Primer registro de Vigna vexillata (Fabaceae, Faboideae) en Sinaloa, México

Background and Aims: The Flora of Sinaloa consists of 3736 species; however, the knowledge of it is scarce. Most of the studies have been carried out in the northern portion, whereas the present work was developed in the south zone. The objective is to contribute to the knowledge of this flora, through a new record of the species Vigna vexillata at state level.Methods: Throughout the study area, five field trips were carried out, during which plants were collected, following the recommendations for the preparation of botanical specimens; these were determined with specialized taxonomic bibliography.Key results: A taxon of the genus Vigna was determined, which to date was not reported for the flora of Sinaloa. It is recognized for presenting the keel turn to left, cordate stipules, terete and linear fruit, and brown pubescence. The species was collected in the Escuinapa coastal area. This record extends the distribution of the species to a more northern area.Conclusions: This record suggests the need to continue observing the flora in the south area of the state of Sinaloa, since it is scarcely studied and presents a great variety of types of vegetation, which have remained unexplored.Antecedentes y Objetivos: La Flora de Sinaloa está compuesta por 3736 especies registradas; sin embargo, su conocimiento es relativamente escaso y la mayoría de los estudios florísticos se han realizado en la porción norte, por lo cual se desarrolló en la zona sur el presente trabajo. Éste tiene como objetivo contribuir al conocimiento de dicha flora, a través de un nuevo registro para la especie Vigna vexillata, a nivel estatal.Métodos: Se realizaron cinco salidas a lo largo de la zona de estudio, durante las cuales se recolectaron plantas, siguiendo las recomendaciones para la preparación de ejemplares botánicos; estas se determinaron con ayuda de bibliografía taxonómica especializada.Resultados clave: Se encontró un taxon del género Vigna que no estaba reportado para la flora del estado de Sinaloa. Se reconoce por presentar el giro de quilla hacia la izquierda; las estípulas foliales cordadas; un fruto terete lineal y la pubescencia marrón. La especie fue colectada en la zona costera de Escuinapa. El registro extiende la distribución de la especie a una zona más norteña.Conclusiones: Este registro sugiere la necesidad de continuar con los trabajos de flora en la zona sur de Sinaloa, ya que es un área escasamente estudiada y que presenta una gran variedad de tipos de vegetación, los cuales han permanecido inexplorados

Global Conservation Priorities for Marine Turtles

Where conservation resources are limited and conservation targets are diverse, robust yet flexible priority-setting frameworks are vital. Priority-setting is especially important for geographically widespread species with distinct populations subject to multiple threats that operate on different spatial and temporal scales. Marine turtles are widely distributed and exhibit intra-specific variations in population sizes and trends, as well as reproduction and morphology. However, current global extinction risk assessment frameworks do not assess conservation status of spatially and biologically distinct marine turtle Regional Management Units (RMUs), and thus do not capture variations in population trends, impacts of threats, or necessary conservation actions across individual populations. To address this issue, we developed a new assessment framework that allowed us to evaluate, compare and organize marine turtle RMUs according to status and threats criteria. Because conservation priorities can vary widely (i.e. from avoiding imminent extinction to maintaining long-term monitoring efforts) we developed a “conservation priorities portfolio” system using categories of paired risk and threats scores for all RMUs (n = 58). We performed these assessments and rankings globally, by species, by ocean basin, and by recognized geopolitical bodies to identify patterns in risk, threats, and data gaps at different scales. This process resulted in characterization of risk and threats to all marine turtle RMUs, including identification of the world's 11 most endangered marine turtle RMUs based on highest risk and threats scores. This system also highlighted important gaps in available information that is crucial for accurate conservation assessments. Overall, this priority-setting framework can provide guidance for research and conservation priorities at multiple relevant scales, and should serve as a model for conservation status assessments and priority-setting for widespread, long-lived taxa

Regional Management Units for Marine Turtles: A Novel Framework for Prioritizing Conservation and Research across Multiple Scales

Background: Resolving threats to widely distributed marine megafauna requires definition of the geographic distributions of both the threats as well as the population unit(s) of interest. In turn, because individual threats can operate on varying spatial scales, their impacts can affect different segments of a population of the same species. Therefore, integration of multiple tools and techniques - including site-based monitoring, genetic analyses, mark-recapture studies and telemetry - can facilitate robust definitions of population segments at multiple biological and spatial scales to address different management and research challenges. Methodology/Principal Findings: To address these issues for marine turtles, we collated all available studies on marine turtle biogeography, including nesting sites, population abundances and trends, population genetics, and satellite telemetry. We georeferenced this information to generate separate layers for nesting sites, genetic stocks, and core distributions of population segments of all marine turtle species. We then spatially integrated this information from fine-to coarse-spatial scales to develop nested envelope models, or Regional Management Units (RMUs), for marine turtles globally. Conclusions/Significance: The RMU framework is a solution to the challenge of how to organize marine turtles into units of protection above the level of nesting populations, but below the level of species, within regional entities that might be on independent evolutionary trajectories. Among many potential applications, RMUs provide a framework for identifying data gaps, assessing high diversity areas for multiple species and genetic stocks, and evaluating conservation status of marine turtles. Furthermore, RMUs allow for identification of geographic barriers to gene flow, and can provide valuable guidance to marine spatial planning initiatives that integrate spatial distributions of protected species and human activities. In addition, the RMU framework - including maps and supporting metadata - will be an iterative, user-driven tool made publicly available in an online application for comments, improvements, download and analysis

Primer registro de Vigna vexillata (Fabaceae, Faboideae) en Sinaloa, México

Background and Aims: The Flora of Sinaloa consists of 3736 species; however, the knowledge of it is scarce. Most of the studies have been carried out in the northern portion, whereas the present work was developed in the south zone. The objective is to contribute to the knowledge of this flora, through a new record of the species Vigna vexillata at state level. Methods: Throughout the study area, five field trips were carried out, during which plants were collected, following the recommendations for the preparation of botanical specimens; these were determined with specialized taxonomic bibliography. Key results: A taxon of the genus Vigna was determined, which to date was not reported for the flora of Sinaloa. It is recognized for presenting the keel turn to left, cordate stipules, terete and linear fruit, and brown pubescence. The species was collected in the Escuinapa coastal area. This record extends the distribution of the species to a more northern area. Conclusions: This record suggests the need to continue observing the flora in the south area of the state of Sinaloa, since it is scarcely studied and presents a great variety of types of vegetation, which have remained unexplored.Antecedentes y Objetivos: La Flora de Sinaloa está compuesta por 3736 especies registradas; sin embargo, su conocimiento es relativamente escaso y la mayoría de los estudios florísticos se han realizado en la porción norte, por lo cual se desarrolló en la zona sur el presente trabajo. Éste tiene como objetivo contribuir al conocimiento de dicha flora, a través de un nuevo registro para la especie Vigna vexillata, a nivel estatal. Métodos: Se realizaron cinco salidas a lo largo de la zona de estudio, durante las cuales se recolectaron plantas, siguiendo las recomendaciones para la preparación de ejemplares botánicos; estas se determinaron con ayuda de bibliografía taxonómica especializada. Resultados clave: Se encontró un taxon del género Vigna que no estaba reportado para la flora del estado de Sinaloa. Se reconoce por presentar el giro de quilla hacia la izquierda; las estípulas foliales cordadas; un fruto terete lineal y la pubescencia marrón. La especie fue colectada en la zona costera de Escuinapa. El registro extiende la distribución de la especie a una zona más norteña. Conclusiones: Este registro sugiere la necesidad de continuar con los trabajos de flora en la zona sur de Sinaloa, ya que es un área escasamente estudiada y que presenta una gran variedad de tipos de vegetación, los cuales han permanecido inexplorados

Relaciones históricas entre las tortugas marinas y las sociedades del finis terra bajacaliforniano

Este trabajo presenta la historia ambiental de las relaciones entre las tortugas marinas y las sociedades que han habitado la Región del Cabo que se encuentra en la punta sur de la Península de Baja California. En este finis terra, sumamente aislado, han abundado esos quelonios y han sido un importante recurso alimenticio para sus habitantes, desde la prehistoria a la fecha. Su pesca fue sustentable hasta mediados del siglo XX, cuando empezó a ser desmedida a causa de su uso industrial; lo que condujo a una veda total para evitar su extinción. Actualmente con la modernización de la región, convertida al turismo de masas, estos animales emblemáticos han tenido que enfrentar nuevas amenazas, pero también han sido incorporados en diversos esquemas de conservación que han tenido éxito, por lo que es factible prever su recuperación