Growth status of disadvantaged urban Guatemalan children of a resettled community

This paper reports the physical growth and body composition from the first year of longitudinal study of 519 Guatemalan children, and their families, from a disadvantaged urban community consisting largely of refugees of the 1976 earthquake. Four cohorts are described, composed of children of 1,3,5, and 7 years at examination. The children are smaller, weigh less, and have reduced fat stores compared either to NCHS reference data or to upper SES Guatemalan children. Stature (or length) and head circumference deviate more from reference data than do triceps or upper arm muscle circumference. Greater deviations are found in the linear dimensions of males than of females. These children are the smallest yet described from Guatemala City, though they are slightly larger than available rural samples. This suggests a continuum of environmental effects acting upon the growth of children of differing socioeconomic levels.     

High elevation coniferous vegetation of Guatemala

A phytosociological study of the juniper (locally called huito), pine (locally called sacch), pine-alder and fir forests of the Sierra de los Cuchumatanes and Cadena Volcánica in Guatemala was carried out. The Zürich-Montpellier approach was followed. In total 119 relevés were sampled and the data were organised in phytosociological tables to distinguish vegetation clusters. TWINSPAN was used to evaluate major differences among plant communities. Seven zonal plant communities were distinguished and described, namely: (1)Relbunium microphyllum-Agrostis tolucensis, (2)Werneria nubigena-Agrostis exserta, (3)Lachemilla vulcanica-Pinus hartwegii, (4)Holodiscus argenteus-Pinus hartwegii, (5)Hypnum cypressiforme-Juniperus standleyi, (6)Agave hurteri-Alnus firmifolia and (7)Sabazia pinetorum-Abies guatemalensis. This paper provides a thorough floristic characterisation of each community and outlines the major anthropogenic activities. To conclude, ecologic and floristic (dis)similarities between plant communities of the study area and those of Central Mexico, like the different altitudinal distribution of fir forests and the establishment of mid-successional communities such as theAgave hurteri-Alnus firmifolia were discussed.     

Studies in Neotropical paleobotany. XI. Late Tertiaryvegetation and environments of southeastern Guatemala: palynofloras fromthe Mio-Pliocene Padre Miguel Group and the Pliocene HerreriaFormation

Plant microfossils are reported from the late Tertiary Padre MiguelGroup and the Pliocene Herrería Formation of southeasternGuatemala. The most abundant palynomorphs are cf. Acrostichum(maximum 45%), Cyperaceae (29%), cf. Antrophyum(27%), monolete fern spores (16%), and Pinus(11%). Pollen grains of Picea, Juglans,Quercus, and Ulmus, primarily from the Padre Miguelflora, reveal the presence of a northern cool-temperate element. Theyounger Herrería flora is more lowland and warm temperate. Inthe absence of evidence for substantially higher elevations, thedifferences between the Neogene and modern vegetation are attributedmostly to climate. MAT (mean annual temperature) is estimated2°-3°C cooler than at present for the Padre Miguel flora,and ～3.5°C warmer for the Herrería flora. There islittle evidence for arid vegetation, and the tropical rain forest wasabsent or poorly represented. These data are consistent with those ofother fossil floras in the region and with trends suggested by isotopicpaleotemperature analysis and global sea-level changes. The Guatemalaassemblages further provide evidence that the current version of thetropical rain forest is recent in origin and has undergone considerablechange in its range and composition throughout the lateCenozoic.     

Do vine species in neotropical forests see the forest or the trees?

Questions: Is the occurrence of vine species in neotropical rain forests primarily determined by properties of the forest (environmental factors), by properties of the trees (tree species or tree size) or are vines randomly distributed? Location: Maya Biosphere Reserve, Guatemala. Methods: In five 1‐ha plots that span variation from unlogged forest to forest impacted by recurrent human disturbance we recorded the presence of all climbing vine species on every tree. The presence of all free standing vine species and 11 environmental variables were recorded in 100‐m² subplots. The relationship of host tree diameter and host tree identity on single tree vine species richness was investigated by GLM modelling. Partial redundancy analyses were used to partition the variation in vine species composition on two sources: environmental factors and tree species identity. Results: Single tree vine richness increased with increasing host tree DBH and differed significantly among host species. For climbing vines, the ratio of variation in subplot presence explained by tree species and by environmental variables was ca. 4:1 (in the most disturbed logged plots slightly lower), for free standing vines this ratio varied from 1:2 in the most disturbed logged plots to 9:1 in reserve plots, while a ratio of ca. 1:1 was found for all plots analysed together. Conclusion: Different tree species have different probabilities of being infested by vines. Vines see both the forest and the trees; the environment is more important in earlier developmental stages, properties of individual trees become more important from the time vines start to climb.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Acalypha</Emphasis> (Euphorbiaceae: Acalyphoideae: Acalypheae) from Belize and adjacent Mexico and Guatemala

Acalypha gentlei is described, illustrated and mapped. The species is endemic to Belize and adjacent areas of Mexico and Guatemala and restricted to semi-deciduous moist forests on limestone. The species is referred to Acalypha subgenus Linostachys.

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Resumen  Se describe, ilustra y grafica la distribución de Acalypha gentlei. Esta especie nueva es endémica a Belice y áreas adyacentes de México y Guatemala, y está restringida a bosques húmedos semi-deciduos sobre caliza. La especie es referida a Acalypha subgénero Linostachys.

     

Ethnic and secular influences on the size and maturity of seven year old children living in Guatemala City

Three groups of children, those of European parentage, those of Guatemalan parentage, and those of mixed European-Guatemalan parentage were measured for height, weight, and skeletal maturity. The children were born between 1945 and 1965, they were all of high socioeconomic status, and they all attended the same private school in Guatemala City. At 7 years, the boys of the European group were significantly taller than boys of the Guatemalan group. European and mixed European-Guatemalan girls were significantly taller than Guatemalan girls. These results are maturity independent. The influence of skeletal age was removed statistically by analysis of covariance. Girls of the mixed group were significantly heavier than girls of European and Guatemalan groups. Mixed group girls also had more significantly advanced skeletal ages than European girls. When the patterns of size and maturity status are analyzed by sex, there is evidence for a relatively greater environmental influence on the boys and a relatively greater genetic influence on the girls. Dividing the data into two birth year cohorts, 1945 to 1955, and 1956 to 1965, does not provide evidence for secular trends in growth or maturation. These results are similar to those from studies in developed nations that report an end to the secular trend for the “well off” population of those countries.     

Salivary apyrase in New World blackflies (Diptera: Simuliidae) and its relationship to onchocerciasis vector status

Abstract. Salivary gland apyrase is believed to be critical to blood-feeding in arthropod vectors. This enzyme was measured in six New World blackflies representing three taxonomic pairs of non-vectors and vectors of Onchocerca volvulus. In Simulium (Psilopelmia) ochraceum , a highly anthropophilic vector in Mexico and Guatemala, apyrase exhibited maximum activity between pH 8.0 and 9.0, mean 39.8 pM 4.7 milliUnits/pair of gland equivalents (mU), and was enhanced when ATP was used as a substrate. In the zoophilic non-vector Simulium (Psilopelmia) bivittatum maximum activity was significantly less (5.1 pM 0.7 mU) under all conditions examined. Preference for ADP or ATP as substrate was a function of the pH of the reaction for this species. Apyrase activity in Simulium (Simulium) metallicum Bellardi (29.5 pM 11.5 mU), a zoophilic secondary vector in Mexico and Guatemala, resembled that of S.(Ps.)ochraceum (24.8 pM 13.7 mU at pH 8.5) with ADP as substrate, but showed reduced activity with ATP. Both these Central American vectors had higher apyrase activity than found in Simulium (Notolepria) exiguum , a vector of O. volvulus in Ecuador and Colombia. However, maximum apyrase activity, measured at pH 8.0 with ADP as substrate, was greater in S.(N.) exiguum (10.9 pM 0.6mU) than in Simulium (Notolepria) gonzalezi (5.9pM1.9mU), a non-vector species widespread in Central America. Therefore, for the consubgeneric species pairs examined, a positive association was detected between higher concentrations of apyrase activity and their vector status for O. volvulus.     

Comparison of Bird Communities in Primary vs. Young Secondary Tropical Montane Cloud Forest in Guatemala

Cloud forests in central Guatemala are fragmented and decreasing in area due to slash-and-burn agricultural activities. We studied bird species composition, abundance, guild composition, and site tenacity of a 102 ha plot located in a cloud forest region of the Sierra Yalijux in Guatemala, half of which was primary forest and half young secondary forest (<7-years-old). Of the 100 species present 14 were restricted to the Endemic Bird Area ‘Northern Central American highlands’ (i.e. 66% of a total of 21 endemics). Five of the 100 analysed species, including one of the restricted-range species (Troglodytes rufociliatus), had a significantly different abundance in primary and secondary forests. Theoretical analysis suggests that seven species out of a community comprised of 141 bird species are already extirpated and only three out of the 14 present restricted-range species might survive the current state of deforestation. Insectivores were the dominant guild on the plot in terms of numbers of species, followed by omnivores, frugivores and granivores. However, in terms of individuals, omnivores made up nearly half of the bird individuals in primary forest, but declined by 44% in secondary forest, whereas granivores more than doubled in this habitat type. Numbers of species per guild were not significantly different between habitats, while numbers of individuals per guild were significantly different. In general, individuals per species are significantly different in the two habitats. Results suggest that most of the species that are currently surviving in the remnant forests of the Sierra Yalijux might be fairly well adapted to a range of forest conditions, but that populations of a number of restricted-range species might be small. Even generalists species like the Common Bush Tanager (Chlorospingus ophthalmicus) are less abundant in secondary vegetation than in primary forest of the study plot.