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The landscape in Zona da Mata region (Brazil) can be understood as a dynamic mosaic of land uses, including secondary forest, pastures and coffee. Spatial patterns of such mosaics are determined by heterogeneous physical landscape features and shaped by the diversity in management practices and decisions made by individual farmers. Thus, a gradient of more biodiverse to overly simplified farms can be found in the region. These farming systems contribute differently to local livelihoods and to the provision of ecosystem services (ES). Currently, we lack understanding of the incentives that farmers have to manage agrobiodiversity and the consequences of management for functional diversity and the provision of multiple ES. Therefore, I used a combination of social and ecological methods to link biodiversity, ecosystem services and social actors for informing the development of sustainable agroecological systems. First, a farm typology was conducted in the region to explore implications of farm diversity for promoting agroecology and agrobiodiversity. Second, fuzzy cognitive maps were used to unravel and contrast farmers` perceptions on ecosystem services and their management. Third, coffee and pastures were selected on different farm types to evaluate the direct and indirect impact of management on biodiversity and ecosystem services. A variety of indicators were measured in each system and grouped in three components: soil-based ecosystem services; plant diversity (taxonomical, functional and structural); and management practices. Fourth, the effects of forest regeneration on biodiversity and soil functions was assessed along a successional gradient in the Atlantic forest biome. The results show that changes in the cognitive perception of farmers on ES led to changes in management strategies, that in turn, influenced biodiversity and the provision of ES. Agroecological farmers had a more complex perception on ES than other farm types, which was associated to greater a

Rangeland management in former tropical rainforest areas may affect ecosystem services. We hypothesized that management practices like burning and overgrazing reduce supporting (soil quality) and consequently also provisioning (forage productivity and quality) and regulating (nutrient cycling) ecosystem services. We established 31 exclosures in two landscape categories (alluvial soils, low-hills), documented management practices, and assessed 18 soil quality indicators, litter decomposition as a proxy for nutrient cycling, and forage quantity and quality during one year in grasslands of the Lacandon region, southeast Mexico. Path analysis was used to explore direct and indirect effects of livestock management practices on soil-based ecosystem services. Landscape position had direct effects on management practices, and direct and indirect effects on soil properties. Altitude (a proxy for the soil catena, ranging from alluvial soils along the Lacantún river to Cambisols and Acrisols in the low-hills) was the variable showing most significant negative relations with soil quality and forage production. Decomposition rate was site-specific and had no relation with landscape position and management. Our study suggests that position on the landscape, which relates to nutrient and water availability, had stronger effects than management practices on forage productivity and quality and drives farmers management practices. View Full-Text

© 2018 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Most of the planet's diversity is concentrated in the tropics, which includes many regions undergoing rapid climate change. Yet, while climate-induced biodiversity changes are widely documented elsewhere, few studies have addressed this issue for lowland tropical ecosystems. Here we investigate whether the floristic and functional composition of intact lowland Amazonian forests have been changing by evaluating records from 106 long-term inventory plots spanning 30 years. We analyse three traits that have been hypothesized to respond to different environmental drivers (increase in moisture stress and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations): maximum tree size, biogeographic water-deficit affiliation and wood density. Tree communities have become increasingly dominated by large-statured taxa, but to date there has been no detectable change in mean wood density or water deficit affiliation at the community level, despite most forest plots having experienced an intensification of the dry season. However, among newly recruited trees, dry-affiliated genera have become more abundant, while the mortality of wet-affiliated genera has increased in those plots where the dry season has intensified most. Thus, a slow shift to a more dry-affiliated Amazonia is underway, with changes in compositional dynamics (recruits and mortality) consistent with climate-change drivers, but yet to significantly impact whole-community composition. The Amazon observational record suggests that the increase in atmospheric CO 2 is driving a shift within tree communities to large-statured species and that climate changes to date will impact forest composition, but long generation times of tropical trees mean that biodiversity change is lagging behind climate change.

Most of the planet's diversity is concentrated in the tropics, which includes many regions undergoing rapid climate change. Yet, while climate-induced biodiversity changes are widely documented elsewhere, few studies have addressed this issue for lowland tropical ecosystems. Here we investigate whether the floristic and functional composition of intact lowland Amazonian forests have been changing by evaluating records from 106 long-term inventory plots spanning 30 years. We analyse three traits that have been hypothesized to respond to different environmental drivers (increase in moisture stress and atmospheric CO 2 concentrations): maximum tree size, biogeographic water-deficit affiliation and wood density. Tree communities have become increasingly dominated by large-statured taxa, but to date there has been no detectable change in mean wood density or water deficit affiliation at the community level, despite most forest plots having experienced an intensification of the dry season. However, among newly recruited trees, dry-affiliated genera have become more abundant, while the mortality of wet-affiliated genera has increased in those plots where the dry season has intensified most. Thus, a slow shift to a more dry-affiliated Amazonia is underway, with changes in compositional dynamics (recruits and mortality) consistent with climate-change drivers, but yet to significantly impact whole-community composition. The Amazon observational record suggests that the increase in atmospheric CO 2 is driving a shift within tree communities to large-statured species and that climate changes to date will impact forest composition, but long generation times of tropical trees mean that biodiversity change is lagging behind climate change.

Around 30 Mm3 of sawlogs are extracted annually by selective logging of natural production forests in Amazonia, Earth's most extensive tropical forest. Decisions concerning the management of these production forests will be of major importance for Amazonian forests' fate. To date, no regional assessment of selective logging sustainability supports decision-making. Based on data from 3500 ha of forest inventory plots, our modelling results show that the average periodic harvests of 20 m3 ha−1 will not recover by the end of a standard 30 year cutting cycle. Timber recovery within a cutting cycle is enhanced by commercial acceptance of more species and with the adoption of longer cutting cycles and lower logging intensities. Recovery rates are faster in Western Amazonia than on the Guiana Shield. Our simulations suggest that regardless of cutting cycle duration and logging intensities, selectively logged forests are unlikely to meet timber demands over the long term as timber stocks are predicted to steadily decline. There is thus an urgent need to develop an integrated forest resource management policy that combines active management of production forests with the restoration of degraded and secondary forests for timber production. Without better management, reduced timber harvests and continued timber production declines are unavoidable.

Tropical forests are converted at an alarming rate for agricultural use and pastureland, but also regrow naturally through secondary succession. For successful forest restoration, it is essential to understand the mechanisms of secondary succession. These mechanisms may vary across forest types, but analyses across broad spatial scales are lacking. Here, we analyse forest recovery using 1,403 plots that differ in age since agricultural abandonment from 50 sites across the Neotropics. We analyse changes in community composition using species-specific stem wood density (WD), which is a key trait for plant growth, survival and forest carbon storage. In wet forest, succession proceeds from low towards high community WD (acquisitive towards conservative trait values), in line with standard successional theory. However, in dry forest, succession proceeds from high towards low community WD (conservative towards acquisitive trait values), probably because high WD reflects drought tolerance in harsh early successional environments. Dry season intensity drives WD recovery by influencing the start and trajectory of succession, resulting in convergence of the community WD over time as vegetation cover builds up. These ecological insights can be used to improve species selection for reforestation. Reforestation species selected to establish a first protective canopy layer should, among other criteria, ideally have a similar WD to the early successional communities that dominate under the prevailing macroclimatic conditions.

With theobjective of evaluating endophytic bacteria Bacillus type, isolated out native potato plant growth promoters, the Huaycha variety cultivation for the development of bio-products, 39 were activated in-vitrobacterial isolates, of which 30 were found to be Bacillustype. For evaluation purposes, these types were inoculated in greenhouse conditions under completely randomized design with 6 repetitions in two stages blocks. The response variables were: plant height, root size, root weight, root volume, number of tubers, tuber weight and tuber yield. They were selected 11 isolated as better because they favored greater extent the development of the phenotypic characteristics of the potato crop (13, 19, 27, 32, 38, 45, 46, 47, 138, 146 and 150), the which they were evaluated in-vitro, resulting nitrogen fixers 9,5; 3 phosphorus solubilizing and 3 indol-acetic acid producers. Isolates 27 and 146 met the three functions (fixing of N, P solubilizing and producing AIA) and biochemical characterization showed that correspond to the genus Bacillus. Culminating in the second stage, they were reassessed selecting the best isolates (19, 146, 45, 47 and 150 including the commercial inoculum Bs) in greenhouse, where he presented greater effect on plant development. Stading out isolated 45, to present greater plant height and tuber development with a yield of 3 t/ha of potatoes, Con el objetivo de evaluar bacterias endófitas de tipo Bacillus, aisladas de papas nativas como promotores de crecimiento vegetal en el cultivo de papa Huaycha, para el desarrollo de bioinsumos, se activaron 39 aisladosbacterianos in-vitro, de los cuales 30 resultaron ser tipo Bacillus. Estos, para su evaluación fueron inoculados en invernadero, bajo el diseño de bloques al azar con 6 repeticiones en dos etapas. Las variables de respuesta fueron: altura de planta, longitud de raíz, peso de raíz, volumen de raíz, número de tubérculos, peso de tubérculos y rendimiento de tubérculo. Fueron seleccionados 11 aislados como mejores, debido a que favorecieron en mayor proporción el desarrollo de las características fenotípicas del cultivo de la papa (13, 19, 27, 32, 38, 45, 46, 47, 138, 146 y 150), las cuales se evaluaron in-vitro, resultando 9 fijadoras de nitrógeno, 5 solubilizadoras de fósforo y 3 productoras de ácido indol acético. Los aislados 27 y 146 cumplieron con tres funciones (fijadoras de N, solubilizadoras de P y productoras de AIA) y para la caracterización bioquímica demostraron que corresponden al género Bacillus.Para culminar en la segunda etapa, se volvieron a evaluar seleccionando los mejores aislados (19, 146,45, 47 y 150 incluyendo el inóculo comercial B. subtilis) en invernadero, donde se presentó mayor efecto sobre el desarrollo de la planta. Destacándose el aislado 45, por presentar mayor altura de planta y desarrollo de tubérculo con un rendimiento de 3 t/ha de papa

Ecosystem service (ES) models can only inform policy design adequately if they incorporate ecological processes. We used the Lund-Potsdam-Jena managed Land (LPJmL) model, to address following questions for Mexico, Bolivia and Brazilian Amazon: (i) How different are C stocks and C sequestration quantifications under standard (when soil and litter C and heterotrophic respiration are not considered) and comprehensive (including all C stock and heterotrophic respiration) approach? and (ii) How does the valuation of C stock and C sequestration differ in national payments for ES and global C funds or markets when comparing both approach? We found that up to 65% of C stocks have not been taken into account by neglecting to include C stored in soil and litter, resulting in gross underpayments (up to 500 times lower). Since emissions from heterotrophic respiration of organic material offset a large proportion of C gained through growth of living matter, we found that markets and decision-makers are inadvertently overestimating up to 100 times C sequestrated. New approaches for modelling C services relevant ecological process-based can help accounting for C in soil, litter and heterotrophic respiration and become important for the operationalization of agreements on climate change mitigation following the COP21 in 2015.

The development of biofertilizers based on beneficial microorganisms is an ecological alternative to theuse of synthetic fertilizers. Among these microorganisms are endophytic plant growth promoting bacteria, which have the ability to stimulate the growth of plants through various mechanisms. We worked with the PROINPA Foundation collection, bacterial endophytes, isolated from native potato cultivars, which were selected to develop a biofertilizer. Initially in vitro strains were selected based on three functional mechanisms: nitrogen fixation, phosphate solubilization and production of indole acetic acid, for which 87% of the strains were selected to fix nitrogen, 70% solubilize phosphate and 34% produce acetic acid. Later these were evaluated in nursery by inoculating plants of two native potato cultivars (Poland and Huaycha), where the strains: 33pa, IVpa, IIpa, IXpb and 2pf, presented the highest values in the yield variables, in the two potato cultivarsevaluated, where the 33pa strain stands out with the highest averages. The best selected strains were identified by biochemical tests and molecular techniques such as Bacillus pumilus. Then the culture medium was optimized for the mass production of the best selected strain, through different extracts prepared with rice, potatoes and others, to which different sources of sugars were added, where the combination of potato extract with brown sugar It was the best combination. And finally, the formulation of the biofertilizer, pellet (granulate) with the best strain was carried out, El desarrollo de biofertilizantes en base a microorganismos benéficos, es una alternativa ecológica al uso de fertilizantes sintéticos. Por lo cual es importante seleccionar cepas bacterianas, identificarlas y formularlas. Entre estos microorganismos se encuentran las bacterias endófitas promotoras de crecimiento vegetal, que tienen la capacidad de estimular el crecimiento de las plantas a través de diversos mecanismos. Se trabajó con la colección de la Fundación PROINPA, bacterianas endófitas, aisladas de cultivares de papa nativa, las cuales fueron seleccionadas para desarrollar un biofertilizante. Inicialmente se seleccionaron in vitro cepas en base a tres mecanismos funcionales: fijación de nitrógeno, solubilización de fosfato y producción de acido indol acético, para eso se seleccionó el 87% de las cepas fijan nitrógeno, el 70% solubilizan fosfato y el 34% producen acido indol acético. Después estas fueron evaluadas en vivero a inoculando plantas de dos cultivares de papa nativa (Polonia y Huaycha), donde las cepas: 33pa, IVpa, IIpa, IXpb y 2pf, presentaron los valores más altos en las variables de rendimiento, en las dos cultivares de papa evaluadas, donde la cepa 33pa destaca con los promedios más altos. Las mejores cepas seleccionadas fueron identificadas mediante pruebas bioquímicas y técnicas moleculares como Bacillus pumilus. Luego se optimizó el medio de cultivo para la producción masiva de la mejor cepa seleccionada, a través de diferentes extractos preparados con arroz, papa y otros, a los cuales se añadió diferentes fuentes de azúcares, donde la combinación de extracto de papa con con azúcar morena fue la mejor combinación. Y finalmente se realizó la formulación del biofertilizante, pelet (granulado) con la mejor cepa

The idea that Amazonian forests have been largely untouched by humans has fascinated naturalists, policy makers, the media, and natural and social scientists worldwide. For many decades, ecological studies overlooked the influence of past peoples in modern forests. However, humans arrived in the Amazon basin at least 13,000 years Before Present (BP) and populations expanded strongly around 2,500 years BP. Evidence of past human activities has been found in extensive areas previously considered pristine. Anthropogenic soils (Amazonian Dark Earths - ADE) and human-made earthworks found across the basin are examples of the landscapes domesticated by pre-Columbian peoples and evidence of large societies with considerable capacity for modifying the environment. Cultivation and management of Amazonian fora by past societies may have significantly contributed to the ecological patterns we see today. These findings stimulated an academic debate about the pristineness versus domestication of Amazonian forests. Although most scientists agree that human impacts were spatially heterogeneous across the basin, the scale of past human influences in Amazonian forests remains controversial. A more realistic and broad- scale view is required (Chapter 1). In my thesis, I integrated data from different disciplines in the social and natural sciences to generate the first broad-scale assessment of the effects of long-term human influences in modern Amazonian forests and how these legacies are maintained by local management practices. I studied the Amazon forest as a mosaic of patches domesticated to different degrees by human-nature interactions. To estimate the influence of past people on modern forests, I first compared the density of sedentary pre-Columbian occupation sites with ADE along some stretches of major white-water rivers and their black or clear-water tributaries that have been sampled by archaeologists. I counted the number of archaeological sites along 12-km sections for b

Background: The Argane tree (Argania spinosa L. Skeels) is an endemic tree of southwestern Morocco that plays an important socioeconomic and ecologic role for a dense human population in an arid zone. Several studies confirmed the importance of this species as a food and feed source and as a resource for both pharmaceutical and cosmetic compounds. Unfortunately, the argane tree ecosystem is facing significant threats from environmental changes (global warming, over-population) and over-exploitation. Limited research has been conducted, however, on argane tree genetics and genomics, which hinders its conservation and genetic improvement. Methods: Here, we present a draft genome assembly of A. spinosa. A reliable reference genome of A. spinosa was created using a hybrid de novo assembly approach combining short and long sequencing reads. Results: In total, 144 Gb Illumina HiSeq reads and 7.2 Gb PacBio reads were produced and assembled. The final draft genome comprises 75 327 scaffolds totaling 671 Mb with an N50 of 49 916 kb. The draft assembly is close to the genome size estimated by k-mers distribution and covers 89% of complete and 4.3% of partial Arabidopsis orthologous groups in BUSCO. Conclusion: The A. spinosa genome will be useful for assessing biodiversity leading to efficient conservation of this endangered endemic tree. Furthermore, the genome may enable genome-assisted cultivar breeding, and provide a better understanding of important metabolic pathways and their underlying genes for both cosmetic and pharmacological purposes.

The screening of a family of complexes of the formula [RuCl(R-pybox)(L)] (R-pybox = Ph-, Pr- or indane-pybox; L = monodentate P, N or C ligand) in the enantioselective hydrogenation of N-aryl imines indicates a strong influence of the R-pybox substituents and the L ligand in the process. A comparison indicates that the best results are obtained with the complex [RuCl(Ph-pybox)(PPh(OMe))] which provided values of 99% ee for the reduction of several imines derived from aryl alkyl ketones. It is worth noting that this complex is capable of reducing the mentioned imines under transfer hydrogenation conditions using isopropanol as a hydrogen donor with equally high enantioselectivities.

For millennia, Amazonian peoples have managed forest resources, modifying the natural environment in subtle and persistent ways. Legacies of past human occupation are striking near archaeological sites, yet we still lack a clear picture of how human management practices resulted in the domestication of Amazonian forests. The general view is that domesticated forests are recognizable by the presence of forest patches dominated by one or a few useful species favored by long-term human activities. Here, we used three complementary approaches to understand the long-term domestication of Amazonian forests. First, we compiled information from the literature about how indigenous and traditional Amazonian peoples manage forest resources to promote useful plant species that are mainly used as food resources. Then, we developed an interdisciplinary conceptual model of how interactions between these management practices across space and time may form domesticated forests. Finally, we collected field data from 30 contemporary villages located on and near archaeological sites, along four major Amazonian rivers, to compare with the management practices synthesized in our conceptual model. We identified eight distinct categories of management practices that contribute to form forest patches of useful plants: (1) removal of non-useful plants, (2) protection of useful plants, (3) attraction of non-human animal dispersers, (4) transportation of useful plants, (5) selection of phenotypes, (6) fire management, (7) planting of useful plants, and (8) soil improvement. Our conceptual model, when ethnographically projected into the past, reveals how the interaction of these multiple management practices interferes with natural ecological processes, resulting in the domestication of Amazonian forest patches dominated by useful species. Our model suggests that management practices became more frequent as human population increased during the Holocene. In the field, we found that useful peren

Impacts of climate change require that society urgently develops ways to reduce amounts of carbon in the atmosphere. Tropical forests present an important opportunity, as they take up and store large amounts of carbon. It is often suggested that forests with high biodiversity have large stocks and high rates of carbon uptake. Evidence is, however, scattered across geographic areas and scales, and it remains unclear whether biodiversity is just a co‐benefit or also a requirement for the maintenance of carbon stocks and uptake. Here, we perform a quantitative review of empirical studies that analyzed the relationships between plant biodiversity attributes and carbon stocks and carbon uptake in tropical forests. Our results show that biodiversity attributes related to species, traits or structure significantly affect carbon stocks or uptake in 64% of the evaluated relationships. Average vegetation attributes (community‐mean traits and structural attributes) are more important for carbon stocks, whereas variability in vegetation attributes (i.e., taxonomic diversity) is important for both carbon stocks and uptake. Thus, different attributes of biodiversity have complementary effects on carbon stocks and uptake. These biodiversity effects tend to be more often significant in mature forests at broad spatial scales than in disturbed forests at local spatial scales. Biodiversity effects are also more often significant when confounding variables are not included in the analyses, highlighting the importance of performing a comprehensive analysis that adequately accounts for environmental drivers. In summary, biodiversity is not only a co‐benefit, but also a requirement for short‐ and long‐term maintenance of carbon stocks and enhancement of uptake. Climate change policies should therefore include the maintenance of multiple attributes of biodiversity as an essential requirement to achieve long‐term climate change mitigation goals.

This database is the product of the 2ndFOR collaborative research network on secondary forests. The database contains total basal area data (in m2 ha-1) of legume trees (Leguminosae) for 1207 secondary forest plots differing in time since abandonment. The plots belong to different chonosequence studies. For a description of the database, see Gei et al. 2018. Legume Abundance Along Successional And Rainfall Gradients In Neotropical Forests. Nature Ecology and Evolution. The file "Legume basal area 2ndFOR data.csv" contains the following variables: Chronosequence: name of the chronosequence site Age: age of the plot (in years), "OG" indicates old-growth forest of unknown age LBA: total basal area of legume trees (Leguminosae) of the plot in m2 ha-1 Reference: a citation for the chronosequence study, if available PI/contact person: name(s) of the principal investigator(s) or contact person(s) for the chronosequence study.

1.Forest recovery following management interventions is important to maintain ecosystem functioning and the provision of ecosystem services. It remains, however, largely unclear how aboveground biomass (AGB) recovery of species-rich tropical forests is affected by disturbance intensity and post-disturbance (remaining) tree-community attributes, following logging and thinning interventions. 2.We investigated whether annual AGB increment (∆AGB) decreases with management-related disturbance intensity (disturbance hypothesis), and increases with the diversity (niche-complementarity hypothesis) and the community-weighted mean (CWM) of acquisitive traits of dominant species (biomass-ratio hypothesis) in the remaining tree community. 3.We analysed data from a long-term forest-management experiment in the Brazilian Amazon over two recovery periods: post-logging (1983-1989) and post-thinning (1995-2012). We computed the ∆AGB of surviving trees, recruit trees and of the total tree community. Disturbance intensity was quantified as basal area reduction and basal area remaining. Remaining diversity (taxonomic, functional and structural) and CWM of five functional traits linked to biomass productivity (specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen and phosphorous concentration, leaf toughness and wood density) were calculated for the post-intervention inventories. Predictors were related to response variables using multiple linear regressions and structural equation modelling. 4.We found support for the disturbance hypothesis in both recovery periods. AGB increment of survivors and of the total tree community increased with basal area remaining, indicating the importance of remaining growing stock for biomass recovery. Conversely, AGB increment of recruit trees increased with basal area reduction because changes in forest structure increased resource availability for young trees. We did not find consistent support for the niche-complementarity and biomass-ratio hypotheses, possibly because