Going up the Andes: patterns and drivers of non-native plant invasions across latitudinal and elevational gradients

The Andes mountain range in South America has a high level of endemism and is a major source of ecosystem services. The Andes is increasingly threatened by anthropogenic disturbances that have allowed the establishment of non-native plants, mainly in the lower elevation areas. However, synergies between climate change and anthropogenic pressure are promoting the spread of non-native plants to higher elevation areas. In this article, we evaluate and identify the main non-native plants invading Andean ecosystems, and assess their taxonomic families, growth forms and distribution patterns. Based on a systematic literature review, we identified the importance of climatic and anthropogenic factors as drivers of non-native species establishment in Andean ecosystems and the main impacts of non-native plants in the Andes. We then identified research gaps across each biogeographic region in the Andes. Finally, we highlight key elements to better tackle the problem of non-native plant invasions in Andean ecosystems, including the need for a systematic monitoring of invasion patterns and spread (e.g. MIREN protocol) and a common policy agenda across international borders for the prevention and management of non-native plants in this highly vulnerable region.Fil: Fuentes Lillo, Eduardo. Universidad de Concepción; Chile. Universiteit Antwerp; BélgicaFil: Lembrechts, Jonas J.. Universiteit Antwerp; BélgicaFil: Barros, Ana Agustina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Aschero, Valeria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Bustamante, Ramiro O.. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: Cavieres, Lohengrin A.. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Clavel, Jan. Universiteit Antwerp; BélgicaFil: Herrera, Ileana. Universidad Espíritu Santo; EcuadorFil: Jiménez, Alejandra. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Tecco, Paula Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Hulme, Philip E.. Lincoln University.; Nueva ZelandaFil: Nuñez, Martin Andres. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente. Universidad Nacional del Comahue. Centro Regional Universidad Bariloche. Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente; ArgentinaFil: Rozzi, Ricardo. University of North Texas; Estados UnidosFil: García, Rafael A.. Universidad de Concepción; ChileFil: Simberloff, Daniel. University of Tennessee; Estados UnidosFil: Nijs, Ivan. Universiteit Antwerp; BélgicaFil: Pauchard, Aníbal. Universidad de Concepción; Chil

Condylar volume and surface in Caucasian young adult subjects

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There have been no quantitative standards for volumetric and surface measurements of the mandibular condyle in Caucasian population. However, the recently developed cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) system allows measurement of these parameters with high accuracy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>CBCT was used to measure the condylar volume, surface and the volume to surface ratio, called the Morphometric Index (MI), of 300 temporo-mandibular joints (TMJ) in 150 Caucasian young adult subjects, with varied malocclusions, without pain or dysfunction of TMJs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The condylar volume was 691.26 ± 54.52 mm³in males and 669.65 ± 58.80 mm³in, and was significantly higher (<it>p</it>< 0.001) in the males. The same was observed for the condylar surface, although without statistical significance (406.02 ± 55.22 mm²in males and 394.77 ± 60.73 mm²in females).</p> <p>Furthermore, the condylar volume (693.61 ± 62.82 mm³) in the right TMJ was significantly higher than in the left (666.99 ± 48.67 mm³, <it>p </it>< 0.001) as was the condylar surface (411.24 ± 57.99 mm²in the right TMJ and 389.41 ± 56.63 mm²in the left TMJ; <it>t </it>= 3.29; <it>p </it>< 0.01). The MI is 1.72 ± 0.17 for the whole sample, with no significant difference between males and females or the right and left sides.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These data from temporomandibular joints of patients without pain or clinical dysfunction might serve as examples of normal TMJ's in the general population not seeking orthodontic care.</p

Access and allocation in earth system governance: Water and climate change compared

A significant percentage of the global population does not yet have access to safe drinking water, sufficient food or energy to live in dignity. There is a continuous struggle to allocate the earth's resources among users and uses. This article argues that distributional problems have two faces: access to basic resources or ecospace; and, the allocation of environmental resources, risks, burdens, and responsibilities for causing problems. Furthermore, addressing problems of access and allocation often requires access to social processes (science, movements and law). Analysts, however, have tended to take a narrow, disciplinary approach although an integrated conceptual approach may yield better answers. This article proposes a multi-disciplinary perspective to the problem of access and allocation and illustrates its application to water management and climate change. © The Author(s) 2010

Facilitation and Competition among Invasive Plants: A Field Experiment with Alligatorweed and Water Hyacinth

Ecosystems that are heavily invaded by an exotic species often contain abundant populations of other invasive species. This may reflect shared responses to a common factor, but may also reflect positive interactions among these exotic species. Armand Bayou (Pasadena, TX) is one such ecosystem where multiple species of invasive aquatic plants are common. We used this system to investigate whether presence of one exotic species made subsequent invasions by other exotic species more likely, less likely, or if it had no effect. We performed an experiment in which we selectively removed exotic rooted and/or floating aquatic plant species and tracked subsequent colonization and growth of native and invasive species. This allowed us to quantify how presence or absence of one plant functional group influenced the likelihood of successful invasion by members of the other functional group. We found that presence of alligatorweed (rooted plant) decreased establishment of new water hyacinth (free-floating plant) patches but increased growth of hyacinth in established patches, with an overall net positive effect on success of water hyacinth. Water hyacinth presence had no effect on establishment of alligatorweed but decreased growth of existing alligatorweed patches, with an overall net negative effect on success of alligatorweed. Moreover, observational data showed positive correlations between hyacinth and alligatorweed with hyacinth, on average, more abundant. The negative effect of hyacinth on alligatorweed growth implies competition, not strong mutual facilitation (invasional meltdown), is occurring in this system. Removal of hyacinth may increase alligatorweed invasion through release from competition. However, removal of alligatorweed may have more complex effects on hyacinth patch dynamics because there were strong opposing effects on establishment versus growth. The mix of positive and negative interactions between floating and rooted aquatic plants may influence local population dynamics of each group and thus overall invasion pressure in this watershed

Scoliosis and dental occlusion: a review of the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Idiopathic scoliosis is a deformity without clear etiology. It is unclear wether there is an association between malocclusion and scoliosis. Several types of occlusion were described in subjects with scoliosis, mostly case-reports.</p> <p>Objectives</p> <p>The aim of this review was to evaluate the type of occluslins more prevalent in subjects with scoliosis</p> <p>Search strategy</p> <p>All randomised and controlled clinical trials identified from the Cochrane Oral Health Group Trials Register, a MEDLINE search using the Mesh term scoliosis, malocclusion, and relevant free text words, and the bibliographies of papers and review articles which reported the outcome of orthodontic treatment in subjects with scoliosis that were published as abstracts or papers between 1970 and 2010.</p> <p>Selection criteria</p> <p>All randomised and controlled clinical trials published as full papers or abstracts which reported quantitative data on the outcomes malocclusion in subjects with scoliosis.</p> <p>Data collection and analysis</p> <p>Data were extracted without blinding to the authors, age of patients or type of occlusion.</p> <p>Main results</p> <p>Using the search strategy eleven observational longitudinal studies were identified. No randomized clinical trials were recorded. Twenty-three cross-sectional studies were recorderd, and the others studies were reviews, editorials, case-reports, or opinions. The clinical trials were often not controlled and were about the cephalometric evaluation after treatment with the modified Milwuakee brace, followed by the orthodontic treatment of the class II relationship with a functional appliance. Clinical trials also included the study of the associations between scoliosis and unilateral crossbite, in children with asymmetry of the upper cervical spine. This association was also investigated in rats, pigs and rabbits in clinical trials. The other associations between scoliosis and occlusion seems to be based only on cross-sectional studies, case-reports, opinions.</p> <p>Authors' conclusions</p> <p>Based on selected studies, this review concludes that there is plausible evidence for an increased prevalence of unilateral Angle Class II malocclusions associated with scoliosis, and an increased risk of lateral crossbite, midline deviation in children affected by scoliosis. Also, documentation of associations between reduced range of lateral movements and scoliosis seem convincing. Data are also mentioned about the association between plagiocephaly and scoliosis.</p

Predictors of long-term stability of maxillary dental arch dimensions in patients treated with a transpalatal arch followed by fixed appliances

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to identify which dental and/or cephalometric variables were predictors of long-term maxillary dental arch stability in patients treated with a transpalatal arch (TPA) during the mixed dentition phase followed by full fixed appliances in the permanent dentition. Methods: Thirty-six patients, treated with TPA followed up by full fixed appliances, were divided into stable and relapse groups based on the long-term presence or not of relapse. Intercuspid, interpremolar and intermolar widths, arch length and perimeter, crowding, and upper incisor proclination were evaluated before treatment (T0), post-TPA treatment (T1), post-fixed appliance treatment (T2), and a minimum of 3 years after full fixed appliances’ removal (T3). A binary logistic regression was performed thereafter to evaluate the impact of the dental arch and cephalometric measurements at T1 and the changes between T0 and T1 as predictive variables for relapse at T3. Results: The proposed model explained 42.7 % of the variance in treatment stability and correctly classified 72.2 % of the sample. Of the seven predictive variables, only upper anterior crowding (p = 0.029) was statistically significant. For every millimeter of decreased crowding at T1 (after TPA treatment/before starting the fixed orthodontic treatment), there was an increase of 3.57 times in the odds of having stability. Conclusions: The best predictor of relapse was maxillary crowding before treatment. The odds of relapse increase by 3.6 times for every millimeter of crowding at baseline