A preliminary checklist of amphibians and reptiles from the vicinity of La Nube Biological Station, Bahuaja-Sonene National Park, Peru

We present a preliminary list of the herpetofauna in the vicinity of La Nube Biological Station, Bahuaja-Sonene National Park, Peru. We recorded 18 amphibian species and 15 reptile species. We add 14 species to the final list, which were not confirmed by previous studies for this area. For 2 amphibian species, Pristimantis cf. ockendeni Boulenger, 1912 and Bolitoglossa cf. altamazonica Cope, 1874, we provide a brief description for our tentative iden-tifications. Similarly, we comment on 2 rare reptile species, Apostolepis nigroterminata Boulenger, 1896 and Epictia diaplocia Orejas-Miranda, 1969

Relationships between Organic Matter and Bulk Density in Amazonian Peatland Soils

The carbon pool of Amazonian peatlands is immense and mediates critical ecological functions. As peatlands are dynamic, similar to other wetland systems, modeling of the relationship between organic matter and dry bulk density allows the estimation of the accumulation and/or decomposition of peats. We tested several models: the generalized linear mixed logarithmic, to test depth, and the non-linear logarithmic and power-law models. There is a negative power-law relationship between organic percentage and dry bulk density using peat samples collected in Amazonian peatlands (n = 80). This model is supported by the coefficient of determination (R2) estimates garnered from model fitting, while Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) values further support parsimonious models. We also ran trials of the ideal mixing model with two parameters: k1 representing organic density and k2 representing mineral. The mixture of organic and inorganic components generally falls in accordance with the theory that decreasing k1 trends with increasing k2, although k2 values for these peat samples are negative. The organic k1 coefficient allows us to identify two sites out of the nine investigated, which can be prioritized for their carbon dynamics. The presence of high-density samples, which were not related to depth, indicates clay intrusion in these peatlands. We hope the modeling can explain processes significant to these globally important carbon-rich ecosystems

Initial assessment of the peatlands of the upper-Ucayali Valley, Central Peruvian Amazon: Basic analysis of geographic products & predictors

We present an assessment of the tropical peatlands in the upper-Ucayali Valley in central Peru—an Amazonian region that has been largely ignored in ecological and wetlands research. We focused on groundtruthing and identifying the strongest landscape-level predictors of peat depth. The 2015 product from the Peruvian Ministry of the Environment (MINAM) appears to be a sufficient proxy, primarily due to its inclusion of the aguajal category, identified as bosque inundable de palmeras (Bi-pal) or palm swamp, which are typically associated with Amazonian peatlands. Aberrations in the MINAM product are also present in attempted updates addressing aguajales, wetlands, and conservation threats, regardless of the varied geographic methodologies employed by previous studies. Our analysis of the CIFOR Global Wetlands Map lends credence to these methodologies, although our results are inconsistent with the depth predictions contained within the product. The predictive strength of factors contained with the MIANM classification is explored, most notably contact segments indicative of transitions from high-terrace terra firma forests (bosque de terraza alta) directly to low-lying inundated and wetland zones. The potential of factors related to elevation (slope, rise, steepness) is likewise questioned based on their performance in multiple linear regression analyses. Future studies are needed to enhance our understanding of the hydrogeologic settings and associated geochemical attributes of palm swamps and peatlands in The Amazon

Herpetological records from the Abujao basin, central Peruvian Amazon

The effort to uncover herpetofauna within the zone of influence of the Sierra del Divisor National Park has been focused on the northern reaches. The Abujao basin represents the Sierra del Divisor region well in an understudied area central to the Peruvian Amazon. We found 108 species of amphibians and squamate reptiles. Seven records extend ranges from the northern regions, while two records unite with southern regions (Madre De Dios and the Fitzcarrald Arc/Purus valley). There are higher levels of diversity attributable to land-cover units indicative of high terraces and hilly zones, as opposed to low hydromorphic habitats. Our new record for Pristimantis iiap Padial, Gagliardi-Urrutia, Chaparro & Gutiérrez, 2016 brings more resolution to this newly described species. We made observations of an unidentified species of blindsnake, which could represent a unique part of the fauna. Despite variations, we only uphold the presence of various subspecies of Micrurus annellatus Peters, 1871