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Measurement(s) Bark thickness • Leaf area • Leaf aluminium (Al) content per leaf dry mass • Specific leaf area • Leaf calcium (Ca) content per leaf dry mass • Leaf carbon (C) content per leaf dry mass • Leaf carbon (C) isotope signature (delta 13 C) • Leaf compoundness • Leaf dry mass per leaf fresh mass (leaf dry matter content, LDMC) • Leaf magnesium (Mg) content per leaf dry mass • Leaf nitrogen (N) content per leaf dry mass • Leaf nitrogen (N) isotope signature (delta 15 N) • Leaf phosphorus (P) content per leaf dry mass • Leaf potassium (K) content per leaf dry mass • Leaf texture (sclerophylly, physical strength, toughness) • leaf thickness • Plant growth form • Stem conduit cross-sectional area (vessels and tracheids) • Stem conduit density (vessels and tracheids) • Sapwood specific conductivity Technology Type(s) bark gauge • Scanner Device • inductively-coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy • Calculated from area and mass • CN analyzer • Isotope analyzer • in vivo visual assessment • Ratio of fresh to dry mass • punch tester • micrometer • optical analysis of cross sections with specific software • weight and volume measurement • estimated with equations from wood anatomy Factor Type(s) Country • Lat • Long • Elevation • Collection_year Sample Characteristic - Organism Tracheophyta Sample Characteristic - Environment Andean ecosystems • cloud forest • tropical upper montane forest • tropical lower montane forest • Paramo • Andes Sample Characteristic - Location South America • Venezuela • Colombia • Ecuador • Peru • Bolivia • Argentina

Pollution from oil spills can seriously affect many ecosystem processes and human health. Many articles have evaluated the impact of oil spills on human health. However, most of these articles focus on occupational exposure. The effect on people living in the areas affected by oil pollution is rarely studied. Approximately 640 million people worldwide live in areas at risk of oil pollution. Thus, studying the impact of this pollution on human health should be a priority. Here, we evaluate the presence of anemia in relation to crude oil exposure in men living in areas at risk of oil contamination in the Ecuadorian Amazon (Orellana and Napo). We evaluated the hematological and biochemical parameters of 135 participants. We divided the participants into three groups according to exposure: low, medium, and high. Our results showed a significant association between exposure risk and hemoglobin and hematocrit concentration. Groups with medium- and high- contamination exposure had levels below normal values in hemoglobin and hematocrit in more than 30% and 26% of the population, respectively. In conclusion, we found that crude oil affected human health, and the prevalence of the anemia in men was dependent of the level of contamination.

Seasonally dry forests (SDFs) are one of the most challenging ecosystems for amphibians, fueling the diversity of this group of vertebrates. An updated inventory of native amphibians present in the Equatorial SDF is provided, which extends along the Pacific coast of Ecuador and northwestern Peru. The study is based on an extensive field sampling (two thirds of the total records) carried out throughout the Equatorial SDF, along with a compilation of the available information on distribution of amphibians in the region from published scientific papers, museum collections and on-line databases. The final dataset included 2,032 occurrence records for 30 amphibian species, belonging to eight anuran families. Additionally, data regarding conservation status, habitat use, spawn deposition site, reproductive mode, and body size, along with an identification key for all encountered species are provided. The results indicate a strong sampling bias with a deficit in the Peruvian part of the study area, and a need for urgent inventories targeted at under-sampled areas, using modern taxonomic methods. The study emphasizes the conservation priorities in the Equatorial SDF, based on the distribution, conservation status and life-history data. This information should be useful for the local authorities and institutions involved in the management and conservation of biodiversity in SDF.

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La prehistoria no es una etapa de la historia ajena al gran público. Sin embargo, a pesar de los avances en la investigación prehistórica y las acciones divulgativas, la prehistoria se sigue representando bajo fuertes estereotipos y clichés. El presente trabajo analiza la visión social de la prehistoria y lo prehistórico a través del estudio de catorce piezas publicitarias audiovisuales de temática prehistórica. El estudio se ha hecho en base a cuatro líneas de análisis: el concepto de prehistoria, la imagen del entorno, la humanidad prehistórica y los comportamientos asociados a la prehistoria; lo que permite obtener una aproximación al imaginario colectivo y las distorsiones presentes en la sociedad sobre la prehistoria y lo prehistórico.

Urbanization constitutes one of the most aggressive drivers of habitat and biodiversity loss worldwide. However, studies focused on determining the response of local biodiversity to urbanization are still scarce, especially in tropical ecosystems. Urban ecosystems are characterized by low biological productivity which in turn leads to a reduction in biodiversity. However, the responses to urbanization should be species dependent. For instance, changes in the availability of resources can favor certain species with specific characteristics. We assessed the effects of the urbanization process on a bird community in a city located in the Tropical Andes of southern Ecuador, a region widely recognized for its diversity and endemism of birds. We selected three independent localities in each of the four levels of the urbanization gradient in the study area (forest, forest-pasture, pasture, and urban). In each locality, we sampled the bird community by visual and auditory surveys along 1 km transects between 2016 and 2017. We recorded a total of 1,257 individuals belonging to 74 bird species. We evaluated if the responses of richness and abundance of birds are dependent on trophic guild and foraging strata. We found a significant decrease in bird species richness and abundance from forest to urban sites. However, the response of birds was dependent on the trophic guild and foraging strata. Granivorous birds showed a positive response associated with the urbanization gradient while insectivorous birds showed a negative response. Insectivorous birds were more abundant in forest sites and decreased in abundance across the urbanization gradient. We found that the proportion of birds using different foraging strata drastically changed along urban gradient. Forest sites exhibited a bird community using a variety of habitats, but the bird community became simpler toward the most urbanized sites. Our findings showed different effects of urbanization on bird communities. The ugly: urbanization leads to a dramatic reduction in the diversity of birds, which is consistent in cities with different characteristics and ecological contexts. On the other hand, the responses of bird guilds to urbanization are species dependent. Some guilds are positively impacted by urbanization and show increases in species richness and abundance while other guilds are negatively impacted.

Objetivo: demostrar que la población que llegó en los últimos años a Baja California es más pobre que los residentes establecidos desde hace más tiempo, e investigar las causas y características del fenómeno. Metodología: se utilizan datos bienales de entre 2010 y 2018 del Consejo Nacional de Evaluación de la Política de Desarrollo Social, se realizan contrastes de proporciones y se estiman modelos de regresión de datos agrupados y de efectos fijos. Resultados: se encontró que, contrario a lo que ocurre en los demás estados de México, en Baja California la proporción de pobres es mayor entre los residentes más recientes que entre los que llevan más tiempo en la entidad. El porcentaje de pobres, el número relativo de inmigrantes y su origen son factores explicativos de esta diferencia. Limitaciones: los datos proceden de las encuestas no necesariamente diseñadas para los fines de esta investigación. Además, no fue posible detectar todas las causas del fenómeno analizado. Valor: se cuantifica por primera vez la relación entre la pobreza y los inmigrantes que llegan a Baja California, y se aporta información sobre las causas y características de esta relación. Conclusiones: Baja California es el único estado del país en el que los recién llegados contribuyen de manera sistemática a elevar la pobreza.

The article contextualizes and investigates the details of the «Episcopal Reflection Month» organized by the Department of Joint Pastoral of the Celam in July 1971, which providentially met several bishops, some of whom were not in the II General Conference three years before, and who they would give testimony of the spirit of Medellín until the martyrdom or until a tragic death in fulfillment of its mission: Oscar Arnulfo Romero, Juan Gerardi Conedera, Gerardo Valencia Cano and Raúl Zambrano Camader. The meeting is described from the documentary review of the minutes and the few printed reports. The central thesis of the article is that the informal dialogue among bishops, theologians and other experts in the «Episcopal Reflection Month» is a source of novel proposals for a Joint Pastoral against clericalization and authoritarianism in the Latin American Church. Unfortunately, there is no similar subsequent meeting due to a controversy with the Roman Congregation for Bishops.

Pobreza y promoción humana son dos énfasis del Magisterio universal y latinoamericano en la segunda mitad del siglo XX. El objetivo de la investigación es identificar esas dos temáticas en el ministerio episcopal de Raúl Zambrano Camader (1921-1972), padre conciliar y representante del espíritu de Medellín, a partir de la comparación de sus escritos con otros documentos del Magisterio universal y local. La tesis central de este artículo es la constatación en Latinoamérica de una Iglesia pobre para los pobres que debe revivir su espíritu si quiere ser fiel a su historia, a sus mártires y al pueblo que continúa siendo oprimido y explotado.

Pobreza y promoción humana son dos énfasis del Magisterio universal y latinoamericano en la segunda mitad del siglo XX. El objetivo de la investigación es identificar esas dos temáticas en el ministerio episcopal de Raúl Zambrano Camader (1921-1972), padre conciliar y representante del espíritu de Medellín, a partir de la comparación de sus escritos con otros documentos del Magisterio universal y local. La tesis central de este artículo es la constatación en Latinoamérica de una Iglesia pobre para los pobres que debe revivir su espíritu si quiere ser fiel a su historia, a sus mártires y al pueblo que continúa siendo oprimido y explotado.

La metáfora de la 'Era constantiniana' ilustra una forma de ser de la Iglesia en connubio con el Estado, en busca de privilegios y alejada de su misión. Dicha tergiversación de la eclesiología ha provocado en la historia la aparición de personajes que volviendo a las fuentes promueven nuevos evangelismos o períodos de renovación profunda. El objetivo de la investigación ha sido la constatación del evangelismo del papa Francisco a partir del análisis comparativo de pronunciamientos y documentos suyos, y del discurso titulado "El fin de la Era constantiniana", que Marie-Dominique Chenu escribió en 1961. El retorno al Evangelio, la urgencia de la misión (Iglesia en salida) y la atención especial por los pobres que distinguen el pontificado de Francisco, evidencian un nuevo evangelismo para la Iglesia como lo fueron en el pasado Francisco de Asís y Lutero, quienes dieron origen a nuevas cristiandades.

La metáfora de la ‘Era constantiniana’ ilustra una forma de ser de la Iglesia en connubio con el Estado, en busca de privilegios y alejada de su misión. Dicha tergiversación de la eclesiología ha provocado en la historia la aparición de personajes que volviendo a las fuentes promueven nuevos evangelismos o períodos de renovación profunda. El objetivo de la investigación ha sido la constatación del evangelismo del papa Francisco a partir del análisis comparativo de pronunciamientos y documentos suyos, y del discurso titulado “El fin de la Era constantiniana”, que Marie-Dominique Chenu escribió en 1961. El retorno al Evangelio, la urgencia de la misión (Iglesia en salida) y la atención especial por los pobres que distinguen el pontificado de Francisco, evidencian un nuevo evangelismo para la Iglesia como lo fueron en el pasado Francisco de Asís y Lutero, quienes dieron origen a nuevas cristiandades.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0190092.].

El presente artículo analiza la noción de cultura nacional a partir de la obra de un individuo radicado en Monterrey en el siglo xix. La pregunta que impulsa este trabajo es averiguar qué se hacía entonces desde las regiones para abonar a la construcción del Estado nacional desde el plano intelectual. Así, tomamos como muestra la labor de José Eleuterio González, personaje de múltiples facetas que se comprometió con el desarrollo de su entorno inmediato, fue partícipe en varios proyectos de alcance local y estuvo relacionado con algunas de las figuras más prominentes de su época. La investigación arroja luz sobre cómo incidió en aquella centuria lo realizado por estudiosos ubicados en varios lugares de la república sobre distintos temas para proyectos culturales de grandes miras y carácter nacional.

Seasonally dry forests in the neotropics are heavily threatened by a combination of human disturbances and climate change; however, the severity of these threats is seldom contrasted. This study aims to quantify and compare the effects of deforestation and climate change on the natural spatial ranges of 17 characteristic tree species of southern Ecuador dry deciduous forests, which are heavily fragmented and support high levels of endemism as part of the Tumbesian ecoregion. We used 660 plant records to generate species distribution models and land-cover data to project species ranges for two time frames: a simulated deforestation scenario from 2008 to 2014 with native forest to anthropogenic land-use conversion, and an extreme climate change scenario (CCSM4.0, RCP 8.5) for 2050, which assumed zero change from human activities. To assess both potential threats, we compared the estimated annual rates of species loss (i.e., range shifts) affecting each species. Deforestation loss for all species averaged approximately 71 km2/year, while potential climate-attributed loss was almost 21 km2/year. Moreover, annual area loss rates due to deforestation were significantly higher than those attributed to climate-change (P < 0.01). However, projections into the future scenario show evidence of diverging displacement patterns, indicating the potential formation of novel ecosystems, which is consistent with other species assemblage predictions as result of climate change. Furthermore, we provide recommendations for management and conservation, prioritizing the most threatened species such as Albizia multiflora, Ceiba trichistandra, and Cochlospermum vitifolium.

El objeto de estudio es el libro Aventuras en México, crónica de George Ruxton. Escrita casi al mediar el siglo XIX, el texto nos revela la visión adusta de un inglés sobre México y los mexicanos de entonces. Si bien, varias generaciones de mexicanos (desde Fernández de Lizardi hasta Sierra) escribieron innumerables páginas sobre lo “nacional”, también hubo extranjeros que hicieron lo propio. En el caso que nos ocupa, a Ruxton lo impulsó una curiosidad por el carácter exótico con el que vio a nuestro país.

The dry forest of southern Ecuador and northern Perú (called the Tumbesian region) is known for its high diversity, endemism, and healthy conservation state. Nevertheless, the forest is exposed to many threats linked with human activities. To understand the effects of these threats, which have not been appropriately assessed, we pose two questions: (a) What are the diversity and structural situations of the forest? (b) Are anthropogenic activities affecting the composition and structure of the forest? The assessed factors were species richness, diversity, species similarity, abundance, and density. Forest information was obtained from 72 plots (total area 25.92 ha) randomly placed to cover a wide range of stand densities (from 200 to 1100 m a.s.l.). After constructing linear mixed models and selecting the most influential one, we determined the individual influences of 12 predictors. The human pressure index (HPI) was the most negative predictor of forest health, and annual precipitation was the most important abiotic predictor of good health conditions. Livestock grazing did not significantly change the diversity and structure of mature forest. The mean annual temperature and stoniness influenced only the basal area and number of individuals, respectively. The species composition in our study area was not affected by the HPI, but was strongly predicted by annual precipitation.

El artículo analiza dos catecismos cívicos publicados en Nuevo León y Coahuila en la década de 1880. El trabajo aclara qué impulsó la escritura y publicación de los textos. El planteamiento cobra relevancia si se toma en cuenta que para entonces el formato pregunta-respuesta ya había sido desplazado por estrategias consideradas más analíticas. Asimismo, la investigación arroja luz sobre dos proyectos estatales considerados estratégicos, desarrollados en una región del norte de la República, cuyo propósito era la educación de la niñez.

Deforestation and fragmentation are major components of global change; both are contributing to the rapid loss of tropical forest area with important implications for ecosystem functioning and biodiversity conservation. The forests of South Ecuador are a biological 'hotspot' due to their high diversity and endemism levels. We examined the deforestation and fragmentation patterns in this area of high conservation value using aerial photographs and Aster satellite scenes. The registered annual deforestation rates of 0.75% (1976-1989) and 2.86% (1989-2008) for two consecutive survey periods, the decreasing mean patch size and the increasing isolation of the forest fragments show that the area is under severe threat. Approximately 46% of South Ecuador's original forest cover had been converted by 2008 into pastures and other anthropogenic land cover types. We found that deforestation is more intense at lower elevations (premontane evergreen forest and shrubland) and that the deforestation front currently moves in upslope direction. Improved awareness of the spatial extent, dynamics and patterns of deforestation and forest fragmentation is urgently needed in biologically diverse areas like South Ecuador.

Seasonally dry forests (SDFs) are one of the most challenging ecosystems for amphibians, fueling the diversity of this group of vertebrates. An updated inventory of native amphibians present in the Equatorial SDF is provided, which extends along the Pacific coast of Ecuador and northwestern Peru. The study is based on an extensive field sampling (two thirds of the total records) carried out throughout the Equatorial SDF, along with a compilation of the available information on distribution of amphibians in the region from published scientific papers, museum collections and on-line databases. The final dataset included 2,032 occurrence records for 30 amphibian species, belonging to eight anuran families. Additionally, data regarding conservation status, habitat use, spawn deposition site, reproductive mode, and body size, along with an identification key for all encountered species are provided. The results indicate a strong sampling bias with a deficit in the Peruvian part of the study area, and a need for urgent inventories targeted at under-sampled areas, using modern taxonomic methods. The study emphasizes the conservation priorities in the Equatorial SDF, based on the distribution, conservation status and life-history data. This information should be useful for the local authorities and institutions involved in the management and conservation of biodiversity in SDF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition of plant functional traits varies in response to environmental conditions due to processes of community assembly and species sorting. However, there is a lack of understanding of how plant trait composition responds to environmental conditions at different spatial scales and across the plant life cycle. We investigated the trait composition of leaves (specific leaf area), seeds (seed mass) and seedlings (initial seedling height) across elevations and within elevations in relation to soil and light conditions in a tropical montane forest in southern Ecuador. We surveyed traits and communities of adult trees, seeds and seedlings on nine plots at three elevations (1000–3000 m a.s.l.) and calculated community‐weighted mean trait values to analyse trait variation across and within elevations. In addition, we measured two environmental factors (soil C/N ratio and canopy openness) to quantify local‐scale variation in environmental conditions within elevations. We found that community‐weighted means of specific leaf area, seed mass and initial seedling height decreased consistently with increasing elevation. Within elevations, mean trait values of trees, seeds and seedlings responded differently to local‐scale environmental conditions. Specific leaf area decreased with increasing soil C/N ratio, and initial seedling height decreased with increasing canopy openness. Seed mass was associated neither with soil nor with light conditions. Our findings show that broad‐scale and local‐scale processes differently shape the composition of leaf, seed and seedling traits in tropical forests, indicating a scale‐dependence in trait–environment associations. Furthermore, plant traits corresponding to different life stages were related differently to environmental conditions within elevations. Community assembly processes may therefore lead to differences in species sorting at early and late plant life stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]