Wide Distribution Of Species Research Articles

Microscopic and histochemical characterization applied to quality control of Anacardium occidentale: Anacardium occidentale microanalyses

Anacardium occidentale belongs to the Anacardiaceae family and is popularly known as cashew. It is provided with several pharmacological activities, described in the National List of Medicinal Plants of Interest to the Unified Health System. Its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antidiabetic, molluscicidal, and larvicidal activities stand out. As it is a plant of great economic and medicinal importance, it is necessary to characterize the pharmacobotanical profile of this species. Thus, the present work aims to carry out a microscopic and histochemical characterization applied to the quality control of A. occidentale. Cross-sections of the stem, petiole and leaf blade were performed, as well as longitudinal sections of the stem and paradermal sections of the leaf blade. Anatomical studies were performed under light, polarization and scanning electron microscopy. For histochemical analysis, different reagents were used according to the metabolite under investigation. Among the anatomical structures that provide a detailed diagnosis of the studied parts of this species, the presence of resin ducts, druse crystals, glandular trichomes, paracytic stomata, and isobilateral mesophyll stand out. Histochemistry identified the location of different substances, such as starch, phenolic compounds, lipophilic compounds, lignin, essential oils, tannins, triterpenes, steroids, and calcium oxalate crystals in the leaf blade. Through the analysis of ultra-anatomical images by SEM-EDS, it was also possible to verify that the crystals found in the leaf blade are calcium oxalate. Its elemental composition was shown in detail. In view of the results, the importance of this study is justified because important characteristics of the anatomical structure of the stem and leaves of this medicinal species of wide distribution in Brazil are now identified. They are essential parameters for the determination of botanical authenticity.

Phylogenomics of the narrowly endemic Eurycheilichthys (Siluriformes: Loricariidae): Sympatric species with non-sister relationships suggest mainly allopatric speciation

Armored catfishes of the genus Eurycheilichthys are endemic to Southern Brazil and Misiones (Argentina) comprising nine species of small size, with a high degree of sympatry and species diversity distributed in two river basins. Here we use new genome-wide data to infer a species phylogeny and test species boundaries for this poorly known group. We estimate 1) the phylogenetic relationships of the species of Eurycheilichthys based on 29,350 loci in 65 individuals of nine species plus outgroups, and 2) the population structure and differentiation based on 43,712 loci and 62 individuals to estimate how geography may have acted on speciation and formation of the sympatric species groups. Analyses support the monophyly of the genus and suggest two species-inclusive clades (East and West) with high support and very recently diverged species. Western clade contains E. limulus (from upper Jacuí River basin) that is sister to Western species of the Taquari-Antas basin plus E. paucidens. The Eastern clade contains E. pantherinus (from Uruguay River basin) sister to the Eastern species of the Taquari-Antas basin E. coryphaenus, plus the central-distributed species E. planus and E. vacariensis, and the more widely-distributed species E. luisae. Eurycheilichthys luisae is not monophyletic and may contain one or more cryptic species or hybrid individuals. A stronger diversity on structure of lineages on the Taquari-Antas, when compared to upper Uruguay and Jacuí River basins, and the fact that most of the sympatrically distributed taxa have non-sister relationships suggest a scenario of mainly allopatric speciation and may indicate a more dynamic landscape with headwater capture events among these tributaries.

Floristic composition and dispersal syndrome: How can environmental factors affect the Cracidae refuge in a secondary Atlantic Forest fragment?

The Atlantic Forest is a threatened biodiversity hotspot. Anthropogenic and environmental factors affect this biodiversity, including floristics and, consequently, the seed dispersal syndrome. The objective was to evaluate the influence of environmental factors on floristic composition, seed dispersal syndrome and potential for wild fauna refuge, especially birds of the Cracidae family, in a Private Reserve of Natural Heritage (RPPN) in the Atlantic Forest. The study was carried out in a forest fragment of 631 ha in the RPPN Fazenda Macedônia in Ipaba, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Twenty-three plots (10 × 50 m) were inventoried at three sampling levels with the plots being selectively distributed, considering the different geoenvironments. Environmental factors were divided into edaphic (soil chemical and physical) and landscape (altitude, slope, terrain exposure and edge distance) variables. Species composition and plot groupings by smallest dissimilarity were calculated. The dispersal syndrome and the type of zoochoric dispersal were determined for tree species. The species dispersed by birds had records of occurrence in the verified cracid diet. Two hundred and forty-nine species from 138 genera and 46 tree families were recorded. The dissimilarity between plots ranged from 0.4 to 1.0 forming four groups. Floristic composition was influenced by soil variables (soil pH, available potassium and magnesium, exchangeable aluminum, effective and potential CEC, remaining phosphorus, organic matter and silt) and landscape (altitude). The zoochoric dispersal syndrome was the most frequent, with ornithochory (68.09%) being the most important within this group. In the RRPN, 35 species of tree were recorded in the cracids diet. Tree species composition of varied with edaphic variables and with altitude. The wide distribution of species recorded in cracid diets reaffirms the fragment's potential for the establishment and conservation of these birds, highlighting the importance of creating and protecting private conservation areas, such as the RPPN Fazenda Macedônia.

Abundance, distribution, and associated forage losses of pest grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae) in the Argentine Pampas.

The goal of this study was to assess the status of Dichroplus elongatus and Borellia bruneri as actual agricultural pests in the Argentine Pampas by determining their abundance, distribution, and associated forage loss. The study was conducted in Laprida and Tandil, two counties in Buenos Aires province. In each county 20 sampling sites were established and monitored from 2012 to 2018. B. bruneri was more abundant and with a wider distribution in Laprida (91.4% of the sites) than in Tandil (42.1% of the sites) while D. elongatus abundance was significantly higher from 2012 to 2016 in Tandil than in Laprida and its distribution was wide in Laprida (75% of the sites) and very wide in Tandil (77.14%). Under field-cage conditions forage loss caused at three different densities (8, 16, and 32 ind/m2) of D. elongatus and B. bruneri adults on a pasture of Festuca arundinacea was estimated. Forage loss caused by D. elongatus was significantly higher than that caused by B. bruneri. Dichroplus elongatus caused a significant decrease in biomass at the three densities respect to the control, while B. bruneri only caused a significant decrease at the highest density. Our study suggests that although the gomphocerine B. bruneri is an abundant and widely-distributed species capable of doing some damage in the grasslands of the southern Pampas, it is comparatively much less harmful than the melanopline D. elongatus.

Architecture of Thymus L. (Lamiaceae) species of Asia

The application of the architectural approach makes it possible to determine the features of the morphological structure of plants and their changes when modeling scenarios of environmental impact on the structure of plants. Using an architectural approach, 56 species from the genus Thymus, distributed in Siberia, Primorsky Region and Central Asia, were analyzed. For the first time, within the framework of this approach, an original method of distinguishing an architectural unit in the structure of dwarf shrubs and dwarf subshrubs has been developed. The architectural unit is a branched sympodial axis and has in its composition lateral sympodial axes of n+1 order, formation shoots, branching shoots, ephemerous shoots. It is established that the architectural unit is unchanged in all studied Asian species. The wide distribution of species and their development of contrasting habitat conditions is due to the variety of sympodial axes and shoots that are part of the architectural unit. Depending on the method of axis growth, architectural units with basally and acrosympodially increasing axes are distinguished. They determine the formation of dwarf shrub and dwarf subshrub. According to the direction of growth of the axes, architectural units are distinguished: orthotropic, plagiotropic and mixed type. It has been established that the structure of mature individuals of Thymus is formed due to the repeated repetition of the same or different architectural units. There are 3 variants of the combination of such architectural units in the structure of dwarf shrubs and 4 in the structure of dwarf subshrubs. It is shown that each of the combination variants determines the type of biomorph (monocentric, sparse polycentric, dense polycentric) and depends on the conditions of the ecotope. The revealed modifications of the architectural unit and their combinations determine the development strategy of dwarf shrubs and dwarf subshrubs of Thymus species in the development of Asian conditions.

Anuran fauna of reforested riparian forests: is microhabitat the decisive factor for colonization?

Abstract We evaluated the effects of riparian forests restoration on anuran communities in the Brazilian Cerrado. We analyzed five riparian reforested fragments around a reservoir of an hydroelectric plant using microhabitat variables (humidity, canopy opening, amount of leaf litter and vegetation density), the dominant landscape (matrix type, fragment width) and reforestation age. We tested whether anuran abundance, richness and diversity were influenced by these variables using generalized linear models. Matrix type and fragment width were limiting factors for anurans to reach and establish themselves in riparian forest fragments, whereas microhabitat and reforestation age did not influence anuran succession. We conclude that reforestation in the midst of impermeable matrices creates anuran communities dominated by widely-distributed species that live in open areas, reflecting the highly modified surrounding habitat.

A continental approach to jaguar extirpation: A tradeoff between anthropic and intrinsic causes

Human impacts are blamed for range contraction in several animal species worldwide. Remarkably, carnivores and particularly top predators are threatened by humans despite their key role in maintaining ecosystem balance and functions. Conservation strategies to allow human-carnivore coexistence are urgently needed. These strategies must be built on evidence and driven by knowledge of population risk at a broad scale. However, knowledge on wide distributed species is often based on regional expert opinions in which uncertainty is not quantifiable, making data incomparable across regions. Here we develop a method to assess the endangerment status of a species based on its range contractions and the main threats using the jaguar Panthera onca as model. The use of GLM with the main intrinsic and extrinsic drivers of jaguar extinction allowed us to assess the endangerment status at continental and population scale. We found this method to be a valuable tool to obtain a broad picture of human-induced endangerment in animal species. Intrinsic traits (summarized in the demographic contraction theory) and anthropic traits (based on agriculture, cattle and human densities) explained jaguar extinction highlighting the particular importance of livestock activity. Our results suggest that livestock ranching has a pervasive effect on the species likely due to habitat loss combined with retaliatory hunting. We highlight the need to rethink policies, practice and law enforcement in relation to livestock and suggest the development of action plans based in local evidence in those countries where endangered populations have been detected. We also recommend involving and encouraging land owners and private companies in the conservation of private lands that comprise much of the endangered jaguar range.

Coelodonta antiquitatis in the Pleistocene of Bulgaria (Perissodactyla: Rhinocerotidae)

An analysis of the geographical and altitudinal distribution of remains of the woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) in Bulgaria is given. The paper summarizes all scattered data on the distribution of the species gathered in the last 114 years, only a part of them having been published before. Data on nine fossil localities (early–latest Pleistocene) from six provinces of Bulgaria are presented. The Fossil record proves the wide species distribution in the riverine foothills of mountains, plains, and lowlands of the country. Its Pleistocene localities were concentrated in the Danubian Plain, although the species was recorded also in the southernmost part of the country. About 90 percent of the localities were situated below 400 m a. s. l., although the species’ altitudinal distribution reached the maximum of 750 m a. s. l. All findings of the wooly rhinoceros in Bulgaria were made together with those of some species that now inhabit deciduous woodlands or rocky massifs of the temperate zone – Cervus elaphus, Capreolus capreolus, Rupicapra rupicapra, or Capra ibex, as well as extinct Bos primigenius. In Bulgaria, C. antiquitatis showed the same habitat preferences as in the core parts of the species range in Siberia. The Bulgarian localities of findings were both natural habitats and former human dwellings.

Птицы озерных котловин южной части хребта Черского.

New data and analysis of the avifauna and bird species abundance are given for the lake systems of the southern part of the Chersky mountain ridge. In August - October of 2018 and in June and August of 2021, bird studies of lake basins of Ui, Momontay, Malyk, Darpir and Urultun lakes, situated at altitudes of 818-1234 meters above the sea level, were performed. 81 bird species were registered, of which 69 were recorded during breeding season, including 56 species referred to breeding and 13, to summering species. In comparison to the bird fauna of neighboring mountain areas, the avifauna of the studied lake systems is characterized by low species diversity, low percentage of widely-distributed species, and high percentage of boreal-hypoartcic and hypoarctic types of zonal- landscape distribution with clearly dominating species of the Siberian origin. Species content of the studied area is similar to that of the subalpine belt of Yakutia's northern mountains in the presence of Long-toed Stint, Red-throated Pipit and Pallas' Reed Bunting as well as, contrary to the subalpine belt of the Kolyma Highland, in the absence such species as Pine Grosbeak, Siberian Rubythroat, Pallas' Leaf Warbler, and Arctic Warbler on these elevations. On the other hand, the presence of such species as Ringed Plover and Dusky Warbler and the absence of Bluethroat is similar to the bird fauna of the Kolyma Highland subalpine belt. High abundance of both Beringian and Green-headed Yellow Wagtails sharing their habitats appeared to be a unique feature of the studied area. Confirmed breeding of Fieldfare on the elevations over 1000 m above the sea level significantly increases the knowledge on the distribution and ecology of this species.

NEW DATA OF SAUROPHAGY IN Sceloporus variabilis (SQUAMATA: PHRYNOSOMATIDAE) AND CONFIRMATION OF CANNIBALISM

Sceloporus variabilis is a species of wide distribution and occupies different types of habitat. This paper reports new data on the consumption of lizards, both in tropical and cloud forests, and confirms the occurrence of cannibalism.

Architecture of dwarf shrubs and dwarf subshrubs of the genus of Thymus L. and Scutellaria L. (Lamiaceae)

The structure of 24 species of Thymus and 12 species of Scutellaria was studied using the architectural approach. For the first time, an architectural unit was described, it is a branched sympodial axis. The architectural unit consists of sympodial axes n+1 order, formation shoots, branching shoots, ephemerous shoots. The wide distribution of species and development of species in contrasting habitat conditions is due to the diversity of sympodial axes and shoots that are part of the architectural unit. Depending on the type of branching and the spatial position of sympodial axes, six modifications of architectural unit were identified. It is established that the structure of mature individuals are formed due to the repetition one of the same modification of architectural unit or a combination different modifications of architectural unit. Each of the variants of the combination determines the type of life form (dwarf shrub or dwarf subshrub) and biomorph (monocentric, dense polycentric, sparse polycentric) and depends on the conditions of the ecotope. The identified modifications of the architectural unit and the variants of their combination determine the strategy for the development of dwarf shrubs and dwarf subshrubs in the development of Northern and Central Asia.

Zehneria grandibracteata (Cucurbitaceae), an overlooked new species from western Kenyan forests.

Zehneria grandibracteata, a new species of Cucurbitaceae from western Kenya, is described here, based on morphological and molecular data. It has long been misidentified as the widely-distributed species Z. scabra. However, it differs by its ovate leafy probract at the base of the inflorescences, subglabrous condition of the entire plant, shorter receptacle-tube and filaments, as well as denser and sessile inflorescences. Furthermore, the molecular phylogenetic analysis of Zehneria, based on nrITS sequences, further supports the argument that Z. grandibracteata should be segregated from Z. scabra.

Glass Half-Full or Half-Empty? A Fire-Resistant Species Triggers Divergent Regeneration in Low-Resilience Pastures

Fire may divert or arrest natural regeneration in abandoned pastures throughout the tropics, transforming them low-resilience systems that do not recover even in the absence of disturbances. Understanding regeneration in degraded landscapes is crucial to decision-making and predicting the outcome of passive or active restoration actions. We aimed to understand the effects of intensifying fire regimes on post-fire natural regeneration in sites degraded by logging and fire in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We studied five areas with different fire regimes, (i.e., different fire frequencies and post-fire regeneration time), dominated by Moquiniastrum polymorphum (Asteraceae), a widely-distributed species with fire resistance traits. We analyzed differences in structure, diversity, the amplitude of the species' geographic distribution, and floristic composition. We recorded Leaf Area Index and grass cover to understand the effect of canopy closure on fire exclusion and analyzed functional traits related to succession and response to fire (specific leaf area, height, wood density, bark thickness, seed mass). Post-fire regeneration was slow and fire-prone and dominance by M. polymorphum decreased with less disturbance, as other species entered the communities. Structure, diversity, and functional composition recovered along the gradient but did not reach old-growth values. The taxonomic composition was strikingly different in burned areas and forests, irrespective of fire history. Natural regeneration followed a divergent trajectory, marked by the establishment of other widely-distributed species, which suggests a long-term floristic impoverishment. The establishment of M. polymorphum allows these pastures to exit grass-fire cycles. Longer post-fire recovery and fewer fire events allow for canopy closure, grass exclusion, and eventually fire suppression. This two-step dynamic breaks a crucial barrier for restoration from degraded pastures and represents a more desirable state than pastures. However, relying only upon natural regeneration results in impoverished secondary forests. Given the pervasive effects of deforestation and fire, natural regeneration observed in tropical landscapes may correspond to impoverished new secondary forests that fail to attain conservation targets for the biome. Preventing future fires and controlling grass cover in the understory is crucial to avoid their retrogression to pastures and to treat them as regeneration templates for active restoration.

Propagación de Forestiera phillyreoides: una especie potencial para la restauración en el Centro-Norte de México

Forestiera phillyreoides es una especie de amplia distribución en zonas semiáridas y subtropicales del país. A pesar de ser una especie común, no se cuenta con información sobre su propagación. Por lo anterior el objetivo fue generar información sobre su fructificación, su germinación bajo distintos tratamientos pregerminativos y el crecimiento de las plántulas en vivero. Se realizó una revisión de herbario y salidas a campo para conocer la fructificación. Se evaluaron ocho tratamientos pregerminativos: control, inmersión en agua 24 h, inmersión en ácido sulfúrico (3 min, 6 min, 9 min y 12 min), remoción manual de endocarpio más inmersión 24 h e inmersión 24 h en 500 ppm de GA3. Se cultivaron plántulas por siete meses, al finalizar el periodo se midió la altura, el diámetro y calculó la relación peso seco aéreo/peso seco radicular (PSA/PSR), índice de robustez e índice de calidad de Dickson. La fructificación se presenta durante los meses de marzo a junio. El tratamiento de remoción de endocarpio presentó el mayor porcentaje de germinación (95 ± 4.08), se presentó una respuesta positiva a los tratamientos con ácido sulfúrico, el tratamiento con GA3 presentó efectos negativos sobre la germinación. Las plántulas alcanzaron una altura de 31.65 cm ± 5.01 cm y un diámetro de 5.13 mm ± 0.34 mm, los valores de PSA/PSR (1.02 ± 0.17) indican resistencia a sequías. Los tratamientos que remueven o degradan el endocarpio son los más adecuados para lograr una mejor germinación. A los siete meses alcanzó los parámetros necesarios para el uso en reforestación. La información generada brinda las bases para la propagación de F. phillyreoides.

Классификация сообществ с инвазионными видами на Южном Урале. IV. Сообщества с видами рода Solidago, Lupinus polyphyllus и Phalacroloma annuum

Классификация сообществ с инвазионными видами на Южном Урале. IV. Сообщества с видами рода Solidago, Lupinus polyphyllus и Phalacroloma annuum

RECOGNITION OF THE GENUS MYRIOPTERIS (PTERIDACEAE, POLYPODIOPSIDA) IN BRAZIL

In the present work, the genus Myriopteris is mentioned for the first time for Brazil, represented by M. myriophylla, a species of wide distribution in the American continent, from Mexico to Argentina, but never before verified for this country. Furthermore, we provide a description of the sole species found, along with an image and notes.

Arctic and Antarctic scleractinian сorals. Comparisons, the similarities and differences

A comparison of the fauna of coldwater Scleractinia corals inhabiting the Polar regions of the Arctic and Antarctic revealed that in similar sub-zero temperatures of the surrounding waters, not only the character of the distribution of corals but also the number of species and their morphological characteristics in the Arctic and in the Antarctic radically different (in the sub-Antarctic region 17 coral species occure including 6 species endemic in the region, whereas the Arctic and high latitudes are inhabited by 2 species). We believe that the difference between these two faunas is due to the difference in geological history of these regions. In the southern hemisphere the formation of Circum-Antarctic currents ended the Neogene and in the sub-Antarctic region of stable conditions that existed millions of years that led to the formation of well-developed fauna scleractinia and the appearance of species endemic to this area. whereas in the Northern hemisphere hydrological stable conditions in high latitudes and the Arctic have existed since the beginning of the Holocene, approximately 11–12 thousand years, and when the colonization of corals by species of wide distribution.

Role of sustainomics and external climate forcing mechanism in biodiversity extinction : An overview

Over millions of years, physiology and anatomy of the living organisms has been changed due to internal climate forcing mechanism. This has influenced the world wide distribution of species. External climate forcing mechanism has caused rapid rise in earth’s temperature and it is expected to rise by 2-4 °C by the end of the century. It has now been recognised as the most complex problem of present scenario and being concerned in almost every field of science. Climate change is the most sensitive issue which is a challenge not only for the government and society but also for each individual. In the present communication impact of external climate forcing mechanism on biodiversity and its extinction is being analysed and role of sustainomics for the same is overviewed. Studies reveal that the rate of speciation of flora and fauna is not in the accordance with the rate of externally enforced climate change. Thus, the increased rate of climate change has caused catastrophic mass extinction threat for plants, animals and insects in the anthrapocene era. The pattern of extinction and threatened species are not yet known. Various solutions for the problem have been suggested by the multidisciplinary researches, rooted by the sustainomics. These suggestions include to diverge from fossil fuel, to use renewables, to make and apply rules for 3Rs etc. Only cooperative involvement of social, scientific and industrial bodies may resolve the problem.

Cephalopods from the Canary Current upwelling ecosystem (Northwest Africa)

Event Abstract Back to Event Cephalopods from the Canary Current upwelling ecosystem (Northwest Africa) Amanda Luna1, 2*, Ana Ramos2, Francisco J. Rocha1 and Catalina Perales-Raya3 1 University of Vigo, Spain 2 Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Spain 3 Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO), Centro Oceanográfico de Canarias, Spain Cephalopods from the Canary Current upwelling ecosystem (Northwest Africa) Luna, A. (University of Vigo, IEO Vigo), Rocha, F. (University of Vigo), Ramos, A. (IEO Vigo). The Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem (CCLME) constitutes one of the four great marine systems of upwelling in the world, being the third in primary productivity and supporting the largest fisheries of the African coast, with an annual production of around 2-3 million tons (Valdés and Déniz-González, 2015). The cephalopod’s fauna of Northwest African region is diverse and abundant and includes species of wide distribution and elevated commercial value, among which are found squids, cuttlefish, and octopuses, whose catches in the area reach 80,000 - 120,000 tons per year. Although most of the fishery target species have been well studied, the knowledge of the unexploited species is very scarce (Rocha et al., 2017). Between 2002 and 2012 the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO) and the FAO carried out eleven multidisciplinary surveys in northwest Africa, covering the shelf and continental slope from Morocco to Guinea. Quantitative data by species and important collections of benthic and pelagic cephalopods were gathered in 1334 trawl stations over the soft bottoms between 20 and 2000 m depth. Besides, oceanographic data were recorded in 1180 stations by different CTD devices. Almost 140 species have been currently identified. Among them, Sepiidae, Lolliginidae and shallow-water octopus dominate the coastal assemblages, while at the slope waters Ommastrephidae and deep‐water octopuses are more abundant. The collections and databases taken during these 11 trawl surveys represent an exceptional source of regional information on the biodiversity, composition, and distribution of cephalopod’s assemblages inhabiting North-west African continental margin. References Déniz-González, I. and Valdés, L. (2015). Introduction. In: Valdés, L. and Déniz-González, I. (eds.) Oceanographic and biological features in the Canary Current Large Marine Ecosystem. IOC-UNESCO, Paris. IOC Technical Series, 115: 19-22. Rocha, F., Fernández-Gago, R., Ramil, F. and Ramos A. (2017). Cephalopods in Mauritanian Waters. In: Ramos, A., Ramil, F. and Sanz, J.L. (eds.) Deep-sea ecosystems off Mauritania: Research of marine biodiversity and habitats in the Northwest African margin, pp. 393-418, Dordrecht, Springer. Keywords: cephalopods, Canary current, upwelling, Northwest Africa, Biodiversity Conference: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) , Braga, Portugal, 9 Sep - 12 Sep, 2019. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Fisheries, Aquaculture and Biotechnology Citation: Luna A, Ramos A, Rocha FJ and Perales-Raya C (2019). Cephalopods from the Canary Current upwelling ecosystem (Northwest Africa). Front. Mar. Sci. Conference Abstract: XX Iberian Symposium on Marine Biology Studies (SIEBM XX) . doi: 10.3389/conf.fmars.2019.08.00038 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 05 Jun 2019; Published Online: 27 Sep 2019. * Correspondence: Mx. Amanda Luna, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain, redlunel@hotmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Amanda Luna Ana Ramos Francisco J Rocha Catalina Perales-Raya Google Amanda Luna Ana Ramos Francisco J Rocha Catalina Perales-Raya Google Scholar Amanda Luna Ana Ramos Francisco J Rocha Catalina Perales-Raya PubMed Amanda Luna Ana Ramos Francisco J Rocha Catalina Perales-Raya Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Influence of microhabitat on functional attributes of two columnar cacti with different distribution ranges

Microhabitat variations condition the ability of plant populations to colonize and recruit. Normally cacti species need nurse conditions for establishment of seedlings, resulting in patches under forest cover and increasing the contrasting conditions between slopes with different solar exposure and humidity percentage. We hypothesize that Cephalocereus senilis, a species with restricted range, will have constant functional attributes at each slope and therefore greater sensitivity to environmental variation than Stenocereus dumortieri, a species of wide distribution. This study contrasts microhabitat response of two cacti with different distribution ranges using several functional traits: spatial association pattern, variation in morphological attributes, habitat disturbance conditions and community association. The main contributions of this work are: i) use of a multivariate approach that allows observation of variation patterns between different conditions of exposure and ii) contrast of wide and restricted distribution species in response to dry environmental requirements. The functional attributes of C. senilis are constant (density, morphology, disturbance conditions and associated vegetation), with the exception of the spatial arrangement of individuals, clumped towards an eastern orientation and regularly spaced on the western orientation. In contrast, S. dumortieri has different functional attributes, performing better on unexposed hillsides (aggregation radii smaller, highest density, larger plants, more preserved environment and greater diversity of associated vegetation). Our results are an example of the general response to micro-environmental variation of wide (tolerance) and restricted (avoidance) species in dry environments at both the population and community levels, representing an evolutionary evidence of adaption divergence.