Effects of landscape fragmentation on bird communities in a tropical hotspot

Changes in land-use such as agricultural expansion and urbanization lead to landscape fragmentation among the Tropical Andes. This region also has exceptionally high levels of biodiversity and endemism; hence, it has become a priority for conservation efforts. Ecuador is part of Tropical Andes and in the Ecuadorian high-altitude Andes habitat loss is already widespread and persistent. A representative area for Andean avifauna is Cajas National Park. The park is located in the southern Andes of Ecuador and is the only protected area in the south-western Andes. The park is characterized by containing 90% páramo grassland ecosystem which surrounds > 1000 patches of Polylepis woodland. Despite its importance for bird conservation and its protected status, the Cajas National Park suffers from several stressors, which are modifying the natural habitat characteristics of both páramo grassland and Polylepis patches. We tested the effect of roads (as a major stressor), habitat structure and vegetation composition of both the páramo matrix and the Polylepis patches on the bird community. We found the habitat-specialized birds such as shrubby páramo birds had reduced abundance at the roadsides due to habitat modification led by the introduction of non-native plants. This same condition drives further change in community composition with generalist and a few páramo specialists being found within the area influenced by the road. Our findings also confirm the importance of natural heterogeneity of páramo grassland and the quality of small and medium-sized patches of Polylepis forest. For instance, there is a positive relationship of Polylepis specialist movement (between patch and matrix) with an increase in the proportion of woody plants. Furthermore, Polylepis patches located in higher altitude increased the centrality index of Polylepis specialists. The loss of specialized birds in disturbed areas and also the positive effect of Polylepis quality and páramo heterogeneity are crucial to a better understanding of the dynamics in the high-altitude Andes. Here, there is a vital importance to take on a landscape view, where not only large Polylepis patches are considered vital for avian conservation. Furthermore, human activities in the páramo landscape may reduce the natural habitat heterogeneity with a negative influence on biodiversity patterns. Several protected areas in Ecuador include large areas of páramo ecosystem and all of them are highly threatened; to promote effective nature conservation it is imperative to develop conservation plans that take habitat heterogeneity into account both in Ecuador and throughout the Andean region

Ampliación del rango de distribución de Rhipidomys leucodactylus (Rodentia: Cricetidae): una nueva localidad para el Ecuador

La distribución del género Rhipidomys (Rodentia: Cricetidae) comprende desde bosques húmedos de tierras bajas hasta bosques montanos altos en el neotrópico. En el Ecuador la presencia de Rhipidomys leucodactylus está reportada para las estibaciones nororiental, noroccidental y sur suroccidental de la cordillera de los Andes. El registro de un espécimen macho adulto de R. leucodactylus en un bosque montano a una altura de 2164 metros de elevación se convierte en una ampliación del rango de distribución altitudinal para la especie a manera general, además de ser una nueva localidad de registro en el suroriente del Ecuador

Aportes sobre la dieta y distribución del Ocelote Leopardus pardalis (Linné 1758) en los altos Andes de Ecuador

The Ocelot, Leopardus pardalis is a carnivore with wide distribution in South America. In Ecuador, most of the records come from lowland tropical forests and foothills of the Andes (<900 m at sea level), where this species has a variety of prey, particularly small mammals. However, in the high Andean regions, neither their occurrence nor their diet is known. On November 8, 2016 an adult male of L. pardalis was collected dead in the Usho locality, province of Cañar; the record is located in the high-Andean region in south of Ecuador at 2818 meters to sea level. During the evaluation of the specimen, several digested barbs were found and these were associated with the species of short-tailed porcupine, Coendou rufescens. This record shows that L. pardalis occurs at least seasonally in the high-Andean region of Ecuador; It also shows predation on the high-Andean species in their eating habits.El Ocelote, Leopardus pardalis es un carnívoro con amplia distribución en América del sur. En Ecuador, los registros se concentran en bosques tropicales de tierras bajas y en estribaciones de los Andes (< 900 m de elevación), en donde disponen de una variedad de preseas, particularmente de pequeños mamíferos. Sin embargo, en las regiones alto-Andinas no se conoce sobre su presencia ni tampoco sobre su dieta. El 8 de noviembre de 2016 un macho adulto de L. pardalis que fue colectado muerto en la localidad de Usho, provincia del Cañar; el registro está localizado en la región alto-Andina al sur del Ecuador a 2818 m de elevación. Durante la evaluación del espécimen se encontraron varias púas digeridas y asociadas a la especie de Puerco espín de cola corta, Coendou rufescens. Este registro demuestra que L. pardalis ocurre al menos estacionalmente en la región alto-Andina del Ecuador; además demuestra la predación de especies alto-Andinas dentro de sus hábitos alimenticios

La lechuza Campanaria, Tyto alba (Strigiformes: Tytonidae) como regulador de plagas en un ecosistema urbano altoandino en el sur del Ecuador.

La progresiva expansión de las urbes no solo implica modificación de los ecosistemas, está también asociada a la introducción de especies plaga. En este sentido, es importante evaluar cómo especies nativas actúan como controladores de plagas. Para asegurar esto, se presenta un análisis de la dieta, basada en egagrópilas, de Tyto alba (Lechuza Campanaria) en la ciudad de Cuenca, Ecuador. En base a 32 egagrópilas, colectadas entre Abril y Junio de 2017, se registró un total de 154 presas asociadas a nueve identidades taxonómicas. Los roedores fueron las presas más abundantes con 129 registros (84%) como así también fueron los de mayor biomasa, 49 g (93%). Más importante, tanto la abundancia como biomasa del género Rattus (ratas) fueron significativamente mayores al comparar con el resto de presas. Es evidente, que T. alba cumple un rol como controlador de plagas en la ciudad de Cuenca. Estos hallazgos son similares a los reportados para T. alba en varias localidades a través del continente; en consecuencia, es una especie clave en el control de roedores con un efecto positivo sobre la salud de los ecosistemas urbanos

Effects of landscape fragmentation on bird communities in a tropical hotspot

Changes in land-use such as agricultural expansion and urbanization lead to landscape fragmentation among the Tropical Andes. This region also has exceptionally high levels of biodiversity and endemism; hence, it has become a priority for conservation efforts. Ecuador is part of Tropical Andes and in the Ecuadorian high-altitude Andes habitat loss is already widespread and persistent. A representative area for Andean avifauna is Cajas National Park. The park is located in the southern Andes of Ecuador and is the only protected area in the south-western Andes. The park is characterized by containing 90% páramo grassland ecosystem which surrounds > 1000 patches of Polylepis woodland. Despite its importance for bird conservation and its protected status, the Cajas National Park suffers from several stressors, which are modifying the natural habitat characteristics of both páramo grassland and Polylepis patches. We tested the effect of roads (as a major stressor), habitat structure and vegetation composition of both the páramo matrix and the Polylepis patches on the bird community. We found the habitat-specialized birds such as shrubby páramo birds had reduced abundance at the roadsides due to habitat modification led by the introduction of non-native plants. This same condition drives further change in community composition with generalist and a few páramo specialists being found within the area influenced by the road. Our findings also confirm the importance of natural heterogeneity of páramo grassland and the quality of small and medium-sized patches of Polylepis forest. For instance, there is a positive relationship of Polylepis specialist movement (between patch and matrix) with an increase in the proportion of woody plants. Furthermore, Polylepis patches located in higher altitude increased the centrality index of Polylepis specialists. The loss of specialized birds in disturbed areas and also the positive effect of Polylepis quality and páramo heterogeneity are crucial to a better understanding of the dynamics in the high-altitude Andes. Here, there is a vital importance to take on a landscape view, where not only large Polylepis patches are considered vital for avian conservation. Furthermore, human activities in the páramo landscape may reduce the natural habitat heterogeneity with a negative influence on biodiversity patterns. Several protected areas in Ecuador include large areas of páramo ecosystem and all of them are highly threatened; to promote effective nature conservation it is imperative to develop conservation plans that take habitat heterogeneity into account both in Ecuador and throughout the Andean region

Primer reporte de leucismo para Artibeus fraterculus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) en Ecuador

Se reporta por primera vez un caso de leucismo en el murciélago Artibeus fraterculus. El espécimen se registró en la provincia de Los Ríos, Ecuador, en la localidad de Mangas-Saiba en un pequeño parche de bosque maduro húmedo de tierras bajas. Se capturó, fotografió y recolectó un individuo macho subadulto con pelaje blanco cremoso, los patagios presentan áreas translúcidas y la coloración de los ojos café. Este registro se convierte en el segundo de leucismo en murciélagos para el Ecuador

Outcomes in Newly Diagnosed Atrial Fibrillation and History of Acute Coronary Syndromes: Insights from GARFIELD-AF

BACKGROUND: Many patients with atrial fibrillation have concomitant coronary artery disease with or without acute coronary syndromes and are in need of additional antithrombotic therapy. There are few data on the long-term clinical outcome of atrial fibrillation patients with a history of acute coronary syndrome. This is a 2-year study of atrial fibrillation patients with or without a history of acute coronary syndromes