Mapping density, diversity and species-richness of the Amazon tree flora

Using 2.046 botanically-inventoried tree plots across the largest tropical forest on Earth, we mapped tree species-diversity and tree species-richness at 0.1-degree resolution, and investigated drivers for diversity and richness. Using only location, stratified by forest type, as predictor, our spatial model, to the best of our knowledge, provides the most accurate map of tree diversity in Amazonia to date, explaining approximately 70% of the tree diversity and species-richness. Large soil-forest combinations determine a significant percentage of the variation in tree species-richness and tree alpha-diversity in Amazonian forest-plots. We suggest that the size and fragmentation of these systems drive their large-scale diversity patterns and hence local diversity. A model not using location but cumulative water deficit, tree density, and temperature seasonality explains 47% of the tree species-richness in the terra-firme forest in Amazonia. Over large areas across Amazonia, residuals of this relationship are small and poorly spatially structured, suggesting that much of the residual variation may be local. The Guyana Shield area has consistently negative residuals, showing that this area has lower tree species-richness than expected by our models. We provide extensive plot meta-data, including tree density, tree alpha-diversity and tree species-richness results and gridded maps at 0.1-degree resolution

Consistent patterns of common species across tropical tree communities

Trees structure the Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystem, tropical forests. The vast number of tree species presents a formidable challenge to understanding these forests, including their response to environmental change, as very little is known about most tropical tree species. A focus on the common species may circumvent this challenge. Here we investigate abundance patterns of common tree species using inventory data on 1,003,805 trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm across 1,568 locations1,2,3,4,5,6 in closed-canopy, structurally intact old-growth tropical forests in Africa, Amazonia and Southeast Asia. We estimate that 2.2%, 2.2% and 2.3% of species comprise 50% of the tropical trees in these regions, respectively. Extrapolating across all closed-canopy tropical forests, we estimate that just 1,053 species comprise half of Earth’s 800 billion tropical trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm. Despite differing biogeographic, climatic and anthropogenic histories7, we find notably consistent patterns of common species and species abundance distributions across the continents. This suggests that fundamental mechanisms of tree community assembly may apply to all tropical forests. Resampling analyses show that the most common species are likely to belong to a manageable list of known species, enabling targeted efforts to understand their ecology. Although they do not detract from the importance of rare species, our results open new opportunities to understand the world’s most diverse forests, including modelling their response to environmental change, by focusing on the common species that constitute the majority of their trees

Diagnostic implications of associated defects in patients with typical orofacial clefts

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVES: To describe prevalence of associated defects and clinical-genetic characteristics of patients with typical orofacial clefts seen at a reference genetic service. METHODS: Descriptive study conducted between September of 2009 and July of 2014. Two experienced dysmorphologists personally collected and coded clinical data using a validated, standard multicenter protocol. Syndromic cases were defined by the presence of four or more minor defects, one or more major defects, or recognition of a specific syndrome. Fisher's exact and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for statistics. RESULTS: Among 141 subjects, associated defects were found in 133 (93%), and 84 (59.5%) were assigned as syndromic. Cleft palate was statistically associated with a greater number of minor defects (p < 0.0012) and syndromic assignment (p < 0.001). Syndromic group was associated with low birth weight (p < 0.04) and less access to surgical treatment (p < 0.002). There was no statistical difference between syndromic and non-syndromic groups regarding gender (p < 0.55), maternal age of 35 years and above (p < 0.50), alcohol (p < 0.50) and tobacco consumption (p < 0.11), consanguinity (p < 0.59), recurrence (p < 0.08), average number of pregnancies (p < 0.32), and offspring (p < 0.35). CONCLUSIONS: There is a lack of information on syndromic clefts. The classification system for phenotype assignment adopted in this study has facilitated recognition of high prevalence of associated defects and syndromic cases. This system may be a useful strategy to gather homogeneous samples, to elect appropriate technologies for etiologic and genotype-phenotype approaches, and to assist with multiprofessional care and genetic counseling

Erosividade e características da chuva correlacionadas com perdas de solo em Alagoinha - PB Erosivity, rain characteristics and soil losses at Alagoinha, state of Paraíba, Brazil

Visando estabelecer o parâmetro da chuva quemelhor expresse a sua capacidade potencial de causar erosão, foram estudadas, para o período de 1981 a 1989, correlações lineares simples entre 13 características da chuva e as perdas de solo provocadas por erosão h��drica em solo classificado como Terra Roxa Estruturada localizada na Estação Experimental de Alagoinha, Paraíba, pertencente a Empresa Estadual de Pesquisa Agropecuária da Paraíba. As características da chuva testadas como estimadores da erosividade foram: quantidade de chuva;energia cinética total; segmentos de chuva com energia cinética igual ou superior a 25 mm/h; intensidades máximas de chuva em 5, 10, 15, 30 e 60 minutos; produto da energia cinética total pelas intensidades máximas em 5, 10, 15, 30 e 60 minutos. As correlações obtidas indicam que a característica da chuva produto da energia cinética total pela intensidade máxima em 15 minutos é a que melhor se correlaciona com as perdas de solo na região em estudo; entretanto, não houve diferença significativa entre as características produto da energia cinética total pela intensidade máxima em 15 minutos e produto da energia cinética total pela intensidade máxima em 30 minutos. O valor médio anual para a precipitação em Alagoinha - PB no período de 1981 a 1989 foi de 3423 MJ.mm/ha.h.<br>The objective of this study was to establish a rain parameter that can be used to express the potential capability of the rain to cause soil erosion. Datafrom 1981 to 1989 were used in simple linear corre letions among 13 rain characteristics and soil tosses using individual erosive rains in an Alfisol soil of Alagoinha Experimental Station of "Empresa Estadual de Pesquisa Agropecuária", State of Paraíba, Brazil. The rain characteristics tested were: total precipitation; total kinetic energy; kinetic energy higher than 25 milimeters ; rain intensity at 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 minutes; product between kinetic energy and rain intensity at 5, 10, 15, 30 and 60 minutes. The corre lations obtained among rain characteristics and soil tosses, indicated that the rain characteristic energy-intensity in 15 minutes is better correlated to soil losses. However, there was no difference between energy-intensity in 15 minutes and energy-intensity in 30 minutes characteristics. The médium year value of the erosivity (EI30) obtained for Alagoinha during the studied period was 3.423 MJ.mm/ha, h