Articles

Oak canopy arthropod communities: which factors shape its structure?

Canopy of forest ecosystems has been recognized as a habitat that supports a wide variety of plants, vertebrates, invertebrates, and microbes. Within the invertebrate group, arthropods are characterized by the...

Authors: Leticia Valencia-Cuevas and Efraín Tovar-Sánchez

Rapid changes in tree composition and biodiversity: consequences of dams on dry seasonal forests

Plants in a seasonal environment that become close to the artificial lake after dams construction may have enhanced growth or die due to the new conditions. Changes in mortality or growth rates lead to changes...

Authors: Vagner S Vale, I Schiavini, J A Prado-júnior, Ana P Oliveira and André E Gusson

Effect of host-plant genetic diversity on oak canopy arthropod community structure in central Mexico

Recently it has been proposed that the genetic diversity of foundation species influences the structure and function of the community by creating locally stable conditions for other species and modulating ecos...

Authors: Efraín Tovar-Sánchez, Leticia Valencia-Cuevas, Patricia Mussali-Galante, Rolando Ramírez-Rodríguez and Elgar Castillo-Mendoza

Spatial distribution pattern of Mytilus chilensis beds in the Reloncaví fjord: hypothesis on associated processes

Natural M. chilensis populations dominate habitats with a steep environmental gradient, and that are characterized by abrupt changes in salinity and exposure to desiccation. Although these populations are the sou...

Authors: Carlos Alberto Molinet Flores, Manuel Alejandro Díaz Gomez, Camilo Bernardo Arriagada Muñoz, Leny Eunise Cares Pérez, Sandra Lorena Marín Arribas, Marcela Patricia Astorga Opazo and Edwin Juan Elías Niklitschek Huaquin

Germination, seedling performance, and root production after simulated partial seed predation of a threatened Atacama Desert shrub

Seed loss to predators is a common phenomenon across plant communities and an important determinant of plant recruitment. Although seed predators commonly destroy the entire seed, partial seed consumption has ...

Authors: Andrea P Loayza, Paloma R Gachon, Patricio García-Guzmán, Danny E Carvajal and Francisco A Squeo

Assessment of the efficiency in trapping North American mink (Neovison vison) for population control in Patagonia

Introduced species can have a major negative impact on biodiversity; an example is the American mink, which was introduced in the 1930s in Patagonia. While there is a consensus that reversing alien mustelids c...

Authors: Gonzalo Medina-Vogel, Macarena Barros, Rene Monsalve and Daniel J Pons

Morphological characterization under different ecological habitats and physical mapping of 5S and 45S rDNA in Lilium distichum with fluorescence in situ hybridization

This study was performed to investigate the phenotypic, karyomorphological, and habitat environment characteristics of Lilium distichum that grows naturally in South Korea. Currently, this species follows limited...

Authors: Yoon-Jung Hwang, Chang-Min Song, Adnan Younis, Chang-Kil Kim, Yoon-Im Kang and Ki-Byung Lim

Influence of forest type and host plant genetic relatedness on the canopy arthropod community structure of Quercus crassifolia

Quercus crassifolia is an oak species with characteristics of foundation species, which is a canopy dominant element of different forest types that supports a wide diversity of associated speci...

Authors: Efraín Tovar-Sánchez, Erwin Martí-Flores, Leticia Valencia-Cuevas and Patricia Mussali-Galante

Comparative study of moss diversity in South Shetland Islands and in the Antarctic Peninsula

This paper presents a comparative study of moss diversity in three collection sites in the South Shetland Islands (King George, Elephant, and Nelson Islands) and one in the Antarctic Continent (Hope Bay, Antar...

Authors: Jair Putzke, Camila G Athanásio, Margéli Pereira de Albuquerque, Filipe C Victoria and Antonio B Pereira

Evidence that the house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) uses scent to avoid omnivore mammals

The detection of predator chemical cues is an important antipredatory behaviour as it allows an early assessment of predation risk without encountering the predator and therefore increases survival. For instan...

Authors: Luisa Amo, Isabel López-Rull, Iluminada Pagán and Constantino Macías García

Evolution of hematophagous habit in Triatominae (Heteroptera: Reduviidae)

All members of Triatominae subfamily (Heteroptera: Reduviidae), potential vectors of Trypanosoma cruzi, etiologic agent of the Chagas disease, feed on blood. Through evolution, these bugs have fixed special morph...

Authors: Fernando Otálora-Luna, Antonio J Pérez-Sánchez, Claudia Sandoval and Elis Aldana

Invasion of North American beaver (Castor canadensis) in the province of Magallanes, Southern Chile: comparison between dating sites through interviews with the local community and dendrochronology

Twenty beavers Castor canadensis (Castoridae) were initially introduced in the Argentinean portion of Tierra del Fuego Island, from where they have occupied most of the Fuegian Archipelago and even reached the co...

Authors: Giorgia Graells, Derek Corcoran and Juan Carlos Aravena

Suaeda foliosa Moq. (Caryophyllales: Amaranthaceae) first record of the genus and species for Valparaíso Region, Chile

The purpose of this paper is to present the finding of Suaeda foliosa in El Yali National Reserve, Chile. With this finding, the southern limit of the distribution is displaced from the current position at 31° S,...

Authors: Lorena Flores-Toro and Manuel Contreras-López

Tail autotomy effects on the escape behavior of the lizard Gonatodes albogularis (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae), from Córdoba, Colombia

Caudal autotomy appears to be an adaptation strategy to reduce the risk of being preyed upon. In an encounter with a predator, the prey must reduce the risk of being preyed upon, and one of the strategies that...

Authors: Moisés E Domínguez-López, Ángela M Ortega-león and Gastón J Zamora-abrego

Anuran larvae as prey and hosts of invertebrates in Neotropical aquatic habitats

Biotic processes, such as predation and parasitism events, are crucial for answering questions in ecology and evolution. Here, we report predation and ectoparasitism events of invertebrates upon tadpoles in aq...

Authors: Priscilla Guedes Gambale, Vinícius Guerra Batista, Fabrício Hiroiuki Oda, Renata Mayara Campos, Ricardo Massato Takemoto and Rogério Pereira Bastos

Nest building and description of parental care behavior in a temperate reef fish, Chromis crusma (Pisces: Pomacentridae)

Subtle ecological and behavioral mechanisms that enhance reproduction such as nest building by animals may provide useful information of population level processes. Variation in behavioral traits may be observ...

Authors: Teresa Navarrete-Fernández, Mauricio F Landaeta, Claudia A Bustos and Alejandro Pérez-Matus

Robles in Lagunas de Epulauquen, Argentina: previous and recent evidence of their distinctive character

The northernmost ‘robles’ of Argentina, located in Lagunas de Epulauquen (northwest Patagonia), are considered a population of Nothofagus obliqua, even though they differ in some respects from individuals of othe...

Authors: María M Azpilicueta, Mario J Pastorino, Javier Puntieri, Fernando Barbero, Alejandro Martinez-Meier, Paula Marchelli and Leonardo A Gallo

Growth and early seedling survival of four Atacama Desert shrub species under experimental light and water availability regimes

In arid environments, where light and water supply are patchy in space and time, differences in how seedlings tolerate drought and shade conditions will determine the ability of a species to establish. Underst...

Authors: Danny E Carvajal, Andrea P Loayza, Ramiro P López, Pablo J Toro and Francisco A Squeo

Foliar micromorphology and anatomy of Ugni molinae Turcz. (Myrtaceae), with particular reference to schizogenous secretory cavities

Ugni molinae Turcz. is one of the most studied species of South American Myrtaceae due to its edible fruits and foliar medicinal compounds. However, there is no anatomical study of the leaves or secretory cavitie...

Authors: Hernan A Retamales, Rosa Scherson and Tanya Scharaschkin

Morphometric variation in island and mainland populations of two lizard species from the Pacific Coast of Mexico

Body size exerts a strong influence on the physiology, morphology, ecology, and evolution of other life history traits in vertebrates. We compared the morphometry and allometry of two lizard species (Anolis nebul...

Authors: Uriel Hernández-Salinas, Aurelio Ramírez-Bautista, Numa P Pavón and Luis F Rosas Pacheco

Presence of the red jollytail, Brachygalaxias bullocki (Regan, 1908) (Galaxiformes: Galaxiidae), in freshwater forested wetlands from Chile

Brachygalaxias bullocki (Regan, 1908) is a small-sized freshwater fish species (41 to 46 mm) and endemic to Chile. Its biology has still various knowledge gaps, and its distribution range has been reduced in the ...

Authors: Francisco Correa-Araneda, Patricio De Los Ríos and Evelyn Habit

Legal protection assessment of different inland wetlands in Chile

Inland wetlands are well represented ecosystems in Chile that are subjected to various pressures affecting conservation. Protection means legal and administrative initiatives which promote the protection and/o...

Authors: Patricia Möller and Andrés Muñoz-Pedreros

Host plant specificity of the moth species Glena mielkei (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) in northern Chile

Host plant specificity refers to the preference of insects for particular plant species that allow them to complete their life cycle. Moth species of the Geometridae family depend closely on the vegetation com...

Authors: Felipe Méndez-Abarca, Camila F Méndez and Enrique A Mundaca

Reptiles in Monterey pine plantations of the Coastal Range of Central Chile

In Chile, most of the timber industry depends on Monterey pine (Pinus radiata (D. Don.)) plantations, which now cover more than 1.5 million ha. In spite of the intensive management of these plantations, they are ...

Authors: Sandra V Uribe and Cristián F Estades

Recent rates of carbon and nitrogen accumulation in peatlands of Isla Grande de Chiloé-Chile

Peatlands play a key role in the global carbon cycle; these contain one third of the world's soil organic carbon, equivalent to more than half the amount of carbon in the atmosphere. Nevertheless, these ecosys...

Authors: Carolina A León and Gisela Oliván

High prevalence of pathogenic Leptospira in alien American mink (Neovison vison) in Patagonia

Leptospirosis is an important zoonosis with worldwide distribution caused by pathogenic bacteria of the genus Leptospira. The North American mink (Neovison vison) has an important role in the environmental contam...

Authors: Macarena Barros, Leonardo Sáenz, Lisette Lapierre, Camila Nuñez and Gonzalo Medina-Vogel

Distribution of planktonic cnidarian assemblages in the southern Gulf of Mexico, during autumn

Despite their ecological, economic and medical relevance, very little information is available on the distribution of planktonic cnidarians, this being particularly true for some regions of the ocean such as t...

Authors: Luis F Martell-Hernández, Marina Sánchez-Ramírez and Alberto Ocaña-Luna

Density and abundance of Rhea pennata garleppi (Struthioniformes: Rheidae) in the Puna ecoregion of Argentina

Rhea pennata is classified internationally as a near-threatened species, with the subspecies R. p. garleppi being listed as endangered.

Authors: Nancy Verónica Marinero, Ricardo Omar Cortez, Joaquín Luis Navarro and Mónica Beatriz Martella

Multidisciplinary approach to assess the water self-depuration characteristics of Suquía River (Córdoba, Argentina)

We analyzed the following characteristics of water self-depuration capacity along a polluted river (Suquía River) in Argentina: (a) abundance of microbial metabolic groups, (b) cover and type of vegetation, an...

Authors: Carolina Merlo and Adriana Abril

Phenological synchrony between the austral thrush Turdus falcklandii (Passeriformes: Turdidae) and its food resources within forests and prairies in southern Chile

Frugivorous birds are phenologically linked to the fruits that they eat. When there is less fruit in seasonal environments, frugivorous birds complement their diet by eating invertebrates. The depth of the phe...

Authors: José I Orellana, Cecilia Smith-Ramírez, Jaime R Rau, Soraya Sade, Alberto Gantz and Carlos E Valdivia

Diet of the Chilean flamingo Phoenicopterus chilensis (Phoenicopteriformes: Phoenicopteridae) in a coastal wetland in Chiloé, southern Chile

The geographical distribution of the Chilean flamingo (Phoenicopterus chilensis) includes the southern-central Neotropics. Despite its wide distribution, currently there is no dietary information on its southern ...

Authors: Claudio N Tobar, Jaime R Rau, Norka Fuentes, Alberto Gantz, Cristián G Suazo, Jaime A Cursach, Alexis Santibañez and Jorge Pérez-Schultheiss

Cooperation and bacterial pathogenicity: an approach to social evolution

Kin selection could provide an explanation for social behavior in bacteria. The production of public goods such as extracellular molecules is metabolically costly for bacteria but could help them to exploit nu...

Authors: C Alfonso Molina and Susana Vilchez

Mesophyll conductance constrains photosynthesis in three common sclerophyllous species in Central Chile

Quillaja saponaria Mol., Cryptocarya alba Mol. Looser, and Lithraea caustica Molina Hook et Arn., are common sclerophyllous species in Mediterranean Central Chile. Mesophyll conductance, g_m, may strongly limit ph...

Authors: Carla E Brito, Horacio E Bown, Juan-Pablo Fuentes, Nicolás Franck and Jorge F Perez-Quezada

Genetic, morphological, and chemical patterns of plant hybridization

Natural hybridization is a frequent phenomenon among vascular plants. Hybridization is considered an important evolutionary force since it may lead to (1) an increase of the intraspecific genetic diversity of ...

Authors: Alfredo López-Caamal and Efraín Tovar-Sánchez

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with the rhizosphere of seedlings and mature trees of Swietenia macrophylla (Magnoliophyta: Meliaceae) in Los Tuxtlas, Veracruz, Mexico

Big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla King) is the woody species with the highest economic value in Latin America. Currently, it is subject to intensive exploitation, diminishing its natural populations. Due t...

Authors: Víctor H Rodríguez-Morelos, Alejandra Soto-Estrada, Jesús Pérez-Moreno, Alicia Franco-Ramírez and Pablo Díaz-Rivera

Relationships between leaf anatomy, morphology, and water use efficiency in Aloe vera (L) Burm f. as a function of water availability

The effects of water availability were evaluated on the photosynthetic tissue anatomy in Aloe vera (L) Burm f. and its relationship with morphological, physiological parameters, and water use efficiency as a func...

Authors: Herman Silva, Susana Sagardia, Mauricio Ortiz, Nicolás Franck, Marcela Opazo, Madeleine Quiroz, Cecilia Baginsky and Cristián Tapia

Pollination ecology and breeding system of two Calceolaria species in Chile

Authors: Maureen Murúa, Jannina Cisterna and Benito Rosende

At-sea abundance and distribution of skuas and jaegers (Charadriiformes: Stercorariidae) at coastal waters off central Chile

Skuas and jaegers (Charadriiformes: Stercorariidae) are seabirds breeding at moderate to high latitudes and some perform extensive post-breeding transequatorial migrations. Most species overwinter and perform ...

Authors: Alejandro Simeone, Cristóbal Anguita and Guillermo Luna-Jorquera

Temporal and spatial variation of the pollinator assemblages in Alstroemeria ligtu (Alstroemeriaceae)

Authors: Alejandra V González, Maureen Murúa and Patricia A Ramírez

Conservation of biodiversity in private lands: are Chilean landowners willing to keep threatened species in their lands?

The biological conservation in private lands largely depends upon landowners’ willingness to keep populations of wild species on them, an issue highlighted by the Convention on Biological Diversity. In this st...

Authors: Francisco Zorondo-Rodríguez, Victoria Reyes-García and Javier A Simonetti

A new population of Darwin's fox (Lycalopex fulvipes) in the Valdivian Coastal Range

Authors: Ariel A Farias, Maximiliano A Sepúlveda, Eduardo A Silva-Rodríguez, Antonieta Eguren, Danilo González, Natalia I Jordán, Erwin Ovando, Paulina Stowhas and Gabriella L Svensson

Latitudinal diversity patterns of Chilean coastal fishes: searching for causal processes

Several particular aspects of diversity patterns of Chilean littoral fishes are still poorly understood, and existing studies within this scope are fundamentally based on bibliographic compilations. In this st...

Authors: Arturo H Navarrete, Nelson A Lagos and F Patricio Ojeda

Rolling Pampas agroecosystem: which landscape attributes are relevant for determining bird distributions?

Agricultural intensification is among the main factors affecting biodiversity. The Rolling Pampas of Argentina have undergone through a process of landscape transformation and agricultural intensification that...

Authors: Federico Weyland, Jacques Baudry and Claudio M Ghersa