Among parasites with vertebrate hosts, myxozoans (Cnidaria) remain some of the least studied both taxonomically and geographically. We conducted the first reported surveys for myxozoans from amphibian hosts in Ecuador at two localities: a mid-elevation cloud forest on the Chocó region (western slopes of the Andes) and a lowland Amazonian tropical forest, east of the Andes. We sampled 177 gall bladders and 17 kidneys across the surveys. We found no evidence of myxozoans in the cloud forest site. Myxozoans of the genus Cystodiscus were encountered in the gallbladders of multiple amphibian species from the Amazonian rainforest site, including new host records. Our molecular phylogenies show that, while many of these myxozoans were referable to a clade of C. cf. immersus, we also discovered a divergent lineage of Cystodiscus in the gall bladder of a host that, unlike other known amphibian hosts, has arboreal oviposition. We describe this lineage as a new species, Cystodiscus insperatus n. sp., and infer transmission scenarios consistent with the unique ecology of its frog host. We also report for the first time molecular evidence of a possible new lineage of Sphaerospora living in the kidneys of Osteocephalus taurinus (Anura). Collectively, our study highlights the potential for (i) large biogeographic barriers (like the Andes) to influence the distribution of myxozoans and (ii) intermediate host ecology to drive the evolution of novel lineages of these parasites.

The fimicolous Mexican Pezizales are an interesting group of fungi for which there is a lack of adequate studies. Two new species of coprophilous Pezizales are described based on morphological, histochemical, and molecular characters from a cleared tropical montane cloud forest in western Mexico (Talpa, Jalisco), where they thrive in the excreta of cows and horses. This study utilizes certain histochemical characters as taxonomic markers to identify and distinguish the species. Iodophanus jaliscoensis Alv.-Cortés, R.Valenz. & Raymundo sp. nov. with paraphyses with carotenoid pigments that react with ferric sulfuric chloride (FeCl3-H2SO4), generating a sky blue hue (23C4), and Boubovia talpensis Alv.-Cortés, Mart.-Pineda & Raymundo sp. nov. with paraphyses with unsaturated derivatives of golden color (4C6) with potassium permanganate (KMnO4). Bouvobia species is a newly recorded genus in the TMCF and the country. This group of fungi is a crucial source of metabolites, and this research lays the foundation for future studies in taxonomy and biotechnology.

Understanding evolutionary relationships in domesticated crops and their wild relatives is often challenging because of their recent divergence, and still ongoing interspecific gene flow. These processes blur species boundaries and complicate phylogenetic reconstruction. The genus Sechium (Cucurbitaceae), which includes the cultivated chayote (S. edule ssp. edule), a Neglected and Underutilized Species (NUS), and its related wild taxa, represents one of such cases. Using genome-wide Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) analyzed under a population genomics framework, we explored the species barriers of Sechium and reconstructed its phylogeny using multispecies coalescent models. Our results clarify taxonomic boundaries within the genus, confirming S. edule ssp. sylvestre as the closest wild relative of the cultivated chayote, and supporting species-level distinction among wild taxa. Divergence within Sechium mostly occurred during the Pleistocene, and our data point to the "Oaxaca" biogeographic province, in southern Mexico, including parts of the states of Oaxaca, Puebla and Veracruz, as the most likely center of chayote domestication. Several metrics revealed low genetic diversity and small contemporary effective population sizes (Ne) in wild taxa, highlighting their vulnerability under ongoing tropical cloud forest loss. These findings emphasize the urgent need to integrate wild Sechium species into national and international conservation frameworks. More broadly, this study demonstrates how combining phylogenomics and conservation genomics can help resolve taxonomic uncertainty, trace domestication processes, and guide the preservation of Crop Wild Relatives (CWR); particularly those associated with NUS that remain vital for future food security and agroecosystem resilience.

ABSTRACT Background One well-established hypothesis to explain high epiphyte diversity in the Neotropics is the vertical niche differentiation hypothesis (VNDH). The VNDH posits that Neotropical epiphytic biodiversity is driven by the differentiation of epiphytes into specialised niches throughout the forest canopy. However, few studies have taken an experimental approach to testing this hypothesis. Aims To determine whether epiphyte morphospecies exhibit vertical niche specialisation and whether shifts in vertical position affect their survival. Methods We assessed the vertical distribution of 35 common epiphyte morphospecies across 30 focal host trees to characterise naturally occurring variability in epiphyte distributions. We then experimentally transplanted individuals from their original canopy positions to the understorey to test the effects of altered vertical strata on survival. Results None of the 35 morphospecies were strictly specialised by height zone and many were non-uniformly distributed throughout the canopy. Survival rates declined with increasing original canopy height – epiphytes found higher in the canopy were less likely to persist after relocation to the understorey. Conclusion Our results support the notion of vertical stratification among Neotropical vascular epiphytes and experimentally demonstrate survival consequences linked to this stratification. These findings contribute to understanding mechanisms underlying tropical epiphyte diversity and offer insights for forest managers interested in the sustainable horticulture of tropical epiphytes.

Epiphytes are representative groups of plants from the mountain cloud forest. This research was conducted in Tlalnehuayoan, Veracruz, Mexico, to identify epiphyte species richness in a macadamia nut crop. The area comprised 800 m2, where cover, canopy richness, frequency, and epiphyte location were estimated. Results found 22 epiphyte species. The most represented genus was Tillandsia, with 10 species. The highest frequency was recorded in the middle area of the canopy. It is concluded that epiphytes can colonize macadamia trees mainly in the denser regions.

Background: Monitoring soil properties such as moisture, temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, and nutrient availability is essential for agricultural management and environmental studies. However, many soil monitoring systems remain expensive or require complex instrumentation, limiting their accessibility for routine field measurements. Methods: In this study, a low-cost georeferenced datalogger was developed using an Arduino Mega 2560 platform integrated with a multiparameter soil sensor capable of measuring soil moisture, temperature, electrical conductivity, pH, and estimated concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. The system also incorporates a GPS module for geospatial positioning and a microSD module for data storage. Field validation tests were conducted under contrasting environmental conditions across several regions of central and eastern Mexico. Results: The device was transported approximately 900 km under real road conditions and operated continuously without signal instability or hardware malfunction. A total of 35 measurement points were collected across tropical lowlands, coastal environments, and montane cloud forest ecosystems. The measured ranges of soil variables were consistent with values reported in previous studies, demonstrating the operational stability and functionality of the system. Conclusion: The proposed system provides a reliable and portable solution for georeferenced soil monitoring. Its low-cost design, ease of operation, and stable performance under diverse environmental conditions highlight its potential as a practical tool for field measurements, environmental monitoring, and precision agriculture applications.

Neotropical montane cloud forests are terrestrial ecosystems characterized by a consistent high humidity from clouds or mist. Geographically, these forests occur along the Andes, Mesoamerica, and the Caribbean mountain ranges. They have a complex biogeographic history, reflected in their great biodiversity, which includes a high proportion of endemic species. Over the last three decades, several studies examining the spatial distributional patterns of different biological groups have provided valuable insights into identifying areas of endemism in these forests. These analyses differ in terms of taxa, inclusion criteria, methods, spatial scales, and operational geographic units, revealing both shared and contrasting results. Based on a comprehensive review and comparative synthesis of previously published biogeographic studies, we compared recent contributions that describe distributional patterns of fungi, plants, mammals, amphibians, birds, and insects restricted to the Neotropical montane cloud forest. We identified seven well-supported areas of endemism and three additional regions as potential areas of endemism, and we provide a list of endemic taxa diagnosing these natural biotic units. The areas of endemism detected in the montane cloud forest of America correspond to their main mountain chains: (1) Northeastern Mexico, (2) Western and Central Mexico (3) Southern Mexico, (4) Eastern Mexico to north-central Nicaragua, (5) Northwestern South America, including the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Serranía de Perijá, (6) Western South America, and (7) Southern Andean Yungas. Each of these regions encompasses different levels of species richness and composition. Comparing areas of endemism across phylogenetically unrelated taxonomic groups enables us to test hypotheses about the shared history of sympatric species. Furthermore, these areas of endemism have important implications for conservation, particularly where regions of high richness across different biological groups overlap. The quality and quantity of data available for each biological group condition the delimitation of areas of endemism between different taxonomic groups. The factors that influence the delimitation of these areas include the delimitation and taxonomy of species, data gaps or unsampled regions, as well as biogeographic methods and the size unit used to delimit areas of endemism. There is no standard in the parameters for delimiting areas of endemism (grid origin, species score, endemism index, among others) to provide a starting point of comparison. Our review found at least four areas of endemism for the Mesoamerican cloud forest and three areas of endemism for the cloud forest of South America. The overlap among previously reported areas of endemism (using various methods and spatial scales) suggests that these regions harbor a high degree of endemism across different biological groups, including both restricted and shared taxa, indicating a common biogeographic history.

Variation of above-ground tree biomass and soil carbon stocks across neotropical forest types

ABSTRACT Aim It is well‐documented that the tropical forest biota is vertically stratified, and ecological theories from studies of the latitudinal gradient have been applied to predict and understand how communities vary across vertical strata. In butterflies, differences in abiotic conditions between the canopy and the understorey promote the evolution of distinct flight morphologies and physiologies. However, how these distinct morphologies relate to differences in dispersal ability is poorly explored and we lack a general understanding of how and why vertical stratification influences community turnover in tropical forests. Here, we explored how vertical stratification influences diversity, horizontal spatial similarity of assemblages and distance‐decay patterns in understory and canopy butterflies across multiple ecosystems. Location Seven forest ecosystems in Ecuador, South America. Taxon Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea). Methods We assessed patterns of diversity by employing data from standardized butterfly monitoring programmes during the years 2011–2019 across seven sites in Ecuador (37,370 records from 1099 species), and a framework based on metacommunity theory and Jost's diversity estimates. Results Our results suggest three vertical patterns for neotropical butterfly communities: (a) a strong partitioning of canopy and understorey subcommunities, with distinct resulting diversity profiles; (b) greater spatial similarity for the canopy assemblages compared to the understorey (both locally and regionally); and (c) steeper distance‐decay patterns for understorey assemblages compared to the canopy. Main Conclusions Our study shows the generality of vertical stratification diversity patterns across multiple Neotropical ecosystems, including previously unstudied montane cloud forests. It also shows that horizontal variation in community composition depends on the vertical position of taxa within Neotropical forests and is in general consistent with predictions based on species ecology and morphology.

Rainfall is a key abiotic factor influencing species' overall fitness and their ecological interactions. Although rainfall's effects are expected to be generally positive, high-intensity rainfall can damage biological structures and thereby reduce fitness. As silk structures should be particularly vulnerable to heavy rainfall, web-building spiders can serve as ideal systems for examining the impacts of rainfall on organisms and their extended phenotypes. Here, we investigated how spider webs with different geometries-two-dimensional (2D) orbs and three-dimensional (3D) tangles and sheet-and-tangles-are affected by varying levels of rainfall intensity given both their physical structure and microhabitat use. We studied the impact of rainfall on spider webs along an elevational gradient on the eastern slopes of the Tropical Andes in Ecuador where rain intensity ranges from strong (> 4 mm/h) to mild (< 2 mm/h) from the lowland rainforests to higher-elevation cloud forests. We found that web damage significantly increased with rainfall intensity, but the amount of damage webs suffered differed for different web types. Orb webs, which are built in open microhabitats, had the highest probability of damage. Sheet-and-tangle webs, on the other hand, suffered the greatest material loss, likely due to their high silk content, despite being located in more protected microhabitats. A manipulative experiment showed that webs artificially protected from the rain suffered significantly less damage than those left unprotected, demonstrating the role of immediate cover in mitigating the impact of rainfall as a function of microhabitat use. Our findings demonstrate that spiders with different web architectures are differentially affected by heavy rainfall, thus highlighting the need to consider rainfall intensity as a factor determining the composition of web-building spider communities across precipitation gradients.

Communication through scent-marking plays a crucial role in animal fitness, particularly for solitary species such as the Andean bear, in which it fulfills the function of advertising individual attributes to conspecifics and managing social interactions. However, research on the scent-marking behavior of Andean bears and the impact of free-ranging dogs on their chemical communication remains limited. This paper aims to characterize Andean bears’ scent-marking behavior and to study the overlap of their daily activity patterns with free-ranging dogs in a key biological corridor linking the Andes to the Amazon region. We collected data using camera traps in front of 10 trees selected for rubbing by Andean bears. Cameras were deployed in the Guácharos-Puracé Biological Corridor Regional Natural Park (PNRGP), Colombia, from April 2023 to April 2024. We determined the transition probabilities of marking behaviors using finite Markov chains. We compared the time budget for the behaviors displayed by Andean bears at rub trees by age and sex. Finally, we described the temporal overlap of Andean bears and free-ranging dogs and analyzed whether it differed between rainfall seasons. Results revealed significant intersexual differences in the time budget of scent-marking, with adult males investing more time on marking than females and subadults. This behavior was prevalent during the dry season. The daily activity patterns of Andean bears and free-ranging dogs were predominantly diurnal. Both species showed high temporal overlap during the dry season (77%), decreasing during the general analysis (75%) and the wet season (69%). We also suggest an increased potential for interspecific interactions between Andean bears and free-ranging dogs that could negatively impact the former, through competition, altered communication patterns and the potential transmission of diseases. We emphasize the need for further studies on the impact of free-ranging dogs on wildlife, particularly on the intraspecific communication of Andean bears.

ABSTRACT Understanding successional trajectories in abandoned lands is critical for predicting forest recovery potential in the Atlantic Forest, a global biodiversity hotspot. Over a decade of field monitoring (2014–2025) in permanent plots in the subtropical highlands of southern Brazil, we analyzed the dynamics of tree‐shrub components in abandoned pastures established after cloud forest clearing, tracking temporal changes in abundance, species richness, height, and floristic similarity to reference forests. We used Generalized Additive Mixed Models and survival analysis to assess temporal trends and mortality patterns. Abandoned pastures showed significant increases in woody plant abundance (+62.5%, p &lt; 0.001) and species richness (+55.5%, p &lt; 0.001), with mean height increasing marginally (+13%, p = 0.041). However, floristic similarity to forest reference communities remained unchanged at approximately 20% throughout the monitoring period ( p = 0.987). Survival analysis revealed higher seedling survival in abandoned pastures compared to natural grassland (HR = 8.77, 95% CI: 6.62–11.61). The contrasting patterns between structural recovery (increasing abundance and richness) and the absence of compositional convergence toward forest communities (static floristic similarity) suggest that abandoned highland pastures may be developing along divergent successional trajectories rather than progressing toward forest recovery. These findings raise questions about whether passive regeneration alone can achieve forest recovery goals within reasonable restoration timeframes in subtropical highlands with similar land‐use histories.

Drought-induced tree mortality underscores the need for improved physiological models to predict tree responses to water stress. We employed a hysteresis modelling approach analyzing diel water absorption and desorption cycles to understand drought-induced shifts in physiological thresholds. We applied this approach to sap flow (Js), stem diameter fluctuation (SDF), stem volumetric water content fluctuation (SVWCF), and vapour pressure deficit (VPD), datasets from two throughfall reduction experiments in contrasting ecosystems: a cloud forest (Peru) and a temperate forest (USA). Using a generalised transcendental equation, we quantified five diurnal hysteresis loops (Js:VPD, Js:SDF, Js:SVWCF, SDF:VPD, SVWCF:VPD) and derived hysteresis parameters (centroids, area, lag and angle of rotation) and physiological thresholds, i.e. transitions from water absorption to desorption and from water desorption to absorption. The model captured nonlinear physiological responses and highlighted the hysteresis strength and out-of-phase dynamics in each hysteresis loop. Droughted trees exhibiting contrasting patterns of stem shrinkage and moisture depletion revealed distinct water-use strategies: a stem water-extractive strategy under stress, relying on internal water storage, versus a conservative drought-avoidance strategy, maintaining a positive stem water balance. Our findings suggest that hysteresis-derived parameters serve as diagnostic tools and early indicators of drought stress, improving predictions of tree hydraulic resilience and water use strategies.

Birds have long inspired humans, and throughout history they have maintained a close interrelationship. The traditional ecological knowledge of rural communities is often profound, while the natural history of bird species, often little studied by ornithologists, can be highly relevant for their conservation. Pajareros in Mexico are people whose trade involves capturing birds,keeping them in captivity, for later commercialization. In some areas of the montane cloud forest of the Sierra Made Occidental, the Slate-colored Solitaire is a species of economic, cultural and identity importance for these people. The objective of this article is to integrate knowledge and environmental history with the pajareros trade, by identifying and documenting elements of their traditional ecological knowledge that contribute to expanding the ornithological knowledge on this species. Through qualitative methods, including guided tours, interviews with key informants and content analysis, information was obtained on the morphology, sexual dimorphism, molting, reproduction, movements, social behavior, vocalizations and population trends of Slate-colored Solitaire. The traditional ecological knowledge of pajareros documented and systematized in this research, contains the necessary elements to be recognized as valid ornithological knowledge.

This manuscript formally describes Scottmoria santafeensis, Scottmoria ilianacisneroi and Scottmoria gracie. These are new tree species from the tropical cloud forests of Santa Fe National Park in Veraguas, Cerro Pirre and Cerro Sapo from Darien National Park in Darien, Panamá. Information is provided on their conservation status, ecology, distribution, habitat, common name, diagnostic characters, and phenology. Photo plates of each species in the field are included, and a distribution map is provided.

The distribution of vascular epiphytes on host trees has been linked to deterministic factors associated with host characteristics and microclimatic variation. To evaluate the taxonomic and functional spatial structure of vascular epiphytes in a lower montane cloud forest of the Colombian Andes, epiphytes were sampled following the SVERA protocol, and their position was recorded using Johansson’s zonation scheme. Epiphytes showed higher abundance below the first branching zones (Z1 and Z2), which also exhibited the highest functional richness, encompassing most of the functional space on host trees. In contrast, specialized nutrient uptake strategies and CAM metabolism were more frequent in upper zones, suggesting environmental filtering along the host gradient. These results demonstrate clear taxonomic and functional spatial structuring of vascular epiphyte assemblages in this lower montane cloud forest.

We report the discovery of arboreal multi-species mammal latrines in montane cloud forests of Costa Rica. We surveyed 169 trees from 29 species. Canopy multi-species latrines were only found in 11 individuals of a single tree species, Ficus tuerckheimii. Camera traps recorded 17 mammal species and a total of 181 visits over 60 days, indicating that some vertebrates frequently visit canopy latrines. Among the most notable visitors was the two-toed sloth (Choloepus hoffmanni), a species long documented to descend to the ground exclusively to defecate. Our findings suggest that sloths may also use arboreal latrines, challenging a long-standing assumption in sloth ecology and raising new questions about the drivers of their defecation behavior. As with terrestrial latrines, canopy latrines may also play a role in interspecific communication, provide spatial cues, and affect nutrient dynamics in forest canopies. All these aspects highlight the potentially important role that Ficus tuerckheimii might have in these interaction points.

Carbon exchange in a tropical montane rainforest: Annual budgets, drivers, and anomalies

ABSTRACT Taiwan hinoki ( Chamaecyparis obtusa Sieb. &amp; Zucc. var. formosana (Hayata) Rehder) is one of the dominant coniferous species in subtropical montane cloud forests in Taiwan, with a high affinity for fog immersion. With the changing climate, the species is expected to face new environmental challenges. Field observations indicate that seedlings are mainly establishing on coarse woody debris (CWD) rather than forest soil, and on surfaces covered by bryophytes rather than those without. To test this “safe site” hypothesis together with vulnerability to climate change, we conducted a factorial growth‐chamber experiment. We quantified seedling performance and functional traits under varying substrate types (forest soil vs. CWD), presence/absence of bryophyte carpets, and three increasingly short‐duration drought regimes. Contrary to the prediction of the hypothesis, CWD alone resulted in poor seedling performance due to severe nutrient limitations. However, bryophyte carpets acted as a critical facilitator; the humus layer accumulated beneath bryophytes provided high concentrations of N, P, and K, allowing seedlings on CWD to achieve growth rates comparable to those on forest soil. While drought was confirmed as a significant stress factor, neither CWD nor bryophytes provided strong evidence for the expected hydrological buffering capacity. These findings suggest that the regeneration success observed on CWD in the field is driven by bryophyte nutrient facilitation rather than the wood substrate itself. Consequently, while bryophytes can ameliorate nutrient stress, the seedlings' high susceptibility to drought indicates that increasing dry intervals under future climate scenarios poses a critical threat to early‐stage regeneration.

Will epiphyte loss exacerbate climate change effects in tropical montane cloud forests?