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Although literature about regional integration is substantial, its definition remains controversial. Indeed, it is common nowadays for the terms regional integration and regional economic integration to be used interchangeably in spite of the importance accorded by literature to non‐economic factors. Inspired on the South American integration strategy—the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), this paper revisits the theory of regional integration and proposes to analyse regional integration projects from three complementary angles: economic integration, political integration and physical integration. Moreover, it asserts that political and physical integration constitute a preliminary, or contemporaneous, step towards economic integration and not a final stage, as the current debate suggests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, abortion is only allowed in cases of rape, serious risk to a woman's life or fetal anecephaly. Legal abortion services cover less than 4% of the Brazilian territory and only 1,800 procedures are performed, in average, per year. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, almost half of the already few Brazilian abortion clinics shut down and women had to travel even longer distances, reaching abortion services at later gestational ages. In this paper, we describe three bottom‐up advocacy strategies that emerged from difficulties deepened during the COVID‐19 pandemic at a single abortion service in Brazil, amidst anti‐gender policies from the federal government. Telemedicine abortion, outpatient surgical abortion and the provision of abortion after 20 weeks' gestation are important strategies that may reduce inequalities that impact the most vulnerable populations, such as black and indigenous women, children, adolescents and women experiencing domestic violence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper describes new fossil materials (skull and some postcranial elements) collected in November 2020 in Engrunado cave in Nova Redenção municipality, Bahia, Brazil. This material was attributed to a sub‐adult specimen of Smilodon populator Lund, 1842, estimated to be 17–18 months old and with a body mass of 185 kg when it died. Based on its body mass, this individual could have hunted animals with a typical and maximum potential prey body mass of 302 and 1004 kg, respectively. Furthermore, it may have had a high dietary niche overlap with adult specimens of S. populator and other large carnivorans, such as Panthera onca (Linnaeus, 1758), probably hunting different species to avoid competition with them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rise in the Earth's global average surface temperature and the increase of extreme weather events have been the focus of scientific discussion in the last decades. Extreme heat combined with other environmental extremes, like high concentrations of air pollution, may induce health problems—especially in socioeconomically vulnerable populations. Spring in South America requires particular attention due to its association with hot, dry weather and air pollution in most parts of the continent. This paper intends to better comprehend the behaviour of heatwaves during the austral winter–spring transition. We propose identifying the spatial coverage, frequency and intensity of heatwaves in homogeneous areas of maximum air temperature near the surface (Tmax). We employed cluster analyses during the period between July and October for 41 years (1979–2019) through the ERA5 reanalysis. Homogeneous Tmax areas in South America were defined by cluster analyses that indicated three homogeneous Tmax regions, as follows: a larger area of the continent including the tropical region (Area 1), eastern and southeastern South America (Area 2) and southernmost and steep areas in the Andes (Area 3). The heatwave events identified via ERA5 reanalysis were classified according to their intensity (intense, moderate and weak events). Spatial frequency and trend analyses were also performed regarding the intensity and persistence of heatwave episodes. These methods allowed the identification of the behavioural aspect of heatwaves spanning the last four decades. The Mann–Kendall statistical test (MK) was applied in order to analyse the heatwave trend with a statistical significance level of 5%. A total of 191 heatwave episodes were identified. Of this total, 47.12, 35.60 and 17.28% of episodes occurred in Areas 2, 3 and 1, respectively. The hotter area extending from northeast to southwest in central South America stood out by its largest frequencies of intense heatwave episodes. Across the continent there was a significant increase in the intensity and persistence of heatwaves over the period of 1979 through to 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a spatial rural economy model of adaptation to climate change that accounts for a multitude of rural enterprises across a diversity of ecosystems in South America using household surveys. We model adoptions of crops, livestock, and forests. Both specialized and diversified enterprises are modelled. This paper finds that livestock, forests, and a diversification into crops, livestock, and forests are key adaptation strategies. Under the UKMO (United Kingdom Meteorological Office) scenario, a livestock-only enterprise would expand by 4 per cent, a crops-livestock-forests by 3 per cent, and a forests-only by 3 per cent. Adaptation behaviours are closely tied with ecosystem changes under global warming. A livestock-only would increase especially in the grasslands. A crops-livestock-forests enterprise expands into xeromorphic forests. A crops-livestock expands in Andean grasslands and tall grasslands. A forests-only expands in the coasts and woody zones. A crops-only enterprise decreases across South America. Resumen Utilizando encuestas a hogares, en este artículo se desarrolla un modelo espacial de economía rural para la adaptación al cambio climático, con la capacidad de representar una gran cantidad de empresas rurales dentro de una diversidad de ecosistemas en América del Sur. Se modeliza la adopción de cultivos, ganado y bosques. Se modelizan tanto empresas especializadas como diversificadas. El artículo encontró que el ganado, los bosques, y una diversificación en cuanto a cultivos, ganado y bosques son estrategias claves de adaptación. Bajo un escenario propuesto por la Oficina Meteorológica del Reino Unido (UKMO, siglas en inglés), una explotación dedicada solamente a la ganadería aumentaría en un 4 por ciento, una dedicada a cultivos-ganadería-bosques un 3 por ciento, y una dedicada exclusivamente a bosques un 3 por ciento. Los comportamientos para la adaptación están estrechamente ligados a cambios en los ecosistemas debidos al calentamiento global. Una explotación exclusivamente ganadera aumentaría especialmente en el ecosistema de pastizal. Una explotación de cultivos-ganadería-bosques podría expandir en bosques xeromórficos. Una explotación basada en cultivos-ganado expandiría en áreas de pastizales Andinos y pastizal alto. Las explotaciones basadas solamente en bosque expandirían en las costas y zonas boscosas. Una explotación exclusivamente de cultivos disminuiría en América del Sur. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information from diversity inventories was used to study patterns of biodiversity and species distribution, to identify potential priority areas for conservation, and to guide future sampling efforts. In this context, we compiled information on non‐volant small mammal communities from the high Andes (>2000 m). Here, we present an open source dataset containing information on diversity (species composition, number of individuals captured), inventory design (type of traps, sampling efforts), and environment (habitat) for both unpublished and published information. This study covers 630 mammalian communities, geographically distributed throughout the Andes in Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile. We compiled a total of 26,412 individual records belonging to 240 species; the order with greatest number of records was Rodentia (n = 25,319, 96.06%), followed by Didelphimorphia (n = 373, 1.42%), Eulipotyphla (n = 358, 1.36%) and Paucituberculata, (n = 307, 1.16%). Andean non‐volant small mammal communities harbor a range from 1 to 17 species, with 93.06% of sites being composed of one to five species, 27.78% of sites with species richness varying from 6 to 10 species, and 4.17% sites composed of more than 10 species. Multiple sampling methods were used to survey non‐volant small mammals; the most representative methods were snap‐traps and Sherman traps, or a combination of both, in more than 81% of the studies. This data paper represents the first large dataset of faunal species inventories for the Andes. There are no copyright restrictions associated with the use of this dataset. Please cite this data paper when its data are used total or partially in research or teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southeastern South America is subject to considerable precipitation variability on seasonal to decadal timescales and has undergone very heavy land‐cover changes (LCCs) since the middle of the past century. The influence of local LCC and precipitation as drivers of regional evapotranspiration (ET) long‐term trends and variability remains largely unknown in the region. Here, ensembles of stand‐alone dynamic global vegetation models (DGVMs) with different atmospheric forcings are used to disentangle the influence of those two drivers on austral summer ET from 1950 to 2010. This paper examines the influence of both the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the dipole‐like first‐mode of southeastern South American precipitation variability (EOF1) on regional ET. We found that in the lower La Plata Basin, ET was driven by precipitation variability and showed a positive summer trend. Moreover, the region showed marked seasonal anomalies during El Niño and La Niña summers but mainly during EOF1 phases. On the contrary, in the upper La Plata Basin, LCCs forced the negative summer ET trend and particularly reduced the summer anomalies of the late 1990s, a period of ENSO and EOF1‐positive phases. In the South Atlantic Convergence Zone region, the high ET uncertainty across ensemble members impeded finding robust results, which highlights the importance of using multiple DGVMs and atmospheric forcings instead of relying on single model/forcing results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A coincidence in the timing of floods and their drivers can be used as a proxy for the causality of flood generation. Here, we investigate the relationship between the seasonality of floods, maximum annual rainfall, and maximum annual soil moisture data of 886 basins in Brazil for 1980–2015 to shed light on process controls of flood generation. Floods tend to occur at the same time of year as soil moisture peaks and lag behind rainfall peaks by 3 weeks. In Amazonia, central and northern Brazil, flood timing is more correlated with the timing of soil moisture peaks than with that of rainfall peaks, which is interpreted as resulting from high subsurface water storage capacities. In southern and southeastern Brazil, on the other hand, flood timing is highly correlated with both soil moisture and rainfall because of low subsurface water storage capacities. These findings can support flood forecasting and climate impact studies. Plain Language Summary: In warm regions, floods are usually generated by a combination of intense rainfall and wet soils. In this paper, we analyze the average timing within the year of floods, extreme rainfall, and soil moisture to elucidate how floods come about in the main Brazilian rivers. We find that in some regions, such as Amazonia and central Brazil, floods tend to occur when soils are wet. In other regions, such as southern Brazil, floods tend to occur when rainfall is most extreme. We believe that these differences are related to differences in the soil water storage capacity. The understanding of the regional importance of each of these components helps increase the efficiency of flood prevention measures and climate change adaptation. Key Points: Flood peaks tend to occur at the same time of year as annual soil moisture peaks and lag behind annual rainfall peaks by 3 weeksFlood seasonality is linked mainly with soil moisture peaks in Amazonia and central Brazil, where soil storage capacity is highFlood timing is highly correlated with rainfall and soil moisture peaks in the south and southeast, where soil storage capacity is low [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of "scientific reductionism", with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous researches have examined the zooarchaeological record to understand changes in human diet in central western Argentina through time. This research has focused on variations in the relative abundance of large prey in archaeofaunal contexts. The observed changes were explained by a decrease in residentialmobility, forced by both the intensification in the use of resources and the introduction of the first domesticated plants ca. 2000 years BP. In this paper, we revised archaeofaunal interpretations by taking into account zooarchaeological assemblages and human isotope records within the biogeographical distributions of prey in the region. Our results demonstrate that faunal diversity in zooarchaeological assemblages has a stronger correlation with the natural distribution of resources (especially with altitude) than with chronology, as was proposed previously. However, archaeofaunal information, including human isotopic data, suggests that a decrease in residential mobility, postulated in a previous paper, took place, modifying the expected diversity distribution throughout the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This paper provides an analysis of the interplays between climate risks, eco-systems and adaptation decisions using South American and Sub- Saharan African farm surveys. Climate risk indicators such as seasonal Coefficient of Variation in Precipitation ( CVP) and Diurnal Temperature Range ( DTR) are matched with major eco-systems. Adoption decisions of the six natural resource enterprises are modelled using a spatial Logit model. First, this paper finds that climate risks are higher in the grasslands and meadow eco-systems in South America as they are high in the lowland arid zones in Africa. However, climate risks across the continent are, compared with Sub-Saharan Africa, much lower in South America. Second, a higher temperature implies a higher climate risk in Africa, which is not the case in South America owing to the predominant influences of regional weather events such as the ENSO. Third, while the CVP is a dominant risk factor in Africa, the DTR is a dominant risk factor in South America due to the vast ranges of the Andes Mountain. Winter DTR is predicted to fall by 3 °C under both the UKMO and the GISS scenarios by the middle of this century. Altered climate risks will push a large number of farmers to switch away from a crops-only enterprise due to a large decrease in daily temperature variability. Farmers adapt by increasing a crops-livestock enterprise in the grasslands with wood cover and subtropical drought-deciduous forests. This paper provides a coupled analysis of global (climate), local (eco-systems) and individual (adaptation) processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a recently published paper, Celestino et al. (2019) investigated the effects of a fish ladder located near the Porto Primavera Dam (Paraná River, Brazil) in order to evaluate if it provided free passage for the migratory fish Prochilodus lineatus. Fish were marked with PIT‐tags and movements were monitored within the ladder over a 3.5‐year period. The main finding was "Our study identified bidirectional movements by P. lineatus through the Porto Primavera fish ladder, including multiple passes by the same fish" (p. 241). It led authors to conclude: "Our results suggest that by providing bidirectional connectivity between upstream and downstream habitats, fishways can be an effective tool for preserving populations of P. lineatus and probably for other species of Prochilodus" (p. 242). Both conclusions, however, may not be correct, because they go beyond the data directly presented in the manuscript. The study overlooked issues related to the spatial scale and experimental design, since it was limited to investigate patterns of movement within the fish ladder alone. In this sense, they encourage the reader to accept patterns and conclusions that were not specifically investigated (e.g., migratory dynamics and conservation success), or that cannot be fully supported by the data (e.g., bidirectional movements and efficient passage). As the conclusions presented in the study have direct implications for the licensing process of hydropower dams and the management/conservation of Neotropical migratory fishes, we provide suggestions to highlight additional important factors and issues that should be considered or addressed in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A characterization of the diurnal cycle of precipitation (DCP) over the whole South America is still lacking in the literature and the scarcity of sub‐daily rain ground measurements limits the data available for analysis and forbids a correct validation of alternative datasets. In this paper we analyse the climatological mean DCP during the monsoon active season using five gridded datasets: two satellite precipitation estimates, two regional climate models and one reanalysis. Amazonia, the Brazilian Highlands, the northeastern South American coast, the Andes and the western Colombian coast are identified as the areas with most prominent DCPs. The afternoon convection triggered by solar heating over land and the coastal and topographic effects are the main modes of sub‐daily variability, based on an EOF decomposition of the 3 hourly mean precipitation fields. We explore the contribution of mean frequency and intensity to amount of precipitation and nighttime–daytime differences. In general, both models precipitate earlier and more frequently than the satellite products and do not reproduce correctly areas of observed predominant nighttime precipitation where mesoscale convective systems are active, like La Plata Basin or Amazonia. Over the analysed areas, the high frequency of precipitation is the driving mechanism of total amount in the models, whereas in the satellite products there is also considerable contribution from intensity. Overall, the reanalysis shows features in between the models and the satellite estimates, sharing characteristics with both types of data. The results presented here point at the diversity of sub‐daily precipitation characteristics in South America, the issues with conventional climate models and the uncertainty in satellite products and reanalyses. The growing interest in the DCP by the scientific community and the development of new techniques like convection permitting modelling will hopefully continue to improve our knowledge of the precipitation dynamics and its influence on climate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hundreds of publications dealing with the prevalence of multiple sclerosis (MS) throughout the world exist, but little data have been published from South America. Epidemiological studies of MS vary according to environmental, racial and genetic factors; a better understanding of MS in South America would help us to elucidate the disease pattern in this population. The aim of this study is to review the evidence relevant to MS epidemiology in South America. We performed a systematic review of articles of MS epidemiology in South America, with special emphasis on those providing information on the incidence and prevalence of MS (population-based studies). Six papers provided information on MS epidemiology. One paper used the capture-recapture methodology, while the remainder employed traditional methods to collect the data. Population-based studies showed an MS prevalence rate ranging from 1.48 to 17 per 100 000 inhabitants. Available data suggest that the prevalence of MS is lower in South America than in developed countries. The reason for this observation is unknown. Some investigators suggest that certain environmental factors like sun exposure and vitamin D supplementation or the called ‘hygiene hypothesis’ may protect this population. Future studies will contribute to elucidate the etiology of that difference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

‘geographical pivot of history’ concept, subsequently developed into his famous‘Eurasian heartland thesis’, marginalizes South America, yet his ideas have attracted considerable interest there, including interpretations (and fantasies) of a‘South American heartland’. This paper examines the reception of Mackinder's ideas in Latin American geopolitics and how his heartland thesis was adapted for the South American context. It traces the roots of this adaptation in earlier South American geopolitical writing, and examines these ideas of counter-insurgency policies and global geopolitical strategies, analysing their relationship to military and anticommunist perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Peruvian Province, from 6° S in Peru to 42° S in Chile, is a highly productive coastal marine region whose biology and fossil record have long been studied separately but never integrated. To understand how past events and conditions affected today's species composition and interactions, we examined the role of extinction, colonization, geologic changes to explain previously unrecognized peculiar features of the biota and to compare the Peruvian Province's history to that of other climatically similar temperate coasts. We synthesized all available data on the benthic (or benthically feeding) biota, with emphasis on fossilizable taxa, for the interval from the Miocene (23–5.4 Ma) and Pliocene (5.4–2.5 Ma) to the present. We outline the history of ecological guilds including primary producers, herbivores, predators, and suspension‐feeders and document patterns of extinction, colonization, and geographic restriction. We identify twelve unusual attributes of the biota, most of which are the result of repeated episodes of extinction. Several guilds present during the Miocene and Pliocene are not represented in the province today, while groups such as kelps and perhaps intertidal predatory sea stars are relative newcomers. Guilds on soft bottoms and in sheltered habitats were severely affected by extinction, whereas those on hard bottoms were most affected by colonists and held their own in diversity. The Peruvian Province has not served as a biogeographic refuge, in contrast to the coasts of Australasia and Argentina, where lineages no longer present in the Peruvian Province survive. The loss of sheltered habitats since the Pliocene explains many of the present‐day peculiarities of the biota. The history of the province's biota explains its unique attributes. High productivity, a rich Southern Hemisphere heritage, and colonization from the north account for the present‐day composition and unusual characteristics of the biota. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper tests if the two La Niña (LN) types can be distinguished from each other using their climate impacts on northeastern Brazil (NEB). To this end, all LN events during the 1901–2010 period followed by a wet or dry rainy season (from February to April) in NEB are classified into two categories: WET‐LN and DRY‐LN. The global and regional anomalous atmospheric circulation patterns and the rainfall anomaly patterns in South America associated with the two cases are analysed. The WET‐LN and DRY‐LN events present, respectively, the eastern Pacific LN and central Pacific LN sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly features in the tropical Pacific. On the other hand, the WET‐LN features an interhemispheric SST dipole pattern in the tropical Atlantic, and the DRY‐LN, colder‐than‐normal surface waters in the tropical South Atlantic (TSA) and equatorial Atlantic during MAM(+1). The two analysed cases show regional differential circulation patterns in all seasons. The anomalous wetness over northern and northwestern South America occurs for the WET‐LN type during JJA(0)–DJF(+1) and for the DRY‐LN type, during DJF(+1)–MAM(+1). The anomalous dryness over SESA is more evident for the WET‐LN during JJA(0) and MAM(+1), and for the DRY‐LN, during SON(0). Anomalous dryness occurs in central and eastern South America noted during JJA(0) and DJF(+1) for both cases analysed. The precipitation anomalies in northern South America during DJF(+1) are stronger and more extensive for the DRY‐LN than for the WET‐LN events due to the action of both the anomalous (double) Walker and Hadley cells for the DRY‐LN, in contrast with the exclusive action of an anomalous Walker cell for the WET‐LN case. Also, a double Walker cell drives the dry–wet dipole between northern South America and NEB during MAM(+1) for the DRY‐LN. Our results might be useful mainly for climate monitoring purposes. The two La Niña (LN) types were distinguished from each other using their climate impacts on northeastern Brazil (NEB) and classified in two categories WET‐LN (LN events followed by a wet rainy season in NEB) and DRY‐LN (LN events followed by a dry rainy season in NEB) that present, respectively, the eastern Pacific LN and central Pacific LN sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly features in the tropical Pacific. The illustration shows the LN‐related SST and precipitation anomaly patterns evolutions associated with the two LN types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gnaphalieae (Asteraceae) are a cosmopolitan tribe with around 185 genera and 2000 species. The New World is one of the centers of diversity of the tribe with 24 genera and over 100 species, most of which form a clade called the Luciliagroup with 21 genera. However, the generic classification of the Luciliagroup has been controversial with no agreement on delimitation or circumscription of genera. Especially controversial has been the taxonomic value of achenial trichomes and molecular studies have shown equivocal results so far. The major aims of this paper are to provide a nearly complete phylogeny of the Luciliagroup at generic level and to discuss the evolutionary trends and taxonomic significance of achenial trichome morphology. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis of the New World Gnaphalieae with nrDNA (ETS, ITS) sequence data from a sampling of 18 genera of the Luciliagroup and utilized these results to examine morphological evolution of achenial trichome types and presence of apical myxogenic cells. Seven wellsupported subclades can be recognized within the Luciliagroup (L1-L7). These results support Brazilian and Andean Berroa, Facelis, Lucilia, and Micropsis forming a clade (L1), the inclusion of Chilean Lucilia under Belloa (L2), the monophyly of Stuckertiella + Gamochaeta + Gamochaetopsis (L3), Chevreulia + Cuatrecasasiella (L4) and Antennaria (L5) excluding Antennaria linearifolia, which is resolved in a monophyletic group together with Jalcophila, Loricaria and Mniodes (L6), and the recognition of Gnaphaliothamnus (L7) removed from Brazilian taxa of Chionolaena (L2). Ancestral character state reconstruction of achenial trichome morphology suggests that clades are homogeneous in terms of trichome type, but with exceptions that make it highly homoplastic. Conversely, our results suggest that the presence of myxogenic apical cells is less homoplastic and that closely related species tend to resemble each other more than expected under random variation. Keywords achenial trichome; Luciliagroup; morphology; nrDNA; phylogeny; South America [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mountainous grasslands in South America, characterized by their high diversity, provide a wide range of contributions to people, including water regulation, soil erosion prevention, livestock feed provision, and preservation of cultural heritage. Prior research has highlighted the significant role of grazing in shaping the diversity and productivity of grassland ecosystems, especially in highly productive, eutrophic systems. In such environments, grazing has been demonstrated to restore grassland plant diversity by reducing primary productivity. However, it remains unclear whether these findings are applicable to South American mountainous grasslands, where plants are adapted to different environmental conditions. To address this uncertainty, we conducted a meta‐analysis of experiments excluding livestock grazing to assess its impact on plant diversity and productivity across mountainous grasslands in South America. In alignment with studies in temperate grasslands, our findings indicated that herbivore exclusion resulted in increased aboveground biomass but reduced species richness and Shannon diversity. The effects of grazing exclusion became more pronounced with longer durations of exclusion; nevertheless, they remained resilient to various climatic conditions, including mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature, as well as the evolutionary history of grazing. In contrast to results observed in temperate grasslands, the reduction in species richness due to herbivore exclusion was not associated with increased aboveground biomass. This suggests that the processes governing (sub)tropical grassland plant diversity may differ from those in temperate grasslands. Consequently, further research is necessary to better understand the specific factors influencing plant diversity and productivity in South American montane grasslands and to elucidate the ecological implications of herbivore exclusion in these unique ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Daily station precipitation totals are used to develop a gridded dataset for the region (14°-40°S, 45°-70°W) on a 0.5° × 0.5° latitude/longitude grid, primarily for comparison with regional climate model ( RCM) simulations. The gridded dataset covers the period 1961-2000. Much of the paper discusses the quality control of the basic station precipitation series. Although the primary aim of the development has been RCM validation, we have assessed trends in seasonal precipitation totals as well as trends in two measures of precipitation extremes (R95p, the daily precipitation amount exceeded only 5% of the time and Rx5day, the maximum 5-d precipitation total during each season). Relatively few regions across the large domain have statistically significant trends, but those that do tend to be located in the eastern two thirds of the grid, particularly over southeastern Brazil and Uruguay. Significant trends are also more evident in the DJF and MAM seasons. There is good spatial agreement between the trends in seasonal totals and trends in the extreme indices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT For over a century, a number of ambiguous typologies have been employed to distinctly categorise types of artificial cranial deformation. This paper provides a quantitative method, based on multiple dimensions and discriminant function analysis, by which to assign skulls not only into discrete categories: deformed or not, but also by type: annular or tabular. A series of prehispanic, adult, human crania ( n = 469) from archaeological sites in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru represented by both normal and artificially deformed specimens, provide craniometric data for four measurements across the vault: maximum cranial length, breadth and height and the frontal chord. These data are used to develop three indices which in turn are used to compute two discriminant functions. Results are plotted on a territorial map whereby the type of deformity can be determined. When these methods were applied to a comparative cranial sample of nondeformed skulls from South America, 100% of the samples was found to be nondeformed. When these methods were applied to the samples which were subjectively classified a priori by the first author as nondeformed, 81.3% of the samples were found to be nondeformed. This study demonstrates the value of a more objective and quantitative method by which to classify artificial cranial deformation, and thus provides a new approach. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a microeconometric analysis of adapting portfolios in response to climate change using information on South American farmers' adoption of agricultural systems taken from approximately 2,000 household surveys. The results show that farmers in a hotter climate prefer a mixed system over specialized systems either in crops or livestock. Under a hot and dry scenario, the land values of all three systems would fall, but the damage would be much smaller in the mixed system (−10%) than for the farms specializing in crops (−20%). Farmers are predicted to lose 8% of their land's value under the Canadian Climatic Center (CCC) scenario, but only 2% under the Parallel Climate Model (PCM). Losses would increase to 18% if they do not adapt. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper we present the results of the analysis of borehole breakouts from 115 wells drilled within Neuquén Basin in the Andean retroarc between 34° and 39°S (Argentina). The first-order present-day stress orientation in the Andean retroarc is expected to be mainly controlled by the plate boundary forces (azimuth 80°) and the topographic forces (E-W). The obtained maximum horizontal stress (SHmax) has a preferred trend with a resultant direction of azimuth 88.7° and a 95% confidence interval of 13.3° consistent with the expected trend. The horizontal stress trajectory map achieved for this region shows that the SHmax along the study area is not completely uniform. To the north of Colorado River, the SHmax shows an ESE tendency interpreted as significant influenced by the topographic forces. To the south of Colorado River, SHmax has an ENE trend similar to the expected based on plate boundary forces. To the southeast of the region, a NE direction was found, probably showing a basement structural control in the stress field geometry. The stress orientations obtained for the whole region show that plate boundary forces, drag basal, and topographic forces are strongly controlling the stress direction distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we used geostatistical approaches to describe bi-dimensional spatial patterns in species richness of South American birds of prey (Falconiformes and Strigiformes). They indicated strong spatial patterns both across latitude and longitude, for the two groups. These patterns were then correlated with those expected by a bi-dimensional null model constructed to take into account South America continental edges. As considerable departures from the null model were observed, there may be other ecological or evolutionary explanations for spatial patterns in species richness. Variation seems to be related to habitat heterogeneity across the continent, especially when considering differences between habitats in the central and south-eastern portion of the continent and in the Andean region. This supports previous conclusions that habitat type and heterogeneity affect species richness and abundance at different spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT It is known that the El Niño - Southern Oscillation ( ENSO) episodes have a great influence on South American precipitation and its extreme events during austral autumn (from March until May, MAM) and winter (from June until August, JJA) that occur after the ENSO peak (normally this happens on austral summer). Recent papers have studied the two types of ENSO and their influence on atmosphere-ocean system. This study analysed the influence of Central and East equatorial Pacific ENSO on South American seasonal/monthly mean precipitation and its extreme events during MAM and JJA. The composites of precipitation anomalies, during these two types of ENSO, show that there are different, even opposite patterns over South America. In MAM, there is an increased precipitation in southeastern South America and a decrease in the northeast South America during East El Niño ( EEN) and an increased precipitation in central Brazil during Central El Niño ( CEN). In JJA, the signs of anomaly precipitation are opposite between CEN (less precipitation) and EEN (more precipitation) over southeastern South America. The extreme precipitation events show patterns consistent with the precipitation anomaly patterns, but, normally, the changes in the frequency of extremes precipitation events affect more extensive areas than the total precipitation. If monthly or seasonal atmospheric anomalies in a certain region during one of the types of ENSO are similar (opposite) to the atmospheric anomalies associated with extreme precipitation events in this region, then there is enhancement (suppression) of the frequency of extreme events in this region during this type of ENSO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of the tour operator in the supply chain has focused traditionally on the dominant position of companies situated in the generating countries of Europe and North America; despite recognition of the tour operator located in emergent receiving countries, the area has not been discussed extensively. This paper investigates the opinions of 37 tour operators in four emerging countries in South America, with a view to evaluating the nature and level of contact with foreign tour operators and suppliers. It assesses the degree of internationalisation that occurs, and the extent to which tour operators are involved in the process of tourism development. The paper confirms the role of the receiving tour operator within the distribution chain, but concludes that in terms of stimulating tourism development there is a need for more research into the relationships between government and the wide range of organisations involved in the process. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The third‐stage larva of Golofa claviger (Linnaeus, 1771) is described for the first time based on specimens collected in the municipalities of Acará and Tailândia, Pará state, northern Brazil. A diagnosis, updated description of the female, key for known third‐stage larvae of Golofa Hope, 1837, and illustrations of key morphological characters are also given. Furthermore, taxonomic literature on females and immature stages of Dynastini from the New World is tabulated to provide an overview of genera and possible historical trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a numerical petroleum systems model for the Jurassic-Tertiary Austral (Magallanes) Basin, southern Argentina, incorporating the western part of the nearby Malvinas Basin. The modelling is based on a recently published seismo-stratigraphic interpretation and resulting depth and thickness maps. Measured vitrinite reflectance data from 25 wells in the Austral and Malvinas Basins were used for thermal model calibration; eight calibration data sets are presented for the Austral Basin and four for the Malvinas Basin. Burial history reconstruction allowed eroded thicknesses to be estimated and palaeo heat-flow values to be determined. Six modelled burial, temperature and maturation histories are shown for well locations in the onshore Austral Basin and the western Malvinas Basin. These modelled histories, combined with kinetic data measured for a sample from the Lower Cretaceous Springhill Formation, were used to model hydrocarbon generation in the study area. Maps of thermal maturity and transformation ratio for the three main source rocks (the Springhill, Inoceramus and Lower Margas Verdes Formations) were compiled. The modelling results suggest that deepest burial occurred during the Miocene followed by a phase of uplift and erosion. However, an Eocene phase of deep burial leading to maximum temperatures cannot be excluded based on vitrinite reflectance and numerical modelling results. Relatively little post-Miocene uplift and erosion (approx. 50-100 m) occurred in the Malvinas Basin. Based on the burial- and thermal histories, initial hydrocarbon generation is interpreted to have taken place in the Early Cretaceous in the Austral Basin and to have continued until the Miocene. A similar pattern is predicted for the western Malvinas Basin, with an early phase of hydrocarbon generation during the Late Cretaceous and a later phase during the Miocene. However, source rock maturity (as well as the transformation ratio) remained low in the Malvinas Basin, only just reaching the oil window. Higher maturities are modelled for the deeper parts of the Austral Basin, where greater subsidence and deeper burial occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The genus Podocarpus (Podocarpaceae) provides an opportunity to contrast biogeographical hypotheses within and among continents, and to analyse divergence between disjunct tropical and temperate forests of South America. We developed a calibrated phylogeny of Podocarpus to reconstruct the ancestral areas and potential expansion routes within Podocarpaceae. Location Podocarpus consists of two extant subgenera: Foliolatus from Asia and Oceania, and Podocarpus located in Gondwanan continents and north to the Caribbean. The paper focuses mainly on the area occupied by the latter subgenus. Methods We combined previously published and novel DNA sequences with fossil records. New species sequenced are members of Podocarpus subgenus Podocarpus from South and Central America. We assembled DNA sequences of the chloroplast ( matK and rbcL) and nuclear ( ITS1 and ITS2) to analyse phylogenetic relationships within Podocarpus subgenus Podocarpus by Bayesian methods, which were calibrated using macrofossils that could be confidently identified as modern genera. Ancestral areas were inferred using the dispersal-extinction-cladogenesis model. Results The phylogenetic reconstruction inferred a minimum age for the origin of Podocarpus s.l. in the late Cretaceous-early Palaeogene (63 Ma) and strongly supported monophyly of the genus Podocarpus and of subgenera Podocarpus and Foliolatus. Subgenus Podocarpus consists of two monophyletic, latitudinally structured clades. One clade consists of temperate American species while the other includes species from tropical-subtropical Africa and South America. Main conclusions The history of the subgenera within Podocarpus is older than previously reported: they can be traced back to late Cretaceous-early Palaeocene biogeographical connections between Australasia and South America through Antarctica. Latitudinally disjunct lineages within South America most probably diverged from widespread ancestors as a result of a persistent arid barrier that was established prior to the late Palaeogene. The calibrated age for the Tropical-Subtropical clade suggests an Atlantic-subtropical biogeographical corridor between South America and Africa long after the breakup of Gondwana and the stabilization of the circum-Antarctic current. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Rheidae eggshells are abundant in the archaeological record of west central Argentina. Eggs were more important in human diet than the bird meat itself, as with many other Ratite species around the world. Currently, two species inhabit the south and central areas of Argentina and Chile ( Rhea pennata and Rhea americana), with different geographical distributions and diet but with similar behaviour. In this paper, we use δ13C and δ18O isotopes from Rheidae eggshells to explore the ratite diet, its spatial differences in the archaeological record, and their importance in human diet, and as a way to approach human mobility in hunter-gatherer societies from west central Argentina. There was a significant correlation between both δ13C and δ18O isotope data and the Rheidae species' distribution in the landscape, showing differences in their past diet and territoriality. Additionally, the unexpected δ13C and δ18O isotope values in the Altoandina Desert area suggest human transport of the Rheidae eggs to these locations. The isotopic data from the eggshells need to be incorporated into the ecological history of the region in order to understand past human diet and mobility. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oldest Cenozoic mammalian assemblages in South America have been recovered from levels of the Hansen Member of the Salamanca Formation, Punta Peligro locality in Argentina, and from the Santa Lucía Formation in Tiupampa, Bolivia. These faunas led to the recognition of the Peligran and Tiupampan South American Land Mammal Ages (SALMAs), each alternatively regarded as the oldest Paleocene SALMA. Due to the lack of radioisotopic dates for mammals bearing levels at these localities, no agreement has been reached yet about their relative ages. In this paper, the role of mammal faunas in age inference is discussed. Analysis of the SALMAs shows that the presence of non-therian mammals in the Peligran is of little consequence to the biochronological evaluation, reflecting instead a relict Mesozoic distribution. In contrast, therian mammals are particularly important in that (1) they were Lauraisan immigrants and (2) they support direct comparisons between the Tiupampa and Punta Peligro faunas. Parsimony and cluster analysis were used to quantitatively test hypotheses concerning the relative age of the Peligran and Tiupampan SALMAs. Our results support the hypothesis that the Tiupampan SALMA (early Danian) is older than the Peligran SALMA (early Selandian). This alignment results in an interpretation of the evolutionary history of South American land mammals that is more straightforward than the alternative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Juan Isern collected ca. 25,000 plant specimens during the Pacific Scientific Commission to South America between 1862 and 1866, but unfortunately he died the same year the expedition returned to Spain. In Chile, lsern exchanged specimens with Philippi, who later described three new species based on those collections which are all deposited at SGO. In the early 1930s, José Cuatrecasas worked intensively with the Isern collections at MA, where most of Isern's South American specimens are deposited. Cuatrecasas, Trelease, Sleumer, Standley and Yuncker described several new species and other taxa using Isern collections as type material. A total of 47 species, 21 varieties and 7 forms were described in 9 families, principally in the Asleraceae, Piperaceae and Gesneriaceae based on Isern collections. Here, the nomenclature of all Isern type specimens is studied for these 75 names. Lectotype specimens for the names of four species, three varieties and five forms described by Cuatrecasas and one species described by Trelease are designated in the present paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim We analysed body-size variation in relation to latitude, longitude, elevation and environmental variables in Ctenomys (tuco-tucos), subterranean rodents in the Ctenomyidae (Caviomorpha). We tested the existence of inter- and intraspecific size clines to determine if these rodents follow Bergmann's rule, to compare intra- and interspecific size trends and to assess the relevance of the subterranean lifestyle on these trends. Location South America, south of 15° latitude. Methods This paper is based on 719 specimens of tuco-tucos from 133 localities of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay, representing 47 named species and 32 undescribed forms. Intraspecific analyses were performed for Ctenomys talarum Thomas, 1898 and the Ctenomys perrensi Thomas, 1896 species complex. Head and body length and weight were used for estimating body size. Geographical independent variables included latitude, longitude and altitude. Environmental independent variables were mean minimal and maximal monthly temperature, mean annual temperature, mean minimal and maximal precipitation, and total annual precipitation. To estimate seasonality, the annual variability of the climatic factors was calculated as their coefficients of variation and the difference between maximum and minimum values. Mean annual actual evapotranspiration (AET), and mean annual, January (summer) and July (winter) potential evapotranspiration (PET) values were also calculated for each locality, as well as annual, summer and winter water balance (WB). Statistical analyses consisted of simple and multiple regression and nonparametric correlation. Results Body size of Ctenomys decreases interspecifically from 15°00′ S to 48°15′ S and from 56°33′ W to 71°46′ W, and is positively correlated with ambient temperature and precipitation. The best predictors of body size according to multiple regression analyses were mean annual temperature, the difference between mean maximum and minimum annual temperatures, annual PET, the difference between summer and winter PET, and annual and winter water balance. These patterns are repeated, but not identically, at a smaller geographical scale within the species C. talarum and the superspecies C. perrensi. Main conclusions Tuco-tucos follow the converse to Bergmann's rule at the interspecific level. At the intraspecific level some parallel trends were observed, but the smaller scale of these analyses, involving a very reduced variation of environmental factors, necessitates caution in interpreting results. The subterranean lifestyle probably insulates these rodents from the external temperature. The observed latitudinal body-size gradients are more probably related to seasonality, ambient energy, primary productivity and/or intensity of predation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Species richness depends on climate and land use. Maintaining locations with favourable climate and land-use patterns is critical for protecting biodiversity because the loss of either can reduce the species richness that an area supports. Currently, the Guiana Shield (GS) receives abundant precipitation and has relatively light land use. For species richness this constitutes a good–good combination of climate and land use, respectively. In contrast, much of eastern Brazil receives low levels of precipitation and has heavy land use, which is a bad–bad combination for species richness. Thus, the current distribution of precipitation and land use in northern South America is relatively favourable for biodiversity. Palaeoclimate and model studies suggest, however, that the precipitation patterns for the two regions have switched before and could switch in response to greenhouse gas emissions. This paper examines the potential consequences of reconfiguring climate with respect to existing land-use patterns using South America as an example. Location South America north of 20° S and east of the Andes. Methods Ecosystem structure and function are modelled under (1) historical climate and (2) altered precipitation following a shift in the location of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The distribution of precipitation, biomes, net primary productivity (NPP) and land use are then used to predict levels of species richness under the two climate scenarios. Results Climate changes could shift the distribution of vegetation and NPP such that conditions favourable for species richness in the GS region disappear. If land-use patterns were not prohibitive in eastern Brazil, the improved climate conditions there could compensate for the GS loss (assuming migratory barriers are overcome). Instead, existing land-use patterns cause the combined species richness projected for the two regions to plummet. Main conclusions Human activities will alter current configurations of land use and climate throughout the world. For species richness, new configurations are likely to include both positive and negative combinations of climate and land use. However, the irreversibility of past extinctions due to land-use patterns loads the dice against species richness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim During the last 20 years, the austral cordgrass Spartina densiflora has been recorded aggressively invading estuarine environments in the USA, Spain and Morocco. Whereas this species is one of the three most widely distributed worldwide, it is among the least studied within the genus. The objective of this work is to integrate baseline information about the taxonomy, global distribution, centre of origin, and general ecology of S. densiflora in native and invaded marshes worldwide in order to help to strengthen management efforts currently directed at controlling or eradicating it from locations where it has been introduced. Location World-wide. Methods I review, update and discuss relevant information about S. densiflora published in peer-reviewed papers, including those in journals with limited international distribution. I also review theses and major technical reports containing critical up-to-date information. Results This work indicates that, although S. densiflora remains in need of thorough scientific attention, key information on its taxonomy, distribution and invasive biology has been overlooked because it was published in languages other than English, and/or in journals with restricted distribution. Main conclusions Spartina densiflora seems to have originated along the east coast of South America; today, however, many other regions worldwide serve as donors for this invasive species, including Chile, the USA, Spain and Morocco. Spartina densiflora is a bioengineer organism, tolerant of a broad spectrum of environmental conditions and able to re-shape the structure of invaded communities not just in mudflats, but also on sandy, muddy, and rocky shores as well as on cobble beaches. Only by integrating local-scale research conducted in different geographical regions will we be able to understand the between-site variations of its biological cycle, which in turn will aid in the design of more effective conservation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Climate change has the potential to have an impact on the distribution of ticks and tick-borne diseases. This paper identifies the changes in climate suitability for the tick Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus in the Americas by analysing climate data for the period 1950–99. Location The model was applied to the American continent. Methods A model based on Environmental Niche Modelling was used on a gridded (0.5°) long-term (1950–99) climate data set. A map of the core range of the species was constructed, and areas where habitat suitability (HS) changes suddenly over short time periods were identified as regions of high sensitivity. Tendency of climate in the continent was evaluated and scenarios constructed for 2025 and 2050. Results Regions of high sensitivity included the southern USA, Mexico and western and central Argentina. Analysis of climate variables in these regions identified water vapour pressure deficit and evaporation as underlying the high sensitivity of habitat suitability in the USA and Mexico, and showed that episodes of high variability are linked to the El Niño Southern Oscillation. Projections of the tendency of HS as observed for the 1950–99 period point to an increase in this value in parts of the southern USA and in central Argentina, a finding that can be attributed to the progressive increase in minimum and yearly averaged temperatures. Conclusions Short-term changes in climate may drive the system into unstable situations with sudden changes in habitat suitability for the target tick in specific zones of the Americas. Results suggest an increased abiotic (climate) suitability for R. microplus in areas whose habitat is currently unsuitable for this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through analysis of fossil records, the aim of this paper is to show that fossil representatives of at least three land-mammal clades (pitheciine atelid primates, heteropsomyine echimyid rodents, and megalonychid phyllophagan xenarthrans) that once lived in the Greater Antilles are as old as, if not older than,‘first’ occurrences of these same groups on the South American mainland.Greater Antilles, South America, Antarctic Peninsula.Analysis of Cenozoic land-mammal fossil records for the three areas.Comparison reveals an interesting similarity to the Tertiary vertebrate palaeontological record for the Antarctic Peninsula (Seymour Island), in the sense that the latter also includes early (Eocene) representatives of some typical‘South American’ groups (e.g. meridiungulates, sloths, certain marsupial groups).Given how limited the Antillean and Antarctic records are in quantity and quality, it seems unlikely that these‘first’ appearances have much bearing on real origins (basal divergences). Rather, it suggests that the fossil basis for interpreting the origin and earliest diversification of‘South American’ clades during the latest Cretaceous/early Cenozoic is probably even scantier than generally realized. In particular, the Antillean record strengthens arguments that some crown-group continental lineages are considerably older than fossil evidence currently allows– a point increasingly (if unevenly) supported by molecular studies of many of the same clades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropologists have much to offer as interpreters of cultures for tourists traveling to remote areas of the world. Often advertised as ecotours, group travel is now being offered to areas of the world that are still considered off the beaten path. With more and more travel taking place in the form of organized, guided tours, the anthropologist is in a prime position to educate travel companies and tourists concerning the populations with which they come into contact while enhancing the experience for both the tourists and the host populations. Colorful brochures advertise tours that will have a range of naturalists to guide the tourists through the natural environment in a chosen destination. Rarely do tours advertise that they have anthropologists to help tourists learn more about the local cultures. This paper explores the benefits of hiring anthropologists as tour guides for nature-based tours, using examples from the Amazon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The aim of this paper was to test the hypothesis that the presence of overwintering Calomys venustus males or females at the beginning of the breeding period reduced the survival of juveniles belonging to the first cohort of each year (C1). The study was carried out in four 0.25-ha enclosures (two control and two experimental), each situated on natural pasture. This study was conducted between August 1997 and February 1999 and had two parts: removal of overwintering males (ROM) and removal of overwintering females (ROF). For the ROM treatment, overwintering males were removed immediately after C1 juveniles were born, in the ROF treatment overwintering females were removed after the C1 were weaned. Weekly censuses were taken for 3 successive days over 6 weeks. Juvenile survival was examined through a survivorship schedule. The survivorship values were compared by sex and treatment (removal of overwintering males or females) using repeated-measures anova. Removal of overwintering males and females did not improve the survival of C1 juveniles. This result could be related to the delay in maturation of C1 juvenile males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Austral Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Host specificity of fleas affects their biodiversity that plays a major role in determining the potential transmission routes by pathogens through vertebrate hosts, including humans. In the Biogeographic Andean region, numerous systematic and ecological studies have been conducted, revealing a high diversity of flea taxa of mammals and the presence of pathogenic organisms transmitted by fleas; however, the degree of preference with which each flea species associates with a mammal host remains poorly understood in this region. Herein, host specificity in mammal fleas from the Andean region was analysed. We employed the number of host species for each flea species and the index of host specificity STD*. Following the literature, 144 species and 13 subspecies of fleas (31 genera and 10 families) have been described in the Andean biogeographic region; 76 taxa are endemic to this region. To carry out the analyses of host specificity, we considered 1759 records of fleas collected from 124 species and 59 genera of wild and domestic mammals, mostly rodent species (85.9%). Our results indicate that typical Andean fleas are genus or family host specific (mostly STD* less than 3.0). More diverse mammal hosts are parasitized by more diverse flea genera and families and these hosts are phylogenetically related. Otherwise, these hosts are associated with different flea lineages, suggesting the interaction of ecological and evolutionary mechanisms (host‐switching, ecological adaptations and co‐evolutionary alternation). The fields of disease ecology and One Health are considering the host specificity of arthropod vectors as an important point to understand the mechanisms of emergence and re‐emergence of diseases. Our results allow us to estimate the risk of diseases involving fleas in the Andean region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Conservation Biology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Giuseppe Raddi collected in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from November 1817 to June 1818. He published 12 new names in the family Piperaceae in an article that appeared in 1828. Raddi's article has not been cited in specialized literature and these names were never properly studied. In the present study, these names are typified, and their identity is clarified. Five new combinations are here presented, namely Peperomia callitrichoides, P. catesbaeifolia, P. cylindrica, P. gracillima, and P. plantaginifolia. The new name Piper raddianum is published, honoring him and his botanical accomplishments. In addition, the names Piper scutatum, Piper scolopendrifolium, Piper truncatum, Piper fluminense, Steffensia ampla (≡ Piper amplum), Piper variabile, Piper catesbaeafolium, Piper cylindricum, Piper pumilum, Peperomia martiana, and Piper gracillimum are here lectotypified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the spatial and temporal patterns of the canopy layer urban heat islands (UHIUCL) in a small city in southeastern Brazil using the local climate zone (LCZ) system. We analysed the influence of weather conditions, LCZs characteristics, and local surface relief on the UHIUCL magnitudes. Mobile traverses were used to measure air temperatures during representative nights of wet and dry seasons. Daily maximum magnitudes were observed in compact classes (LCZs 3 and 7) under ideal weather conditions (dry, clear skies, and calm) and higher anthropogenic heat release (weekdays). Seasonal effects on LCZ thermal differences were negligible. The peripheral landscapes were warmer than the city centre in both seasons. Among the warmer areas in the city, magnitudes in compact LCZs 3 and 7 were consistently higher than in LCZ 6. In general, representative sites of the main 'built' LCZs in the study area exhibit similar inter‐zone temperature patterns to those reported for cities of different sizes from tropical and midlatitude regions. Thermal contrasts of ΔTLCZ 3 − D in the study area reveal significant evidence that small cities can have as strong heat islands as bigger cities. These findings highlight the importance of the LCZ system to identify the main controlling factors driving such thermal differences and the need to extend the application of this approach in other South American cities to yield systematic data of UHIUCL for urban planning given the coming challenges of climate change over the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO) modulation of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) teleconnections in its decaying stages with the tropical ocean by focusing on the Indian Ocean Basin‐Wide (IOBW) mode and the precipitation over South America (SA) in the 1901–2012 period. Composite analyses revealed that the ENSO teleconnections are IPO‐modulated due to the differential ENSO decaying speed, which is slower during the positive than negative IPO phase, for both El Niño (EN) and La Niña (LN) cases. Negative precipitation anomalies related to EN persist over northeastern SA until austral winter for the positive IPO phase (POS IPO), while significant opposite sign anomalies occur in this region for the negative IPO phase (NEG IPO). These results are associated with the Walker circulation's reversal during NEG IPO which is, in turn, accompanied by negative IOBW. During the POS IPO, the positive IOBW causes upward movements over there and, by continuity, downward movements over SA. In the NEG IPO, for LN events the wave train originating in the north of Australia propagates toward subtropical SA, which, coupled with the surface circulation, causes dryness in this region. In addition, the rapid decay of LN in the NEG IPO, followed by the emergence of EN, caused changes in the Walker circulation, such that enhanced upward movements occurred over the Pacific and SA region, and downward movements over the Indian Ocean until austral winter. In turn, the slower decay of the LN in the POS IPO maintains strong subsidence over the central Pacific and weak upward motions over western SA. So, the EN (LN) and positive (negative) IOBW during the POS (NEG) IPO prolong the scarcity of precipitation over equatorial (subtropical) SA. Persistent dry periods over these regions during the ENSO decaying stage might have important implications for the seasonal forecasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent revision of the Piper collections at Aarhus Univ. Herbarium (AAU), collected in Ecuador, revealed specimens of undescribed species and species that were mentioned as endemic in the catalog of plants of Colombia Piper dolichostylum, P. littlei, P. morelianum, P. sanandresense and P. tarquiense resulting of incomplete curation of herbarium collections in institutions that launched expeditions to the Amazon and the Andes. Pipersvenningii (Piperaceae) from the eastern slopes of the Andes and adjacent lowlands in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru, is described as a new species and illustrated, and a morphological comparison with similar species is made. Piper svenningii differs from P. costatum and P. japurense by its leaves which have induplicate margins, versus leaf margins flat and not induplicate. It differs from Piper rurrenbaqueanum by having leaves that are pinnately nerved throughout with 10–12 pairs of secondary nerves, versus 4–6 pairs of secondary nerves that are pinnately arranged in the basal two thirds of the lamina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Premise: The Lower Cretaceous Crato Konservat‐Lagerstätte (CKL) preserves a rich flora that includes early angiosperms from northern Gondwana. From this area, the recently described fossil genus Santaniella was interpreted as a ranunculid (presumably Ranunculaceae). However, based on our examination of an additional specimen and a new phylogenetic analysis, we offer an alternative interpretation. Methods: The new fossil was collected from an active quarry for paving stones in the state of Ceará, northeastern Brazil. We assessed support for alternative phylogenetic hypotheses using a combined analysis of morphological data and DNA sequence data using Bayesian inference. We used a consensus network to visualize the posterior distribution of trees, and we used RoguePlot to illustrate the support for alternative positions on a scaffold tree. Results: The new material includes a flower‐like structure not present in the original material and also includes follicles preserved at early stages of development. The flower‐like structure is a compact terminal cluster of elliptical sterile laminar organs surrounding internal filamentous structures that occur on flexuous axes. Phylogenetic analyses did not support the fossil placement among eudicots. Instead, Santaniella appears to belong in the magnoliid clade. Conclusions: The presence of seeds in a marginal‐linear placentation and enclosed in a follicle supports the fossil as an angiosperm. However, even though most characters are clearly recognizable, its combination of characters does not provide strong support for a close relationship to any extant order of flowering plants. Its position in the magnoliid clade is intriguing and, based on plicate carpels, it is definitely a mesangiosperm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mammal Review is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

ABSTRACT This paper analyses the influence of different types of El Niño-Southern Oscillation ( ENSO) events on South American precipitation under a climate change scenario. We use two sub-selections of Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP5) models that have a good representation of teleconnections to the region, albeit with reduced magnitude anomalies. Comparing historical simulations and the RCP 8.5 scenario experiments, after removing the trend in the mean due climate change, the sub-ensemble means show similar global sea surface temperature anomalies and South American precipitation anomaly patterns in the future. No robust changes in the pattern or magnitude of precipitation anomalies are found, despite significant ENSO-related shifts in the Pacific basin, as highlighted in other studies. However, if the models are analysed individually, some show relatively strong changes in ENSO-related precipitation anomalies for both canonical and Modoki events. We show that, in individual models, tropical teleconnection changes associated with ENSO are primarily driven by changes in the magnitude of ENSO-related circulation but with no agreement on the sign. Increases in background moisture, which have been hypothesized to drive an intensification of ENSO-related precipitation anomalies, are of secondary importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Latin American Policy is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)