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Background and aims: Dioscorea is the most morphologically diverse, species-rich and widely distributed genus of the family Dioscoreaceae. Dioscorea trifurcata is a poorly known species with two specimens collected in 1910 and 1916 in Catamarca province, Argentina. But recently, the species was cited for Brazil, and populations were located near the type locality. With new collections available, the purpose of the article is to update aspects of the morphology, habitat and distribution of D. trifurcata. M&M: Specimens newly collected in Catamarca province were analyzed and identified to species using specific bibliography and by comparison with the original material of Dioscorea trifurcata and from other specimens of Dioscorea at different herbaria. Results: A detailed morphological description of Dioscorea trifurcata is provided along with illustrations, photographs and a geographic distribution map. The presence of the species in Brazil is questioned. Conclusions: The rediscovery of Dioscorea trifurcata opens the possibility of conducting new studies based on multiple lines of evidence to corroborate the delimitation and distribution of the species. The importance of regional herbaria and of having recent and complete collections of poorly-known species for the inventory and conservation of biodiversity is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Colombiana de Entomología is the property of Universidad del Valle 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.)

In the western Andes of southern Ecuador, remnants of Andean montane tropical forests (BTMA) deserve to be studied ecologically for their value and conservation purposes. This research aimed to describe the difference in taxonomic and functional parameters of arboreal vegetation and explain its relationship with predictor variables. Predictors of climate, soils and spatial correlation were used to explain the difference in composition, diversity, tree density, biomass and functional traits between two types of BTMA: evergreen montane forest (BSM) and highline evergreen montane forest (BSMA). The difference in species composition was described with ANOSIM and NMDS. Differences in diversity, density, biomass and functional traits were evaluated using mean tests with Student t. The relationship between species composition and predictor variables was analyzed with variance partitioning (VARPART), while tree density, above-ground biomass, and functional traits were analyzed with generalized linear models (MLG). The composition was different between the two types and was explained by climate and spatial correlation. Tree density and above-ground biomass were higher in the BSMA. The weighted average of the leaf area (AF) was higher in BSM, while the specific leaf area (AFE) was higher in the BSMA. The mean annual precipitation (PMA) and mean annual temperature (TMA) explained the composition of the species. The density was explained by the TMA, apparent density (DA) and MO. The aboveground biomass was explained by TMA. The AF was explained by the TMA and DA and the AFE was explained by the PMA. We concluded that the parameters of the vegetation vary in small altitudinal gradients, where there is environmental heterogeneity conditioned by the climate and certain soil variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Lilloa is the property of Fundacion Miguel Lillo 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.)

Copyright of Boletín Científico Centro de Museos de Historia Natural is the property of Universidad de Caldas 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.)

The mountain pine (Podocarpus parlatorei Pilg.) is endemic to the southern montane forests, historically over-exploited for timber purposes and currently is in danger of extinction. In Bolivia, also presents information gaps regarding its population structure and dynamics. We describe its forest structure (adult individuals, ≥10 cm in diameter) and regeneration (young individuals, <10 cm) in the complex of the bolivian-tucuman pine forest in the Department of Santa Cruz (Bolivia). Sixteen localities were evaluated in the municipalities of Vallegrande, Postrer Valle, Pucara and Quirusillas (81 sampling plots). The densities (individuals/ha) of structure and regeneration were contrasted (Kruskal-Wallis tests) between municipalities and diameter categories; the association (Spearman correlations) of both variables was analyzed with each other, with elevation, slope and tree cover. The forest structure was classified into five diameter categories and was distributed in the form of an inverted J; Vallegrande presented the highest density (650 individuals/ha), higher than that determined for the landscape in general (200 individuals/ha). Regeneration, among its four diameter categories, also presented an inverted J distribution; the greatest regeneration was quantified in Pucara (1700 individuals/ha), which exceeded what was recorded at the landscape level (1100 individuals/ha). Only three variables presented significant associations (P<0.05); elevation (ϱ=0.23) and tree cover (ϱ=0.43) were positively related to forest structure, while regeneration was negatively related (ϱ=-0.30). The forest structure and the natural regeneration of the mountain pine populations revealed that the species is far from presenting a good conservation status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales is the property of Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales 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.)

Copyright of Caldasia is the property of Universidad Nacional de Colombia 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.)

The research was carried out in the San Carlos district, Bongará province, Amazonas department, through the location of a permanent plot of 1 ha, at an altitude of 2158 m.s.n.m., with the objective of knowing the diversity and floristic composition present in the study area. In the field phase all tree individuals with diameter at breast height (DAP) ≥ 10 cm were included. A total of 395 individuals distributed in 22 families, 27 genera and 29 species were recorded. The results of the florist composition in the plot located in the montane forest indicate that the most diverse families were Melastomataceae, Meliaceae, Fabaceae, Lauraceae and Rubiaceae; the most abundant species in the plot were Trichilia dazae with 72 individuals (18%), Nectandra sp.1 with 46 individuals (12%) and Heliocarpus americanus with 39 individuals (10%). The mixture quotient was 0.07, Fisher's alpha value was 7.21, indicating a forest of lower diversity compared to other established permanent plots in Peruvian montane forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Andean forests are diverse and highly valued ecosystems, it is necessary to characterize their resources for their management. For this purpose, a permanent plot was studied in the Andean forest of Huashapamba, with the objective of determining the composition, structure and endemism of the woody component. A permanent plot of 1 hectare was installed, which was divided into 25 subplots of 400 m²; the diameter (1.30) and height of all individuals = 5 cm were recorded. Floristic composition, endemism, Shannon index, density, abundance, frequency, dominance and importance value index were determined; basal area, volume per species and diameter structure were also calculated. Fifty-four species were recorded within 39 genera, 27 families and six endemic species. The basal area was 30.24 m2 ha-1 and volume was 215.86 m3 ha-1. According to the Shannon index, diversity is medium (3.10). The species with the highest density are Cyathea caracasana, Hedyosmun scabrum and Verbesina lloensis, which are also the most abundant. Cyathea caracasana, Hedyosmun scabrum and Solanum goniocaulon are the most frequent species in the forest; and, Cyathea caracasana, Clethra revoluta and Schefflera acuminata are dominant species. The species with the highest IVI are: Cyathea caracasana, Clethra revoluta and Hedyosmun scabrum. The diameter classes reflect an inverted "J" characteristic of recovering forests. The vertical structure shows three strata: dominant, co-dominant and dominated. The Andean forest remnant studied is a representative sample of floristic diversity of this type of forest, which justifies its conservation under some management category. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I report three sightings of the endemic species Poospiza rubecula, "Rufous-breasted Warbling-finch" (Passeriformes: Thraupidae) in the Otuzco district, Sector San Remigio, La Libertad Region. Nowadays, thanks to a large amount of investigations, are known observation areas and routes, and there are reports of their presence in the Lima, Cajamarca, Ancash and La Libertad regions. It is an extremely rare species because of its elusive and flighty behavior. Its main habitat is scrub and montane forest, including the edges of Polylepis forests. It has no sexual dimorphism but the highlighted morphological characteristics are the superciliary and rufous breast, that define its common name. According to the IUCN and Peruvian law (Supreme Decree N°. 004-2014), P. rubecula is Endangered (EN) and its population is decreasing due to anthropogenic activities and the destruction of its habitat. Therefore, it is convenient to identify the sites where it is possible to register them and contribute with information that will help to set up protection strategies and policies for their future conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the montane forests near Wiñaywayna, within the Historic Sanctuary of Machupicchu (SHM), we evaluated the population dynamics, stored aerial biomass and the population variables of trees with DBH ≥10, of two permanent plots of 1.0 ha each one, in the sectors of Intipunku (SHM-01) at 2653 m of altitude and Kantupata (SHM-02) at 3200 m of altitude, from September 2013 to November 2016 under the standardized RAINFOR methodology. We registered a total of 69 species in 1286 individuals; in plot SHM-01, 26 families, 36 genera and 45 species in 682 individuals, where the species with higher IVI were Meliosma peytonii with 33.50 %, Hieronyma oblonga with 29.23 % and Gordonia fruticosa with 28.43 %. In plot SHM-02, 22 families, 28 genera and 31 species in 604 individuals, where the species with the highest IVI were Weinmannia crassifolia with 70.82 %, which was also the most abundant and dominant, Ilex andicola with 35.65 % and Hedyosmum angustifolium with 35.09 %. A moderately high diversity was recorded, of 3.063 and 2.477 according to Shannon, 0.93 and 0.87 according to Simpson for Intipunku and Kantupata respectively, with a very low similarity among them for sharing only 7 species, which means a different tree species composition in each plot. In SHM-01 there was 1.18 % mortality rate, 0.79 % recruitment rate and 0.99 % annual renewal rate and in SHM-02, 1.21 % mortality rate, 2.05 % recruitment rate and 1.63 % annual renewal rate, with an imbalance between these rates. The stored aerial biomass was higher in Intipunku at 145 ± 2.80 Tha-1, with a net primary productivity of 0.95 Tha-1 year-1, the species Gordonia fruticosa and Aniba coto contributed higher biomass with 19 Tha-1 each; the biomass in Kantupata was 101.06 ± 3.46 Tha-1, with a net primary productivity of 1.18 T ha-1 year-1, the Weinmannia crassifolia species contributed greater biomass with 32 Tha-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We studied the floristic composition, structure and endemism of the woody component of a permanent plot of one hectare of Andean forest in the Francisco Vivar Castro University Park, located in the province of Loja, southern Ecuador. The DBH and total height of all individuals with DBH ⩾ 5 cm were recorded. The basal area and volume were calculated by diametric classes and species; structural profiles (horizontal and vertical) were developed. The floristic composition, Shannon index, abundance, frequency, dominance, value of importance index and endemism of each species were determined. There were 1370 individuals belonging to 45 species from 39 genera in 29 families. The forest has a basal area of 16.88 m2/ha and a volume of 77.57 m3/ha. According to the Shannon index, diversity is medium (3.16). The ecologically important species are Alnus acuminata, Palicourea amethystina, Phenax laevigatus and Clethra revoluta. The largest number of individuals are grouped in the first four diametric classes reflecting an inverted "J". In the horizontal profile of the forest there is a grouping of Palicourea amethystina and Clethra revoluta; the rest of species grow at random; in the vertical profile of the forest three substrates are differentiated: dominant, codominant and dominated. There are five endemic species: Oreopanax andreanus, Oreopanax rosei, Ageratina dendroides, Myrsine sodiroana and Zinowiewia madsenii. The forest remnant studied is a good reference of the floristic diversity of the Andean vegetation of southern Ecuador. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mist nets have been used to conduct bird inventories in several Neotropical habitats, but rarely their effectiveness have been evaluated in comparison to count points. This study compares the effectiveness of the mist nets and count points in determining the diversity of montane forest birds in montane forest of the Colombian Central Andes. During 6 months, we used mist nets in different habitats with a capture effort of 2630 net-hours. 608 individuals of 81 species of birds were recorded. In the point counts 106 species of birds were detected. However we captured 31 species that were not recorded in the count points. Higher capture rate occurred during the early hours of the morning and at noon (06:00-09:00 h and 12:00-13:00 h) while in the afternoon the catch rate declined. From our data and the comparison with the data of other authors, we conclude that point counts are useful to obtain a representative bird inventory in less time than using mist nets alone. However, the role of mist nets in inventories must be considered as complementary. And they are necessary to obtain other information such as morphological measurements reproduction clues and molt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]