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Human societies are closely linked to their ecological environments. Natural ecosystems and wildlife populations are often in better condition in countries with healthy, educated and economically prosperous populations compared to countries with lower health and literacy conditions, and depressed economies. In the latter countries, these socio-economic factors can compromise government's capacity to manage their natural resources. Thus, the conservation capacity of a government is likely to play key role in the protection of threatened species, such as marine turtles. This paper aims: (1) to evaluate the conservation capacity and enforcement within the 58 Regional Management Units (RMUs) of the seven species of marine turtles throughout the world, and (2) to develop a proxy that predicts the conservation status of RMUs. We developed a Conservation and Enforcement Capacity index (CECi) by integrating the following indices: (a) the economic level and, (b) the Human Development Index (HDI) of each country, plus (c) the risks and threats in the RMUs. We used the conservation status of 15 RMUs recently assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature - IUCN to predict the conservation status of the 43 RMUs without updated IUCN categorisation. CECi values ranged from 0 to 1, where lower values represent a better capacity for implementation of conservation initiatives. We found that using our multi-index model, we predicted the status of 33 of 58 RMUs, 57% of which may be of threatened conservation status due to their high CECi values. This study highlighted how socio-economic aspects may impact conservation of endangered species.

Marine turtles are challenging species to protect because they occur over large geographic scales. Tagging individual turtles at nesting beaches and foraging areas, and the resulting mark-recapture data sets have gradually enabled us to understand marine turtle migratory behaviour and dispersal. Within the Caribbean region, several turtle tagging projects have led to longer-term evaluations and assessments of connectivity. Thus, marine turtle mark-recapture data is important for developing conservation strategies at regional-scale. In this study, we analyse turtle tagging data from the Gulf of Venezuela to determine regional (Caribbean and Atlantic geographic level) and local (within the Gulf of Venezuela) links. To achieve this, we retrieved, compiled, and analysed multiple databases with records of marine turtles that were tagged and then recaptured in the Gulf of Venezuela. Sixty-six tag return records were evaluated, 43 from animals initially tagged outside of the Gulf of Venezuela and then recaptured inside, plus 23 records retrieved from turtles that were tagged and recaptured within the Gulf of Venezuela. We found evidence of connectivity between 12 different locations where initial tagging events occurred, eight from other feeding areas and four from nesting beaches. We described four different movement patterns for 23 turtles tagged and re-captured within the Gulf of Venezuela. Most of the recapture records we obtained occurred after the turtles were known, or presumed, to have been killed by local fishers. Hence, knowing patterns of dispersal and connectivity are crucial to improving local and regional conservation and threat mitigation.

Fisheries, either directed or via bycatch, are a major cause of decline in global populations of marine turtles. Although artisanal fisheries are often seen as lower-impact than industrial fisheries, they may be among the most serious threats to green turtles. Between 2005 and 2008, to better understand the impacts of such fisheries in the High Extraction Zone of the Gulf of Venezuela (HEZ-GV), an important feeding habitat for green turtles, we interviewed fishers, observed fishing activities directly, and counted, measured, and marked discarded turtle carapaces at fishing ports and traditional markets. From these, we estimated that at least 3,402 ± 247 turtles/year were extracted with artisanal nets, suggesting that the HEZ-GV artisanal turtle fishery may have been among the most active in the Caribbean at the time, with a CPUE of 0.04 turtles/km-net*hour ±0.014. However, capture was not selective, confirming prior anecdotal information suggesting that this fishery supplies mainly subsistence and not commercial use. Harvested turtles consisted mainly of juveniles (64%, CCLmin = 55.7 cm ± SE 0.9), and subadults (35%, CCLmin = 78.9 cm ± 0.6 cm), with very few adults (1%, CCLmin = 98 cm ± 0.6 cm). Our findings highlight the need for continued monitoring of the artisanal turtle fishery in the HEZ-GV, particularly given the possibility of increased reliance on aquatic bushmeat sources in Venezuela's present socio-economic crisis. More broadly, they also indicate that scientifically based catch guidelines for marine turtles may be just as important in artisanal as in commercial fisheries, to ensure sustainability and mitigate harvest impacts.

Small cetaceans, such as the Guiana dolphin (Sotalia guianensis), do not migrate long distances to forage but use rather small areas subject to food source variations. Information on their distribution, behaviour, habitat use, and estimated population density play an important role in the identification of critical areas and regulating human activities within. Here we examine the seasonal variations, group size, and distribution of Guiana dolphin in the southern Gulf of Venezuela, to identify their critical habitats and thus aid mitigation planning. We used boat-based surveys with a follow-group protocol where observers monitor groups of animals for 30 min, from a distance of 20 to 30 m, gathering the following data: date, time observed, GPS position, estimated number of individuals, presence of calves, behavioural observations (when possible); and environmental parameters (sea-surface temperature, water transparency, salinity, sea state [Beaufort], and cloud cover). We found that Guiana dolphins did not use the studied area (6.33 km2) homogeneously but rather aggregated in north of Zapara Island’s retaining wall. The highest density of dolphins was between 301 and 573 individuals within 4.22 km2 approximately off north of Zapara Island, and the lowest (1 - 150 individuals) at the entrance of the main navigation channel. The group size was considerably larger in the wet season (mean ± SD = 6.4 ± 1.9 individuals, range = 1 to 80) than the dry season (2.2 ± 2.7 individuals, range = 1 to 27). The number of sightings differed among seasons (dry/wet), there were more sightings in the wet season (1.3414 ± 0.4389 groups, range = 1 to 5) than dry season (1.1233 ± 0.7418 groups, range = 1 to 5). Our data suggest this population might be highly adapted to local conditions and prey movements, and use the areas intensely year around, particularly during the wet season.

Aim Insects feeding on seeds and fruits represent interesting study systems, potentially able to lower the fitness of their host plants. In addition to true seed eaters, a suite of insects feed on the fleshy parts of fruits. We examined the likelihood of community convergence in whole insect assemblages attacking seeds/fruits in three tropical rainforests. Location Three ForestGEO permanent forest plots within different biogeographical regions: Barro Colorado Island (Panama), Khao Chong (Thailand) and Wanang (Papua New Guinea). Methods We surveyed 1,186 plant species and reared 1.1 ton of seeds/fruits that yielded 80,600 insects representing at least 1,678 species. We assigned seeds/fruits to predation syndromes on the basis of plant traits relevant to insects, seed/fruit appearance and mesocarp thickness. Results We observed large differences in insect faunal composition, species richness and guild structure between our three study sites. We hypothesize that the high species richness of insect feeding on seeds/fruits in Panama may result from a conjunction of low plant species richness and high availability of dry fruits. Insect assemblages were weakly influenced by seed predation syndromes, both at the local and regional scale, and the effect of host phylogeny varied also among sites. At the driest site (Panama), the probability of seeds of a plant species being attacked depended more on seed availability than on the measured seed traits of that plant species. However when seeds were attacked, plant traits shaping insect assemblages were difficult to identify and not related to seed availability. Main conclusions We observed only weak evidence of community convergence at the intercontinental scale among these assemblages. Our study suggests that seed eaters may be most commonly associated with dry fruits at relatively dry tropical sites where fleshy fruits may be less prevalent.

Plant cell suspension cultures of Taxus brevifolia and Taxus globosa were used as biocatalysts on an exogenous racemic substrate in order to determine the influence of several parameters on its configurational deracemization bioactivity. Taxus brevifolia demonstrated a directly proportional relationship between the enantiomeric ratio (er) [1] and the time of reaction, yielding a mixture of 90(S):10(R) after 7 days. Pure enantiomers were tested and the results showed that the (S)-enantiomer remained intact, whereas the (R)-enantiomer was biotransformed. The buffer solution did not present any effect. Sucrose and temperature modified the reaction time and the er. The pH was a critical variable in relation to the age of the suspension cultures. Taxus globosa showed a low efficiency for distinguishing between the enantiomers.

Background Marine turtles play an important role in the culture and economy of numerous coastal communities around the world. However, the legal framework that regulates the consumptive use of these reptiles varies among countries.For example, the consumption of these reptiles has been regarded as common in several rural areas of Venezuela, especially in the eastern coast of the Guajira Peninsula. Methods To assess the scale and cultural component of this use, we interviewed 35 residents from the southwestern coast of the Gulf of Venezuela (Venezuelan part of the Guajira Peninsula), using a combination of in-depth and semi-structured interviews. We carried out a field and detailed market-based observations on the Guajira Peninsula to detect the sale and use of marine turtle products. We focused on three main categories of use; the type of product, routes of trade, and the price of products. Results All of the marine turtle species reported from the Gulf of Venezuela were used, and the prices of products varied among their type, species of origin, and the distance from the capture area to a marketplace. We obtained evidence connecting Wayuú Indigenous people's traditions and beliefs with marine turtle use, and also they are used as traditional products such as medicine, and as an economic resource to sustain their communities. Conclusion It is probable that trade of marine turtle products is placing pressure on populations in the Gulf of Venezuela. We recommend the implementation of an inter-institutional conservation-portfolio be developed for the Peninsula to evaluate actions related to this concern.

Estimation of the biodiversity in terrestrial arthropod taxa of the “bioregion” Amazonia depends on solid data of species, collected from different biotopes and habitats, that include comparative long-term information on their bionomics and ecology. Some examples, mostly deriving from studies in Central Amazonia near Manaus, are available and clearly show the difficulties in achieving a more general statement.

International audience; We have little knowledge of the response of invertebrate assemblages to climate change in tropical ecosystems, and few studies have compiled long-term data on invertebrates from tropical rainforests. We provide an updated list of the 72 species of Saturniidae moths collected on Barro Colorado Island (BCI), Panama, during the period 1958-2016. This list will serve as baseline data for assessing long-term changes of saturniids on BCI in the future, as 81% of the species can be identified by their unique DNA Barcode Index Number, including four cryptic species not yet formally described. A local species pool of 60 + species breeding on BCI appears plausible, but more cryptic species may be discovered in the future. We use monitoring data obtained by light trapping to analyze recent population trends on BCI for saturniid species that were relatively common during 2009-2016, a period representing >30 saturniid generations. The abundances of 11 species, of 14 tested, could be fitted to significant time-series models. While the direction of change in abundance was uncertain for most species, two species showed a significant increase over time, and forecast models also suggested continuing increases for most species during 2017-2018, as compared to the 2009 base year. Peaks in saturniid abundance were most conspicuous during El Nino and La Nina years. In addition to a species-specific approach, we propose a reproducible functional classification based on five functional traits to analyze the responses of species sharing similar functional attributes in a fluctuating climate. Our results suggest that the abundances of larger body-size species with good dispersal abilities may increase concomitantly with rising air temperature in the future, because short-lived adults may allocate less time to increasing body temperature for flight, leaving more time available for searching for mating partners or suitable oviposition sites.

Marine turtles are considered by people of several cultures to be a gift from God. This belief often leads to the use of these reptiles in the traditional and belief systems among aboriginal peoples. Certainly this is the case among Wayuu people, who are an indigenous group settled between Venezuela and Colombia, in the Guajira Peninsula. To assess the value of marine turtles to Wayuu ancestral people, especially as a medicinal resource, we carried out a comprehensive open-ended question-based survey of traditional healers and caretakers (locally known as Piaches and Outsus) from 4 Wayuu communities in the Venezuelan portion of the Guajira Peninsula. We documented customary practices where marine turtles' body parts are used as a key element of the remedies. Eleven marine turtle body parts were identified by respondents as remedies used by Wayuu people, with 7 different ways to administer them (drink, worn, powder, among others). Four of the 5 species of marine turtles present in Venezuelan waters were identified as being used in the traditional pharmacopoeia of Wayuu people; their traditional names are included on this article. Some considerations about the Wayuu's cosmovision, customs, traditions, and belief systems are included here. Our results are important in the context of likely future evaluation of the current Venezuelan legal framework to consider inclusion of traditional use of marine turtles in Venezuela. Abstract [Spanish] Las tortugas marinas son consideradas por diversas culturas como un regalo proveniente de Dios. Es en esta creencia en la que usualmente se basan las tradiciones y costumbres de numerosas comunidades indigenas que utilizan a estos reptiles a nivel global. Ciertamente, este es el caso de los indigenas Wayuu, grupo el cual se encuentra asentado entre Colombia y Venezuela, en la Peninsula de la Guajira. Se realizo una valoracion ancestral de las tortugas marinas para los indigenas Wayuu, con especial enfasis en los usos medicinales, se llevaron a cabo una evaluacion comprensiva y exhaustiva, la cual incluyo entrevistas y encuestas con preguntas abiertas, a pobladores Wayuu con amplio conocimiento sobre las practicas medicinales tradicionales (conocidos localmente como Piaches y Outsus) en comunidades localizadas en la porcion venezolana de la Peninsula de la Guajira (territorio ancestral Wayuu). Se documentaron las practicas y costumbres en las que diversas partes del cuerpo de la tortuga marina juegan un papel primordial en la creacion y aplicacion de estos remedios tradicionales. Los entrevistados identificaron hasta once diferentes partes del cuerpo de la tortuga marina que son utilizados en la elaboracion de remedios, asi como siete diferentes formas de administracion de la medicina (tomada, untada, granulada, entre otros). Cuatro de las cinco especies de tortugas marinas presentes en las aguas territoriales venezolanas fueron identificadas como parte importante de la farmacopea tradicional de los indigenas Wayuu, en este articulo se incluyen los nombres tradicionales en Wayuunaikii de estos reptiles. Asi mismo, en la presente investigacion se mencionan algunas consideraciones sobre la cosmovision, costumbres, tradiciones y creencias Wayuu. Estos resultados son importantes en el contexto de una posible futura revision del marco ambiental legal venezolano para considerar una posible inclusion de estos usos tradicionales de tortugas marinas en Venezuela.

We report the crab species Callinectes sapidus (Decapoda: Portunidae) as a diet item for adult olive ridleys (Lepidochelys olivacea). This is the first-ever report of this species as part of the diet for olive ridley turtles and helps further our understanding of the foraging ecology of this species in coastal marine habitats.

Successful reforestation of tropical pastures can be facilitated or impeded depending on the interactions between native timber trees and arthropod communities. We assessed arthropod abundance on Tabebuia rosea (Bignoniaceae), a Central American extrafloral nectary-bearing timber tree, in a plantation of native trees on former pasture in Panama, and we excluded ants from branches of T. rosea to determine ant impact on arthropod assemblages and on leaf damage. The trees' ant fauna was dominated by ground-nesting species and ants were scarce in tree crowns, constituting only 2% of all arthropods collected by branch beating. Leaf damage was principally caused by caterpillars (mainly the pyralid Eulepte gastralis) and by beetles (mainly the chrysomelid Walterianella inscripta). Sugar baits at tree trunks revealed that rewarding food resources recruited high ant numbers to some tree individuals. Activity of the dominant ant, Ectatomma ruidum, at baits was negatively related to leaf damage by E. gastralis, suggesting that trees might be better protected from this herbivore when ant abundance is high. Exclusion of ants resulted in increased beetle diversity. The key herbivore W. inscripta was significantly more abundant on ant-exclusion branches at the beginning, but not towards the end of the rainy season, when beetle density increased. Overall leaf damage and arthropod abundance were not significantly affected by ant exclusion. In conclusion, ant abundance on native timber trees in plantations recently established on former pasture can be low, and ant assemblages may be dominated by ground-nesting generalist species, as shown in this study. This may explain the lacking protection of the timber trees from insect herbivory by ants. Increased protection of establishing timber trees by ants probably requires plantation management measures that increase the abundance of more specialized tree-visiting and tree-nesting ants.

We evaluated the larval host plant specificity of Cerambycidae in a tropical lowland rainforest in Panama.Beetleswere reared from standardized timber baits of freshly-cut wood exposed for 35 days to ovipositing females in the Galeta Island Protected Area, Colon province, Panama. Baits from six species of woody plants belonging to five families yielded 109 longhorn beetles, representing 11 species in nine genera.Host specificity was low,with themajority of longhorn species reared fromwood of more than one plant family. Only the genus Inga Mill. (Fabaceae) hosted a possibly specialized species (Cosmotoma fasciata Fisher). Longhorn abundance and diversity were highest in Gustavia superba (Kunth) O. Berg (Lecythidaceae). Most adults emerged four and six months after the timber baits were exposed. Fifty-seven percent of longhorn beetles were reared from low wood density trees (400–460 kg/m3); we do not have enough data to propose reliable wood density preferences for other cerambycids reared in this study. More rearing samples will be required to support the results shown in this paper.

Calluses from seasonal mature shoots of Taxus globosa Schltdl. were subcultured in new medium containing 1 mg l -1 NAA, 0.5 mg l -1 2, 4-D, 0.025 mg l -1 BA. Calluses growing for 30 and 40 days in a medium added with 0.1-5.0 mg l -1 of chlorocholine chloride (CCC) were harvested for determination of taxol, phenolic compounds, and for polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity. The results showed that by increasing the CCC concentration, callus growth was decreased, phe- nolic level was raised up, but taxol content and PPO activity changed differently. The highest taxol production (0.0269 mg g -1 dry weight callus) and PPO activity (4.53 U g -1 fresh weight callus) were achieved at day 40 with a medium containing 0.5 mg l -1 CCC. Possible reason of higher taxol level stimulated by CCC is discussed in the text.

Cultured plant cells from Taxus brevifolia Nutt and Taxus globosa Schltdl were investigated as biocatalysts using exogenous substrates. Production of highly specific metabolites by these species prompted us to analyse their synthetic potential. Whole cells suspensions have the capacity to chemoselectively reduce ethyl acetoacetate to ethyl 3-hydroxybutyrate chemo- and stereoselectively reduce rac-2-benzoylcyclohexanone to (1R, 2S)- and (1S, 2S)-2-hydroxycyclohexylphenylmethanones, and to cyclize N-phthaloyl-L-glutamine to thalidomide.

The step-by-step analysis of high-resolution proton and 13C NMR spectra of per-O-methylated-6-monoamino and 6,6-diamino-A,D-β-cyclodextrins is described. Selected 2-D experiments (COSY, NOESY, HSQC, DEPT, and HMBC) allowed us to challenge the current interpretation. The full assignment of the proton and carbon-13 NMR spectra of these two compounds was performed enabling us to complete the assignment of NMR spectra acquired at 500 and 800 MHz for these important synthetic intermediates.Key words: COSY, NOESY, HSQC, DEPT, HMBC, NMR, 6-amino-β-cyclodextrins, 6,6-diamino-β-cyclodextrins.

The ability of Hylaeogena thoracica Waterhouse, 1889 (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) to induce galls on Amphilophium paniculatum (L.) H.B.K (Bignoniaceae) is reported here. Species of Hylaeogena Obenberger, 1923 are associated with vines of the family Bignoniaceae as leafminers, therefore this report represents the first record of the genus acting as a gall inducer. The effect of the inquiline Philides anthonomoides Champion, 1906 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Conoderinae) on gall morphology is also described. Most Neotropical conoderines are associated with tree falls and are assumed to be wood-borers. This represents the first report of the species acting as an inquiline in galls. Four parasitoid species belonging to three families of Hymenoptera that emerged from the galls are also reported.

Summary Using pitfall traps, we evaluated the spatial and seasonal variance in arthropod abundance, species richness, higher taxonomic and species composition, and guild structure within the ground litter of seven sites in a relatively undisturbed rainforest in Panama. We examined each of these five arthropod-dependent variables at two spatial scales (a few meters and a few hundred meters) and one temporal scale (a few months encompassing dry and wet periods), against environmental variables including local illumination and plant composition. Trap catches (9458 arthropods collected during 630 trap-days) were high compared to similar studies in temperate forests. We observed spatial and seasonal differences in abundance, species richness and composition of litter-dwelling arthropods. Often these differences appeared weakly related to geographical coordinates. They reflected forest structure (basal area) and local plant composition, and less so illumination patterns or seasonal changes in radiation. Seasonal variance was high and may relate to surrogate variables accounting for seasonal changes in litter moisture. The composition of higher taxa and species was often predicted by different independent variables at the three scales studied. Guild structure was difficult to predict. Our study lead us to expect that litter-dwelling arthropods may be more seasonal than soil microarthropods in tropical rainforests; and that tropical litter-dwelling arthropods may also be more spatially variable and seasonal than their temperate counterparts. We also recommend that conservation studies using pitfall traps in tropical rainforests should focus on: (1) taxonomic resolution to understand the functional complexity of soil organisms; (2) spatial replication to address subtle changes in plant composition throughout the study area; and (3) seasonal replicates to be commensurate with seasonal changes in litter moisture.

Dolphins of the genus Sotalia are found along the Caribbean and Atlantic coasts of Central and South America and in the Amazon River and most of its tributaries. At present, the taxonomy of these dolphins remains unresolved. Although five species were described in the late 1800s, only one species is recognized currently (Sotalia fluviatilis) with two ecotypes or subspecies, the coastal subspecies (Sotalia fluviatilis guianensis) and the riverine subspecies (Sotalia fluviatilis fluviatilis). Recent morphometric analyses, as well as mitochondrial DNA analysis, suggested recognition of each subspecies as separate species. Here we review the history of the classification of this genus and present new genetic evidence from ten nuclear and three mitochondrial genes supporting the elevation of each subspecies to the species level under the Genealogical/Lineage Concordance Species Concept and the criterion of irreversible divergence. We also review additional evidence for this taxonomic revision from previously published and unpublished genetic, morphological, and ecological studies. We propose the common name “costero” for the coastal species, Sotalia guianensis (Van Beneden 1864), and accept the previously proposed “tucuxi” dolphin, Sotalia fluviatilis (Gervais, 1853), for the riverine species.

Las asociaciones entre aves marinas y mamíferos marinos es un evento común en todos los mares y océanos del mundo. Muchos autores han denominado estas asociaciones como relaciones comensalistas, oportunistas o parasitarias, según el efecto que dicha interacción resulte sobre una o ambas especies relacionadas. Con la finalidad de describir la existencia de agrupaciones entre Sotalia guianensis y aves marinas en la porción sur del Golfo de Venezuela, desde junio 2011 a junio 2012 se realizaron observaciones en plataformas móviles de grupos de este cetáceo y aves marinas, utilizando el protocolo “group-follow” bajo la metodología de “Ad libitum sampling”. Todos los avistamientos fueron georreferenciados, realizándose anotaciones de la ocurrencia o no-asociación con aves marinas, de igual forma, se registró la especie y el número de aves presentes al momento de la interacción. Se realizaron 721 avistamientos, de los cuales en 197 eventos se registró asociación entre aves marinas y Sotalia guianensis. Las especies de aves marinas residentes que presentaron mayor frecuencia en eventos de asociación con S. guianensis fueron: Fregata magnificens (49%; n=98), Phalacrocorax brasilianus (29,5%; n=59) y Pelecanus occidentalis (22,5%; n=45); siendo Thalasseus maxima (71%; n=142) la única especie migratoria. Durante las observaciones realizadas en el período de muestreo se notó la presencia de una especie de golondrina (Riparia riparia) en un solo evento de agrupación con Sotalia guianensis. Dichas asociaciones aves-delfines, sólo fueron observadas cuando notables congregaciones de peces fueron registrados, donde el o los grupos de delfines realizaban alguna actividad con grandes movimientos de agua, lo que pudiese permitir a las aves realizar un menor gasto energético en la ubicación y la captura de la presa.

Few data are available about the regional or local extinction of tropical butterfly species. When confirmed, local extinction was often due to the loss of host-plant species. We used published lists and recent monitoring programs to evaluate changes in butterfly composition on Barro Colorado Island (BCI, Panama) between an old (1923-1943) and a recent (1993-2013) period. Although 601 butterfly species have been recorded from BCI during the 1923-2013 period, we estimate that 390 species are currently breeding on the island, including 34 cryptic species, currently only known by their DNA Barcode Index Number. Twenty-three butterfly species that were considered abundant during the old period could not be collected during the recent period, despite a much higher sampling effort in recent times. We consider these species locally extinct from BCI and they conservatively represent 6% of the estimated local pool of resident species. Extinct species represent distant phylogenetic branches and several families. The butterfly traits most likely to influence the probability of extinction were host growth form, wing size and host specificity, independently of the phylogenetic relationships among butterfly species. On BCI, most likely candidates for extinction were small hesperiids feeding on herbs (35% of extinct species). However, contrary to our working hypothesis, extinction of these species on BCI cannot be attributed to loss of host plants. In most cases these host plants remain extant, but they probably subsist at lower or more fragmented densities. Coupled with low dispersal power, this reduced availability of host plants has probably caused the local extinction of some butterfly species. Many more bird than butterfly species have been lost from BCI recently, confirming that small preserves may be far more effective at conserving invertebrates than vertebrates and, therefore, should not necessarily be neglected from a conservation viewpoint.

Quantifying the spatio-temporal distribution of arthropods in tropical rainforests represents a first step towards scrutinizing the global distribution of biodiversity on Earth. To date most studies have focused on narrow taxonomic groups or lack a design that allows partitioning of the components of diversity. Here, we consider an exceptionally large dataset (113,952 individuals representing 5,858 species), obtained from the San Lorenzo forest in Panama, where the phylogenetic breadth of arthropod taxa was surveyed using 14 protocols targeting the soil, litter, understory, lower and upper canopy habitats, replicated across seasons in 2003 and 2004. This dataset is used to explore the relative influence of horizontal, vertical and seasonal drivers of arthropod distribution in this forest. We considered arthropod abundance, observed and estimated species richness, additive decomposition of species richness, multiplicative partitioning of species diversity, variation in species composition, species turnover and guild structure as components of diversity. At the scale of our study (2km of distance, 40m in height and 400 days), the effects related to the vertical and seasonal dimensions were most important. Most adult arthropods were collected from the soil/litter or the upper canopy and species richness was highest in the canopy. We compared the distribution of arthropods and trees within our study system. Effects related to the seasonal dimension were stronger for arthropods than for trees. We conclude that: (1) models of beta diversity developed for tropical trees are unlikely to be applicable to tropical arthropods; (2) it is imperative that estimates of global biodiversity derived from mass collecting of arthropods in tropical rainforests embrace the strong vertical and seasonal partitioning observed here; and (3) given the high species turnover observed between seasons, global climate change may have severe consequences for rainforest arthropods., SCOPUS: ar.j, info:eu-repo/semantics/published

The costunolide lactone, a sesquiterpene compound isolated from Zaluzania triiloba species, reacted with several dihalocarbene sources produced by trihaloform-NaOH under successive phase transfer reactions yielding mono-, bis- and tris-dihalocyclopropane adducts. The structures, as well as the configurational assignments of the different derivatives, were established by 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and assisted by X-ray crystallographic and molecular modelling studies. The specific shielding of protons in the neighbourhood of different halogens on the cyclopropane moieties was correlated to the pseudocontact interactions.

Con el proposito de estimar en que estrato del bosque tropical ocurre mayor diversidad de especies de insectos formadores de agallas y minadores de hojas, se realizaron muestreos desde marzo de 1997 a mayo de 1998 en dos bosques de la República de Panamá (Parque Natural Metropolitano y Fuerte Sherman). Nuestros resultados indican que en el dosel de ambos bosques existe mayor riqueza de insectos formadores de agallas y minadores de hojas que en el sotobosque, siendo la proporción de especies de estos dos grupos en el dosel y sotobosque de 2:1 respectivamente. El índice alfa de Fisher indica que los dos grupos de insectos son más diversos en el dosel de los dos bosques que en el sotobosque, siendo el dosel del Fuerte Sherman donde ocurre mayor abundancia de algunas morfoespecies.

During the past 20 years several studies have documented gall-inducing insect species richness in Panama. Additionally, host plant and parasitoid assemblages associated to galls have been studied. The effects of habitat, altitude, vegetation, and climate on the richness of insect gall assemblages have been addressed in these studies. Similarly, the effects of temporal, spatial, and vertical variation on the local richness of gall-inducing species have also been discussed. The use of a crane in the rainforests of Panama has enabled us to study gall communities in the forest canopy. The taxonomic knowledge on oak gall wasps and their patterns in species richness and distribution in Panama have been the focus of attention in recent years. Here, we review the literature documenting the taxonomic diversity of the Cynipidae and oak gall wasps (tribe Cynipini) in the Neotropics, supplementing it with recent field surveys assessing oak gall wasp diversity in montane forests of Panama. In particular, we studied gall wasp diversity associated with Quercus spp. (Fagaceae), the dominant tree genus in montane forests of Panama, and identified a rich gall wasp insect fauna (~65 spp).

The abundance, activity and species richness of arthropods, particularly of insect herbivores, were investigated in the upper canopy and understorey of a lowland rainforest at La Makande, Gabon. In total 14 161 arthropods were collected with beating, flight interception and sticky traps, from six canopy sites, during the day and at night, from mid-January to mid-March 1999. The effects of stratum were most important, representing between 40 and 70% of the explained variance in arthropod distribution. Site effects represented between 20 and 40% of the variance and emphasized the need for replication of sampling among canopy sites. Time effects (diel activity) explained a much lower percentage of variance (6–9%). The density and abundance of many arthropod taxa and species were significantly higher in the upper canopy than in the understorey. Arthropod activity was also higher during the day than at night. In particular, insect herbivores were 2.5 times more abundant and twice as speciose in the upper canopy than in the understorey, a probable response to the greater and more diverse food resources in the former stratum. Faunal overlap between the upper canopy and understorey was low. The most dissimilar herbivore communities foraged in the understorey at night and the upper canopy during the day. Further, a taxonomic study of a species-rich genus of herbivore collected there Agrilus , Coleoptera Buprestidae) confirmed that the fauna of the upper canopy was different, diverse and very poorly known in comparison to that of the understorey. Herbivore turnover between day and night was rather high in the upper canopy and no strong influx of insect herbivores from lower foliage to the upper canopy was detected at night. This suggests that insect herbivores of the upper canopy may be resident and well adapted to environmental conditions there.

The reaction of the 6‒amino‒1,3‒dimethyl uracil with the arylidenketones1–4, enabled us to obtain adducts whose structures result from nucleophilic attack and self condensation, yielding with monomeric, dimeric or trimeric derivatives obtained with moderate (40–50%) yields. The reaction was induced by the uracil derivative and the role of this reagent was that of a nucleophile and oligomerization promoter. The structures obtained in this study were mainly elucidated with 1D and 2D high resolution NMR experiments.

We evaluate a three-part hypothesis explaining why gall-inducing insect species richness is so high in scleromorphic vegetation: (1) persistence of low nutrient status scleromorphic leaves facilitates the galling habit in warm temperate latitudes; (2) favourable colonization sites for gallers result from reduced hygrothermal stress, high phenolics in the outer cortex of the gall, and reduced carnivore and fungal attack in the gall; and (3) in more mesic sites, mortality is high due to carnivore attack and invasion of galls by fungi. Over 280 samples of local species of galling herbivorous insects from fourteen countries on all continents except Antarctica revealed a strong pattern of highest richness in warm temperate latitudes, or their altitudinal equivalents. The peak of galling species richness on the latitudinal gradient from the equator into the Arctic was between 25 to 38° N or S. Galling species were particularly diverse in sclerophyllous vegetation, which commonly had greater than twelve species per local sample. In mesic, non-sclerophyllous vegetation types the number of galling species was lower with twelve or fewer species present. Many sites in sclerophyllous vegetation supported between thirteen and forty-six galling species locally, including campina islands in Amazonia, cerrado savanna in central Brazil, the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and Mexico, shrubland in Israel, fynbos in South Africa and coastal scleromorphic vegetation in Australia. At the same latitude, or its elevational equivalent, galling species richness was significantly higher in relatively xeric sites when compared to riparian or otherwise mesic habitats, even when scleromorphic vegetation dominated the mesic sites. The results were consistent with the hypothesis and extend to a more general level the patterns and predictions on the biogeography of gall-inducing insects.

In the solid state, trans-2,6-diphenyl-4-(hydroxyimino)-piperidinol, C 17 H 18 N 2 O 2 , (1), trans-2,6-bis(1-methyl-pyrrol-2-yl)-4-(hydroxyimino)piperidinol, C 15 H 20 N 4 O 2 , (2), and trans-2,6-bis(thien-2-yl)-4-(hydroxyimino)-piperidinol, C 13 H 14 N 2 O 2 S 2 , (3), adopt conformations with an axial OH substituent on the ring N atom, in contrast to the preference for an equatorial conformation in solution. Molecules of all three structures are held together in chains by hydrogen bonding.

The Stereoselective addition of the pyrimidine derivative 1 to the exocyclic methylene of the α,β unsaturated dehydrocostus lactone 2, Ivalin acetate 3 and Zaluzanin A diacetate 4, was achieved resulting in a new C-C bond formation. In the cases of compounds 3 and 4, after the addition, the lactone was cleaved followed by reclosure into a lactam ring system.

Irradiation of isoperezone acetate (4) by ultraviolet light yielded the cycloaddition products 5, 6 and the ene-type product 7.

Assessing Creepy Crawlies Arthropods are the most diverse group of terrestrial animal species, yet estimates of the total number of arthropod species have varied widely, especially for tropical forests. Basset et al. (p. 1481 , see the cover) now provide more reliable estimates of total arthropod species richness in a tropical rainforest in Panama. Intensive sampling of a half hectare of forest yielded just over 6000 arthropod species. Scaling up this result to the whole forest suggests that the total species diversity lies between 17,000 and 40,000 species.

Irradiation of the pyrazoline derivative of O-methylisoperezone (4) by ultraviolet light yielded the rearrangement products 5,6 and 7.

This work focuses on the study of the transition from steady to chaotic behavior in mixed convection flow over a backward-facing step. Direct numerical simulations are performed in a two-dimensional horizontal channel of expansion ratio ER = 2 at step level. The effects of the temperature difference between the heated bottom wall and the inflow temperature are investigated by keeping constant the Richardson number at 1. The covered range of Grashof and Reynolds numbers is respectively 3.31 × 104 ≤ Gr ≤ 2.72 × 105 and 182.03 ≤ Re ≤ 521.34. The thermodynamic instabilities which cause the onset of unsteady flow are described in detail. A spectral and phase portrait analysis of the temperature time series allows us to observe that the transition from steady to chaotic flow occurs by period-doubling bifurcations.

Biodiversity and Conservation, 21 (13), ISSN:1572-9710, ISSN:0960-3115

Oecologia, 169 (2), ISSN:0029-8549, ISSN:1432-1939

The Lewis acid catalyzed intramolecular cycloaddition of isoperezone ( 5 ) produced a tricyclic compound containing a new skeleton named β-isopipitzol ( 6 ), perezinone ( 7 ) and dihydroisoperezinone ( 8 ).

The reaction of perezone 1 with 3,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2-pyrimidinethiol 11 promotes a 1,2-carbonyl transposition in the quinoid ring of 1 giving rise to isoperezone 8, which treated with BF3·Et2O produces dihydroisoperezinone 9.

Substituted bromomethyl- and chloromethylbenzenes and bis(bromomethyl) benzenes were directly converted, in high yields, to the corresponding methyl- and isopropyl- benzyl ethers by treatment with silver(II) oxide in methanol or isopropanol.

The reaction of dibenzalcyclohexanone with hydroxylamine hydrochloride afforded three compounds 1–3 including the aziridine 3 showing a 3′,3a′-trans configuration. Now we report on the isolation of a new aziridine 4, possessing a 3′,3a′-cis configuration. Its structure was deduced by 2D nmr and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.

Here we consider the phylogeography and population structure of the South American coastal and riverine dolphins, Sotalia guianensis and Sotalia fluviatilis, based on samples (n = 76) collected across more than 9000km of the species distribution. Phylogenetic reconstruction of 31 distinct haplotypes based on a combined analysis of two mitochondrial gene fragments (1052bp) revealed clear genetic differences between riverine and coastal individuals consistent with species-level ranking. Within the coastal species, a spatial analysis of molecular variance of the control region sequences showed significant regional population differentiation (FST = 0.4; FST = 0.6; P

Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) play a key role in the initiation of immune response in jawed vertebrates. Variation at MHC loci can be used as an indicator of the genetic ‘health’ of natural populations and offer insight into potential susceptibility to epizootics. Here we present the first characterization of the sequence variation at two MHC class II loci (DQA and DQB) in the neotropical coastal ( Sotalia guianensis ) and riverine ( Sotalia fluviatilis ) dolphins, using cloning and direct sequencing of amplified genomic DNA. Four DQA and four DQB alleles were identified in 33 and 32 Sotalia samples, respectively, and high nucleotide diversity among these alleles was detected, similar to the findings described for other cetacean species. Positive selection was evidenced by an excess of d n /d s at the Peptide-Binding-Region of the DQB of Sotalia . The presence of common alleles at both loci in S. fluviatilis and S. guianensis are consistent with trans-species mode of evolution in the MHC. In contrast to observed low levels of mtDNA diversity at the population level, there was an apparent lack of reduction of DQA and DQB allelic variation in the Brazilian Coast population unit. This suggests either present or past balancing selection acting to maintain MHC variation in this population unit.

Substituted bromomethyl- and chloromethylbenzenes and bis(bromomethyl) benzenes were directly converted, in high yields, to the corresponding methyl- and isopropyl- benzyl ethers by treatment with silver(II) oxide in methanol or isopropanol.

The Lewis acid catalyzed intramolecular cycloaddition of isoperezone ( 5 ) produced a tricyclic compound containing a new skeleton named β-isopipitzol ( 6 ), perezinone ( 7 ) and dihydroisoperezinone ( 8 ).

The reaction of dibenzalacetones substituted on the aromatic ring with hydroxylamine hydrochloride and potassium hydroxide in refluxing ethanol affords several compounds. Herein, we report the structures and spectral properties of several oximes of 2-(4,5-dihydro-5-aryl-3-isoxazolyl)-1-arylethanones 6. Unusual behaviour on its 1 H-nmr and mass spectra was observed. Single crystal X-ray diffraction was performed on compound 6d to support our structural considerations about the title compounds