Celaque National Park Research Articles

Fern and lycophyte niche displacement under predicted climate change in Honduras

Ferns and lycophytes are excellent model organisms to investigate the effect of climate change on species niches, due to their high sensitivity to changes in temperature and precipitation. In Honduras, this species group is particularly diverse with over 713 known taxa. However, we currently lack a quantitative assessment of the impact that changes in climate might have on these species. This study aimed (1) to explore the structure of the available climatic conditions across the entire country; (2) to determine the extent to which the available climatic space is occupied by different fern and lycophyte species; and (3) to assess which regions of climatic space will be most affected according to scenarios of climate change. We analyzed a newly developed database of herbarium fern records (n = 11,791) and used ordination models to compare the climatic niche of all Honduran fern and lycophyte taxa under present and future climates. We found that species were distributed throughout most of the available climatic space. Under RCP2.6 and RCP8.5 projections 128 to 391 species will have their average niche positions outside of the predicted available climatic space by the years 2049–2099. Particularly affected will be species that grow in low temperature and high precipitation areas, which represent high altitude parks, such as Celaque National Park. Epiphytes showed smaller variance in their climatic niches than terrestrial species. However, terrestrial species showed higher loss in climate space (e.g., 82.9% vs. 17.1% for RCP8.5) and are more likely to be at risk in the future. In general, Honduras is expected to become drier, with more extreme events of severe drought. Considering that ferns are particularly sensitive to changes in climate, if tested in the future, they could be used as a proxy for other Honduran plant taxa.

The largest digital database of fern and lycopod records from Honduras: spatial, temporal and collector biases

Abstract Honduras is one of the least botanically studied countries in Central America. Most of the scientific botanical information for Honduras is housed in globally distributed herbaria, an often-under-used resource. A recently published checklist of ferns and lycopods from Honduras indicated that for the 713 taxa, often few distribution data are available and that we still do not know where fern and lycopod collections have taken place in the past. Therefore, the aims of this work were to (1) bring together for the first time a comprehensive inventory of fern and lycopod records from international herbaria and to (2) identify spatial, temporal and collector biases of these collections. Published and unpublished herbarium inventories of ferns and lycopod records were accessed from 2212 global herbaria. Of these, 39 hosted Honduran fern and lycopod collections. The final database included 22 194 herbarium records. Spatial and idiosyncratic collection biases are shown, with collections hotspots in areas such the Department of Francisco Morazán near the TEFH and Escuela Agrícola Panamericana (EAP) herbaria, in Celaque National Park near the city of San Pedro Sula and Tela and Lancetilla Botanical Garden. This unique database deposited at EAP, TEFH, LIV and Edge Hill University will enable Hondurans to share information to support the protection, restoration and sustainable use of their ecosystems.

Nowhere to escape – Diversity and community composition of ferns and lycophytes on the highest mountain in Honduras

AbstractIPCC predictions for Honduras indicate that temperature will increase by up to 3–6°C and precipitation will decrease by up to 7–13% by the year 2050. To better understand how fern and lycophyte communities might be affected by climate change, we comprehensively surveyed the community compositions of ferns and lycophytes at Celaque National Park, the highest mountain in Honduras. We surveyed a total of 80 20 × 20 m2plots along an altitudinal gradient of 1249–2844 m a.s.l., identifying all species and estimating their abundances. We recorded a total of 11,098 individuals from 160 species and 61 genera. Community composition was strongly influenced by changes in altitude, precipitation and the abundance of bryophytes (a proxy for air humidity). Of the 160 species, 63 are expected, under a RCP2.6 scenario for the year 2050, to shift their range fully or partially above the maximum altitude of the mountain. Of these, 65.1% are epiphytes. We found that species with narrow altitudinal ranges at high altitudes were more at risk. Our study indicated that conservation efforts should prioritise higher altitudinal sites, focusing particularly on preserving the vulnerable epiphytic fern species, which are likely to be at greater risk.

A new species of long-tailed shrew of the genus Sorex (Eulipotyphla: Soricidae) from Sierra de Omoa, Honduras.

The only known species of the genus Sorex in Honduras is Sorex mccarthyi Matson Ordóñez-Garza, which is endemic to Celaque National Park. This species shows the presence of a postmandibular foramen and canal, a characteristic that is useful to distinguish between species south of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec and unique to the Sorex salvini species group. Recently, two specimens of Sorex were collected in 2018 at Cusuco National Park, northwestern Honduras. These specimens lack the distinctive characteristics possessed by the S. salvini species group and belong to the Sorex veraepacis species group. Previously, the S. veraepacis species group was only known from the highlands of the southern Mexican state of Chiapas and Guatemala. Principal component analysis shows that specimens from Sierra de Omoa are different in size and shape with respect to other known species (i.e., S. veraepacis Alston, S. ibarrai Matson McCarthy and S. madrensis Matson Ordóñez-Garza). We describe these two specimens, currently known only from an isolated cloud forest in the Sierra de Omoa, Honduras, as a new species.

The (Mis)Use of Disaster as Opportunity: Coerced Relocation from Celaque National Park, Honduras

Abstract: “Disaster capitalism” refers to political economic processes that take advantage of mass trauma to impose neoliberal capitalist economic policies, facilitating the redistribution of wealth and exacerbating socio-economic divisions. Here the basic tenets of disaster capitalism are applied in another context: how natural disasters can be used to impose exclusionary protected area conservation principles with similar socio-economic consequences and ecological ramifications. The post-Hurricane Mitch relocation of resident populations from Celaque National Park, Honduras serves as a case study whereby a natural disaster, combined with the effects of neoliberal structural adjustment policies, created the opportunity to implement a universal model of exclusionary nature protection. The resultant displacement and increased semi-proletarianization of the affected population effectively served the capitalist interests of international conservation and the agro-export coffee industry and, contradictorily, worked against the proclaimed goals of nature preservation through exclusionary national park policies.

Fungal Root Endophyte Colonization of Fern and Lycophyte Species from the Celaque National Park in Honduras

Abstract Root endophyte colonization was investigated in 32 fern and lycophyte species of 11 families collected from the Celaque National Park in Honduras. Arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) were found in 11 plant species (34%) of Anemiaceae, Gleicheniaceae, Ophioglossaceae, Pteridaceae, Selaginellaceae, Thelypteridaceae, and Woodsiaceae. The abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in roots varied with particular species, ranging from 4% (Sticherus underwoodianus) to 78% (Thelypteris patens). The morphological AM colonization pattern of all investigated species was of the Paris-type. The mycelium of dark septate endophytes (DSE) was found in 19 species (58%), and was observed both in the roots of plants that were colonized by AMF and were devoid of AM association. However, in both cases the percentage of root colonization by these fungi was low. Exceptions were Asplenium serra, Elaphoglossum erinaceum, Lellingeria prionodes, and Lycopodium thyoides, where abundant DSE hyphae were observed. Our results ar...

Monitoring landscape fragmentation in an inaccessible mountain area: Celaque National Park, Western Honduras

Many protected areas across the world are in locations marginal for human uses. Debate remains about the impact of these parks on land-cover change, which may be confounded by the role played by the biophysical landscape. To test whether parks limit landscape fragmentation due to their designated protection or biophysical location, one must control for features that render the park inaccessible. We examine the effect of Celaque National Park, Honduras, on landscape fragmentation from 1987 to 2000 using remote sensing, GIS and landscape pattern analysis. Multivariate analyses of variance and covariance were conducted to examine differences in landscape fragmentation within the park and the surrounding landscape adjusting for differences in accessibility. Indicators of patch fragmentation were significantly correlated with slope, elevation and distance to roads. Different management categories within the park were found to have significant differences in land-cover change and landscape fragmentation, and the impact of management category was even more significant after accounting for the differences in accessibility that exist across these zones. Thus, the park boundaries have been important in mediating land-cover change pressures, even after accounting for the substantial differences in the accessibility of forestland for conversion to agricultural land use.

Remote Sensing of Forest Regeneration in Highland Tropical Forests

Extensive post-agriculture forest regeneration has been observed in Celaque National Park (CNP), Honduras. Landsat TM images were useful in classifying these highland tropical forests into four regeneration stages and one degraded class. Regeneration stages were best separated in a plot of Landsat bands TM5 and TM4. TM5 had the best correlation with regeneration stage followed by TM2. NDVI could not discriminate forests past the early regrowth stage due to the rapid saturation of the index. A clear successional path was observed in the Tasseled Cap feature space. Forest development was characterized by a continuous decrease in Brightness, a continuous increase in Wetness, and a rapid initial increase in Greenness followed by a gradual decrease. Regenerating forests followed spectral paths more similar to lowland tropical than to temperate forests. Early rapid increases in NIR reflectance and the Tasseled Cap Greenness index were in line with those of tropical lowland rainforests and unlike those found in temperate forests. Temperate oldgrowth forests may exhibit higher levels of Greenness and lower levels of Wetness than equivalent highland tropical forests due to the effects of canopy opening and senescence that tend to occur in aging temperate forests. Highland tropical forests are expected to regenerate more slowly than lowland tropical forests but this was not the case in CNP.

Monitoring Parks Through Remote Sensing: Studies in Nepal and Honduras

The effectiveness of parks as management regimes is hotly contested. Much of the current discussion centered around comparisons of management regimes can be traced to a dearth of cross-site quantitative evaluations. Remote sensing provides a particularly effective tool for this purpose, yet analysis of remotely sensed data requires fieldwork to interpret human activities and the socioeconomic and political contexts that relate to land cover change. This paper examines the effect of establishment of the Celaque National Park, Honduras, and the Royal Chitwan National Park buffer zone, Nepal, on limiting deforestation. In Celaque, the park itself has been largely successful in maintaining forest cover. However, recent changes in land use patterns have led to increasing pressure on the park boundaries, exacerbated by the lack of involvement of local residents. In the Royal Chitwan National Park, in contrast, participatory approaches towards co-management have been implemented over the past decade in the park buffer zone. With significant incomes derived from ecotourism, complete protection of the buffer zone forest has been adopted, leading to significant regrowth of tree cover. However, local decision-making power is limited, and buffer zone management has largely proven successful due to the investment and support provided by international donor agencies. These two case studies demonstrate the utility of remote sensing and Geographical Information Systems analysis in providing a spatiotemporal perspective for assessing management policies. They also demonstrate the importance of fieldwork to provide a nuanced understanding of the socioeconomic and institutional conditions affecting the outcomes of forest management regimes.

Assessing the impact of Celaque National Park on forest fragmentation in western Honduras

The effectiveness of parks as management regimes is much in debate. This study examines the effect of establishment of the Celaque National Park, Honduras, in 1987, on limiting deforestation through a comparison with the surrounding landscape using remote sensing, GIS and landscape pattern analysis. Pressure on the park region is found to relate spatially to the locations of towns and roads, with increasing deforestation in the landscape surrounding the park. In contrast, the park has been largely successful in maintaining forest cover. Although the extent of change within the park is not pronounced, the pattern of change is. Expansion of agriculture and coffee production have led to increasing pressure on the park boundaries, with as much as 25% of the landscape surrounding the park experiencing land cover change between 1996 and 2000. This has significant implications for the future of the park.

First Report of Arceuthobium hondurense in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Honduran dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium hondurense Hawksw. & Wiens) has only been found in four locations in Honduras: west of Zamorano, east of Lepaterique, Cusuco National Park, and Celaque National Park (1,2). At one time it was believed that this mistletoe could be in danger of extinction (1). However, it has also been reported in two locations in Chiapas, Mexico (3). In December 2000, ≈1 km north of Suchixtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, near Route 175 (elevation 2,770 m), we collected a dwarf mistletoe parasitizing Pinus tecunumanii (Schw.) Eguiluz et Perry that was morphologically similar to A. hondurense (1). This population initially had been classified as A. nigrum Hawksw. & Wiens (1), but is now classified as A. hondurense based on morphology (male flower color and stigma length) (1) and analysis of nuclear rDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences from Honduras (GenBank Accession No. AF325969) and Oaxaca (GenBank Accession No. AY055215). A comparison of these two A. hondurense ITS sequences indicated they are very closely related to each other, whereas both are distinct from A. nigrum (GenBank Accession No. L25693). Specimens of A. hondurense from Oaxaca were deposited at the Deaver Herbarium, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff. To our knowledge, this is the first report of A. hondurense in Oaxaca, Mexico, and extends its known distribution west across the Isthmus of Tehuantepec from central Chiapas by ≈400 km.

First Report of Arceuthobium hondurense on Pinus tecunumannii.

Honduran dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium hondurense Hawksw. & Wiens) is a rare dwarf mistletoe found only in Honduras (1,2). Thus far, it has been reported to parasitize only Pinus oocarpa Schiede (2). In October 1999, we observed infection by A. hondurense on P. tecunumannii (Schw.) Eguiluz et Perry along the trail to the summit of Montana del Celaque (elevation 1,750 to 1,800 m) on the east side of Celaque National Park, ≈5 km west of Gracias (Department Lempira), Honduras. Infected pines had witches' brooms, and mistletoe shoot production was common on infected branches. This is the first report of A. hondurense on P. tecunumannii. Specimens of A. hondurense from P. tecunumannii were collected and have been deposited at the Herbario, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Forestales, Siguatepeque, Honduras, and at the Deaver Herbarium, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff.

First Report of Psittacanthus angustifolius on Pinus oocarpa and Pinus maximinoi.

The mistletoe Psittacanthus angustifolius Kuijt (Loranthaceae) was first described in 1987 on Pinus from Nicaragua near the Honduran border, but the species of pine was not designated (1). Kuijt (1) speculated that this mistletoe probably also occurs in Honduras. During March and October 1999 we observed P. angustifolius parasitizing Pinus oocarpa Schiede in the departments of Choluteca, Francisco Morazan, El Paraiso, Intibuca, Lempira, and Olancho in Honduras. This mistletoe appears to be a very common parasitic plant on pines in Honduras and is associated with host mortality. We also observed P. angustifolius parasitizing Pinus maximinoi H.E. Moore at two locations in the department of Lempira: one infection on a single tree 1.5 km east of El Matazano (elevation 1,400 m) and six and eight infections on two trees 0.5 km west of the main entrance to Celaque National Park east of Gracias (elevation 1,200 m). This is the first report of P. angustifolius in Honduras and the first report of this mistletoe on Pinus oocarpa and Pinus maximinoi. Specimens of P. angustifolius from Pinus oocarpa and Pinus maximinoi have been deposited at the Herbario, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Forestales, Siguatepeque, Honduras, and at the Deaver Herbarium, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff. Reference: (1) J. Kuijt. Ann. Mo. Bot. Gard. 74:511, 1987.

A New Miconia (Melastomataceae) from Celaque National Park, Honduras

Miconia celaquensis, from the montane cloud forests of Celaque National Park, Honduras, is described, illustrated, and compared with Miconia ravenii of Chiapas, Mexico, and Miconia tuerckheimii of southern Mexico and Guatemala. This new species appears to be the only Miconia restricted to Honduras and the second species of Melastomataceae endemic to the country. Unlike other Central American countries with extensive highland areas, Honduras is surprisingly depauperate in endemic species of Melastomataceae. Of the 107 taxa of melastomes presently known from Honduras, only Henriettella hondurensis Wurdack previously has been thought to be endemic to the country. Of the 42 species of Miconia occurring in Honduras, Miconia celaquensis, the species described here, is the sole member of its genus and the only other melastome endemic to Honduras. Most Honduran Melastomataceae belong to that widespread element of the neotropical flora that extends from southern Mexico through Central America to tropical Andean South America and Brazil. Fifteen species of Melastomataceae that occur in Honduras are found elsewhere only in Guatemala and southern Mexico; 10 others extend beyond the Honduran border from Nicaragua to South America. The affinities of both endemic Honduran melastomes are with congeners that are restricted to montane areas of Guatemala and adjacent Mexico, a significant secondary center of radiation for the Melastomataceae of the Mesoamerican region. Miconia celaquensis Almeda, sp. nov. TYPE: Honduras. Lempira: Campo Naranjo, 10 km SW of Gracias, Celaque National Park, 14o33'N, 88?40W, elev. 2550 m, 16 May 1992, Thomas & Mejta 329 (holotype, CAS; isotypes, EAP, HEH, MO, TEFH). Figure 1. Ramuli sulcato-quadrangulati sicut petioli inflorescentiaque pilis laevibus sparse induti pilis laevibus glanduliferis sparse intermixtis et sicut foliorum venae primariae subtus hypanthiaque pilis stipitato-stellatis erectis modice armati. Lamina 7-15.3 x 4.3-10.6 cm cordata vel ovata, 5-7-plinervata, supra modice strigosa, pilis simplicibus 1-3 mm longis, subtus pilis laevibus et pilis laevibus glanduliferis et pilis stellulatis vel barbellatis sparsiuscule vel modice puberuli. Panicula 3.5-7.5 cm longa multiflora; flores plerumque 4-meri. Ovarium 4-loculare 2/3 inferum apice in collum circum stylum protracto collo modice glanduloso-setuloso, pilis 0.1 mm longis. Shrub 0.5-2 m tall. The sulcate-quadrangulate uppermost branchlets, petioles, and inflorescences moderately covered with a mixture of simple flexuous hairs (1.5-2 mm long), spreading stipitatestellate hairs (0.25 mm long), glandular hairs (0.5 mm long), and an inconspicuous basement scattering of minute glands. Leaves of a pair subequal to somewhat unequal in size; petioles 3-6.7 cm long; blades membranaceous and brittle when dry, 715.3 x 4.3-10.6 cm, cordate varying to ovate, apex acuminate, base cordate to broadly rounded but sometimes varying to slightly oblique on the larger cordate leaves, margin denticulate to crenulate; 57-plinerved with the innermost pair of primary nerves diverging from median nerve 3-5 mm above the blade base, moderately covered adaxially with appressed or antrorsely spreading smooth hairs (1NovoN 6: 319-322. 1996. This content downloaded from 157.55.39.104 on Mon, 20 Jun 2016 06:31:04 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms