A multiple-species participatory domestication programme in the Peruvian Amazon: experiences and results to date

In 1995, the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) and partners initiated a participatory agroforestry domestication programme in the Aguaytía Watershed and Alto Amazonas province of the Peruvian Amazon. The programme, aimed primarily at conservation-through-use of genetic diversity, began with formal, participatory prioritization, leading to selection of four species: bolaina blanca (Guazuma crinita Martius: Sterculiaceae),capirona (Calycophyllum spruceanum (Bentham) Hooker f. Ex Schumann)), guaba (Inga edulis C. Martius: Leguminosae (Mimosoideae)), peach palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth: Palmae). Open-pollinated seed of each was collected from farmer-selected mother trees, and used in the establishment of a series of seedling seed orchards / progeny tests, the individual blocks of which were dispersed on lands of individual collaborating farmers. Almost ten years later these trials are beginning to produce seed, the Aguaytían famers have organized themselves into a wood and seed producers’ cooperative, the technology developed is being adopted more widely, and genetic results are becoming available. We describe the programme and its results in detail, with special emphasis on its innovative features. Subsequently, we evaluate success to date in relation both to initial objectives and the programme’s response to the evolving local forestry and development environment. Finally, we consider future priorities

Efectos del cambio climático en la distribución de 20 especies de aves de la región amazónica del Perú

OBJETIVO El objetivo del estudio es evaluar los efectos del cambio climático en la distribución de las poblaciones silvestres de 20 especies de aves. ÁREA DE ESTUDIO El área de estudio es el bosque de las regiones Amazónicas de Huánuco, Amazonas, Junín, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Pasco, San Martín y Ucayali. SELECCIÓN DE LAS 20 ESPECIES Inicialmente, se colectaron los puntos de presencia de todas las especies de aves en la Amazonía peruana según eBird/Clements Checklist (Clements et al., 2019). Los puntos de presencia fueron obtenidos de las siguientes bases de datos: GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility; www.gbif.org), e Inventario Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre del SERFOR. Luego de colectar los datos, se procedió con la selección de las especies para el modelamiento de acuerdo a los siguientes criterios: (i) que las especies estén amenazadas según el Libro Rojo de la Fauna Silvestre Amenazada del Perú (SERFOR, 2018), (ii) que existan como mínimo 15 puntos de presencia, y (iii) que por lo menos la mitad de los puntos de presencia se encuentren ubicados en la Amazonía. Las siguientes 20 especies cumplieron los criterios y fueron utilizadas para el modelamiento

Efectos del cambio climático en la distribución de 20 especies forestales maderables de la región amazónica del Perú

OBJETIVO: El objetivo del estudio es evaluar los efectos del cambio climático en la distribución de las poblaciones silvestres de 20 especies de árboles. ÁREA DE ESTUDIO: El área de estudio es el bosque de las regiones amazónicas de Huánuco, Amazonas, Junín, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Pasco, San Martín y Ucayali. SELECCIÓN DE LAS 20 ESPECIES : Inicialmente, se colectaron los puntos de presencia de todas las especies de árboles en la Amazonía peruana, según la lista nacional de Perú (Brako & Zarucchi, 1993). Los puntos de presencia fueron obtenidos de las siguientes bases de datos: GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility; www.gbif.org), BIEN (Botanical Information and Ecology Network; http://biendata.org/), Inventario Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre del SERFOR, y la Base de Datos Espaciales del Organismo de Supervisión de los Recursos Forestales y de Fauna Silvestre (OSINFOR). Luego de colectar los datos, se procedió con la selección de las especies para el modelamiento de acuerdo a los siguientes criterios: (i) que las especies tengan un grado de amenaza según el Decreto Supremo Nº 043-2006-AG AG o estén identificadas como especies forestales de acuerdo a la Resolución Ejecutiva N°118-2019-MINAGRI-SERFOR-DE, (ii) que existan como mínimo 15 puntos de presencia, y (iii) que por lo menos la mitad se encuentren ubicados en la Amazonía. Las siguientes 20 especies cumplieron los criterios y fueron utilizadas para el modelamiento

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

The effectiveness of phenotypic selection in natural populations: a case study from the Peruvian Amazon

Phenotypic selection is commonly used in agroforestry, both in genetic improvement and as a component of "good practice" in seed collection. In the first case, the aim is to secure genetic gain. In the second case, selection is used to ensure that seed supplies meet given minimum quality standards, or that poor quality sources are avoided. Here we examine the effectiveness of phenotypic selection in natural forest stands of the Amazonian timber and multipurpose tree Calycophyllum spruceanum Benth. We ask (a) whether mother-trees with high estimated annual height and diameter increments had faster growing progeny than mother-trees with low values; (b) whether forked mother-trees tended to have higher proportions of forked progeny than unforked trees; (c) whether spatially isolated mother-trees tend to produce slower growing progeny than mother-trees growing together with conspecifics. In each case, we found no evidence of differences between the respective groups. We offer explanations for these findings and discuss their implications for tree improvement and seed collection

Efficiency of early selection in Calycophyllum spruceanum and Guazuma crinita, two fast-growing timber species of the Peruvian Amazon

'Bolaina' (Guazuma crinita, Malvaceae) and 'capirona' (Calycophyllum spruceanum, Rubiaceae) are fast-growing Amazonian timber trees. In Peru, they are increasingly being used in agroforestry systems and plantations, and interest in developing improved germplasm is growing. However, tree improvement incurs both direct costs and interest costs on investments; because of this, early selection is of interest. We examine the efficiency of early selection at 13 or 17 months after field trial establishment. These are compared with selection after 49 or 53 months using two efficiency metrics: one based on discounted response to selection per unit of present value of cost, the second on net discounted revenues, using discount rates of 5%, 10% and 15%. Our metrics differed from those used in previous studies by taking into account direct costs as well as costs of capital. We found that in most scenarios early selection was attractive, partly due to direct cost savings. We conclude that, in evaluating the efficient of early selection, lack of consideration of direct costs may produce erroneous results. We also explore some general implications of the results.The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author

Smallholder production of agroforestry germplasm: experiences and lessons from Brazil, Costa Rica, Mexico and Peru

Smallholders often cannot obtain the agroforestry germplasm they require. It has been suggested that commercial smallholder production of germplasm could help resolve this problem, while securing benefits such as genetic conservation and income generation. We evaluate four such initiatives. We found that worthwhile income was generated, and we suggest ways that returns could be increased.\ud We also found that the initiatives had contributed to genetic conservation, although we argue that such outcomes may be more elusive for timber trees than for non-destructively harvested tree crops. The four initiatives fell short of the “win-win” ideal of germplasm production, i.e. that of smallholders profiting through sale of livelihood-enhancing germplasm to other smallholders, principally because sales tend to be to industrial or institutional clients rather than to smallholders. We suggest that, for the potential of smallholder germplasm production to be fully evaluated,\ud detailed characterization of farmer demand and willingness to pay for agroforestry germplasm is needed

Las semillas forestales en el Perú: desafíos y oportunidades

Describe el sistema nacional de semillas forestales a nivel de los actores de la producción, se trabajo en base a encuestas, se hace una revisión histórica del sistema y se identifican desafíos y oportunidades para consolidar el sistema de semillas forestales en el Perú

Long-term safety of COVID vaccination in individuals with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies: results from the COVAD study

Limited evidence on long-term COVID-19 vaccine safety in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs) continues to contribute to vaccine hesitancy. We studied delayed-onset vaccine adverse events (AEs) in patients with IIMs, other systemic autoimmune and inflammatory disorders (SAIDs), and healthy controls (HCs), using data from the second COVID-19 Vaccination in Autoimmune Diseases (COVAD) study. A validated self-reporting e-survey was circulated by the COVAD study group (157 collaborators, 106 countries) from Feb-June 2022. We collected data on demographics, comorbidities, IIM/SAID details, COVID-19 history, and vaccination details. Delayed-onset (> 7 day) AEs were analyzed using regression models. A total of 15165 respondents undertook the survey, of whom 8759 responses from vaccinated individuals [median age 46 (35-58) years, 74.4% females, 45.4% Caucasians] were analyzed. Of these, 1390 (15.9%) had IIMs, 50.6% other SAIDs, and 33.5% HCs. Among IIMs, 16.3% and 10.2% patients reported minor and major AEs, respectively, and 0.72% (n = 10) required hospitalization. Notably patients with IIMs experienced fewer minor AEs than other SAIDs, though rashes were expectedly more than HCs [OR 4.0; 95% CI 2.2-7.0, p < 0.001]. IIM patients with active disease, overlap myositis, autoimmune comorbidities, and ChadOx1 nCOV-19 (Oxford/AstraZeneca) recipients reported AEs more often, while those with inclusion body myositis, and BNT162b2 (Pfizer) recipients reported fewer AEs. Vaccination is reassuringly safe in individuals with IIMs, with AEs, hospitalizations comparable to SAIDs, and largely limited to those with autoimmune multimorbidity and active disease. These observations may inform guidelines to identify high-risk patients warranting close monitoring in the post-vaccination period