El caso de Lonchocarpus costaricensis (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae), una especie endémica de Costa Rica: un complejo taxonómico-nomenclatural, y una nueva especie

Mixed collections, a lack of type specimen designation and strong morphological similarity between collections cited in the Derris costaricensis protologue has led to a very confused taxonomic and nomenclatural situation surrounding the species Lonchocarpus costaricensis (Donn. Sm.) Pittier; a detailed taxonomic study has revealed that a new species (Lonchocarpus felipei N. Zamora) here described, is involved. Also, the original lectotipification of Lonchocarpus macrocarpus Benth., is re-establish it here.La mezcla de colecciones, la ausencia de la designación de un espécimen tipo y la fuerte similitud morfológica entre colecciones citadas en el protólogo de la descripción de Derris costaricensis generaron una situación taxonómica y nomenclatural confusa alrededor de la entidad Lonchocarpus costaricensis (Donn. Sm.) Pittier; un estudio taxonómico detallado del caso reveló que una nueva especie (Lonchocarpus felipei N. Zamora), aquí descrita, está implicada. Asimismo se restablece aquí la lectotipificación original de Lonchocarpus macrocarpus Benth

El caso de Lonchocarpus costaricensis (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae), una especie endémica de Costa Rica: un complejo taxonómico-nomenclatural, y una nueva especie

Mixed collections, a lack of type specimen designation and strong morphological similarity between collections cited in the Derris costaricensis protologue has led to a very confused taxonomic and nomenclatural situation surrounding the species Lonchocarpus costaricensis (Donn. Sm.) Pittier; a detailed taxonomic study has revealed that a new species (Lonchocarpus felipei N. Zamora) here described, is involved. Also, the original lectotipification of Lonchocarpus macrocarpus Benth., is re-establish it here.La mezcla de colecciones, la ausencia de la designación de un espécimen tipo y la fuerte similitud morfológica entre colecciones citadas en el protólogo de la descripción de Derris costaricensis generaron una situación taxonómica y nomenclatural confusa alrededor de la entidad Lonchocarpus costaricensis (Donn. Sm.) Pittier; un estudio taxonómico detallado del caso reveló que una nueva especie (Lonchocarpus felipei N. Zamora), aquí descrita, está implicada. Asimismo se restablece aquí la lectotipificación original de Lonchocarpus macrocarpus Benth

A new species of Quararibea (Malvaceae) from Costa Rica

Algunas colecciones previas de Quararibea nigrescens, han sido mal identificadas, confundidas o tentativamente asignadas a Quararibea costaricensis. Ambas especies se distinguen consistentemente porque Q. nigrescens siempre tiene ramitas, hojas y flores (cáliz) con una pubescencia plateada o grisácea lepidota o estrellado-peltada conspicua, mientras en Q. costaricensis las ramitas y hojas tienen una pubescencia densa o esparcida diminuta con tricomas pardo-oscuro fasciculados o pardo-rojizo estrellado o estrellado-peltados, llegando a ser casi glabras con la edad, excepto, el cáliz que está cubierto densamente con tricomas dorados o pardo-verdoso granulado-lepidotos. El nombre propuesto, Q. nigrescens, obedece al color peculiar, único y consistente, gris oscuro, negruzco o casi negro de las hojas (principalmente) después del secado, mientras que en Q. costaricensis las hojas secas siempre se tornan conspicuamente verdoso-amarillentas o pardo-amarillentas después de secas. Este carácter (color de las hojas de Q. nigrescens después del secado) es único entre todas las especies de Quararibea de Costa Rica; otras diferencias morfológicas entre ambas especies se mencionan.Some previous collections of Quararibea nigrescens have been misidentified, confused or tentatively assigned to Quararibea costaricensis. Both species, however, can be consistently distinguished because Q. nigrescens has always twigs, leaves and calyx conspicuously silvery or grayish lepidote or stellate-peltate pubescent, while in Q. costaricensis twigs and leaves are sparsely diminute tomentulose with dark brown fasciculate or rufous-brown stellate or stellate-peltate pubescent, becoming essentially glabrate with age, except, the calyx which possesses a dense pubescence of granuliferous-lepidote golden or greenish-brown trichomes. The proposed species name, Q. nigrescens, refers to the peculiar, unique and consistent dark gray, blackish to almost black color of leaves (mainly) that is noticeable upon drying, while in Q. costaricensis dried leaves are always conspicuously yellowish-green or yellowish-brown. This character (leaves color upon drying of Q. nigrescens) is unique among all Costa Rican species of Quararibea; additional morphological differences between both species are included.Vicerrectoría de Investigación of the Universidad de Costa RicaThe Bio & Medical Technology Development Program of the National Research Foundation (NRF)Korean governmentKunming Institute of Botany-(KIB)China Academy of SciencesUCR::Vicerrectoría de Docencia::Ciencias Básicas::Facultad de Ciencias::Escuela de Biologí

The one-loop elastic coefficients for the Helfrich membrane in higher dimensions

Using a covariant geometric approach we obtain the effective bending couplings for a 2-dimensional rigid membrane embedded into a $(2+D)$-dimensional Euclidean space. The Hamiltonian for the membrane has three terms: The first one is quadratic in its mean extrinsic curvature. The second one is proportional to its Gaussian curvature, and the last one is proportional to its area. The results we obtain are in agreement with those finding that thermal fluctuations soften the 2-dimensional membrane embedded into a 3-dimensional Euclidean space.Comment: 9 page

Atmospheric Organic Material and the Nutrients Nitrogen and Phosphorus It Carries to the Ocean

[1] The global tropospheric budget of gaseous and particulate non‐methane organic matter (OM) is re‐examined to provide a holistic view of the role that OM plays in transporting the essential nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus to the ocean. A global 3‐dimensional chemistry‐transport model was used to construct the first global picture of atmospheric transport and deposition of the organic nitrogen (ON) and organic phosphorus (OP) that are associated with OM, focusing on the soluble fractions of these nutrients. Model simulations agree with observations within an order of magnitude. Depending on location, the observed water soluble ON fraction ranges from ∼3% to 90% (median of ∼35%) of total soluble N in rainwater; soluble OP ranges from ∼20–83% (median of ∼35%) of total soluble phosphorus. The simulations suggest that the global ON cycle has a strong anthropogenic component with ∼45% of the overall atmospheric source (primary and secondary) associated with anthropogenic activities. In contrast, only 10% of atmospheric OP is emitted from human activities. The model‐derived present‐day soluble ON and OP deposition to the global ocean is estimated to be ∼16 Tg‐N/yr and ∼0.35 Tg‐P/yr respectively with an order of magnitude uncertainty. Of these amounts ∼40% and ∼6%, respectively, are associated with anthropogenic activities, and 33% and 90% are recycled oceanic materials. Therefore, anthropogenic emissions are having a greater impact on the ON cycle than the OP cycle; consequently increasing emissions may increase P‐limitation in the oligotrophic regions of the world\u27s ocean that rely on atmospheric deposition as an important nutrient source

Comment on Rojas-Bracho and Colleagues (2019): Unsubstantiated Claims Can Lead to Tragic Conservation Outcomes

The vaquita’s decline is a tragic story indeed. However, the lack of action to prevent the extinction of this species is not due to unsubstantiated claims and scientific uncertainty

Vaquita Face Extinction from Bycatch. Comment on Manjarrez-Bringas, N. et al., Lessons for Sustainable Development: Marine Mammal Conservation Policies and Its Social and Economic Effects.

We are among the scientists who have documented the environmental and ecological changes to the Upper Gulf of California following the reduction in the Colorado River’s flow. We object to any suggestion that our research supports Manjarrez-Bringas et al.’s conclusion that the decline in the Colorado River’s flow is the reason for the decline in the population of the endangered vaquita porpoise (Phocoena sinus). Manjarrez-Bringas et al.’s conclusions are incongruent with their own data, their logic is untenable, their analyses fail to consider current illegal fishing practices, and their recommendations are unjustified and misdirected. Vaquita face extinction because of bycatch, not because of the lack of river flow

Beyond species loss: The extinction of ecological interactions in a changing world

© 2014 The Authors. The effects of the present biodiversity crisis have been largely focused on the loss of species. However, a missed component of biodiversity loss that often accompanies or even precedes species disappearance is the extinction of ecological interactions. Here, we propose a novel model that (i) relates the diversity of both species and interactions along a gradient of environmental deterioration and (ii) explores how the rate of loss of ecological functions, and consequently of ecosystem services, can be accelerated or restrained depending on how the rate of species loss covaries with the rate of interactions loss. We find that the loss of species and interactions are decoupled, such that ecological interactions are often lost at a higher rate. This implies that the loss of ecological interactions may occur well before species disappearance, affecting species functionality and ecosystems services at a faster rate than species extinctions. We provide a number of empirical case studies illustrating these points. Our approach emphasizes the importance of focusing on species interactions as the major biodiversity component from which the 'health' of ecosystems depends.Peer Reviewe