Western Cuba Research Articles

Population structure and recruitment microsites of Agave offoyana (Asparagaceae: Agavoideae / Agavaceae) at two locations in western Cuba with different plant communities

The population structure and the establishment microsites of the Agave offoyana populations in Lomas de Galindo and the Pan de Matanzas were studied. These occur in a xeromorphic thorny thicket on serpentine and in a mesophytic semi-deciduous forest on calcium carbonate rocks, respectively. Five levels of rosette diameter for the age structure were considered and the density and spatial distribution of the individuals were evaluated. Microsites were compared with and without juveniles in terms of number of juveniles, number of leaves and length of major leaf, distance from other herbs, trees, shrubs, and other Agave species (larger than 1m in diameter) and Leptocereus scopulophilus, plus density, percentage of rockiness, bare soil, litter layer and lighting. The relationship between these variables with the presence or absence of juveniles in the microsites was evaluated, as well as their estimated probability. In Lomas de Galindo, middle class individuals predominate; while in the Pan de Matanzas those over 1m, with little representation of intermediate categories. In both populations there is an aggregate pattern of spatial arrangement and similar densities. The juveniles were found on the ground in Lomas de Galindo and in the hollows of the rocks in the Pan de Matanzas, so the availability of microsites seems not to limit recruitment. Germination and establishment is capable of occurring anywhere, independent of nurse plants or any other associated factor.

Transition to agroecology for improved food security and better living conditions: case study from a family farm in Pinar del Río, Cuba

ABSTRACT The process of transition to agroecology of family farms is a topic of great importance in Cuba and the need to support family farming is gaining worldwide attention, while agroecology has been recognized as the most promising approach for the sustainable development of smallholder farmers. This work analyzes the process of agroecological conversion implemented by a family farm in western Cuba, highlighting the causes that enabled the process of transition and examining its effects on the family’s food security and livelihoods. The study shows how all the four aspects of food security – availability, access, stability, and utilization – have improved after the transition to agroecology, while positive impacts are also registered in soil quality, environmental sustainability, and resilience. From the point of view of economic sustainability, the transition has had high costs at the beginning but, after three years, agroecological production is resulting in increased income and better living conditions. The work also suggests actions to be implemented in order to advance in the process of transition to agroecology and hence achieve full food sovereignty.

Easternmost record of the Cuban Broad-banded Trope, Tropidophis feicki (Squamata: Tropidophiidae)

Tropidophis feicki Schwartz, 1957 is restricted to densely forested limestone mesic areas in western Cuba (Schwartz & Henderson 1991; Henderson & Powell 2009). This species has been reported from about 20 localities distributed from near Guane, in Pinar del Río Province, to Ciénaga de Zapata, in Matanzas Province Rivalta et al., 2013; GBIF 2020; Fig. 1). On 30 June 2009 and on 22 December 2011 we found an adult male and an adult female Tropidophis feicki (ca. 400 mm SVL; Fig. 2), respectively, at the entrance of the “Cueva de la Virgen” hot cave (22.8201, -80.1384; 30 m a.s.l.; WGS 84; point 14 in Fig. 1). The cave is located within “Mogotes de Jumagua” Ecological Reserve, Sagua La Grande Municipality, Villa Clara Province. This locality represents the first record of this species for central Cuba, particularly for Villa Clara Province. This new record is about 123 km northeast (airline distance) of the nearest previous record at Playa Máquina, Ciénaga de Zapata, Matanzas Province (Rodríguez & Rivalta 2007).

Efficient Transovarial Transmission of Babesia Spp. in Rhipicephalus microplus Ticks Fed on Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis).

Water buffaloes can be infected by tick-borne pathogens (TBPs) in endemic areas where cattle and buffalo coexist. Among TBPs affecting buffaloes is the Apicomplexan hemoparasites Babesia bovis and B. bigemina, transmitted by Rhipicephalus microplus ticks. However, little empirical evidence exists on whether buffalo can support TBPs’ infection and transmission. A cohort study was designed to measure the infestation levels of R. microplus in buffaloes as well as the ability of buffalo-fed ticks to transmit B. bovis and B. bigemina to their offspring. Tick infestation of different life stages was quantified in cattle and buffalo kept in field conditions in western Cuba. Engorged adult female ticks were allowed to lay eggs in controlled conditions of humidity and temperature, and reproductive parameters were measured and analyzed. Hosts and tick larvae were tested for the presence of Babesia spp. using species-specific qPCR assays. Tick infestation was not observed in adult buffaloes. However, buffalo and cattle calves were equally infested, although the larval survival rate was higher in cattle calves than in buffalo calves. All larval pools (31) obtained from the adult female ticks were positive for B. bovis, whereas only 68% (21/31) was positive for B. bigemina. Among the 10 larval pools negative for B. bigemina, three proceeded from adult females fed on Babesia-negative buffaloes. The other seven pools were from Babesia-positive animals, three from cattle and four from buffalo calves. Babesia infection levels in tick larvae, quantified by qPCR, were similar in female ticks fed on buffalo and bovine calves. We conclude that water buffalo can sustain tick vector populations and support Babesia infection in levels high enough as to be infective for ticks. Our results also validated the hypothesis that adult female ticks fed on buffalo can transmit the pathogens B. bovis and B. bigemina to their offspring. Nevertheless, further laboratory studies are needed to address the question of whether the transovarial transmission of Babesia occurs in the following settings: (1) When adult females are infected previous to the feeding on the buffalo or/and (2) when the adult females acquire the infection while feeding on the buffalo.

New Records of Skippers (Hesperiidae) from Western Cuba

New Records of Skippers (Hesperiidae) from Western Cuba

Pollinia Removal and Suspected Pollination of the Endangered Ghost Orchid, Dendrophylax lindenii (Orchidaceae) by Various Hawk Moths (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae): Another Mystery Dispelled

The ghost orchid, Dendrophylax lindenii (Lindl.) Bentham ex Rolfe (Orchidaceae), is a rare, leafless epiphyte restricted to forests in southernmost Florida and western Cuba. The species' appealing floral display, high public profile, and challenging cultivation contribute to its ongoing removal from the wild by unethical collectors. To effectively conserve this and other native orchids that rely on seed for reproduction, a thorough understanding of natural pollination mechanisms is essential. Digital single lens reflex camera traps were used to survey for potential pollinators visiting D. lindenii flowers on the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge during the summers of 2016 to 2018. Based on suspected D. lindenii pollinia affixed to photographed moths, we provide visual evidence that D. lindenii is pollinated by at least 2 large hawk moths (Sphingidae) in southern Florida, which include the fig sphinx moth, Pachylia ficus Linnaeus, and pawpaw sphinx moth, Dolba hyloeus Drury (both Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). Species that were documented probing D. lindenii flowers, but lacked pollinia, included the giant sphinx moth (Cocytius antaeus Drury), banded sphinx moth (Eumorpha fasciatus Sulzer), and streaked sphinx moth (Protambulyx strigilis Linnaeus) (all Lepidoptera: Sphingidae). In addition to the aforementioned species of hawk moths (sphinx moths), the seagrape spanworm moth (Ametris nitocris Cramer; Lepidoptera: Geometridae), palamedes swallowtail (Papilio palamedes Drury; Lepidoptera: Papilionidae), monk skipper (Asbolis capucinus Lucas; Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), Brazilian skipper (Calpodes ethlius Stoll; Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), and 3 unidentifiable geometrid moths were observed visiting D. lindenii flowers within the study area. During 2017 and 2018, a total of 21 different visits by Lepidoptera were recorded, and the duration of each visit was rarely longer than 1 s. Hawk moth visits were infrequent, but did show some evidence of clustering by species. Measurements of proboscis lengths of the 2 documented pollinators from museum specimens were of sufficient length (50–100 mm) to probe D. lindenii nectar spurs, further lending support to our field observations. Larval food sources of the 2 confirmed pollinators include plant species native to southern Florida, suggesting that these moths are natural pollinators of D. lindenii. Our findings, although preliminary, provide critically needed baseline information that will augment ongoing conservation efforts in southern Florida aimed at the recovery of D. lindenii.

Guajirus serpentinicus: a new genus and species of minute grasshoppers (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Ommatolampidinae) from Cuba

Guajirus serpentinicus gen. nov., sp. nov., is described from the serpentine plant communities of Matanzas province located less than 100 km east of Havana, Cuba. The genus can be distinguished by its distinctive combination of characters: very small size (<10 mm), compact body, variegated coloration, large rounded eyes in a small head, relatively long and tongue-like remnants of the tegminae, tympanum present, furculae barely present and male subgenital plate with a wide rounded concavity. These small grasshoppers appear adapted to the special conditions of living in the serpentine communities of western Cuba.

First serological detection of Borrelia spp. in dogs in western Cuba.

This study aimed to verify the presence of IgG antibodies against Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (s.l) in domestic dogs in western Cuba. Serum samples were analyzed by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), using crude antigens of a B. burgdorferi strain of North American origin. To verify the presence of Borrelia spp., deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) extracted from individual blood samples was analyzed by nested-PCR, with markers targeted for amplification of portions of the flagellin B gene (flaB) present in Borrelia spirochetes. Ticks were also collected through inspection of the animals. Sera from 93 of 176 (52.84%) dogs were reactive to the indirect ELISA. Geographic prevalence varied from 54.35% (25/46) in Boyeros, 44.44% (20/45) in Cotorro, 66.67% (22/33) in Habana del Este, and 50% (26/52) in San José de las Lajas. There was no statistical difference between these tested variables. No blood samples analyzed were positive for the Borrelia flaB gene.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of Musa spp. in western Cuba

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in the rhizosphere of Musa spp. in western Cuba

Development and application of a multiplex TaqMan® real-time qPCR assay for the simultaneous detection of Anaplasma marginale and Theileria annulata and molecular characterization of Anaplasma marginale from cattle in Western Cuba.

Anaplasmosis and theileriosis are considered the most important tick-borne diseases for livestock production worldwide, causing significant economic losses in tropical and subtropical regions. The present study was aimed to develop a multiplex TaqMan® qPCR assay to simultaneously detect Anaplasma marginale and Theileria annulata and to applied it to investigate naturally infected cattle in Cuba. The assay was highly specific, sensible, and efficient; it was more sensitive than a well-established nested PCR and detected 1 DNA copy of each target. Consistent repeatability and reproducibility within and between multiplex qPCR runs was shown. A total of 223 blood samples collected in western Cuba were analyzed for haemoparasites infection in cattle. The multiplex qPCR assay detected A. marginale in 213 samples (95.5%; CI: 95%; 91.9%–97.5%), but all samples were negative for T. annulata. Additionally, the genetic diversity of A. marginale was assessed using 16S rRNA, MSP1a and MSP4 nucleotide and protein sequences. The MSP1a tandem repeats ranged from three to five, and twelve different MSP1a tandem repeats of A. marginale were found, which presented genotypes C, E, and G in the 5ʹUTR microsatellite region. Phylogenetic analysis using the msp4 gene showed that Cuban strains were closely related to others previously reported in Mexico, Brazil and Asian countries. The multiplex qPCR described here proved to be a rapid, specific and cost-effective mean for the simultaneous detection of A. marginale and T. annulata. Further epidemiological studies using this assay will improve the surveillance of the associated diseases in regions where they are endemic.

Liguus blainianus, an Endangered Lineage of Liguus from the Rosario Range in Western Cuba

The Liguus blainianus lineage from western Cuba is presented, with a discussion of its placement as a subspecies of Liguus fasciatus, current and historical range, distribution maps, comments about past and recent field work and it’s hybridization with L. f. archeri. Color images of live animals and their habitat are included. An argument is made for creating a protected area to avoid the extinction of this beautiful and important race of tree snails.

Integrating Hydrogeological and Microbiological Data and Modelling to Characterize the Hydraulic Features and Behaviour of Coastal Carbonate Aquifers: A Case in Western Cuba

Carbonate aquifers are the primary source of freshwater in Cuba. Unfortunately, coastal groundwater is often contaminated by seawater intrusion. The main aim of the present study was to test the efficacy of an experimental modelling approach, ranging from hydrogeology/geomorphology to microbiology, to better characterise both the hydraulic features and behaviour of a coastal carbonate aquifer and acquire useful information to prevent groundwater salinization. The interdisciplinary approach was an effective tool in order to understand (i) the hydraulic role played by some fault zones; (ii) the influence of discontinuous heterogeneities on groundwater flow and saltwater wedge shape; (iii) mixing processes between different water bodies (groundwater, surface water, seawater); (iv) the role of karst conduits in influencing the step-like halocline within the mixing zone between fresh groundwater and seawater.

Practices of double currency: value and politics in rural Cuba

Ethnographies of contemporary Cuba often employ the concept of “struggle” to describe everyday economic action. This concept, however, lacks the edge to analyze social contests around value and the resulting structural differentiation of the social field. Inspired by anthropological debates on value and fieldwork observations in rural western Cuba, this paper begins to explore the social life of Cuba’s monetary plurality. I reconstruct and interpret some of the major features of the Cuban monetary landscape, namely, the existence of two main national currencies and exchange rates, different institutional rules for accountancy, and the awkward intimacy with the US dollar. The analysis of the national monetary system reveals the contrapuntal and historically contingent formation of an architecture of value based on a sphere of contained reproduction and a sphere of external reconnection. Additionally, paying attention to the money medium leads me to notice the politics involved in negotiating a dimension of incalculability interwoven in the functioning of the economy at large. The analysis of individuals’ and state actors’ everyday economic practices in this context provides a favorable vantage point from which to consider how particular economic operations take part into broader processes of accumulation and loss of value.

New taxonomic assignment for a dinosaur sauropod bone from Cuba

ABSTRACT The fossil-bearing Jagua Formation of western Cuba was deposited during the early Late Jurassic (middle to late Oxfordian) in the marine corridor developed between western Laurasia and Gondwana, providing a rich assemblage of terrestrial to marine fossils including reptiles, fish and invertebrates. From this formation, De la Torre y Callejas reported in 1949 an isolated dinosaur bone, now missing, originally identified as ‘Diplodocus’ or ‘Brontosaurus’ humerus. Later, this fossil was referred as a camarasauromorph metacarpal. Within Macronaria, metacarpals became long and robust in Titanosauriformes. The strong curvature of the Cuban metacarpus suggests that it probably belongs to the first or second metacarpal of a somphospondylan. The achievement of a eugraviportal forelimb in Sauropoda was a unique event evidenced in metacarpal morphology. The bowed first metacarpal is present only in somphospondylans, particularly in some basal titanosaurs, and reverses in derived forms. Somphospondylans were not recorded yet for the early Late Jurassic neither in North nor in South America.

Caribbean hydroclimate and vegetation history across the last glacial period

We present a new speleothem trace element and stable isotope record, which extends previous paleoclimate evidence from Cuban speleothems to the last 96 ka. Multiple proxies were used to reconstruct Caribbean hydroclimate and vegetation variability on orbital to millennial timescales. In particular, our proxies indicate a shift to more abundant C4 (compared to C3) vegetation and/or reduced soil activity during the Last Glacial Maximum. Our results confirm the close link of Caribbean precipitation to North Atlantic climate variability, insolation and the strength of the AMOC. The associated variations in Caribbean SSTs and the shift of the ITCZ led to substantial changes of the hydrological cycle. During Heinrich stadials and the Younger Dryas, climatic conditions in Cuba were comparably cool and/or dry. In contrast, warm Dansgaard/Oeschger cycles were accompanied by wetter conditions. This is in agreement with previous evidence for the Holocene, when North Atlantic cold (warm) events coincided with drier (wetter) conditions in Cuba. However, our record suggests that this connection was less dominant during MIS 4 to 2, displayed by a weaker response of Cuban precipitation proxies to North Atlantic climatic shifts than during MIS 5 in particular. We hypothesize that this weaker connection was mediated by the southerly shifted ITCZ inducing a weakening of the northern branch of the Caribbean Low Level Jet which usually transports moisture into the northern Caribbean. This is strikingly evident during the deglacial, when driest and/or coolest conditions prevailed in western Cuba from HS 1 into the Younger Dryas, including the Bølling/Allerød interstadial.

Anomalous colour in a Cuban cave-dwelling frog: First record of piebaldism in Eleutherodactylus zeus (Anura: Eleutherodactylidae)

Pigmentation anomalies may occur due to genetic or environmental factors and can affect restricted parts of the body or the entire surface. Eleutherodactylus zeus is frog endemic to western Cuba where it is adapted to life in caves, rock crevices, and other sheltered sites in limestone landscapes associated with forest habitats. We observed 43 frogs in Santo Tomás cave, in Viñales National Park, of which 26 % showed depigmented blotches, typical of piebaldism, along their bodies. No unusual behaviour was detected in any of these frogs. This is the first reported case of piebaldism in frogs of the West Indies and consequently of Cuba. Records of piebaldism in amphibians are very scarce in the literature, not necessarily as a consequence of its rarity in nature but possibly due to inconsistencies in the classification of pigmentation abnormalities.

Hybridization and rapid differentiation after secondary contact between the native green anole (Anolis carolinensis) and the introduced green anole (Anolis porcatus).

In allopatric species, reproductive isolation evolves through the accumulation of genetic incompatibilities. The degree of divergence required for complete reproductive isolation is highly variable across taxa, which makes the outcome of secondary contact between allopatric species unpredictable. Since before the Pliocene, two species of Anolis lizards, Anolis carolinensis and Anolis porcatus, have been allopatric, yet this period of independent evolution has not led to substantial species‐specific morphological differentiation, and therefore, they might not be reproductively isolated. In this study, we determined the genetic consequences of localized, secondary contact between the native green anole, A. carolinensis, and the introduced Cuban green anole, A. porcatus, in South Miami. Using 18 microsatellite markers, we found that the South Miami population formed a genetic cluster distinct from both parental species. Mitochondrial DNA revealed maternal A. porcatus ancestry for 35% of the individuals sampled from this population, indicating a high degree of cytonuclear discordance. Thus, hybridization with A. porcatus, not just population structure within A. carolinensis, may be responsible for the genetic distinctiveness of this population. Using tree‐based maximum‐likelihood analysis, we found support for a more recent, secondary introduction of A. porcatus to Florida. Evidence that ~33% of the nuclear DNA resulted from a secondary introduction supports the hybrid origin of the green anole population in South Miami. We used multiple lines of evidence and multiple genetic markers to reconstruct otherwise cryptic patterns of species introduction and hybridization. Genetic evidence for a lack of reproductive isolation, as well as morphological similarities between the two species, supports revising the taxonomy of A. carolinensis to include A. porcatus from western Cuba. Future studies should target the current geographic extent of introgression originating from the past injection of genetic material from Cuban green anoles and determine the consequences for the evolutionary trajectory of green anole populations in southern Florida.

First cranial endocasts of early Miocene sirenians (Dugongidae) from the West Indies

ABSTRACTWe report and describe the first sirenian endocranial casts from the West Indies based on three specimens collected from two quarries of the upper Oligocene–lower Miocene Colón Formation, in the province of Matanzas, western Cuba. We assign them to Dugongidae incertae sedis, based on a phylogenetic analysis of fossil and extant sirenians. Thus, these new specimens provide a unique opportunity to describe the endocranial neuroanatomy of this family. The endocasts are suggestive of dugongids with limited vision and olfaction, based on the diminished olfactory and optic nerves. Additionally, we provide a geological reinterpretation of the Colón Formation and its paleoecological setting. Altogether, these data provide further insight into the diversity and evolution of sirenians, especially Caribbean dugongs.

A PROPOSAL FOR USING BLUE OCEAN STRATEGY IN ECOTOURISM PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT: METHODOLOGY FOR USE IN THE CUBAN TOURISM INDUSTRY

ABSTRACT Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS) is a theory that proposes a methodology for growth and expansion of products and services into new markets. It is also a method that can be used to expand existing markets by attracting new customers. The present paper discusses how this methodology could be utilized in developing an ecotourism product in Eastern Cuba. In 2009, the author was involved in a study of sustainable performance measures was done for the tourism industry in Cuba. The paper will expand upon this research by developing a methodology to look at how the theory of BOS can be used to develop a unique customer value proposition, new growth opportunities to expand and grow tourism options for the Viñales region in the province of Pinar del Rio in Western Cuba. The paper will address the need for changes, the challenges faced and the opportunity for growth in the Cuban tourism market using Blue Ocean Strategy as a catalyst to new market development. Keywords Blue Ocean Strategy, Strategy, Ecotourism, Cuba, Tourism

High co-infection rates of Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, and Anaplasma marginale in water buffalo in Western Cuba.

Water buffalo is important livestock in several countries in the Latin American and Caribbean regions. This buffalo species can be infected by tick-borne hemoparasites and remains a carrier of these pathogens which represent a risk of infection for more susceptible species like cattle. Therefore, studies on the epidemiology of tick-borne hemoparasites in buffaloes are required. In this study, the prevalence of Babesia bovis, Babesia bigemina, and Anaplasma marginale were determined in water buffalo herds of western Cuba. To this aim, a cross-sectional study covering farms with large buffalo populations in the region was performed. Eight buffalo herds were randomly selected, and blood samples were collected from 328 animals, including 63 calves (3-14months), 75 young animals (3-5years), and 190 adult animals (> 5years). Species-specific nested PCR and indirect ELISA assays were used to determine the molecular and serological prevalences of each hemoparasite, respectively. The molecular and serological prevalence was greater than 50% for the three hemoparasites. Differences were found in infection prevalence among buffalo herds, suggesting that local epidemiological factors may influence infection risk. Animals of all age groups were infected, with a higher molecular prevalence of B. bigemina and A. marginale in young buffalo and calves, respectively, while a stepwise increase in seroprevalence of B. bovis and B. bigemina from calves to adult buffaloes was found. The co-infection by the three pathogens was found in 12% of animals, and when analyzed by pair, the co-infections of B. bovis and B. bigemina, B. bigemina and A. marginale, and B. bovis and A. marginale were found in 20%, 24%, and 26%, respectively, underlying the positive interaction between these pathogens infecting buffaloes. These results provide evidence that tick-borne pathogen infections can be widespread among water buffalo populations in tropical livestock ecosystems. Further studies should evaluate whether these pathogens affect the health status and productive performance of water buffalo and infection risk of these pathogens in cattle cohabiting with buffalo.