Cloud Forest Research Articles

Spatial extrapolation of cadmium concentration in terrestrial mosses using multiple linear regression model predictions across French biogeographical regions.

The French Moss Survey employs forest mosses as indicators to monitor the deposition of atmospheric substances, notably focusing on cadmium (Cd), a known carcinogenic and contributor to respiratory illnesses. This comprehensive study encompasses 55 variables to understand Cd accumulation in terrestrial mosses in France. These variables include moss species, tree cover, biogeographical markers, land use area, proximity to road and rail networks, soil concentration of Cd and atmospheric concentration and deposition of Cd using a physical model. The response variable undergoes a complementary log-log transformation to constrain prediction values within the maximum Cd content in mosses. We have built a regression model to improve predictions, considering the impacts of covariates in France. This model retains biogeographical effects, leading to data segmentation into four distinct biogeographical zones: Atlantic, Continental, Mediterranean and Alpine. Subsequently, zone-specific regression models are explored to refine predictions and consider the impacts of covariates specific to each region, such as those related to railways and roads of the Mediterranean zone. Our biogeographical models effectively mitigate spatial correlation issues and yield accurate predictions, as evidenced by the leave-one-out cross-validation assessment. Compared to ordinary kriging map, the regression prediction maps highlight the contributions of certain covariates, such as the EMEP atmospheric transport model, to areas with high Cd concentrations. Furthermore, these maps exhibit new areas with high (resp. low) Cd concentrations due to high (resp. low) values of the covariates.

Tree species diversity increases carbon stocks in tropical montane cloud forests across successional stages

Tree species diversity increases carbon stocks in tropical montane cloud forests across successional stages

Ni Tsan and his 'Cloud Forest Hall Collection of Rules for Drinking and Eating'

Ni Tsan and his 'Cloud Forest Hall Collection of Rules for Drinking and Eating'

Harnessing Molecular and Bioactivity Network Analysis to Prioritize Antibacterial Compound Isolation From Ant-Associated Fungi.

Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health problem that requires the development of new bioactive compounds. In this context, metabolomic analyses can expedite the research of fungal metabolites as a valuable resource. To investigate the metabolic profiles and isolate antibacterial compounds from micromycetes associated with Mexican cloud forest ants by utilizing network analysis of their chemical and bioactivity data. 248 fungal strains isolated from six ant's species, soil of their anthills, and soil of the surroundings were evaluated for their invitro inhibition growth of extensively drug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae; subsequently, their metabolites were dereplicated and analyzed by molecular networking and compound activity mapping from spectrometric data. Prioritization of some fungi for isolation of their major constituents was performed, and their structures were established by spectroscopic and spectrometric analysis and their bioactivity determined. From the fungal collection, 15 secondary metabolites (1-15) were dereplicated, and 10 compounds (16-25), including the new (E)-tridec-7-ene-3,5,6,10-tetraol (25), were isolated from Ascomycetes of Trichoderma, Cladosporium, and Clonostachys genera. Compounds 16-18 stood out for being bioactive. This study is the first report of antibacterial activity against A. baumannii for the tricyclic pyridin-2-ones deoxy-PF1140 (16) and PF1140 (17), with minimum inhibitory concentration of 50 μg/mL. Network analysis and dereplication proved effective in bioprospecting for antibacterial compounds, offering valuable insights into the chemical diversity of cloud forest soil fungi and their potential applications. Moreover, this study broadens the knowledge of fungal secondary metabolites linked to leafcutter, fire, and warrior ants.

Long-term genetic and demographic surveys reveal the impact of population history, habitat change, and conservation efforts on the globally endangered Turdus helleri (Taita Thrush)

Abstract Predicting the fate of threatened populations remains a challenge in conservation biology. The study of genetic and demographic time series is crucial to unravel the role of population history, anthropogenic disturbance and conservation actions on current demographic and genetic patterns. However, such studies are still rare in threatened species. In this study, we integrate a quarter century of population demographic (capture–mark–recapture) and genetic (microsatellites) data for the globally endangered Turdus helleri (Taita Thrush), a songbird endemic to the fragmented cloud forest of the Taita Hills, southeast Kenya. We found that the two largest remaining populations are prone to high demographic and genetic stochasticity. Furthermore, despite relatively high genetic diversity, the increase in inbreeding in recent years suggests vulnerability to extinction. Moreover, while the smallest population was close to extinction, assisted gene flow midway through the study led to a demographic rescue. We conclude that habitat protection, continued monitoring and conservation efforts are required for long-term survival of the endangered T. helleri, as the species may be prone to an extinction debt.

Anthurium lorenanum (Araceae), a new species from Sierra Sur, Oaxaca, Mexico

In the present paper, we describe and illustrate Anthurium lorenanum Díaz Jim. & Pérez‐Farr., a new terrestrial and epipetric species of Araceae from the southernmost spurs of Sierra Norte, Oaxaca, Mexico. This species grows in montane cloud forest at 1000 m a.s.l. It is morphologically similar to A. cerrobaulense Matuda, but differs from that species by having longer geniculum, spathe rounded at base, dark purple spadix at anthesis, fewer flowers in the principal spiral, flowers with non‐emergent pistils at anthesis, stamens with no visible filaments at anthesis, and semi‐glossy fruits when ripe, sunken for above half between the tepals.

In between the Sites: Understanding Late Holocene Manteño Agricultural Contexts in the Chongón-Colonche Mountains of Coastal Ecuador through UAV-Lidar and Excavation

ABSTRACT Mapping the terrain surrounding concentrations of documented Manteño (ca. a.d. 650–1700) stone architecture within 1.2 km² of the cloud forests of Bola de Oro in southern Manabí, Ecuador using an Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV)-based lidar Mobile Mapping System (MMS) revealed a modified landscape of agricultural systems. The resulting Digital Terrain Models (DTMs), subsequent ground-truthing, and excavation show a modified Manteño landscape of agricultural terraces, drainage channels, and water retention ponds tailored to the storage and distribution of water brought by seasonal rains and by marine layers precipitating at these higher elevations. Such a massive human investment in this challenging landscape was most likely a result of the Chongón-Colonche Mountains being the most resistant environments to the extreme climate changes brought by El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) during the climatic shifts of the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA, ca. a.d. 950–1250) and the Little Ice Age (LIA, ca. a.d. 1400–1700).

Large-sized trees and altitude drive aboveground carbon stock in Brazilian Atlantic Cloud Forests: An approach based on carbon hyperdominant taxa.

Research about patterns of aboveground carbon stock (AGC) across different tropical forest types is central to climate change mitigation efforts. However, the aboveground carbon stock (AGC) quantification for Brazilian cloud forest ecosystems along the altitudinal gradient is still scarce. We aimed to evaluate the effects of abiotic and biotic on AGC and the AGC distribution between species and families of tree communities along an altitudinal Brazilian Atlantic cloud forest gradient of the Mantiqueira Mountain Range, Southeastern Brazil. We analyzed the relationships between AGC and biotic (taxonomic and functional diversity based on structural attributes) and abiotic factors (altitude and soil properties) across seventy plots (10×20m) distributed in seven cloud forest sites at different elevations (from 1.100 to 2.330ma.s.l.) using linear mixed models and machine learning approaches. We found significant variations in AGC stock along the altitudinal gradient, which was explained mainly by altitude and large-sized trees. We observed that approximately 5% of the total sampled individuals were responsible for >50% of the AGC stock of the tree community in the different sites. This result demonstrates how carbon-dominant tree species' have a higher relative contribution to the AGC at community level than species richness and abundance. The Myrtaceae was the most species-rich and carbon-dominant family, which holds four of the total hyperdominant species in the study region. This study reveals new and important ecological patterns of AGC stock in Southeastern Brazil's cloud forest tree communities, where large-sized trees and altitude are the main biotic and abiotic factors, respectively. These insights enhance our understanding of AGC stock in these unique forest ecosystems and emphasize the need for targeted conservation strategies that protect dominant species and their habitats.

A new and distinctive species of Ceratina Latreille (Hymenoptera: Apidae) from Veracruz, Mexico

Ceratina Latreille is a cosmopolitan genus with around 380 described species, typically small in size and exhibiting primitive social structures; their habit of nesting in dry plant stems has earned them the common name of small carpenter bees. This work presents an addition to the diversity of the genus in Mexico, with the description of Ceratina valenzuelai sp. nov. from the cloud forest in centralVeracruz State. Only males are known, which are polymorphic, with some macrocephalic individuals, a rare trait among the New World Ceratina. Comments on its biology and taxonomic placement within the subgenus Ceratina (Calloceratina) are also included

Landscape Effects on Local Species Richness of Woody Specialists in Subtropical Montane Cloud Forest of Taiwan

ABSTRACTAimHow is the local species richness of woody specialists in vegetation plots located within subtropical montane cloud forests (SMCFs) affected by the landscape structure of the surrounding SMCF habitat patch?LocationSubtropical montane cloud forests in Taiwan.TaxonWoody species specialised in growing in foggy conditions.MethodsWe used plant occurrence data from major herbaria together with fog frequency data to identify fog specialists of SMCFs in Taiwan. Subsequently, we extracted 20 × 20 m forest vegetation plots from the National Vegetation Database of Taiwan and calculated the richness of woody specialists in each of them. Using a published predicted SMCFs distribution map, we estimated the landscape context of SMCFs around each vegetation plot within circular buffer zones of increasing radius. The variables of landscape structure include those related to the area of SMCFs habitat (area and connectivity), surrounding heterogeneity (topographical heterogeneity and vegetation diversity) and edge effect (the nearest distance from the plot to the edge and the edge length). The multiple linear regression model was used to investigate which of the three mechanisms of landscape context has the strongest effect on the local richness of fog specialists.ResultsOnly the area of SMCFs habitat patch shows a significant positive effect on the local species richness of woody specialists in the plot when considering all the landscape variables. Area per se might be a possible mechanism that supports this positive species‐area relationship. Additionally, the area of SMCFs patch is highly correlated with connectivity, indicating that larger SMCF patches enhance connectivity beyond buffer zones, sustaining species through the rescue effect from the regional species pool.Main ConclusionsPatch size and connectivity are crucial for the species richness of woody specialists in SMCFs in Taiwan. For conservation, we recommend protecting larger, less fragmented SMCF patches to maintain biodiversity.

Impacts of Climate Change on Forest Resources in Mexico: Regional Projections and Vulnerabilities

Anthropogenic climate change can affect forest ecosystems and is one of the causes of deforestation, which leads to desertification. Deforestation is one of the main drivers of climate change due to the release of large amounts of CO2 stored in forests and jungles. Rising temperatures, decreased rainfall and drought have negative impacts on the diversity of forest species, as well as on forest ecosystem goods and services. Thus, this research focuses on climate change and its impact on Mexico's forests, evaluating deforestation and its effects on climate change and, subsequently, the effects of that climate change on forests; and the role of forests in carbon sequestration. Aims: The objective of this study is to present a set of regional temperature, precipitation, and drought projections for Mexico under the IPCC's AR6 climate change scenarios, and to estimate the potential impacts on Mexico's forest resources. Methodology: The methodology consists of obtaining a set of regional projections of temperature, precipitation, vegetation, drought and soil moisture under the conditions of the IPCC AR6 climate change scenarios for Mexico, with the changes of the aforementioned variables the vulnerability of the forestry sector in Mexico will be evaluated through models of the influence of these factors. Results: Regional models for Mexico show temperature increases ranging from 0.5 to 5 °C, while the percentage change in precipitation will range from -20.3% to 13.5% depending on the scenario and period of analysis. The low soil moisture (mm), the negative changes of the NDVI and the SPEI12 show that the North, West and Bajío zones will present reductions in precipitation and temperature increase that will cause a severe deficit of soil moisture and water stress in the plants, considering these areas with scarce vegetation and the presence of semi-permanent meteorological drought. Under these scenarios, it is expected that practically the entire country will be subject to moderate droughts (Central and South) to extremely severe droughts (North) that will last and worsen between now and the end of the century. These conditions have already been recorded in Mexico's main forest areas and if adaptation and mitigation measures are not adopted, the country's forest resources are at risk. Likewise, in addition to the decrease in rainfall, it is estimated that it will be more intense with the presence of extreme events, which will increase the vulnerability of some basins throughout the country, in the Central and Northern areas with extreme drought events, while in the Southeast with floods. Conclusion: Temperate and cloud forests, xerophilous scrub and grasslands will be the most affected forest ecosystems in Mexico, to reduce the effects of climate change on forest resources, it is necessary to design and prioritize adaptation actions and implement mitigation measures that prevent the effects of climate change from intensifying in the most vulnerable regions of the country.

ASPECTS OF VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION IN VANILLA PLANIFOLIA Andrews

Vanilla planifolia Andrews is part of the Fam. Orchidaceae and is the only orchid of significant economic importance because vanillin is extracted from its fruits and seeds, a very expensive spice valued in the food and pharmaceutical, perfumery and cosmetic industries. This paper presents aspects related to the vegetative propagation of vanilla under the conditions of the greenhouses of the Botanical Garden of the University of Craiova. The vanilla plants from which the cuttings used for rooting were harvested are vanilla specimens existing in the collection of tropical and subtropical plants of the botanical garden. Four types of linen substrates were used: Mt - tree bark; V1- pearlite; V2- fibrous peat; V3- mold leaf and the cuttings were fragments of a shoot with two nodes. Because of the stability, the most suitable substrates for the rooting of the cuttings and the development of the formed roots were found to be those composed of perlite (V1) and fibrous peat (V2). Rooted cuttings were potted in a substrate mixture of forest moss and fibrous peat. The plants thus had a good evolution, their survival rate being 100%.

The Wayqecha Amazon Cloud Curtain Ecosystem Experiment: A new experimental method to manipulate fog water inputs in terrestrial systems

Abstract Fog makes a significant contribution to the hydrology of a wide range of important terrestrial ecosystems. The amount and frequency of fog immersion are affected by rapid ongoing anthropogenic changes but the impacts of these changes remain relatively poorly understood compared with changes in rainfall. Here, we present the design and performance of a novel experiment to actively manipulate low lying fog abundance in an old‐growth tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF) in Peru—the Wayqecha Amazon Cloud Curtain Ecosystem Experiment (WACCEE). The treatment consists of a 30 m high, 40 m wide mesh curtain suspended between two towers and extending down to the ground, and two supplementary curtains orientated diagonally inwards from the top of each tower and secured to the ground upslope. The curtains divert and intercept airborne water droplets in fog moving upslope, thereby depriving a ~420 m2 patch of forest immediately behind the curtains of this water source. We monitored inside the treatment and a nearby unmodified control plot various metrics of water availability (air humidity, vapour pressure deficit, leaf wetness and soil moisture) and other potentially confounding variables (radiation, air and soil temperature) above and below the forest canopy. The treatment caused a strong reduction in both air humidity and leaf wetness, and an increase in vapour pressure deficit, above the canopy compared to the control plot. This effect was most pronounced during the nighttime (20:00–05:00). Below‐canopy shifts within the treatment were more subtle: relative humidity at 2 m height above the ground was significantly suppressed during the daytime, while soil moisture was apparently elevated. The treatment caused a small but significant increase in air temperature above the canopy but a decrease in temperature in and near the soil, while mixed effects were observed at 2 m height above the ground. Above‐canopy radiation was slightly elevated on the treatment relative to the control, particularly during the dry season. Further application of the method in other systems where fog plays a major role in ecosystem processes could improve our understanding of the ecological impacts of this important but understudied climate driver.

Andean bears (Tremarctos ornatus) display selective behaviors while foraging bromeliads (Puya spp.) in high elevation puna grasslands.

Andean bears (Tremarctos ornatus) forage extensively on bromeliads (Puya spp.) across their range, although their selectivity for bromeliads is less understood. We report on foraging activity by Andean bears on two species of bromeliad, Puya leptostachya and Puya membranacea, in high elevation puna grasslands (3499-3806 m.a.s.l) within and near Manu National Park (MNP) in SE Peru. We established two ridgeline transects (inside and outside MNP) with perpendicular transects running downslope. We recorded whether bromeliad plants were foraged by Andean bears on four separate sampling occasions that included wet and dry seasons from July 2017 to August 2018. We observed foraging by Andean bears at 6.8% of the available individual plants spread across 16.7% of the available patches. We utilized Resource Selection Functions to evaluate the environmental factors influencing the selection of bromeliad patches by Andean bears for foraging. Andean bears showed selection for Puya leptostachya over Puya membranacea, preferring to forage during the dry season at higher density patches of younger vegetative-stage bromeliads, possibly due to the increased bioavailability of nutrients in the basal meristematic plant tissue the bears prefer to eat. Andean bears selected bromeliad patches growing on east-facing, steep, high-altitude slopes, in a band near the cloud forest edge, which likely reflected a combination of optimal growing conditions for the bromeliads and habitat selection by the bears. Observations of foraging on grassland bromeliads occurred almost exclusively within the boundaries of MNP, which may in part reflect bears avoiding cattle impacts outside of the park. Andean bears showed active behavioral selection for bromeliads within the puna grasslands, and we recommend that grassland buffers around the cloud forest should be considered as primary habitat in conservation management plans.

Metabolomic Diversity and Defensive Phenolic Compounds in Cloud Forest Ferns.

The few current metabolomic studies on ferns are mostly restricted to a single species or focused on specific compounds. We performed an untargeted metabolomic study on six of the most common fern species from the cloud forest, followed by a targeted analysis of 64 phenolic compounds, many of which have been associated with herbivore defense. The untargeted analysis revealed a total of 232 putatively identified metabolites from 463 to 1427 signals per fern species, each with its proper chemical signature but not necessarily correlated to their phylogenetic relationship. The flavonoid, flavone, and flavonol biosynthesis were the most expressed pathways in all species except for Marattia laxa. Fern species also differed strongly in the concentrations of the 10 detected phenolic compounds. Our results show that ferns, including the most ancestral species, such as M. laxa, display a high metabolomic diversity comparable to seed plants. Each fern species held a different combination of defensive phenolic compounds. Further research is needed to explore the metabolic diversity, to identify the biochemical defenses of ferns, and, in particular, to detect the chemical compounds that act against their specific herbivorous insects in the cloud forest ecosystem.

New records of bryosymbiotic pyronemataceous fungi (Ascomycota) from Mexico

Neottiella albocincta (Berk. & M.A. Curtis) Sacc., N. rutilans (Fr.) Dennis, Octospora maireana  (Seaver) Yei Z. Wang, and O. texensis Benkert are reported for the first time from Mexico. These species, all belonging to the family Pyronemataceae, have close relationships with several species of mosses such as those in the genera Archidium Brid., Atrichum P. Beauv., and Polytrichum Hedw. The specimens were collected in montane cloud forest, riparian and Quercus forest in the states of Puebla and Tamaulipas. With the addition of these species, the number of bryosymbiotic fungi in Mexico increases to five.

A comparison of odonate communities in primary and secondary cloud forest at Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, Monteverde, Costa Rica

A comparison of odonate communities in primary and secondary cloud forest at Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve, Monteverde, Costa Rica

Xenillus meridaensis sp. nov. (Acari, Oribatida, Liacaridae) from Venezuela, including a key to all species of the genus from the Neotropical region

ABSTRACT A new species of Xenillus (Oribatida, Liacaridae) – X. meridaensis sp. nov. – is described, based on adults collected from sweep samples in the cloud forest in Venezuela. The new species differs from its closely related species, X. capitatus, by its far larger body size, the morphology of the cusp of the lamella, the morphology of the lamellar seta, the surface of the notogaster, and the number of genital setae. An identification key to the Neotropical Xenillus species is given.

Exploring intermediate richness peak: Contrasting local and regional patterns of vascular epiphytes in the Brazilian tropical montane cloud forests

AbstractAltitudinal gradients can provide valuable insights into the distribution patterns of species richness at both local and regional scales. Typically, species richness peaks at intermediate elevations. This pattern can be attributed to factors such as climatic conditions, the mid‐domain effect, and historical‐evolutionary processes. Our research aimed to investigate the distribution patterns of vascular epiphytes along the regional elevation gradient in dwarf cloud forests of Serra da Mantiqueira (SM), Brazil. We hypothesised that species richness would peak at intermediate elevations correlating with the availability of water. To test this hypothesis, we sampled 18 plots, each measuring 20 × 20 m, in seven protected areas with varying elevation gradients. The lowest plot was at 1270 m, and the highest was at 2350 m. In each plot, we surveyed trees (phorophytes) with a circumference at breast height of 30 cm. Rarefaction analysis was conducted to compare species richness among plots, while beta diversity analysis was used to assess species composition changes along the elevation gradient and across the SM range. We employed a generalised linear model (GLM) with a Poisson distribution to examine the relationships between environmental variables and plant richness. Our findings suggest that there is no intermediate peak in species richness in any of the localities. However, regionally, the elevation range of 1500‐1700 m exhibited the highest richness, particularly when compared to the higher plots, which are subject to low temperatures that act as environmental filters, limiting species richness despite higher precipitation. Furthermore, plots above 1980 m showed low turnover, indicating that these filters contribute to a more homogeneous composition. Species composition across the SM was influenced by climatic differences, and overall, geographical distance was not significant, as within the same locality exhibited low turnover. This study provides a foundation for understanding patterns of species richness and composition along altitudinal gradients in the context of global climate change.

Taxonomy, systematics and conservation of the highly threatened and endemic Mexican genus Tridimeris (Annonaceae)

Tridimeris is the only genus of Annonaceae endemic to Mexico, and since its description more than 150 years ago, the genus has been largely ignored. Here, based on herbarium specimens and a comprehensive phylogenomic study involving hundreds of nuclear markers, the first taxonomic revision of the genus Tridimeris (Annonaceae, Malmeioideae, subtribe Sapranthinae) is presented. Ten species are recognized, six of which are newly described here. All the species are exclusively found in Mexico's most humid forests, particularly in the montane cloud forest and the tropical rainforest. The genus Tridimeris is morphologically distinguished from other neotropical genera of the Annonaceae by its leaves with pocket domatia present in the axils of the secondary veins, by its dimerous flowers (two sepals and four petals), basally fused sepals with ciliated margins, by a reduced number of carpels per flower (1–5) and by its large and fleshy fruits (monocarps) with numerous seeds. A highly resolved phylogenetic hypothesis provides strong support for the relationships among Tridimeris species, forming two well-supported clades. Consequently, two new sections are proposed, namely Tridimeris sect. Tridimeris and Tridimeris sect. Zoque. A detailed description of the morphology of the genus is presented, including the description of the pollen, domatia and its phylogenetic relationships. Taxonomic treatments of the species include synonyms, geographic and ecological notes, comparisons with similar species and a preliminary assessment of their conservation status. All species of the genus are potentially threatened with extinction and eight are assessed as Critically Endangered, which makes it the most threatened lineage of Mexican trees. This study emphasizes the importance of scientific collections as invaluable sources of data for current taxonomic revisions and conservation. It is a formal invitation to preserve and support the basic scientific research.