Ecuadorian Forest Research Articles

Functional traits of epiphytic lichens in response to forest disturbance and as predictors of total richness and diversity

Epiphytic lichens are good ecological indicators of climatic and environmental changes. The physiology of lichens is related with their morphology and anatomy (traits) and thus the response to changes in the environment could be related with these traits. In this study we evaluate lichen functional traits to understand the mechanisms of community assembly in response to deforestation of tropical montane forests in Ecuador. Based on this, we propose and indicator value as a complement to evaluate the disturbance level of forests. Finally, we evaluate the use of selected functional traits to infer total species richness and diversity of tropical montane forests. We assessed nine different traits related with photobiont type, growth form, reproductive strategy and chemistry of epiphytic lichens on the trunk bases of 240 trees in three types of forests according to a disturbance gradient (primary forests and secondary vegetation). Most functional traits of the lichen communities were related to structural changes (i.e canopy cover and tree diameter) along the forest disturbance gradient. Several functional groups of lichens as cyanolichens, and those with a gelatinose, filamentose and squamulose growth forms and species without secondary compounds were more abundant in primary forests. On the other hand, fruticose, foliose species with narrow lobes, and with lirellae were most abundant in disturbed forest. Growth forms are useful to infer total lichen richness and diversity in montane tropical forests. Based on these results we recommend the use of lichen functional traits as a tool and a complement for conservation studies and forest management.

Growth, survival, carbon rates for some dry tropical forest trees used in enrichment planting in the Cerro Blanco protected forest on the Ecuadorian coast

ABSTRACTDeforestation principally to establish cattle pastures has created large expanses of land dominated by exotic grass prior to the establishment of the Cerro Blanco Protected Forest in Ecuador. A dry forest restoration program was carried out from 2008 to 2017. Tree planting sites were cleared in parallel lines through abandoned pasture and secondary vegetation using manual labor. Native tree species were produced in a nursery on site and used in yearly plantings during the rainy season. A total of 637 hectares were planted at an average stocking density of 1,000 trees per hectare. Growth data was collected from trees planted in nine sites from 2008 to 2017. Mortality rates were determined from a sample of 400 trees of twenty-two species. Survival of all species was greater than 50%. Ten species had survival rates greater than 90%. Vitex gigantea, with high survival rates, also had significantly greater growth rates than the other species (p < 0.0001) and showed the greatest yearly accumulation of total carbon (2.07 Kg C yr −1 stem−1). Other species with high growth rates were Cordia alliodora and Centrolobium ochroxylum. This restoration program demonstrates that the dry forest restoration with timely maintenance and protection from fire and grazing is possible with intensive tree planting of native species.

Biological versus geochemical control and environmental change drivers of the base metal budgets of a tropical montane forest in Ecuador during 15 years

To assess the susceptibility of the base metal budget of a remote tropical montane forest in Ecuador to environmental change, we determined the extent of biological control of base metal fluxes and explored the impact of atmospheric inputs and precipitation, considered as potential drivers of ecosystem change, on the base metal fluxes. We quantified all major base metal fluxes in a ca. 9.1 ha forested catchment from 1998 to 2013. Mean (±s.d.) annual flux to the soil via throughfall + stemflow + litterfall was 13800 ± 1500 mg m−2 Ca, 19000 ± 1510 mg m−2 K, 4690 ± 619 mg m−2 Mg and 846 ± 592 mg m−2 Na of which 22 ± 6, 45 ± 16, 39 ± 10 and 84 ± 33%, respectively, were leached to below the organic layer. The mineral soil retained 79–94% of this Ca, K and Mg, while Na was released. Weathering rates estimated with three different approaches ranged from not detected (ND) to 504 mg m−2 year−1 Ca, ND-1770 mg m−2 year−1 K, 287–597 mg m−2 year−1 Mg and 403–540 mg m−2 year−1 Na. The size of mainly biologically controlled aboveground fluxes of Ca, K and Mg was 1–2 orders of magnitude larger than that of mainly geochemically controlled fluxes (sorption to soil and weathering). The elemental catchment budgets (total deposition − streamflow) were positive for Ca (574 ± 893 mg m−2) and K (1330 ± 773 mg m−2), negative for Na (−370 ± 1300 mg m−2) and neutral for Mg (1.89 ± 304 mg m−2). Our results demonstrate that biological processes controlled element retention for Ca, K and Mg in the biological part of the ecosystem. This was different for Na, which was mainly released by weathering from the study catchment, while the biological part of the ecosystem was Na-poor. The deposition of base metals was the strongest driver of their budgets suggesting that the base metal cycling of the study ecosystem is susceptible to changing deposition.

Deforestation dynamics and drivers in different forest types in Latin America: Three decades of studies (1980–2010)

Abstract Over the last decades there have been a considerable number of deforestation studies in Latin America reporting lower rates compared with other regions; although these studies are either regional or local and do not allow the comparison of the intraregional variability present among countries or forest types. Here, we present the results obtained from a systematic review of 369 articles (published from 1990 to 2014) about deforestation rates for 17 countries and forest types (tropical lowland, tropical montane, tropical and subtropical dry, subtropical temperate and mixed, and Atlantic forests). Drivers identified as direct or indirect causes of deforestation in the literature were also analysed. With an overall annual deforestation rate of −1.14 (±0.092 SE) in the region, we compared the rates per forest type and country. The results indicate that there is a high variability of forest loss rates among countries and forest types. In general, Chile and Argentina presented the highest deforestation rates (−3.28 and −2.31 yearly average, respectively), followed by Ecuador and Paraguay (−2.19 and −1.89 yearly average, respectively). Atlantic forests (−1.62) and tropical montane forests (−1.55) presented the highest deforestation rates for the region. In particular, tropical lowland forests in Ecuador (−2.42) and tropical dry forests in Mexico (−2.88) and Argentina (−2.20) were the most affected. In most countries, the access to markets and agricultural and forest activities are the main causes of deforestation; however, the causes vary according to the forest types. Deforestation measurements focused at different scales and on different forest types will help governments to improve their reports for international initiatives, such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) but, more importantly, for developing local policies for the sustainable management of forests and for reducing the deforestation in Latin America.

Genitalic Differentiations in Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Gueneé) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Associated with Solanaceae Crops in Ecuador.

Neoleucinodes elegantalis (Guenée) is an oligophagous species of plants in the Solanaceae family that has a broad geographical distribution in the tropical zones of South America. It is the most important insect pest of naranjilla (Solanum quitoense Lamarck), a crop grown in threatened areas of the tropical old-growth forest in Ecuador. In this study, two host-specific populations of N. elegantalis were collected from infested fruit of naranjilla and tree tomato (Solanum betaceum Cavanilles) in different locations. Sexually virgin adult insects (93 females and 103 males) were dissected to extract their genitalia to measure 12 morphological variables in females and six in males, resulting in six and four informative variables respectively. Using univariate and multivariate analysis of variance, it was found that the Solanaceous host was the main factor differentiating the area measurements of the seventh abdominal segment and ostium bursae in female genitalia, and cornuti length in male genitalia. Principal components generated with these measurements were employed in a logistic regression model for the classification of the Solanaceous host. Female genitalia of individuals from S. betaceum showed significantly larger ostium bursae relative to female genitalia from S. quitoense. For males, individuals collected from S. betaceum showed longer cornuti length than samples collected from S. quitoense. The results suggest genotypic differentiation according to the Solanaceous host or phenotypic plasticity in N. elegantalis. Further molecular and bio-geographical studies are needed to properly differentiate N. elegantalis populations that would help in the control of this pest.

Multidate, multisensor remote sensing reveals high density of carbon-rich mountain peatlands in the páramo of Ecuador.

Tropical peatlands store a significant portion of the global soil carbon (C) pool. However, tropical mountain peatlands contain extensive peat soils that have yet to be mapped or included in global C estimates. This lack of data hinders our ability to inform policy and apply sustainable management practices to these peatlands that are experiencing unprecedented high rates of land use and land cover change. Rapid large-scale mapping activities are urgently needed to quantify tropical wetland extent and rate of degradation. We tested a combination of multidate, multisensor radar and optical imagery (Landsat TM/PALSAR/RADARSAT-1/TPI image stack) for detecting peatlands in a 2715km2 area in the high elevation mountains of the Ecuadorian páramo. The map was combined with an extensive soil coring data set to produce the first estimate of regional peatland soil C storage in the páramo. Our map displayed a high coverage of peatlands (614km2 ) containing an estimated 128.2±9.1 Tg of peatland belowground soil C within the mapping area. Scaling-up to the country level, páramo peatlands likely represent less than 1% of the total land area of Ecuador but could contain as much as ~23% of the above- and belowground vegetation C stocks in Ecuadorian forests. These mapping approaches provide an essential methodological improvement applicable to mountain peatlands across the globe, facilitating mapping efforts in support of effective policy and sustainable management, including national and global C accounting and C management efforts.

Variation in seed production of Jatropha curcas L. accessions under tropical dry forest conditions in Ecuador

The Ecuadorian Government has, since the end of 2011, promoted an initiative for using pure jatropha oil, derived from the seeds of Jatropha curcas L., to generate electricity to supply Floreana Island (one of the Galapagos Islands). In the present study, nine elite accessions of J. curcas from tropical dry forests in Ecuador were cultivated for the purpose of evaluating seed production in relation to the propagation method used (seed, cutting). A split-plot design with three replicates was applied. Seed production, measured over a period of 7 years (2009–2015) showed a large year-to-year variation. However, seed production varied significantly among accessions and depended on the propagation method (seeds or cuttings). Propagation by stem cuttings stabilized the variability in the vegetative and seed production components measured, increasing the strength of their relationships with seed yield. The three highest yielding accessions produced 0.28–0.30 kg of seeds tree−1 year−1. As seed yield was not correlated with annual precipitation, the year-to-year variation in production of accessions indicates the effect of other factors not considered here, such as agronomic practices. The study findings suggest that agroforestry practices could be developed that would enable J. curcas to play a predominant role in a strategy for tropical dry forests aimed at reducing poverty (also known as pro-poor growth strategy).

Potential of TerraSAR-X and Sentinel 1 imagery to map deforested areas and derive degradation status in complex rain forests of Ecuador

This study explores the use of TerraSAR-X (X-Band) and Sentinel-1 (C-Band) SAR data for detecting degraded forests and deforestation in the Sumaco Biosphere Reserve, Ecuador. The study area shows a complex topography and permanent cloud cover, which complicates forest monitoring from optical remote sensing. Thresholds of canopy cover for degraded forest were identified by field data. Then a straightforward object-based approach was applied. Statistics on SAR backscatter were estimated from the objects and used as input to a random forest classification to map forest and non-forest areas. Finally, forest degradation was assessed using a moving window procedure applying the earlier identified thresholds on the forest / non-forest map. The SAR data were found adequate to map deforestation (overall accuracy of 81% for forest/non forest maps) but less accurate to fully assess forest degradation. However, multi-temporal SAR data can be useful to construct baseline data of the forest extent. Polarization and interferometric information could enhance the presented results for classifying forest / non forest areas and mapping forest degradation.

Gradient (elevation) vs. disturbance (agriculture) effects on primary cloud forest in Ecuador: floristics and physical structure

BackgroundCloud forests are common in the Neotropics and an important part of its hydrological cycle. An investigation on how elevation and recovery from agriculture affects cloud forest floristics and physical structure in Ecuador was undertaken.MethodsSpecies and diameter at a specified height (dsh) of trees were sampled in large plots in Maquipucuna and Yanacocha cloud forests in Ecuador and also in smaller plots at Maquipucuna recovering after cropping in sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L.) and banana (Musa sp.).Results(1) Palicourea sp. was the only species found at both primary sites; Vernonia pallens Sch.Bip., Erythrina megistophylla Diels, Nectandra sp., and Miconia sp. were found in both primary and secondary plots at Maquipucuna; and Miconia sp. was the only species in common between the Maquipucuna secondary plots and the primary plot at Yanacocha Reserve. (2) The mean stem size was similar between the primary Maquipucuna plots and the Yanacocha plot, but the Yanacocha plot had more total stems and more stems in each size category, which lead to more basal area, above-ground biomass, and canopy closure at Yanacocha compared to Maquipucuna. (3) In the secondary plots, there were no stems larger than 29 cm dsh at breast height, which lead to a much smaller mean stem size and lower basal area, above-ground biomass, and canopy closure compared to the primary plots at both sites.ConclusionsFor the primary cloud forest at Maquipucuna, an increase in elevation changed the species-level floristics more than conversion to and then abandonment from agriculture; however, while a rise in elevation increased the number of stems, agriculture reduced stem size structure.

Morphology, imbibition and germination of Caesalpinia glabrata Kunth (Fabaceae) seeds distributed in a tropical dry forest

Evaluar rasgos funcionales en semillas permite identificar estrategias ecológicas de las plantas en diferentes hábitats. Sin embargo son pocos los estudios en especies de zonas áridas tropicales. Los objetivos del trabajo fueron: a) identificar y evaluar características morfológicas de las semillas de Caesalpinia glabrata; especie endémica de los bosques secos del Ecuador, b) determinar la capacidad de absorción de agua en las semillas y c) evaluar el porcentaje y velocidad de germinación. Se evaluaron 15 rasgos morfológicos en las semillas y se probaron diferentes tratamientos de imbibición y germinación. El tamaño individual de las semillas fue aproximadamente 9.2 x 6.6 x 4.5 mm, con peso de 0.18 g. Las semillas son ovaladas con testa lisa, gruesa e impermeable, lo que induce dormición física. Embrión amarillo, axilar-invertido ocupando todo el interior de la semilla. La germinación fue alta en los tratamientos, principalmente cuando se removió parte la testa superando el 90 % en 10 días. El tiempo de germinación fue significativamente diferente entre los tratamientos (P&lt; 0.001). Basados en los rasgos evaluados, C. glabrata tienen alta probabilidad de éxito reproductivo bajo condiciones de aridez ambiental temporal, además de gran potencial de uso en programas de reforestación y conservación ex situ.

Performance of Seedlings of a Shade-Tolerant Tropical Tree Species after Moderate Addition of N and P

Nitrogen deposition to tropical forests is predicted to increase in future in many regions due to agricultural intensification. We conducted a seedling transplantation experiment in a tropical premontane forest in Ecuador with a locally abundant late-successional tree species (Pouteria torta, Sapotaceae) aimed at detecting species-specific responses to moderate N and P addition and to understand how increasing nutrient availability will affect regeneration. From locally collected seeds, 320 seedlings were produced and transplanted to the plots of the Ecuadorian Nutrient Manipulation Experiment (NUMEX) with three treatments (moderate N addition: 50 kg N ha-1 yr-1, moderate P addition: 10 kg P ha-1 yr-1 and combined N and P addition) and a control (80 plants per treatment). After 12 months, mortality, relative growth rate, leaf nutrient content and leaf herbivory rate were measured. N and NP addition significantly increased the mortality rate (70 % vs. 54 % in the control). However, N and P addition also increased the diameter growth rate of the surviving seedlings. N and P addition did not alter foliar nutrient concentrations and leaf N:P ratio, but N addition decreased the leaf C:N ratio and increased SLA. P addition (but not N addition) resulted in higher leaf area loss to herbivore consumption and also shifted carbon allocation to root growth. This fertilization experiment with a common rainforest tree species conducted in old-growth forest shows that already moderate doses of added N and P are affecting seedling performance which most likely will have consequences for the competitive strength in the understory and the recruitment success of P. torta. Simultaneous increases in growth, herbivory and mortality rates make it difficult to assess the species’ overall performance and predict how a future increase in nutrient deposition will alter the abundance of this species in the Andean tropical montane forests.

Birds of Bosque Protector Jerusalem, Guayllabamba Valley, Ecuador

The Ecuadorian inter-Andean dry valleys are highly affected by human intervention. Currently, less than 5% of the original vegetation cover of these valleys remains on creeks and hillsides. Bosque Protector Jerusalem (1,110 ha), in the upper Guayllabamba River valley, protects the largest remnants of inter-Andean dry forest in Ecuador. Here, we present data derived from two recent studies (from 2009 to 2013), as well as information collected by other authors in previous studies, between the years 2002 and 2009. We present a unified list of 75 species of birds, accounts for species of particular interest, new distributional records, and considerations about the conservation of the study area.

Dinámica de los servicios ambientales de los bosques secos deciduos del Ecuador

This paper considers the legal, environmental and social aspects of the “Socio Forest Program” to ensure the conservation of the environmental services of dry deciduous forests in Ecuador. These forests are formations on the warm plains of the Ecuadorian coast, have the characteristic of losing 75 % of their leaves during the dry season. At present, an area of 467 210,89 hectares of Dry Deciduous Forest, spread throughout the provinces of Manabi, Guayas, Santa Elena, El Oro and Loja. Since 2008, the Ministry of Environment of Ecuador, implements a policy of incentives for the conservation of native forests, the participants or partners in this program are committed to preserve the areas and in return receive an economic incentive per hectare conserved.

Biosorption of Copper (II) by the Microorganisms Isolated from the Crude-Oil-Contaminated Soil

The objective of this study was to isolate and screen the highly efficient copper-removing microorganisms from the petroleum hydrocarbon (PH)-contaminated sites in the Amazonian rain forest in Ecuador. Two bacterial strains (strain UEAB3 and UEAB6) have shown 100% microbial resistance on the nutrient medium containing 100 mM of MgCl2, FeCl3, and Al2(SO4)3 separately. Though these two strains were less tolerant of ZnCl2 and CuSO4.5H2O, they have proven 100% resistance at the lower concentrations of these two metals. According to atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) analysis, the filamentous fungi (strains UEAFr and UEAFg) were significantly (p<0.05) effective at bacteria in the biosorption (97–100%) of copper (5 mg L−1) over 7 d. As per 16/18S rDNA sequences, UEAB3, UEAB6, UEAFr, and UEAFg were Bacillus thuringiensis, Bacillus cereus, Geomyces pannorum, and Geomyces sp., respectively. From these results, it can be comprehensively concluded that the isolated microbial cultures had a capacity to remove the copper metal from the liquid medium.

Many caterpillars in a montane rain forest in Ecuador are not classical herbivores

Abstract:Lepidopteran caterpillars are typically classified as herbivorous insects. Other feeding associations have been known for a long time but are often neglected in the ecological literature. In samples from 194 shrubs belonging to 16 species of Piperaceae and Asteraceae, which were taken in a montane forest and succession habitats in southern Ecuador, caterpillar assemblages included an unexpectedly large fraction not feeding on the living biomass of their putative ‘host’. Feeding trials revealed them to instead feed on foliose lichens, dead leaves and epiphylls (lichen, algae, bryophytes). These ‘alternative feeders’ accounted for 22.5% of the whole dataset and up to 80% of the caterpillars on individual plant species. Densities of alternative feeders were very similar across shrub species within each plant family, but differed strongly between Asteraceae in succession and Piperaceae in forest habitats. Herbivore caterpillars showed the opposite pattern with strong differences between individual plant species, but overall similar densities on both plant families.

Ranas terrestres de los Andes Surorientales de Ecuador II: Una nueva especie de &lt;em&gt;Pristimantis&lt;/em&gt; verde espinosa de los bosques montanos del Parque Nacional Sangay (Anura: Craugastoridae)

Describimos una nueva especie de rana verde espinosa del género Pristimantis diagnosticada por presentar tímpano, cresta craneal, tubérculos cónicos grandes en las extremidades posteriores y anteriores y por su coloración ventral crema. Se presenta información acústica sobre los llamados de advertencia y cortejo y comparaciones detalladas de la especie nueva con algunas especies similares de los Andes de Ecuador. La nueva especie forma parte de un particular ecotipo de aproximadamente 12 especies de ranas terrestres de los bosques montanos de Ecuador agrupadas en por lo menos cuatro grupos parafíléticos de Pristimantis. La condición de cresta craneal con bordes frontoparietales elevados, sugiere una relación cercana de la nueva especie con el grupo-de-especies P. devillei.

Extreme high prevalence of a defective mannose-binding lectin (MBL2) genotype in native South American West Andean populations.

Mannose-binding lectin (MBL) is one of the five recognition molecules in the lectin complement pathway. Common variant alleles in the promoter and structural regions of the human MBL gene (MBL2) influence the stability and serum concentration of the protein. Epidemiological studies have shown that MBL2 variant alleles are associated with susceptibility to and the course of different types of infectious and inflammatory conditions. However, it has been suggested that these alleles are maintained in different populations due to selected advantages for carriers. We investigated the MBL2 allelic variation in indigenous individuals from 12 different West Central South America localities spanning from the desert coast, high altitude Andean plates and the Amazon tropical forest within the territories of Peru (n = 249) (Departments of Loreto, Ucayali, Lambayeque, Junin, Ayacucho, Huancayo and Puno), and Ecuador (n = 182) (Region of Esmeraldas and Santo Domingo de los Colorados). The distribution of MBL2 genotypes among the populations showed that the defective variant LYPB haplotype was very common. It showed the highest frequencies in Puno (Taquile (0.80), Amantani (0.80) and Anapia (0.58) islander communities of the Lake Titicaca), but lower frequencies of 0.22 in Junin (Central Andean highland) and Ucayali (Central Amazonian forest), as well as 0.27 and 0.24 in the Congoma and Cayapa/Chachis populations in the Amazonian forest in Ecuador were also observed. Our results suggest that the high prevalence of the MBL2 LYPB variant causing low levels of functional MBL in serum may mainly reflect a random distribution due to a population bottleneck in the founder populations.

Trophic ecology of the armadillo ant, Tatuidris tatusia, assessed by stable isotopes and behavioral observations.

Ants of the genus Tatuidris Brown and Kempf (Formicidae: Agroecomyrmecinae) generally occur at low abundances in forests of Central and South America. Their morphological peculiarities, such as mandibular brushes, are presumably linked with specialized predatory habits. Our aims were to (1) assess the Tatuidris abundance in an evergreen premontane forest of Ecuador; (2) detail morphological characteristics and feeding behavior of Tatuidris; and (3) define the position of Tatuidris in the food web. A total of 465 litter samples were collected. For the first time, live Tatuidris individuals were observed. Various potential food sources were offered to them. A nitrogen stable isotope ratio analysis ((15)N/(14)N) was conducted on Tatuidris tatusia, other ants, and common organisms from the leaf-litter mesofauna. We found a relatively high abundance of T. tatusia in the site. Live individuals did not feed on any of the food sources offered, as usually observed with diet specialist ants. The isotope analysis revealed that T. tatusia is one of the top predators of the leaf-litter food web.

Microclimate Variability Significantly Affects the Composition, Abundance and Phenology of Butterfly Communities in a Highly Threatened Neotropical Dry Forest

Abstract In temperate areas, microclimate is a key factor affecting the population dynamics of insects, but very few studies have examined the potential significance of microclimate in diverse tropical insect communities. We quantified the diversity and structure of butterfly communities in 2 different microhabitats, over seasons, and examined which abiotic (microclimate) and biotic (vegetation structure) components affected community composition. The study was performed from Jun 2009 to May 2010 at a dry forest in Ecuador, a globally threatened habitat with high levels of endemism. Two transects were established, one in each microhabitat, where baited traps were located in the understory and canopy to record butterfly species abundance. Humidity and temperature were recorded during the sampling period and vegetation variables were measured. A total of 3,731 individuals representing 93 species were collected. Higher species richness and abundances were found during the wet season. Linear regression models...

Antiherbivore Prenylated Benzoic Acid Derivatives from Piper kelleyi

The known prenylated benzoic acid derivative 3-geranyl-4-hydroxy-5-(3″,3″-dimethylallyl)benzoic acid (1) and two new chromane natural products were isolated from the methanolic extract of the leaves of Piper kelleyi Tepe (Piperaceae), a midcanopy tropical shrub that grows in lower montane rain forests in Ecuador and Peru. Structure determination using 1D and 2D NMR analysis led to the structure of the chromene 2 and to the reassignment of the structure of cumanensic acid as 4, an isomeric chromene previously isolated from Piper gaudichaudianum. The structure and relative configuration of new chromane 3 was determined using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis and was found to be racemic by ECD spectropolarimetry. The biological activity of 1-3 was evaluated against a lab colony of the generalist caterpillar Spodoptera exigua (Noctuidae), and low concentrations of 2 and 3 were found to significantly reduce fitness. Further consideration of the biosynthetic relationship of the three compounds led to the proposal that 1 is converted to 2 via an oxidative process, whereas 3 is produced through hetero-[4+2] dimerization of a quinone methide derived from the chromene 2.