A5036905860- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal Diseases
- Plant and animal studies
- Forest ecology and management
- Plant Parasitism and Resistance
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Plant and soil sciences
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics
- Botanical Research and Applications
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Studies
- Semantic Web and Ontologies
- Plant Physiology and Cultivation Studies
- Leaf Properties and Growth Measurement
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Fungal Biology and Applications
- Plant-Microbe Interactions and Immunity
- Banana Cultivation and Research
- Fern and Epiphyte Biology
- Allelopathy and phytotoxic interactions
- Seed Germination and Physiology
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- E-Learning and Knowledge Management
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
2015-2025
University of South Florida
2020-2025
Directorate General of Traffic
2025
Front Range Scientific Computations
2024
Universidad Nacional de Colombia
2013-2020
Universidad de Los Andes
2011-2017
Universidad de Los Andes
2012-2013
UMR Botanique et Modélisation de l’Architecture des Plantes et des végétations
2011-2012
Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement
2010-2012
University of Applied and Environmental Sciences
2010
Deadwood is a large global carbon store with its size partially determined by biotic decay. Microbial wood decay rates are known to respond changing temperature and precipitation. Termites also important decomposers in the tropics but less well studied. An understanding of their climate sensitivities needed estimate change effects on pools. Using data from 133 sites spanning six continents, we found that termite discovery consumption were highly sensitive (with increasing >6.8 times per 10°C...
Summary 1. The complex structure of tree bark reflects its many functions, which include structural support as well defence against fire, pests and pathogens. Thick bark, however, might limit respiration by the living tissues trunk. Nevertheless, little research has addressed community‐level variation in thickness, to best our knowledge, no one tested multiple hypotheses explain thickness. 2. We conducted an extensive survey thickness within among species trees tropical rain forests French...
The Janzen-Connell (JC) hypothesis provides a conceptual framework for explaining the maintenance of tree diversity in tropical forests. Its central tenet-that recruits experience high mortality near conspecifics and at densities-assumes degree host specialization interactions between plants natural enemies. Studies confirming JC effects have focused primarily on spatial distributions seedlings saplings, leaving major knowledge gaps regarding fate seeds soil specificity soilborne fungi that...
Abstract. Xylem density is a physical property of wood that varies between individuals, species and environments. It reflects the physiological strategies trees lead to growth, survival reproduction. Measurements branch xylem density, ρx, were made for 1653 representing 598 species, sampled from 87 sites across Amazon basin. Measured values ranged 218 kg m−3 Cordia sagotii (Boraginaceae) Mountagne de Tortue, French Guiana 1130 an Aiouea sp. (Lauraceae) Caxiuana, Central Pará, Brazil....
In the Neotropics, almost every species of stream-dwelling harlequin toads (genus Atelopus) have experienced catastrophic declines. The persistence lowland Atelopus could be explained by lower growth rate Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) at temperatures above 25°C. We tested complementary hypothesis that toads' skin bacterial microbiota acts as a protective barrier against pathogen, perhaps delaying or impeding symptomatic phase chytridiomycosis. isolated 148 cultivable strains from three...
Plant defense theory explores how plants invest in defenses against natural enemies but has focused primarily on the traits expressed by juvenile and mature plants. Here we describe diverse ways which seeds are chemically physically defended. We suggest that through associations with other traits, likely to exhibit syndromes reflect constraints or trade-offs imposed selection attract dispersers, enable effective dispersal, ensure appropriate timing of seed germination, enhance seedling...
Soils influence tropical forest composition at regional scales. In Panama, data on tree communities and underlying soils indicate that species frequently show distributional associations to soil phosphorus. To understand how these arise, we combined a pot experiment measure seedling responses of 15 pioneer phosphorus addition with an analysis the phylogenetic structure entire community. Growth pioneers revealed clear tradeoff: from high-phosphorus sites grew fastest in phosphorus-addition...
Plant phenology is concerned with the timing of recurring biological events. Though has traditionally been studied using intensive surveys a local flora, results from such are difficult to generalize broader spatial scales. In this study, contrastingly, we assembled continental-scale dataset herbarium specimens for emblematic genus Neotropical pioneer trees, Cecropia , and applied Fourier spectral cospectral analyses investigate reproductive 35 species. We detected significant annual,...
Germination from the soil seed bank (SSB) is an important determinant of species composition in tropical forest gaps, with persistence SSB allowing trees to recruit even decades after dispersal. The capacity form a persistent often associated physical dormancy, where coats are impermeable at time literature speculates, without empirical evidence, that dormancy-break physically dormant seeds result microbial action and/or abrasion by particles. We tested microbial/soil hypothesis four widely...
Interactions between fungi and tropical trees help shape some of the most biodiverse communities on earth. These interactions occur in presence additional microbes that can modify fungal phenotypes, such as endohyphal bacteria (EHB). Here we examine occurrence, diversity, taxonomic composition EHB colonize seeds leaves plants forests. We use PCR fluorescence microscopy to detect fungi, a phylogenetic approach explore evolutionary relationships among seed- leaf-inhabiting their bacterial...
Wood density correlates with mechanical and physiological strategies of trees is important for estimating global carbon stocks. Nonetheless, the relationship between branch trunk xylem has been poorly explored in neotropical trees. Here, we examine this from French Guiana its variation among different families sites, to improve understanding wood forests.Trunk densities were measured 1909 seven sites across Guiana. A major-axis fit was performed explore their general allometric sites.Trunk...
ABSTRACT Linking National Forest Inventory (NFI) data with local administrative units (LAUs) unlocks a wealth of benefits for forest management. It enhances precision in assessments, facilitates policy alignment, optimizes resource allocation, and enables effective monitoring research at the level. This study presents an automated process to convert official Spanish municipality geometries from Geographic Institute's geospatial database into Linked Open Data (LOD) format. assignment NFI...
Seeds of tropical pioneer trees have chemical and physical characteristics that determine their capacity to persist in the soil seed bank. These traits allow seeds survive despite diverse predators pathogens, germinate recruit even decades after dispersal. Defenses seedlings adult plants often are described terms tradeoffs between defense, but interplay defensive strategies has been evaluated only rarely for seeds. Here we whether classes defenses were negatively correlated across species...
Forest successional processes following disturbance take decades to play out, even in tropical forests. Nonetheless, records of vegetation change this ecosystem are scarce, increasing the importance chronosequence approach study forest recovery. However, requires accurate dating secondary forests, which until now was a difficult and/or expensive task. Cecropia is widespread and abundant pioneer tree genus Neotropics. Here we propose validate rapid straightforward method estimate age patches...
Abstract Global amphibian declines have been attributed to several factors including the chytrid fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis ( Bd ), that infects hosts’ skin and causes death by inhibiting immune response impairing osmoregulatory function. Here, we integrate extensive new field data with previously published locality records of in Colombia, a megadiverse environmentally heterogeneous country northwestern South America, determine relative importance environmental variables...
Three new genera are established in the Sordariomycetidae based on morphological and molecular data (SSU LSU nrDNA) to accommodate five ascomycete species collected from submerged woody debris freshwater habitats Costa Rica. The genus Bullimyces contains three species, B. communis, costaricensis aurisporus. is characterized by globose subglobose, membranous, black, ostiolate ascomata; deliquescent, hyaline, cells that fill center of centrum; unitunicate asci deliquesce early some species;...
Sustainable management and conservation of tropical trees forests require accurate identification tree species. Reliable, user-friendly tools based on macroscopic morphological features have already been developed for various floras. Wood anatomical provide also a considerable amount information that can be used timber traceability, certification trade control. Yet, this is still poorly used, only handful experts are able to use it plant species identification. Here, we present an...
Abstract Previous theoretical work has highlighted the potential for natural enemies to mediate coexistence of species with similar life histories via density‐dependent effects on survivorship. For plant pathogens play this role, they must differ in their ability infect or induce disease different host species. In tropical forests characterized by high diversity, these extend phylogenetically closely related pairs. Mortality at seed and seedling stage strongly influences abundance...
In higher education globalization brings challenges as part of a reform process. An important aspect such has to do with the flexibility contents curriculum. Normally curricula offer students whole set possibilities make decisions regarding optional courses recommended in an educational programme. this work we present design semi-automated Academic Tutor support selecting learning paths (that consist which form individual curricula) achieve particular professional profile. We designed...
Abstract Pioneer trees require high‐light environments for successful seedling establishment. Consequently, seeds of these species often persist in the soil seed bank (SSB) periods ranging from several weeks to decades. How they survive despite extensive pressure predators and soil‐borne pathogens remains an intriguing question. This study aims test hypotheses that decades‐old collected SSB a lowland tropical forest remain viable by (i) escaping infection fungi, which are major drivers...
Abstract: Patterns of leaf production and fall directly influence area index forest productivity. Here, we focused on Cecropia sciadophylla individuals inhabiting the extremes gradient in seasonality rainfall at which C. occurs. In Colombia French Guiana compared intra-annual variation as well fluctuation internode length a total 69 saplings ranging size from 1 to 2 m. The mean rate was ~2 leaves mo −1 both populations, constant throughout year. Our results showed monthly number live per...