary archives recovered from Ecuadorian montane forests are binned into distinct time periods and characterised as 1) Ancient (pre-human arrival), 2) Pre-European (Indigenous cultivation), 3) Successional (European arrival/Indigenous depopulation), 4) Mature (diminished human population), 5) Deforested (re-colonisation), and 6) Modern (industrial agriculture). A multivariate statistical approach is then used to identify the most recent period in which vegetation can be characterised as mature. Detrended correspondence analysis indicates that the pollen spectra from CE 1718-1819 (time bin 4 – Mature (diminished human population)) is most similar to that of a pre-human arrival mature or intact state. The pollen spectra of this period are characterised by Melastomataceae, Fabaceae, Solanaceae and Weinmannia. The vegetation of the 1700s, therefore, provides the most recent phase of substantial mature vegetation that has undergone over a century of recovery, representing a practical palaeo-reference ecosystem. We propose incorporating palynological analyses of short cores spanning the last 500 years with botanical inventory data to achieve more realistic and long-term restoration goals.
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Walteros Torres I, Palacios-Pacheco S, Cely GE, Serrano PA, Moreno-Pérez D. Influencia del cambio de uso del suelo sobre las reservas de carbono orgánico en el Parque Natural Regional Cortadera, Boyacá (Colombia). REVISTA U.D.C.A ACTUALIDAD & DIVULGACIÓN CIENTÍFICA 2022. [DOI: 10.31910/rudca.v25.n2.2022.1846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
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Boza Espinoza TE, Kessler M. A monograph of the genus Polylepis (Rosaceae). PHYTOKEYS 2022; 203:1-274. [PMID: 36761034 PMCID: PMC9849045 DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.203.83529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
We present a monograph of the high Andean tree genus Polylepis (Rosaceae), based on a species concept considering morphological, climatic and biogeographic distinctness as indicators of evolutionary independence. In total, we recognize 45 species of Polylepis, grouped in five sections. Polylepissect.Sericeae is represented by 15 species in four subsections, P.sect.Reticulatae by seven species, P.sect.Subsericantes by three species, P.sect.Australes by two species and P.sect.Incanaee by three subsections with 18 species. We describe seven new species, one from Colombia (P.frontinensis), one from Ecuador (P.simpsoniae) and five from Peru (P.acomayensis, P.fjeldsaoi, P.occidentalis, P.pilosissima and P.sacra). Three species from Peru (P.albicans, P.pallidistigma and P.serrata) are re-instated as valid species. Two taxa from Bolivia (P.incanoides and P.nana) are elevated from subspecies to species rank. The morphology, habitat, distribution, ecology and conservation status of each species are documented. We also provide an identification key to the species of the genus and general introductions on taxonomic history, morphology, evolution, ecology and conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Erika Boza Espinoza
- Institute for Nature, Earth and Energy (INTE), Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP), Av. Universitaria 1801, Lima 15088, PeruPontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP)LimaPeru
| | - Michael Kessler
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zurich, Zollikerstrasse 107, CH-8008 Zurich, SwitzerlandUniversity of ZurichZürichSwitzerland
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8
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Espinoza IG, Franco-Gaviria F, Castañeda I, Robinson C, Room A, Berrío JC, Armenteras D, Urrego DH. Holocene Fires and Ecological Novelty in the High Colombian Cordillera Oriental. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.895152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid climate changes and the increasing presence of humans define the Holocene Epoch (11.6 calibrated kiloyears before present – hereafter kyr BP), when biological systems have faced the most recent and abrupt environmental changes. Understanding how biodiversity responds to extrinsic factors requires determining the effects of varying climatic conditions, changes in disturbance regimes, and increasing anthropogenic impacts. Despite being one center for biodiversity, the potential synergies of long-term anthropogenic and climate changes in shaping areas of high Andean biodiversity have yet to be explored fully. Here we present new pollen and charcoal records from the Pantano de Monquentiva (hereafter Monquentiva) on the highlands of the eastern flank of the Colombian Cordillera Oriental (CCO) to document relationships between climate, vegetation, and fire through the Holocene. We found compositional transitions at 8.7, 6.1, and 4.1 kyr BP at Monquentiva resulting from the interaction of climate, fire, and human occupation. Reduced moisture and temperature caused a compositional shift in Páramo vegetation from ca. 8.7 kyr BP. Fire activity was recorded throughout the Holocene and increased slightly during the Mid-Holocene when regional and local fire decoupling suggested human activities as the source of ignition. Mid-Holocene fires had a large effect on the vegetation composition at Monquentiva which recorded a rapid shift at ca. 6.8 kyr BP. Fire activity increased sharply from 4.1 kyr BP, promoting the reorganization of plant communities at 3.8 kyr BP. This shift in fire activity was likely related to more severe ENSO events and subsequently intensified by human activities after 3.8 kyr BP. Although high climatic sensitivity explains most Holocene vegetation changes in the eastern flank of the CCO, our study highlights the relevance of fire activity, uneven distribution of climatic variables, and human intervention to the composition of the vegetation we see today.
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Mercado‐Garcia D, Beeckman E, Van Butsel J, Deza Arroyo N, Sanchez Peña M, Forio MAE, De Schamphelaere K, Wyseure G, Goethals P. Freshwater macroinvertebrate traits assessment as complementary to taxonomic information for mining impact detection in the northern Peruvian Andes. DIVERS DISTRIB 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.13538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Mercado‐Garcia
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit (AECO) Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Eveline Beeckman
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit (AECO) Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Jana Van Butsel
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit (AECO) Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Nilton Deza Arroyo
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Universidad Nacional de Cajamarca Cajamarca Perú
| | - Marco Sanchez Peña
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Universidad Nacional de Cajamarca Cajamarca Perú
- Carrera de Ingeniería Ambiental Facultad de Ingeniería Universidad Privada del Norte Cajamarca Perú
| | - Marie Anne Eurie Forio
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit (AECO) Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Karel A. C. De Schamphelaere
- Environmental Toxicology Research Unit (GhEnToxLab) Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
| | - Guido Wyseure
- Division of Soil and Water Management Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences KU Leuven Leuven Belgium
| | - Peter Goethals
- Aquatic Ecology Research Unit (AECO) Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology Ghent University Ghent Belgium
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Bush MB, Rozas-Davila A, Raczka M, Nascimento M, Valencia B, Sales RK, McMichael CNH, Gosling WD. A palaeoecological perspective on the transformation of the tropical Andes by early human activity. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200497. [PMID: 35249394 PMCID: PMC8899620 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Palaeoecological records suggest that humans have been in the Andes since at least 14 000 years ago. Early human impacts on Andean ecosystems included an increase in fire activity and the extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna. These changes in Andean ecosystems coincided with rapid climate change as species were migrating upslope in response to deglacial warming. Microrefugia probably played a vital role in the speed and genetic composition of that migration. The period from ca 14 500 to 12 500 years ago was when novel combinations of plant species appeared to form no-analogue assemblages in the Andes. By 12 000 years ago most areas in what are today the Andean grasslands were being burned and modified by human activity. As the vegetation of these highland settings has been modified by human activity for the entirety of the Holocene, they should be regarded as long-term manufactutred landscapes. The sharp tree lines separating Andean forests from grasslands that we see today were probably also created by repeated burning and owe their position more to human-induced fire than climatic constraints. In areas that were readly penetrated by humans on the forested slopes of the Andes, substantial modification and settlement had occurred by the mid-Holocene. In hard-to-reach areas, however, the amount of human modification may always have been minimal, and these slopes can be considered as being close to natural in their vegetation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Tropical forests in the deep human past'.
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Affiliation(s)
- M B Bush
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
| | - A Rozas-Davila
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
| | - M Raczka
- Department of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Reading, Whiteknights, Reading, Berkshire RG6 6AH, UK
| | - M Nascimento
- Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 904 Science Park, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - B Valencia
- Facultad de Ciencias de la Tierra y Agua, Ciencias de la Tierra y Clima, Universidad Regional Amazónica Ikiam, Tena, Ecuador
| | - R K Sales
- Institute for Global Ecology, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, FL 32901, USA
| | - C N H McMichael
- Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 904 Science Park, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - W D Gosling
- Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, 904 Science Park, 1098 XH, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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de Deus Vidal J, le Roux PC, Johnson SD, te Beest M, Clark VR. Beyond the Tree-Line: The C3-C4 “Grass-Line” Can Track Global Change in the World’s Grassy Mountain Systems. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.760118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
von Humboldt’s tree-line concept has dominated mountain ecology for almost two hundred years, and is considered a key indicator for monitoring change in biome boundaries and biodiversity shifts under climate change. Even though the concept of life zones and elevation gradients are a globally observed phenomenon, they have not been thoroughly explored for many contexts. One such example is the tree-line ecotone, a widely used conceptual tool to track climate change in many regions, which has limited application in the widespread tree-sparse, grassy systems that comprise a third of the world’s mountain systems. Among grasses (Poaceae), temperature is linked to variation in photosynthetic performance and community dominance for C3 and C4 metabolic groups, due to its role in limiting photorespiration in the C3 photosynthesis process. Here, we investigate this community shift in grassland-dominated mountains to demonstrate the role of climate in driving this transition and discuss the potential applications of this tool to mountain ecosystem conservation worldwide. For identifying grass-dominated mountains worldwide, we measured the grass-cover using satellite data. We then compiled Poaceae distribution data for ten grass-dominated mountains spanning from 42°S to 41°N and determined the temperature intervals and elevation ranges at which each genus was found, testing for effects of temperature, precipitation, and latitudinal gradients on the dominance of C3-C4 grasses. Temperature was the main driver of C3 dominance, with the richness of C3 genera tending to surpass the taxonomic dominance of C4 plants along mountain temperature gradients where the annual mean temperature was colder than ca. 14.6°C. Similar patterns were observed in eight out of ten mountains, suggesting that this may constitute an isotherm-driven ecotone. Consequently, this C3-C4 transition offers a promising tool for monitoring climate change impacts in grassy mountains. C3-C4 grass community shifts in response to environmental change will likely have major implications for fire frequency and severity, rangeland productivity and livelihoods, food security, and water budgets in mountain systems. Given the severity of the implications of global change on these social-ecological systems, we propose that a “grass-line” monitoring protocol be developed for global application.
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Segovia-Salcedo MC, Caiza Guamba JC, Kessler M, Ramsay PM, Boza Espinoza TE, Renison D, Quispe-Melgar HR, Urquiaga-Flores E, Rodriguez-Caton M, Ames-Martínez FN, Carabajo-Hidalgo A, Cabrera-Amaya DM, Romoleroux K. ¿Cómo avanzar en la conservación de los bosques de Polylepis y su diversidad biológica? NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2021.1953895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Michael Kessler
- Instituto de Botánica Sistemática y Evolutiva, Universidad de Zurich, Zurich, Suiza
| | - Paul Michael Ramsay
- Departamento de Ciencias Químico‐Biológicas, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, San Andrés Cholula, Puebla, México
| | - Tatiana Espinoza Boza Espinoza
- Instituto de Ciencias de la Naturaleza, Territorio y Energías Renovables, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Peru, Lima, Perú
- Herbario Vargas CUZ. Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Cusco, Perú
| | - Daniel Renison
- Centro de Ecología y Recursos Naturales Renovables, Dr. Ricardo Luti. Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba – CONICET, Córdoba, Argentina
| | | | - Erickson Urquiaga-Flores
- Instituto de Botánica Sistemática y Evolutiva, Universidad de Zurich, Zurich, Suiza
- Herbario Vargas CUZ. Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Cusco, Perú
| | | | | | - Aldemar Carabajo-Hidalgo
- Departamento de Recursos Hídricos y Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad de Cuenca, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Diego M Cabrera-Amaya
- Yoluka ONG, Fundación de Investigación En Biodiversidad y Conservación, Bogotá D.C, Colombia
| | - Katya Romoleroux
- Escuela De Ciencias Biológicas. Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
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Ames-Martínez FN, Quispe-Melgar HR, Renison D. Conservation status assessment of the highest forests in the world: Polylepis flavipila forests as a case study. NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2021.1920295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniel Renison
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas y Tecnológicas, Centro de Ecología y Recursos Naturales Renovables. CONICET - Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
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Cuyckens GAE, Hensen I, López VL, Cellini JM, Renison D. Germination of high Andean treeline species of contrasting environments and along elevational gradients in northwest Argentina. NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2021.1906137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Griet An Erica Cuyckens
- Instituto De Ecorregiones Andinas (INECOA), Consejo Nacional De Investigaciones Científicas Y Técnicas (CONICET) Universidad Nacional De Jujuy (UNJu), San Salvador De Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina
- Centro De Estudios Territoriales Ambientales Y Sociales (CETAS), Universidad Nacional de Jujuy (UNJu), Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Jujuy, Argentina
| | - Isabell Hensen
- Martin-Luther-Universität,Naturwissenschaftliche Fakultät, Halle, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (Idiv), Biology, Halle‐Jena‐Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Victoria Lien López
- Laboratorio De Investigaciones En Maderas (LIMAD), Factultad De Ciencias Agrarias Y Forestales, Universidad Nacional De La Plata, Argentina
- Centro Científico Tecnológico, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), La Plata, Argentina
| | - Juan Manuel Cellini
- Laboratorio De Investigaciones En Maderas (LIMAD), Factultad De Ciencias Agrarias Y Forestales, Universidad Nacional De La Plata, Argentina
| | - Daniel Renison
- Centro De Ecología Y Recursos Naturales Renovables, Dr. Ricardo Luti. Instituto De Investigaciones Biológicas Y Tecnológicas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICET), Universidad Nacional De Córdoba (UNC), Córdoba, Argentina
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Socioeconomic Conditions and Landowners’ Perception Affect the Intention to Restore Polylepis Forests in the Central Andes of Peru. FORESTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/f12020118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Research Highlights: Families more dependent on crops as the main source of income of properties have a greater intention of restoring Polylepis forest areas. However, this intention reduces with the increase of family dependence on subsistence products supplied by Polylepis forests. Properties where the chances of restoration of Polylepis forests are greater are those where the educational and technical level is better. Objectives: We aimed to comprehend which socioeconomic factors of rural properties and families’ perception were determinant for the intention to restore Polylepis forests in the Central Andes region of Peru. Material and Methods: We collected data through visits and the application of questionnaires. We selected 13 rural communities in the Tulumayo River Basin. We randomly sampled 10 to 20 families in each community, depending on its size, totaling 200 families. We used generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) to test which variables affect the intention to restore the forest. Results: When crops are the main source of income in the property, the families have more intention to restore Polylepis areas, on the other hand, when Polylepis forests are an important source of products for the family subsistence, the intention to restore forests reduces, indicating that higher technological status has a positive impact on restoration. The perception that Polylepis forests are important for the existence of water sources had a positive impact on the families’ intention to restore the areas. However, the perception that Polylepis forests are important for native flora persistence had a negative impact on the intention to restore their areas. Conclusions: Our results showed that investment in improving the productivity of the properties and in the education of their landowners should increase the success of eventual programs for restoration of Polylepis forests.
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Sevillano-Ríos CS, Rodewald AD. Responses of Polylepis birds to patch and landscape attributes in the High Andes. NEOTROPICAL BIODIVERSITY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/23766808.2020.1869900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- C. Steven Sevillano-Ríos
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Amanda D. Rodewald
- Department of Natural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
- Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York, USA
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Sylvester SP, Peterson PM, Romaschenko K, Bravo-Pedraza WJ, Cuta-Alarcon LE, Soreng RJ. New combinations and updated descriptions in Podagrostis (Agrostidinae, Poaceae) from the Neotropics and Mexico. PHYTOKEYS 2020; 148:21-50. [PMID: 32523392 PMCID: PMC7266835 DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.148.50042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Based on morphological study and corroborated by unpublished molecular phylogenetic analyses, five grass species of high-mountain grasslands in Mexico, Central and South America, Agrostis bacillata, A. exserta, A. liebmannii, A. rosei, and A. trichodes, are transferred to Podagrostis and bring the number of species of this genus recognized in the New World to ten. The name Apera liebmannii is lectotypified and epitypified. We provide an updated genus description for Podagrostis, and updated species descriptions, images, and notes on the new combinations. The diagnostic characteristics differentiating Podagrostis from Agrostis are: a) palea that reaches from (2/3) ¾ to almost the apex of the lemma; b) florets that usually almost equal the length of the glumes or are at least ¾ the length of the glumes; c) rachilla extension present and emerging from under the base of the palea as a slender short stub (rudimentary or up to 1.4 mm long, sometimes obscure in most florets in P. rosei), smooth or scaberulous, glabrous or distally pilulose (hairs < 0.3 mm long); d) lemmas usually awnless, sometimes with a short straight awn 0.2-0.6 mm long, inserted medially or in the upper 1/3 of the lemma, not surpassing the glumes (awn well-developed, straight or geniculate and inserted in lower 1/3 of lemma, not or briefly surpassing glumes in P. rosei). We include a generic key to distinguish the species of Podagrostis from other similar genera in Latin America and a key to distinguish the species of Podagrostis now accepted as occurring in these areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven P. Sylvester
- College of Biology and the Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Long Pan Road No. 159, Nanjing, 210037, ChinaNanjing Forestry UniversityNanjingChina
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, TW9 3AE, UKRoyal Botanic GardensKewUnited Kingdom
| | - Paul M. Peterson
- Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20560, USANational Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian InstitutionWashingtonUnited States of America
| | - Konstantin Romaschenko
- Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20560, USANational Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian InstitutionWashingtonUnited States of America
| | - William J. Bravo-Pedraza
- Grupo Sistemática Biológica, Herbario UPTC, Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Avenida Central del Norte 39-115, Tunja-Boyacá, ColombiaUniversidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de ColombiaTunja-BoyacáColombia
| | - Lia E. Cuta-Alarcon
- Grupo Sistemática Biológica, Herbario UPTC, Escuela de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia, Avenida Central del Norte 39-115, Tunja-Boyacá, ColombiaUniversidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de ColombiaTunja-BoyacáColombia
| | - Robert J. Soreng
- Department of Botany, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20560, USANational Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian InstitutionWashingtonUnited States of America
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19
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Assessing the Freshwater Quality of a Large-Scale Mining Watershed: The Need for Integrated Approaches. WATER 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/w11091797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Water quality assessments provide essential information for protecting aquatic habitats and stakeholders downstream of mining sites. Moreover, mining companies must comply with environmental quality standards and include public participation in water quality monitoring (WQM) practices. However, overarching challenges beyond corporate environmental responsibility are the scientific soundness, political relevance and harmonization of WQM practices. In this study, a mountainous watershed supporting large-scale gold mining in the headwaters, besides urban and agricultural landuses at lower altitudes, is assessed in the dry season. Conventional physicochemical and biological (Biological Monitoring Water Party-Colombia index) freshwater quality parameters were evaluated, including hydromorphological and land-use characteristics. According to the indicators used, water quality deterioration by mining was absent, in contrast to the effects of urban economic activities, hydromorphological alterations and (less important) agricultural pollutants. We argue that mining impacts are hardly captured due to the limited ecological knowledge of high-mountain freshwaters, including uncharacterized mining-specific bioindicators, environmental baselines and groundwater processes, as well as ecotoxicological and microbial freshwater quality components. Lessons for overcoming scientific and operational challenges are drawn from joint efforts among governments, academia and green economy competitiveness. Facing a rapid development of extractive industries, interinstitutional and multidisciplinary collaborations are urgently needed to implement more integrated freshwater quality indicators of complex mining impacts.
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Duchicela SA, Cuesta F, Pinto E, Gosling WD, Young KR. Indicators for assessing tropical alpine rehabilitation practices. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sisimac A. Duchicela
- Biodiversity Department Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN) Germán Alemán E12‐123, 593 2 224 8491 Quito Ecuador
- Department of Geography and the Environment University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas 78712 USA
| | - Francisco Cuesta
- Biodiversity Department Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN) Germán Alemán E12‐123, 593 2 224 8491 Quito Ecuador
- Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Esteban Pinto
- Biodiversity Department Consortium for the Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN) Germán Alemán E12‐123, 593 2 224 8491 Quito Ecuador
| | - William D. Gosling
- Department of Ecosystem and Landscape Dynamics University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Kenneth R. Young
- Department of Geography and the Environment University of Texas at Austin Austin Texas 78712 USA
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Morales LV, Sevillano‐Rios CS, Fick S, Young TP. Differential seedling regeneration patterns across forest–grassland ecotones in two tropical treeline species (
Polylepis
spp.). AUSTRAL ECOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura V. Morales
- Department of Plant Sciences and Graduate Group in Ecology University of California, Davis Davis California 95616USA
| | | | - Stephen Fick
- Stockholm Environment Institute Stockholm Sweden
| | - Truman P. Young
- Department of Plant Sciences and Graduate Group in Ecology University of California, Davis Davis California 95616USA
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Elevational Shifts in the Topographic Position of Polylepis Forest Stands in the Andes of Southern Peru. FORESTS 2017. [DOI: 10.3390/f9010007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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