Bases de datos de especies invasoras: El sistema de información de especies invasoras de Costa Rica

Las especies invasoras son una amenaza para la conservación de la biodiversidad, el funcionamiento de los ecosistemas, la economía y la salud humana de todo el mundo. Los programas de control y prevención son necesarios para enfrentar este problema. Sin embargo, la información acerca de las especies invasoras es necesaria para lograr programas eficientes. Actualmente, la tecnología y el acceso a Internet permiten compartir la información de una manera amplia y ordenada. Los sistemas de información accesibles a todo el público son herramientas valiosas para controlar y prevenir los problemas de especies invasoras siempre y cuando haya colaboración de toda la sociedad

Las plantas invasoras en Costa Rica: ¿Cuáles acciones debemos realizar?

Las plantas invasoras son una amenaza para la biodiversidad, la economía y el bienestar social de cualquier país. En Costa Rica no se le ha dado la importancia que merece la situación, a pesar de la presencia de muchas plantas invasoras. Hasta ahora, el país cuenta con poca legislación para enfrentar la situación. Aunque son necesarios los programas de control para algunas especies invasoras, estos pueden demandar altos costos económicos. La prevención, los programas de investigación y de Educación Ambiental pueden ser más accesibles a nuestro país y ayudar a disminuir los problemas asociados a las especies invasoras

Las plántulas de árboles y palmas de la Península de Osa

El libro trata sobre descripciones de las plántulas de los árboles y palmas de la Península de OsaUniversidad de Costa Rica/[111-B1-608]/UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de Biologí

The predictive power of pollination syndromes: Passerine pollination in heterantherous Meriania macrophylla (Benth.) Triana (Melastomataceae)

The cloud forest species Meriania macrophylla (Benth.) Triana has pseudocampanu- late flowers with bulbous stamen appendages, typical for the passerine pollination syndrome found in the Melastomataceae tribe Merianieae. The species is further characterized by strong stamen dimorphism (heteranthery), a condition otherwise associated with pollen-rewarding bee-pollinated species (both in Melastomataceae and beyond). In passerine-pollinated Merianieae, however, flowers usually only show weak stamen dimorphism. Here, we conducted field and laboratory investigations to determine the pollinators of M. macrophylla and assess the potential role of strong heteranthery in this species. Our field observations in Costa Rica confirmed syn- drome predictions and indeed proved pollination by passerine birds in M. macrophylla. The large bulbous set of stamens functions as a food-body reward to the pollinating birds, and as trigger for pollen release (bellows mechanism) as typical for the pas- serine syndrome in Merianieae. In contrast to other passerine-pollinated Merianieae, the second set of stamens has seemingly lost its rewarding and pollination function, however. Our results demonstrate the utility of the pollination syndrome concept even in light of potentially misleading traits such as strong heteranthery.Austrian Science Fund/[P-30669]/FWF/AustriaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Estructuras Microscópicas (CIEMIC)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de BiologíaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Biodiversidad y Ecología Tropical (CIBET

Plan de manejo del Jardín Botánico José María Orozco, 2021-2026

El objetivo del plan de manejo es mantener un espacio con plantas vivas que puedan servir para la enseñanza de la botánica y el aprecio por estas a través de la educación ambiental y el esparcimiento, para promoción de la conservación de la biodiversidad.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de BiologíaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Unidad Especial de Investigación Red de Áreas Protegidas de la Universidad de Costa Rica (RAP

Climatic and edaphic controls over tropical forest diversity and vegetation carbon storage

Tropical rainforests harbor exceptionally high biodiversity and store large amounts of carbon in vegetation biomass. However, regional variation in plant species richness and vegetation carbon stock can be substantial, and may be related to the heterogeneity of topoedaphic properties. Therefore, aboveground vegetation carbon storage typically differs between geographic forest regions in association with the locally dominant plant functional group. A better understanding of the underlying factors controlling tropical forest diversity and vegetation carbon storage could be critical for predicting tropical carbon sink strength in response to projected climate change. Based on regionally replicated 1-ha forest inventory plots established in a region of high geomorphological heterogeneity we investigated how climatic and edaphic factors affect tropical forest diversity and vegetation carbon storage. Plant species richness (of all living stems >10 cm in diameter) ranged from 69 to 127 ha-1 and vegetation carbon storage ranged from 114 to 200 t ha-1. While plant species richness was controlled by climate and soil water availability, vegetation carbon storage was strongly related to wood density and soil phosphorus availability. Results suggest that local heterogeneity in resource availability and plant functional composition should be considered to improve projections of tropical forest ecosystem functioning under future scenarios

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits - the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants - determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits - almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

Bases de datos de especies invasoras: El sistema de información de especies invasoras de Costa Rica

Las especies invasoras son una amenaza para la conservación de la biodiversidad, el funcionamiento de los ecosistemas, la economía y la salud humana de todo el mundo. Los programas de control y prevención son necesarios para enfrentar este problema. Sin embargo, la información acerca de las especies invasoras es necesaria para lograr programas eficientes. Actualmente, la tecnología y el acceso a Internet permiten compartir la información de una manera amplia y ordenada. Los sistemas de información accesibles a todo el público son herramientas valiosas para controlar y prevenir los problemas de especies invasoras siempre y cuando haya colaboración de toda la sociedad

Urbanization has opposite effects on the territory size of two passerine birds

Abstract Background Urban expansion has been identified as one of the leading drivers of biodiversity change or loss. For birds, urbanization is specifically related to survival, breeding success, and territory size. Understanding how different birds adjust territory size in response to urbanization is essential for their conservation in urban environments and to better understand why some species are lost and others persist under this condition. We evaluated the effect of urbanization on the territory size of an urban avoider species, White-eared Ground-Sparrow (Melozone leucotis), and an urban adapter species, House Wren (Troglodytes aedon), at five Costa Rican sites. Methods We measured the size of 30 ground-sparrow and 28 wren territories using a total of 296 h of observation. We followed each individual for at least 1 h per day for at least 2 days of two consecutive years, and geo-referenced their locations. Territory size was estimated using the minimum convex polygon method. We measured the urban surfaces (roads, buildings, any other paved area, soccer fields, lawns, and gardens with short grass) within territories. Results Ground-sparrow territories were larger at the highly urbanized site than at the non-urbanized site. Wren territories were larger at the low urbanized site than at the highly urbanized site. We found a positive relationship between urban surface and territory size for the ground-sparrow, but not for the wren. Conclusions Our results showed that not all birds adjust territory size in the same way in response to urbanization. We showed that urban avoiders probably need to defend larger territories in urban environments to find all the resources required to survive because urban environments may provide insufficient resources such as food or shelter. Urban adapters on the other hand defend smaller territories in urban environments because even small territories may provide sufficient resources. These results suggest specific behavioral adaptations developed by Neotropical birds inhabiting urban environments

Problemas asociados al manejo de la flora ornamental y la jardinería en Costa Rica

La tenencia y cuido de plantas con fines ornamentales son pasatiempos que han aumentado en popularidad y cada vez se involucran más personas (Gessert, 2021). De hecho, la pandemia por COVID-19 motivó a que millones de personas en el mundo encontraran en la jardinería una actividad que les permite mejorar la salud mental manteniendo el distanciamiento social. El cuido y mantenimiento de plantas ornamentales es una actividad bastante agradable y relajante y podría ser beneficiosa para el ambiente y las personas. Incluso esta podría convertirse en una actividad comercial para muchas familias.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de BiologíaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Acción Social::Extensión Cultura