Colombian Forest Research Articles

Comparative effect of forest cutting and mammal hunting on dung beetle assemblages in Chocó Biogeographic forests in Colombia

Comparative effect of forest cutting and mammal hunting on dung beetle assemblages in Chocó Biogeographic forests in Colombia

Synanthropy and ecological aspects of the Muscidae (Diptera) in the Andean Amazon, Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia

Objective: The objective of this research was to analyze the synanthropic and ecological aspects of the Muscidae species in the municipality of Florencia, Caquetá, Colombia. Scope. Promote knowledge of the diversity of Muscidae in the Colombian Andean Amazon, given their medical, forensic, and ecological importance. Methodology: Sampling was conducted monthly over six months, in three habitats (urban, rural, and forest) using Van SomerenRydon traps baited with fish, chicken viscera, decomposing onion, and human feces. Four traps (one per bait) were installed in each habitat for 48 hours each month. Samples were collected every 12 hours. Results: The synanthropic index was calculated. A total of 4,916 specimens from 21 species and eight genera were collected, 11 of them are new records in Colombia: Chaetagenia stigmatica, Graphomya maculata, Morellia dendropanasis, Morellia hirtitibia, Morellia lopesae, Ophyra capensis, Philornis falsificus, Philornis masoni, Philornis schildi, Philornis setinervis, Polietina flavithorax. The species with the highest synanthropic index that showed strong preference for dense human settlements were Morellia violacea, M. basalis, M. dendropanasis, and Ophyra capensis. The most abundant species were Biopyrellia bipuncta, Cyrtoneuropsis gemina and M. violacea, all three evidenced a preference for human settlements. Conclusions: These results suggest that certain species can be used as ecological indicators of disturbance in humid forests in Colombia.

An analysis of wood availability under six policy scenarios of commercial forest plantations in Colombia

An empirical analysis which compares Colombia's 2019 Forest Plantation for Wood Production Value Chain policy (PFCm policy), aimed at reaching 1.5 Mha of commercial plantations by 2025, with five other policy scenarios, for the period 2015–2047, is presented. We consider two cases with no expansion, and two alternative goals for expansion reaching 0.765 Mha and 2 Mha, and compare the projected volume available for supply of wood with current and projected market demand. The exercise was conducted by designing and using the Colombian Forest Plantation Growth and Yield Simulator for predicting volume available for the supply of the country's unprocessed wood market, and as a consequence, the manufactured wood forest product market. No-expansion scenarios are non-viable options for the current state of the market, while among the expansion paths considered, both the PCFm policy goal and the 2 Mha scenario produce desirable results. This empirical exercise could be useful in quantifying the magnitude of the wood shortage concerns already identified by the PCFm policy, and provide policy-makers and other stakeholders with a more precise framework for adequate action.

Knowledge Management Practices and Ecological Restoration of the Tropical Dry Forest in Colombia

Ecological restoration is considered a nature-based solution to reduce ecosystem degradation, biodiversity loss, and combat climate change. In this sense, the objective of this study was to identify the knowledge management practices that are present in an ecological restoration process in the tropical dry forest. The empirical study was developed using a mixed approach over an area of 11,079 ha in Huila, Colombia. At first, the qualitative study was supported by a documentary review and participant observation between 2018 and 2020. On the other hand, the quantitative study was carried out through the application of the Delphi method with the participation of 64 experts. Twenty-two knowledge management practices were identified with orientation towards human factors, organization, information technologies, strategy, and intellectual protection. These findings show that all the knowledge management practices identified have an impact on the six components of the ecological restoration process (planning, diagnosis, implementation, monitoring, participation, and consolidation). Likewise, these practices contribute to the generation, transformation, and mobilization of local and scientific knowledge in the components of the ecological restoration process of the tropical dry forest.

Near Real-Time Change Detection System Using Sentinel-2 and Machine Learning: A Test for Mexican and Colombian Forests

The commitment by over 100 governments covering over 90% of the world’s forests at the COP26 in Glasgow to end deforestation by 2030 requires more effective forest monitoring systems. The near real-time (NRT) change detection of forest cover loss enables forest landowners, government agencies and local communities to monitor natural and anthropogenic disturbances in a much timelier fashion than the thematic maps that are released every year. NRT deforestation alerts enable the establishment of more up-to-date forest inventories and rapid responses to unlicensed logging. The Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites provide operational Earth observation (EO) data from multi-spectral optical/near-infrared wavelengths every five days at a global scale and at 10 m resolution. The amount of acquired data requires cloud computing or high-performance computing for ongoing monitoring systems and an automated system for processing, analyzing and delivering the information promptly. Here, we present a Sentinel-2-based NRT change detection system, assess its performance over two study sites, Manantlán in Mexico and Cartagena del Chairá in Colombia, and evaluate the forest changes that occurred in 2018. An independent validation with very high-resolution PlanetScope (~3 m) and RapidEye (~5 m) data suggests that the proposed NRT change detection system can accurately detect forest cover loss (> 87%), other vegetation loss (> 76%) and other vegetation gain (> 71%). Furthermore, the proposed NRT change detection system is designed to be attuned using in situ data. Therefore, it is scalable to larger regions, entire countries and even continents.

Estimation of canopy attributes of wild cacao trees using digital cover photography and machine learning algorithms

Surveying canopy attributes while conducting fieldwork in the rain forest is time-consuming. Low-cost imagery such as digital cover photography is a potential source of information to speed up the process of vegetation assessments and reduce costs during expeditions. This study presents an image-based non-destructive method to estimate canopy attributes of wild cacao trees in two regions of the rain forest in Colombia, using digital cover photography and machine learning algorithms. Upward-looking photography at the base of each cacao tree and machine learning algorithms were used to estimate gap fraction (GF), foliage cover (FC), crown cover (CC), crown porosity (CP), clumping index (Ω), and leaf area index (LAI) of the canopy cover. Here we used the cacao wild trees found on forestry plots as a case study to test the application of low-cost imagery on the extraction and analysis of canopy attributes. Canopy attributes were successfully extracted from the canopy cover imagery and provided 92% of classification accuracy for the structural attributes of the canopy. Canopy cover attributes allowed us to differentiate between canopy structures of the Amazon and Pacific rainforests sites suggesting that wild cacao trees are associated with different vegetation types. We also compare classification results for the computer extraction of canopy attributes with a digital canopy cover benchmark. We conclude that our approach was effective to quickly survey canopy features of vegetation associated with and of crop wild relatives of cacao. This study allows highly reproducible estimates of canopy attributes using cover photography and state-of-the-art machine learning algorithms such as deep learning Convolutional Neural Networks.

Militarisation Under COVID-19: Understanding the Differential Impact of Lockdown on the Forests of Colombia

Drawing on qualitative analysis and anthropological histories, we argue that deforestation rates in the Inter-Andean Valleys and in the Amazon Belt of Colombia reflect the specific role of the military in different articulations of the political forest along with new connections between conservation and the war on drugs. This paper examines the increase in deforestation in Colombia in 2020 that partially coincided with the “lockdown” imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19. Early media analysis linked this with the redeployment of military forces away from forest protection to impose lockdown restrictions. However, closer investigation reveals significant regional variation in both the reorganisation of military groups, and in the rate at which deforestation has materialised; military presence has increased in some regions, while in others deforestation has increased. To explain this, we unpack the “biopolitical” dimensions of international conservation to show how the specific deployment of military groups in Colombia reflects an interplay between notions of the protection of (species) life, longer colonial histories, and more recent classification of geographies in terms of riskiness and value.

Riqueza de las plantas vasculares del bosque altoandino de Bijagual, Colombia

Antecedentes y Objetivos: El bosque altoandino en Colombia corresponde a una formación vegetal, localizada entre 2400-3200(-3500) m s.n.m. Se caracteriza por la presencia de especies arbóreas con distribución restringida que determinan su fisionomía y composición. No obstante, dichas especies han sido afectadas por la actividad agrícola que ha generado pérdida de conectividad y de riqueza. Esta investigación registra la riqueza, composición y datos de distribución de flora vascular en el bosque altoandino del Macizo de Bijagual, Boyacá, Colombia. Métodos: Se realizaron muestreos en 27 transectos. Los ejemplares fueron organizados bajo el sistema de clasificación APG IV, curados y depositados en el herbario UPTC (Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia). Se obtuvo el número de especies, listado de taxa, distribución para Colombia y categorías de conservación según la UICN. Resultados: Se registraron 327 especies, distribuidas en 151 géneros y 69 familias; 187 especies (56%) son nativas de la región andina, 51 (15%) endémicas de los Andes y 24 (7%) endémicas de la cordillera Oriental colombiana. Schefflera bejucosa es un nuevo registro de distribución para Boyacá. Greigia stenolepis, Hieronyma rufa, Puya goudotiana y Tillandsia pallescens presentan la categoría Casi Amenazado (NT), Plutarchia guascensis, Quercus humboldtii y Symplocos venulosa, Vulnerable (VU); Diplostephium oblongifolium y Dunalia trianaei En Peligro (EN). Conclusiones: Bijagual es un corredor biológico con gran potencial de biodiversidad comparado con otras áreas altoandinas en Colombia. La riqueza es influenciada por otras localidades cercanas al Macizo (Tota y Mampacha), además de una posible distribución estocástica y heterogénea entre unidades de muestreo. Miconia, Pentacalia, Epidendrum, Elaphoglossum, Tillandsia y algunos otros géneros son ricos en especies. Clusia alata, Weinmannia balbisiana, Weinmannia rollottii, Ternstroemia cf. camelliifolia y Brunellia comocladifolia definen la fisionomia arbórea y arbustiva de Bijagual.

Limited foraging overlap between introduced Apis mellifera and native Melipona eburnea in a Colombian moist forest as revealed through pollen analysis

Honey farming is a young industry in Colombia, where it is gaining relevance as a source of jobs and food security, especially in post-conflict low-income communities that place bee colonies in native forests. Previous studies on the palynological composition of this honey are insufficient and the role of native plants for the production of honey is therefore unknown. Here we present a palynological analysis of honey produced by two bee species, the introduced Apis mellifera and the native Melipona eburnea, both commonly used by low-income communities in the eastern region of the Department of Antioquia, in the Central Cordillera of Colombia. We analyzed species richness and diversity of pollen, characterized some life history traits of those species preferred by bees, and estimated the interaction web between the bee and selected plant species. The overlap between the two species was very small. We found that the source of nectar for A. mellifera were plants with different growth habits, both native and introduced. Instead, M. eburnea used mostly native tree and shrub species, at a constant height level. Our results suggest that setting bee colonies of A. mellifera close to those of M. eburnea may not result in competition between them. However, it is key to evaluate whether this pattern is the same using other sources of food, such as pollen, or in other geographic regions.

Skull Morphology, Bite Force, and Diet in Insectivorous Bats from Tropical Dry Forests in Colombia.

Simple SummaryThe cranial structure is highly variable among mammals and thought to reflect specializations for feeding and echolocation in bats. However, recent analyses of skull structure, feeding behavior and bite force across a wide range of bats suggest that correlations between morphology, performance, and ecology are not as delineated as previously thought. For example, most of the variations in bite force in insectivorous bats have been explained by differences in body size rather than specific cranial traits. We tested several relationships associated with the cranium to ascertain predictors of bite force in different bat species based on in vivo measurements from the Colombian tropical dry forests and museum specimens. Our data show that skull size had a significant contribution to bite force for beetle-eating bats, such as Noctilio albiventris, Molossus molossus, M. coibensis, and Molossops temminckii. Cranial traits and the combined action of the jaw morphology generate a biomechanical comparative advantage that allows these species to feed on “hard” prey, supporting the hypothesis that skull morphology, bite force, and diet are linked in insectivorous bats.In Neotropical bats, studies on bite force have focused mainly on differences in trophic ecology, and little is known about whether factors other than body size generate interspecific differences in bite force amongst insectivorous bats and, consequently, in their diets. We tested if bite force is related to skull morphology and also to diet in an assemblage of Neotropical insectivorous bats from tropical dry forests in the inter-Andean central valley in Colombia. It is predicted that the preference of prey types among insectivorous species is based on bite force and cranial characteristics. We also evaluated whether skull morphology varies depending on the species and sex. Cranial measurements and correlations between morphological variation and bite force were examined for 10 insectivorous bat species. We calculated the size-independent mechanical advantage for the mandibular (jaw) lever system. In all species, bite force increased with length of the skull and the jaw more than other cranial measurements. Obligate insectivorous species were morphologically different from the omnivorous Noctilio albiventris, which feeds primarily on insects, but also consumes fish and fruits. Our results show that bite force and skull morphology are closely linked to diets in Neotropical insectivorous bats and, consequently, these traits are key to the interactions within the assemblage and with their prey.

Synopsis of the Genus Pentacalia (Compositae, Senecioneae) in Bolivia

The Neotropical genus Pentacalia Cass. (Compositae, Senecioneae) is distributed from southern Mexico to northwestern Argentina, plus two disjunct species that thrive in Brazil. Most species diversity occurs in the montane forests of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It comprises scandent woody plants characterized by displaying alternate leaves (opposite in three species), involucres with supplementary bracts, usually yellow ray florets (when present), sagittate to caudate anther bases, and truncate to obtuse style branches with a crown of sweeping trichomes (sometimes with a tuft of longer trichomes, but not strictly penicillate). The Bolivian species were revised for the first time by Cabrera (1985), who treated the group under Senecio L. sect. Streptothamni Greenm. Because of the subsequent addition of new species and the need of taxonomic arrangements, an updated synopsis of the genus recognizing 18 species is presented. The names P. brittoniana (Hieron.) Cuatrec. and P. miguelii (Cuatrec.) Cuatrec. are synonymized with P. psidiifolia (Rusby) Cuatrec., as well as P. inquisiviensis H. Rob. & Cuatrec. with P. cardenasii (Cuatrec.) Cuatrec. and P. sailapatensis (Cuatrec.) Cuatrec. with P. urubambensis (Cabrera) Cuatrec. Seven names are lectotypified and an epitype is designated for the name P. zongoensis (Cabrera) J. Calvo. The new species P. viburnifolia J. Calvo & A. Fuentes is described. Revised nomenclature, succinct descriptions, taxonomic discussions, lists of specimens examined, and distribution maps are provided for all accepted species, in addition to an identification key. Pictures of living plants are also presented for eight species.

A NEW SPECIES OF DICHAEA (ORCHIDACEAE: ZYGOPETALINAE) FROM THE ANDES OF COLOMBIA

A new species of Dichaea sect. Dichaea from the Andean forests in Colombia is described and illustrated based on living material. Dichaea andina is compared with the morphologically similar D. lagotis and D. pendula, from which it can be distinguished by a number of vegetative and floral and features. Dichaea andina differs from D. lagotis in the broadly anchoriform lip, the hypochile transversely subrounded and the epichile transversely narrowly elliptic, briefly apiculate. Similarly, it differs from D. pendula in the caespitose habit, the leaves without cross-venation, and the inflorescence straight produced below the foliage, among other features. Ecological information for the new species is also provided.

Reflexiones sobre las perspectivas de sostenibilidad ambiental e institucional para la planeación territorial de los sistemas socioecológicos de páramo y bosque altoandino en Colombia

Los sistemas socioecológicos (SSE) de páramo y bosque altoandino en Colombia son sistemas ecológicos que se caracterizan por sus particularidades de estructura, composición y funcionamiento. Son espacios que se han desarrollado como parte de procesos históricos de relación entre los humanos y la naturaleza, lo cual ha determinado lo que son al día de hoy. Este artículo realiza un análisis de las perspectivas y discursos producidos desde los gobiernos y las políticas públicas en torno a la sostenibilidad ambiental, la institucionalidad y la planeación territorial que se emplean para gestionar los territorios con presencia de estos socioecosistemas.

Rugitermesursulae (Isoptera, Kalotermitidae), a new drywood termite from the Caribbean coast of Colombia.

Rugitermesursulaesp. nov. is described from a sample collected inside a dead branch in a tropical dry forest of Colombia’s Caribbean coast using molecular information and external morphological characters of the imago and soldier castes. Rugitermesursulaesp. nov. soldiers and imagoes are the smallest among all described Rugitermes species. The imago’s head capsule coloration is dark castaneous, while the pronotum is contrastingly pale yellow. Our description includes soldier characters, such as subflangular elevation and shape of the antennal sockets, that can help in identification of samples lacking imagoes.

Daily activity pattern of pumas (Puma concolor) and their potential prey in a tropical cloud forest of Colombia

Ecosystems in the northern Andes face unprecedented habitat loss. Pumas are the top predators in the region and exert key ecological functions, such as population control and resource facilitation. However, little is known about the temporal niche of the species or its effects on behaviour of prey in the tropics. We hypothesized that there is a link between the activity patterns of pumas and their prey in a cloud forest of the Central Andes of Colombia. We installed 61 camera traps to estimate the degree of overlap between the daily activity curves of pumas and seven potential prey species, using conditional kernel density functions. Pumas, armadillos, mountain pacas, and white–eared opossums were mainly nocturnal, with little crepuscular activity and high temporal overlap. Central American agouti, mountain coati, little red brocket deer, and Cauca guan displayed a predominantly diurnal activity and temporal partitioning with pumas. As opportunistic predators, pumas were able to maximize foraging efficiency by preying on the crepuscular and nocturnal species. Conservation of this highland predator will largely depend on the suitable management of its native prey.

Effects of oil palm and human presence on activity patterns of terrestrial mammals in the Colombian Llanos

The ability of animals to adjust their behaviour can influence how they respond to environmental changes and human presence. We quantified activity patterns of terrestrial mammals in oil palm plantations and native riparian forest in Colombia to determine if species exhibited behavioural changes depending on the type of habitat and the presence of humans. Despite the large sampling effort (12,403 camera-days), we were only able to examine the activity patterns of ten species in riparian forests and seven species in oil palm plantations, with four species (capybara, giant anteater, lesser anteater and common opossum) being represented by enough records (i.e. n > 20) in both oil palm and forest to allow robust comparisons. Only capybaras showed an apparent change in activity patterns between oil palm plantations and riparian forests, shifting from being crepuscular in forest to predominantly nocturnal inside oil palm plantations. Further, capybaras, giant anteaters and white-tailed deer appeared to modify their activities to avoid human presence inside oil palm plantations by increasing nocturnality (temporal overlap widehat{Delta }ranged from 0.13 to 0.36), whereas jaguarundi had high overlap with human activities [widehat{Delta }=0.85 (0.61–0.90)]. Species pair-wise analysis within oil palm revealed evidence for temporal segregation between species occupying the same trophic position (e.g. foxes and jaguarundi), whereas some predators and their prey (e.g. ocelots and armadillos) had high overlaps in temporal activity patterns as might be expected. Our findings shed light on the potential behavioural adaptation of mammals to anthropogenic landscapes, a feature not captured in traditional studies that focus on measures such as species richness or abundance.

Nectar provision attracts hummingbirds and connects interaction networks across habitats

Many ecosystems have been modified by humans, creating novel habitats that include human‐provided resources. Gardens adjacent to native habitats may affect plant–pollinator interactions by altering the determinants of interactions and species specialization. Here, we characterized a network comprising plants and hummingbirds interacting in a birdwatching garden with human‐provided resources (nectar feeders and exotic plants) and adjacent Andean cloud forest in Colombia. Specifically, we investigated the proportion of hummingbirds visiting feeders and native/exotic plants to evaluate the connection between the habitats and the ecological determinants of the interaction network. Hummingbirds relied heavily on artificial nectar feeders in the garden, leaving the natural cloud forest for resources. Morphological matching was the single most important predictor of the observed pairwise interactions, for both hummingbirds and plants. At the species level, longer flowering phenology and a higher amount of sugar in nectar led to a higher degree for plants (i.e. the number of visiting hummingbird species). In contrast, a longer floral corolla was associated with lower specialization. Abundance was the best predictor of the number of partners for hummingbirds. The garden created for birdwatching attracted most, but not all, hummingbird species beyond their natural cloud forest habitat. Interestingly, the most frequently visited plants in the garden were native, especially the endemic and endangered tree Zygia lehmannii (Fabaceae). Our results show that some ecological mechanisms determining interactions in natural communities still hold in intensively modified habitats. Furthermore, a compromise between conservation and hummingbirds’ attraction to birding lodges/gardens is possible, for instance by favouring native and endemic plant species that are highly attractive for pollinators.

Limited evidence of coupling between above and belowground functional traits in tropical dry forest seedlings

Introduction: Water availability is one of the main factors determining the distribution of woody species in the tropics. Although the functional mechanisms that determine the species tolerance to water deficit have been extensively studied in adult individuals, the responses of early ontogenetic stages have been less explored. Objective: To identify functional strategies and trait correlations between different seedlings' dimensions (leaf, stem, and root). We expect limited coordination between above and below-ground functional traits due to a single conservation-acquisition trade-off cannot capture the variability of functions and environmental pressures to which the root system is subjected. Methods: We measured 12 functional traits belonging to 38 seedling species in a tropical dry forest in Colombia. We explored the relationships between pairs of traits using Pearson correlations, and to obtain an integrated view of the functional traits, a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed. Results: The results showed limited evidence of linkage between above- and below-ground traits, but we did find significant correlations between traits for the continuum of conservative and acquisitive strategies. Root traits related to water and nutrient take capacity formed an orthogonal axis to the acquisitive-conservative continuum. Conclusions: Our results showed that dry forest seedlings have different functional strategies to cope with water deficit. The incorporation of root traits helps to explain new functional strategies not reported for leaf and stem traits. This study contributes to understanding the mechanisms that explain species coexistence and is particularly relevant for predicting future forest trajectories.

Notes on Zanthoxylum magnifructum (Rutaceae), a recently described species from tropical dry forest in Colombia: floral morphology, geographical distribution and sexual dimorphism

Zanthoxylum magnifructum is a recently described species based on only a fruiting specimen collected in tropical dry forests in the department of Huila in Colombia. An emended description and illustration are presented, including flowers and seeds, which were previously unknown. Comments on its geographical distribution, conservation status, taxonomic affinities, and sexual dimorphism are made. A key for the species of Zanthoxylum that occur in tropical dry forest in Colombia is provided.

Variation in abundance and habitat relationship of three understory insectivorous birds in a disturbed landscape of Neotropical dry forest of Colombia

BackgroundEvaluating relationships between avian populations and their habitat is important for understanding the biology of these species and for management decisions that improve the effectiveness of restoration practices. We investigated how habitat variation along a disturbance gradient affected the abundance of three insectivorous bird species, White-bellied Antbird (Myrmeciza longipes), Barred Antshrike (Thamnophilus doliatus), and Pale-breasted Spinetail (Synallaxis albescens) in a Neotropical dry forest remnant in central Colombia.MethodsThe study area, which is located in Magdalena Valley, is under ecological restoration after the construction of the “El Quimbo” hydroelectric dam, with a gradient of habitat conditions, from relatively advanced secondary growth to recently disturbed areas. We conducted bird surveys and quantified the habitat conditions from June 2018 to June 2019. We compared the relative abundance of the birds among the three zones with increasing disturbance and modeled the relationship between the bird abundance with the micro- and landscape-habitat conditions, with Poisson generalized linear model regression.ResultsThe relative abundance of the three bird species varied according to the habitat features and disturbance level. The abundance of White-bellied Antbirds was higher in forests and thickets than shrubland fragments; Barred Antshrike was more abundant in shrubland and thickets than in forest fragments, and Pale-breasted Spinetail had the highest abundance in shrubland and the lowest in forest fragments. The abundance of both White-bellied Antbird and Pale-breasted Spinetail did not differ among zones with different levels of disturbance, while the abundance of Barred Antshrike decreased in zones with more disturbance.ConclusionsThere were significant differences in the habitat relationships of the three understory insectivorous species along the disturbance gradient, although these species were within the same trophic group. These bird species preferred different stages of habitat succession and responded to different habitat and landscape features. Increasing forest fragment areas and decreasing the amount of edge would be useful restoration priorities for these and other similar avian species in this study area.