Conserving Ecosystem Diversity in the Tropical Andes

Documenting temporal trends in the extent of ecosystems is essential to monitoring their status but combining this information with the degree of protection helps us assess the effectiveness of societal actions for conserving ecosystem diversity and related ecosystem services. We demonstrated indicators in the Tropical Andes using both potential (pre-industrial) and recent (~2010) distribution maps of terrestrial ecosystem types. We measured long-term ecosystem loss, representation of ecosystem types within the current protected areas, quantifying the additional representation offered by protecting Key Biodiversity Areas. Six (4.8%) ecosystem types (i.e., measured as 126 distinct vegetation macrogroups) have lost >50% in extent across four Andean countries since pre-industrial times. For ecosystem type representation within protected areas, regarding the pre-industrial extent of each type, a total of 32 types (25%) had higher representation (>30%) than the post-2020 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) draft target in existing protected areas. Just 5 of 95 types (5.2%) within the montane Tropical Andes hotspot are currently represented with >30% within the protected areas. Thirty-nine types (31%) within these countries could cross the 30% CBD 2030 target with the addition of Key Biodiversity Areas. This indicator is based on the Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBV) and responds directly to the needs expressed by the users of these countries

Síndrome nodriza y ecología de la regeneración de cactus columnares en un enclave semiárido andino

Universidad de Los AndesDoctor en Ecología [email protected]

Efecto nodriza de prosopis flexuosa D.C. (leg-min) en un valle seco de los Andes Bolivianos.

[email protected] analítica--semestra

Relaciones espaciales entre dos cactáceas globulares y dos arbustos mimosoides en un enclave semiárido tropical

Spatial relationships between two globose cacti (Mammillaria mammillaris (L) Karsten and Melocactus schatzlii Till & Gruber) and two dominant mimosoid shrubs (Acacia farnesiana (Willd.) L. and Prosopis julifora DC.) were evaluated in two habitats (cactus thicket and thornscrub) of a Venezuelan semi-desert mountain valley. Globose cacti and shrubs are spatially associated, mainly in the cactus thicket, suggesting that cacti probably benefit from shrubs for their recruitment (sensu nurse plant syndrome). The presence of cacti in open areas, however, suggests that the need of a nurse plant for establishment of both globose cacti may be highly facultative. This is the first assessment reporting a positive globose cactusshrub spatial association from the Andes of northern South America. By confirming that mimosoid shrubs can influence thespatial distributions of globose cacti, this observational approach provides a foundation for future research and essential information to increase our knowledge on the role of mimosoid bushes as nurse plants in the tropical [email protected]@ula.vesemestralEvaluamos la relación espacial entre dos cactáceas globulares (Mammillaria mammillaris (L) Karsten and Melocactus schatzlii Till & Gruber) y dos arbustos mimosoideos (Acacia farnesiana (Willd.) L. and Prosopis julifora DC.) en dos hábitats (“cardonal” versus “espinar”) de un enclave semiárido de Los Andes venezolanos. Nuestros resultados muestran que ambas especies de cactáceas globulares crecen espacialmente asociadas a ambas especies de arbustos mimosoideos (principalmente en al cardonal estudiado). Estos resultados sugieren que la regeneración natural de ambas cactáceas probablemente es favorecida por la proximidad de estos arbustos (sensu síndrome “planta nodriza”). No obstante, la presencia de ambos cactus en espacios abiertos apunta a que la necesidad de una planta nodriza para su reclutamiento puede ser altamente facultativa. Este es el primer estudio que reporta asociaciones espaciales positivas entre cactáceas globulares y arbustos mimosoideos en los Andes del norte de Sudamérica. Al confirmar que ambos arbustos mimosoideos pueden influir la disposición espacial de cactáceas de forma globular, proporcionamos las bases para futuras investigaciones y presentamos información clave sobre el rol que juegan estos arbustos como plantas nodriza en Los Andes tropicales

Genetic diversity and differentiation among Prosopis alba (Leguminosae) populations from dry valleys of Bolivia with different levels of human disturbance and altitude

The fast expansion of human population around La Paz, Bolivia (3,200–4,100 m.a.s.l.) triggered new suburban settlements in nearby areas in valleys and mountain feet. The white mesquite, Prosopis alba Griseb. (Leguminosae), is a resource (originally used by native communities) that is strongly affected by changes in land use. A gradient in the level of disturbance is found moving away from the La Paz city toward less altitude areas. The main objective of this study was to characterize genetically three P. alba populations with different levels of human disturbance located at different altitudes in Bolivia, in order to provide some guidelines for management and conservation of these species. Based on 10 SSR loci, the populations showed high level of genetic diversity in comparison with other forest species. The population less disturbed and situated at the lowest altitude was the most variable (He = 0.51–0.42), whereas the less variable was the most disturbed and situated at the highest altitude. Heterozygote excess was observed in all populations. Most of genetic diversity (99%) is contained within populations. Genetic differentiation among populations is low (1%), suggesting low gene flow among populations. No evidence of recent bottlenecks events was detected. The estimates of the effective population size were low in all populations. The results are in agreement with the hypothesis that genetic diversity is reduced by the impact of anthropic disturbance in the population located at higher altitude in comparison with the lightly disturbed situated at lower altitude and farther from urban settlements.Instituto de Recursos BiológicosFil: Bessega, Cecilia Fabiana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Pometti, Carolina Luciana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: López, Ramiro Pablo. Universidad Mayor de San Andrés. Facultad de Ciencias Puras y Naturales. Carrera de Biología; BoliviaFil: Larrea Alcázar, Daniel. Asociación Boliviana para la Investigación y Conservación de Ecosistemas Andino‐Amazónicos (ACEAA); BoliviaFil: Fortunato, Renee Hersilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Instituto de Recursos Biológicos; ArgentinaFil: Saidman, Beatriz Ofelia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Vilardi, Juan Cesar. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Buenos Aires; Argentin