Alternative glacial-interglacial refugia demographic hypotheses tested on Cephalocereus columna-trajani (Cactaceae) in the intertropical Mexican drylands

Historic demography changes of plant species adapted to New World arid environments could be consistent with either the Glacial Refugium Hypothesis (GRH), which posits that populations contracted to refuges during the cold-dry glacial and expanded in warm-humid interglacial periods, or with the Interglacial Refugium Hypothesis (IRH), which suggests that populations contracted during interglacials and expanded in glacial times. These contrasting hypotheses are developed in the present study for the giant columnar cactus Cephalocereus columna-trajani in the intertropical Mexican drylands where the effects of Late Quaternary climatic changes on phylogeography of cacti remain largely unknown. In order to determine if the historic demography and phylogeographic structure of the species are consistent with either hypothesis, sequences of the chloroplast regions psbA-trnH and trnT-trnL from 110 individuals from 10 populations comprising the full distribution range of this species were analysed. Standard estimators of genetic diversity and structure were calculated. The historic demography was analysed using a Bayesian approach and the palaeodistribution was derived from ecological niche modelling to determine if, in the arid environments of south-central Mexico, glacial-interglacial cycles drove the genetic divergence and diversification of this species. Results reveal low but statistically significant population differentiation (FST = 0.124, P < 0.001), although very clear geographic clusters are not formed. Genetic diversity, haplotype network and Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) demographic analyses suggest a population expansion estimated to have taken place in the Last Interglacial (123.04 kya, 95% CI 115.3–130.03). The species palaeodistribution is consistent with the ABC analyses and indicates that the potential area of palaedistribution and climatic suitability were larger during the Last Interglacial and Holocene than in the Last Glacial Maximum. Overall, these results suggest that C. columna-trajani experienced an expansion following the warm conditions of interglacials, in accordance with the GRH

Linking plant phenology to conservation biology

Phenology has achieved a prominent position in current scenarios of global change research given its role inmonitoring and predicting the timing of recurrent life cycle events. However, the implications of phenology to environmental conservation and management remain poorly explored. Here,we present the first explicit appraisal of howphenology-amultidisciplinary science encompassing biometeorology, ecology, and evolutionary biology- can make a key contribution to contemporary conservation biology. We focus on shifts in plant phenology induced by global change, their impacts on species diversity and plant-animal interactions in the tropics, and how conservation efforts could be enhanced in relation to plant resource organization. We identify the effects of phenological changes and mismatches in the maintenance and conservation of mutualistic interactions, and examine how phenological research can contribute to evaluate, manage and mitigate the consequences of land-use change and other natural and anthropogenic disturbances, such as fire, exotic and invasive species. Wealso identify cutting-edge tools that can improve the spatial and temporal coverage of phenological monitoring, from satellites to drones and digital cameras. We highlight the role of historical information in recovering long-term phenological time series, and track climate-related shifts in tropical systems. Finally, we propose a set of measures to boost the contribution of phenology to conservation science.Weadvocate the inclusion of phenology into predictive models integrating evolutionary history to identify species groups that are either resilient or sensitive to future climate-change scenarios, and understand how phenological m ismatches can affect community dynamics, ecosystem services, and conservation over time

Generations No.7: Annual rendezvous with culture

Nuestra Institución se mueve articulada en tres ejes misionales: docencia, investigación y extensión; es precisamente en esta última, como parte de la labor de extensión cultural de la Universidad, que anualmente efectuamos la Feria del Libro de Bucaramanga, Ulibro. Cito al periodista mexicano Sergio González Rodríguez: “Tenemos que reaprender que la literatura no es solo entretener, tiene que servir para pensar, para analizar”, y a eso le apuesta la UNAB desde hace 12 años con Ulibro: una excusa para promover la cultura y el hábito de la lectura.Editorial; Por Alberto Montoya Puyana…3 Ulibro; Por Laura Camila Romero Martínez…4 La voz del graduado…6 Recomendaciones para elaborar una hoja de vida; Por Ana Carolina Torres P.…8 ABC de los posgrados; Por Carolina Toscano V....10 Comunicación y Artes Mensaje integral; Por Claudia Santamaría Valbuena…16 La conversación como salud; Por Carlos Germán Celis E....18 Ciudades inteligentes; Por Clara Inés Peña de Carrillo…20 Educación farmacéutica; Por Yaneth Rocío Orellana Hernández y Sergio Daniel Quiroga Flórez…22 La enseñanza del Derecho; Por Mario Guevara Mendoza…25 También comienza por casa; Por Hugo F. Prada A…28 Los macroproyectos Investigaciones UNAB; Por Miguel Ángel Hernández Rey…30 Graduados destacados; Por Redacción Generaciones UNAB…34 Generaciones en cifras; Por Redacción Generaciones UNAB…42 Centro de Apoyo y Formación Empresarial; Por Redacción Generaciones UNAB…43 6ª Feria del Empleo; Por Redacción Generaciones UNAB…46 Encuentros…48Our Institution moves articulated in three missionary axes: teaching, research and extension; It is precisely in the latter, as part of the cultural outreach work of the University, that we annually hold the Bucaramanga Book Fair, Ulibro. I quote the Mexican journalist Sergio González Rodríguez: “We have to relearn that literature is not only entertaining, it has to serve to think, to analyze”, and that is what the UNAB has been betting on for 12 years with Ulibro: an excuse to promote culture and the habit of reading

Rarity of monodominance in hyperdiverse Amazonian forests.

Tropical forests are known for their high diversity. Yet, forest patches do occur in the tropics where a single tree species is dominant. Such "monodominant" forests are known from all of the main tropical regions. For Amazonia, we sampled the occurrence of monodominance in a massive, basin-wide database of forest-inventory plots from the Amazon Tree Diversity Network (ATDN). Utilizing a simple defining metric of at least half of the trees ≥ 10 cm diameter belonging to one species, we found only a few occurrences of monodominance in Amazonia, and the phenomenon was not significantly linked to previously hypothesized life history traits such wood density, seed mass, ectomycorrhizal associations, or Rhizobium nodulation. In our analysis, coppicing (the formation of sprouts at the base of the tree or on roots) was the only trait significantly linked to monodominance. While at specific locales coppicing or ectomycorrhizal associations may confer a considerable advantage to a tree species and lead to its monodominance, very few species have these traits. Mining of the ATDN dataset suggests that monodominance is quite rare in Amazonia, and may be linked primarily to edaphic factors

Evaluación geológica - minera del ANAP Colca : Prospectos Colca y Huallpachaca

El Instituto Geológico Minero y Metalúrgico a través de las Dirección de Recursos Mineros Energéticos y la Actividad de Área de No Adminsión de Petitorios (ANAP), desarrolló la evaluación geológico económica de del ANAP Colca. El ANAP Colca está ubicado en la región Apurímac, dentro de la provincia de Cotabambas (hoja topográfica 28-r), en los distritos de Cotabambas y Tambobamba, comprendiendo las comunidades de Colca, Pamparki, Paruro, Huañec y Huamancharpa. Tiene un área de 14100 hectáreas y se encuentra a una altura promedio de 2900 m.s.n.m. Dentro del ANAP Colca se ha reconocido dos prospectos que según su importancia económica son: Colca (6200 has) y Hualpachaca (5600 has). La geología está mayormente conformada por rocas del Grupo Tacaza, de edad Paleógeno – Neógeno, que consisten de lavas andesíticas afaníticas y porfiríticas en menor proporción, moderadamente alteradas, con irregular presencia de minerales de cobre, zinc, plomo y oro; rocas intrusivas conformado por dioritas, tonalitas y granodioritas que corresponden al Plutón Cotabambas y Plutón Colca expuestas en el sector sur del ANAP de edad Paleógeno – Neógeno. Las alteraciones hidrotermales observadas en el ANAP Colca son la alteración propilítica y argílica presentándose de manera moderada a débil. La alteración propilítica (clr- ep- ser- calc) ha sido observada mayormente al norte del poblado de Cutuctuy principalmente en la carretera que desciende de Cutuctuy al río Apurímac. La alteración argílica (ser- Arcs - spe - ep) es la que prevalece en el Prospecto Colca no se evidencia alteración filica por la ausencia de cuarzo y pirita por lo que se presume que el yacimiento mineral podría encontrase en el nivel alto del sistema quizás a mayor profundidad se encuentre las asociaciones mineralógicas típicas de esta alteración. La mineralización en ambos prospectos se manifiestan como vetas epitermales de intermedia sulfuración debido a la presencia de óxidos de Fe como jarosita, goethita, especularita; carbonatos (malaquita) y sulfuros como pirita, calcopirita, pirrotita, arsenopirita en trazas. En particular en las zonas de Ninaraura, Cutuctuy y Callapunco del Prospecto Colca con los datos de prospección geofísica mediante la aplicación de Inducción polarizada (IP) con valores altos en cargabilidad (>20 mV/V) y altos en resistividad de 110 -2200 Ohm*m. conducen a direccionar un posible emplazamiento de un depósito tipo pórfido de Cu-Au tanto en la andesita y en el contacto con el intrusivo diorítico. En un recorrido realizado en las cabeceras del río Aquilano, el contacto del intrusivo diorítico y las calizas de la formación Arcurquina (Ferrobamba) forman un skarn donde actualmente realizan labores de minería informal en las comunidades de Pamparki y Colca. Se recolectaron 445 muestras de esquirlas de roca de las cuales tenemos el resultado geoquímico con los valores de Au, destacando los sectores de: Ninaraura con 04 muestras anómalas cuyos valores oscilan de 859 ppb (Rocol-602) a 3063 ppb (Rocol-417), Marangallay con una muestra anómala de 975 ppb (Rocol-547), faldas del cerro Huayllaje en la margen izquierda del río Aquilano con una muestra anómala de 2200 ppb (Rocol-482) y en la zona de Pamparki (Margen izquierda del río Apurímac) una muestra anómala de 1594 ppb (Rocol-523). Estos valores son interesantes en una etapa de exploración (prospección). Es importante mencionar que el prospecto Huallpachaca se encuentra ubicado en el mismo corredor estructural de orientación NE – SO a una distancia horizontal de ± 3 kilómetros en línea recta del pórfido Cotabambas (Cu-Au) de propiedad de Panoro Minerals Ltd

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Evolutionary Heritage Influences Amazon Tree Ecology

Lineages tend to retain ecological characteristics of their ancestors through time. However, for some traits, selection during evolutionary history may have also played a role in determining trait values. To address the relative importance of these processes requires large-scale quantification of traits and evolutionary relationships among species. The Amazonian tree flora comprises a high diversity of angiosperm lineages and species with widely differing life-history characteristics, providing an excellent system to investigate the combined influences of evolutionary heritage and selection in determining trait variation. We used trait data related to the major axes of life-history variation among tropical trees (e.g. growth and mortality rates) from 577 inventory plots in closed-canopy forest, mapped onto a phylogenetic hypothesis spanning more than 300 genera including all major angiosperm clades to test for evolutionary constraints on traits. We found significant phylogenetic signal (PS) for all traits, consistent with evolutionarily related genera having more similar characteristics than expected by chance. Although there is also evidence for repeated evolution of pioneer and shade tolerant life-history strategies within independent lineages, the existence of significant PS allows clearer predictions of the links between evolutionary diversity, ecosystem function and the response of tropical forests to global change

Local hydrological conditions influence tree diversity and composition across the Amazon basin

Tree diversity and composition in Amazonia are known to be strongly determined by the water supplied by precipitation. Nevertheless, within the same climatic regime, water availability is modulated by local topography and soil characteristics (hereafter referred to as local hydrological conditions), varying from saturated and poorly drained to well-drained and potentially dry areas. While these conditions may be expected to influence species distribution, the impacts of local hydrological conditions on tree diversity and composition remain poorly understood at the whole Amazon basin scale. Using a dataset of 443 1-ha non-flooded forest plots distributed across the basin, we investigate how local hydrological conditions influence 1) tree alpha diversity, 2) the community-weighted wood density mean (CWM-wd) – a proxy for hydraulic resistance and 3) tree species composition. We find that the effect of local hydrological conditions on tree diversity depends on climate, being more evident in wetter forests, where diversity increases towards locations with well-drained soils. CWM-wd increased towards better drained soils in Southern and Western Amazonia. Tree species composition changed along local soil hydrological gradients in Central-Eastern, Western and Southern Amazonia, and those changes were correlated with changes in the mean wood density of plots. Our results suggest that local hydrological gradients filter species, influencing the diversity and composition of Amazonian forests. Overall, this study shows that the effect of local hydrological conditions is pervasive, extending over wide Amazonian regions, and reinforces the importance of accounting for local topography and hydrology to better understand the likely response and resilience of forests to increased frequency of extreme climate events and rising temperatures

Geographic patterns of tree dispersal modes in Amazonia and their ecological correlates

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MAim: To investigate the geographic patterns and ecological correlates in the geographic distribution of the most common tree dispersal modes in Amazonia (endozoochory, synzoochory, anemochory and hydrochory). We examined if the proportional abundance of these dispersal modes could be explained by the availability of dispersal agents (disperser-availability hypothesis) and/or the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits (resource-availability hypothesis). Time period: Tree-inventory plots established between 1934 and 2019. Major taxa studied: Trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 9.55 cm. Location: Amazonia, here defined as the lowland rain forests of the Amazon River basin and the Guiana Shield. Methods: We assigned dispersal modes to a total of 5433 species and morphospecies within 1877 tree-inventory plots across terra-firme, seasonally flooded, and permanently flooded forests. We investigated geographic patterns in the proportional abundance of dispersal modes. We performed an abundance-weighted mean pairwise distance (MPD) test and fit generalized linear models (GLMs) to explain the geographic distribution of dispersal modes. Results: Anemochory was significantly, positively associated with mean annual wind speed, and hydrochory was significantly higher in flooded forests. Dispersal modes did not consistently show significant associations with the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits. A lower dissimilarity in dispersal modes, resulting from a higher dominance of endozoochory, occurred in terra-firme forests (excluding podzols) compared to flooded forests. Main conclusions: The disperser-availability hypothesis was well supported for abiotic dispersal modes (anemochory and hydrochory). The availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits seems an unlikely explanation for the distribution of dispersal modes in Amazonia. The association between frugivores and the proportional abundance of zoochory requires further research, as tree recruitment not only depends on dispersal vectors but also on conditions that favour or limit seedling recruitment across forest types