Costa Rican wetlands vulnerability index

Costa Rica comprises approximately 6% of the world’s biodiversity. Among these lush ecosystems, wetlands are represented in mangrove forests near the sea, along river lowlands, sedimentary and volcanic mountains, and highland paramo landscapes. In 2018, the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE), through the National System of Conservation Areas (SINAC), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) carried out the new National Wetlands Inventory (NWI) which identified 10,699 wetland polygons. This assessment collected key information such as location, characteristics of the wetland, land use in the vicinity, threats, and other generalities. Based on these valuable results, we propose a wetland Vulnerability Index composed of a Condition Index and a Hazard Index to determine the different vulnerability conditions of each wetland unit. Our findings provide a better comprehension of the status of wetlands in Costa Rica with an environmental geography perspective. Located in a climate change hotspot, Costa Rica’s conservation policies and actions should consider how to manage the most vulnerable wetlands at different scales. This methodology can improve and generate regional and national wetlands inventories as a basis for evidence-based decision making in other latitudes.Universidad de Costa Rica//UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Sociales::Facultad de Ciencias Sociales::Escuela de Geografí

Emulador Bayesiano de Modelos Climáticos Regionales con Selección de Variable Espacial

El modelo climático regional (RCM) es una herramienta de reducción de escala que utiliza modelos dinámicos e híbridos, en conjunto con las variables de salida de modelos globales climáticos (GCMs), y el uso de fórmulas dinámicas complejas. Dado que esta técnica de reducción de escala dinámica es computacionalmente intensiva, es de gran valor realizar aproximaciones rápidas para llevar a cabo análisis de sensibilidad. Este estudio introduce un emulador de RCM que utiliza variables salida de GCMs como covariables y un marco estadístico Bayesiano para proveer una aproximación rápida a las variables de salida de un RCM. El emulador tiene coeficientes que varían espacialmente y previas informativas para realizar selección de variables por locación, de una manera eficiente. Para este fin, se modelan tantos los coeficientes como la variable respuesta como procesos espaciales. El método es aplicado para emular la precipitación del modelo regional CRCM utilizando variables de salida del modelo global CCSM con datos del Programa Regional de Evaluación del Cambio Climático de América del Norte (NARCCAP).Esta investigación forma parte del Proyecto B7166 de la Vicerrectoría de Investigación de la Universidad de Costa Rica: “Propuesta, desarrollo y prueba de un emulador estadístico para la reducción de escala de modelos climáticos de circulación global”.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Puras y Aplicadas (CIMPA)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Sociales::Facultad de Ciencias Económicas::Escuela de Estadístic

Spatio-temporal Downscaling Emulator for Regional Climate Models: a Comparative Study

Regional Climate Models (RCM) describe the meso scale global atmospheric and oceanic dynamics and serve as dynamical downscaling models. In other words, RCMs use atmospheric and oceanic climate output from General Circulation Models (GCM) to develop a higher resolution climate output. They are computationally demanding and, depending on the application, require several orders of magnitude of computer time more than statistical climate downscaling. In this paper we describe how to use a spatio-temporal statistical model with varying coefficients (VC), as a downscaling emulator for a RCM using varying coefficients. In order to estimate the proposed model, two options are compared: INLA, and varycoef. We set up a simulation to compare the performance of both methods for building a statistical downscaling emulator for RCM, and then show that the emulator works properly for NARCCAP data. The results show that the model is able to estimate non-stationary marginal effects, which means that the downscaling output can vary over space. Furthermore, the model has flexibility to estimate the mean of any variable in space and time, and has good prediction results. INLA was the fastest method for all the cases, and the approximation with best accuracy to estimate the different parameters from the model and the posterior distribution of the response variable

Aridity Trends in Central America: A Spatial Correlation Analysis

Trend analyses are common in several types of climate change studies. In many cases, finding evidence that the trends are different from zero in hydroclimate variables is of particular interest. However, when estimating the confidence interval of a set of hydroclimate stations or gridded data the spatial correlation between can affect the significance assessment using for example traditional non-parametric and parametric methods. For this reason, Monte Carlo simulations are needed in order to generate maps of corrected trend significance. In this article, we determined the significance of trends in aridity, modeled runoff using the Variable Infiltration Capacity Macroscale Hydrological model, Hagreaves potential evapotranspiration (PET) and near-surface temperature in Central America. Linear-regression models were fitted considering that the predictor variable is the time variable (years from 1970 to 1999) and predictand variable corresponds to each of the previously mentioned hydroclimate variables. In order to establish if the temporal trends were significantly different from zero, a Mann Kendall and a Monte Carlo test were used. The spatial correlation was calculated first to correct the variance of each trend. It was assumed in this case that the trends form a spatial stochastic process that can be modeled as such. Results show that the analysis considering the spatial correlation proposed here can be used for identifying those extreme trends. However, a set of variables with strong spatial correlation such as temperature can have robust and widespread significant trends assuming independence, but the vast majority of the stations can still fail the Monte Carlo test. We must be vigilant of the statistically robust changes in key primary parameters such as temperature and precipitation, which are the driving sources of hydrological alterations that may affect social and environmental systems in the future.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigaciones Geofísicas (CIGEFI)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de Físic

Dataducto para construir Emuladores Estadísticos con datos de NARCCAP

El proyecto de investigación B7166 de la Universidad de Costa Rica tiene como objetivo principal presentar un marco estadístico para realizar una emulación de variables obtenidas por medio del Modelo Climático Regional (MCR) usando variables obtenidas por medio de Modelos de Circulación General (MCG) como covariables, como una alternativa al MCR tradicional que es computacionalmente intensivos. Como complemento a ese proyecto, esta es una propuesta para el flujo de trabajo con datos de Earth System Grid (repositorio de datos atmosféricos) utilizando R, que puede ser utilizado por cualquier otra persona interesada e hacer ejercicios de emulación estadística con los datos de Programa de Evaluaión Regional de Cambio Climático de América del Norte (NARCCAP). El flujo de trabajo incluye la extracción de datos del repositorio, el resumen, modificación y creación de subconjuntos de los datos, y la obtención de un formato útil para construir los modelos estadísticos, así como un procedimiento de exploración y prueba de calidad de los datos. El flujo de trabajo es construido utilizando el conjunto de paquetes de tujiverse, además de otros paquetes parra la exploración y visualización.Universidad de Costa Rica/[821-B7-166]/UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Puras y Aplicadas (CIMPA

Spectral measure of color variation of black-orange-black (BOB) pattern in small parasitoid wasps (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae), a statistical approach

Small parasitoid wasps are abundant and extremely diverse, yet their colors have not been analyzed. One of the more common color patterns observed in these wasps is a black-orange-black pattern, which is especially common among neotropical species of Scelionidae ranging in size from 2 to 10 mm. Due to the methodological challenges involved in extracting and analyzing pigments from small-sized insects, other methods for examining colors need to be explored. In this work, we propose the use of microspectrophotometry in combination with statistical analysis methods in order to 8 study the spectral properties in such cases. We examined 8 scelionid genera and 1 genus from a distantly related family (Evaniidae), all showing the black-orange-black pattern. Functional Data Analysis and statistical analysis of Euclidean distances for color components were applied to study color differences both between and within genera. The Functional Data Analysis proved to be a better method for treating the reflectance data because it gave a better representation of the physical information. Also, the reflectance spectra were separated into spectral color component contributions and each component was labeled according to its own dominant wavelength at the maximum of the spectrum: Red, Green and Blue. When comparing spectral components curves, the spectral blue components of the orange and black colors, independent of the genera being compared, result almost identical, suggesting that there is a common compound for the pigments. The results also suggest that cuticle from different genera, but with the same color might have a similar chemical composition. This is the first time that the black and orange colors in small parasitoid wasps has been analyzed and our results provide a basis for future research on the color patterns of an abundant but neglected group of insects.Universidad de Costa Rica/[801-B5-A50]/UCR/Costa RicaUniversidad de Costa Rica/[111-B2-A51]/UCR/Costa RicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular (CIBCM)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Ciencia e Ingeniería de Materiales (CICIMA)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de BiologíaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de FísicaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Puras y Aplicadas (CIMPA)UCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Sociales::Facultad de Ciencias Económicas::Escuela de Estadístic

First evidence for an aposematic function of a very common color pattern in small insects

Many small parasitoid wasps have a black head, an orange mesosoma and a black metasoma (BOB color pattern), which is usually present in both sexes. A likely function of this widespread pattern is aposematic (warning) coloration, but this has never been investigated. To test this hypothesis, we presented spider predators (Lyssomanes jemineus), both field-captured and bred in captivity from eggs, to four wasp genera (Baryconus, Chromoteleia, Macroteleia and Scelio), each genus being represented by a BOB morphospecies and black morphospecies. We also used false prey, consisting of lures made of painted rice grains. Behavioral responses were analyzed with respect to presence or absence of the BOB pattern. In order to better understand the results obtained, two additional studies were performed. First, the reflection spectrum of the cuticle of the wasp and a theoretical visual sensibility of the spider were used to calculate a parameter we called “absorption contrast” that allows comparing the perception contrast between black and orange in each wasp genus as viewed by the spider. Second, acute toxicity trials with the water flea, Daphnia magna, were performed to determine toxicity differences between BOB and non-BOB wasps. At least some of the results suggest that the BOB color pattern may possibly play an aposematic role.UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigación en Biología Celular y Molecular (CIBCM

Ten simple rules to host an inclusive conference.

Conferences are spaces to meet and network within and across academic and technical fields, learn about new advances, and share our work. They can help define career paths and create long-lasting collaborations and opportunities. However, these opportunities are not equal for all. This article introduces 10 simple rules to host an inclusive conference based on the authors' recent experience organizing the 2021 edition of the useR! statistical computing conference, which attracted a broad range of participants from academia, industry, government, and the nonprofit sector. Coming from different backgrounds, career stages, and even continents, we embraced the challenge of organizing a high-quality virtual conference in the context of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and making it a kind, inclusive, and accessible experience for as many people as possible. The rules result from our lessons learned before, during, and after the organization of the conference. They have been written mainly for potential organizers and selection committees of conferences and contain multiple practical tips to help a variety of events become more accessible and inclusive. We see this as a starting point for conversations and efforts towards building more inclusive conferences across the world. * Translated versions of the English abstract and the list of rules are available in 10 languages in S1 Text: Arabic, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Tamil, and Thai

Gestión del conocimiento: perspectiva multidisciplinaria. Volumen 12

El libro “Gestión del Conocimiento. Perspectiva Multidisciplinaria”, Volumen 12, de la Colección Unión Global, es resultado de investigaciones. Los capítulos del libro, son resultados de investigaciones desarrolladas por sus autores. El libro cuenta con el apoyo de los grupos de investigación: Universidad Sur del Lago “Jesús María Semprúm” (UNESUR), Zulia – Venezuela; Universidad Politécnica Territorial de Falcón Alonso Gamero (UPTAG), Falcón – Venezuela; Universidad Politécnica Territorial de Mérida Kleber Ramírez (UPTM), Mérida – Venezuela; Universidad Guanajuato (UG) - Campus Celaya - Salvatierra - Cuerpo Académico de Biodesarrollo y Bioeconomía en las Organizaciones y Políticas Públicas (C.A.B.B.O.P.P), Guanajuato – México; Centro de Altos Estudios de Venezuela (CEALEVE), Zulia – Venezuela, Centro Integral de Formación Educativa Especializada del Sur (CIFE - SUR) - Zulia - Venezuela, Centro de Investigaciones Internacionales SAS (CIN), Antioquia - Colombia.y diferentes grupos de investigación del ámbito nacional e internacional que hoy se unen para estrechar vínculos investigativos, para que sus aportes científicos formen parte de los libros que se publiquen en formatos digital e impreso