Ecohydrology of the Venezuelan páramo: water balance of a high Andean watershed

ABSTRACT

Background: The páramo provides key ecosystem services, including regulation and provision of water. To understand the underlying functions, an ecosystem approach is necessary.

Aims: We quantified the combined effect of vegetation and soils (integrated topographic and vegetation units – TVU) on the hydrological balance of a Venezuelan páramo micro-watershed and analyse its hydrological response to intra- and interannual rainfall variability.

Methods: Data (2008–2016) from meteorological stations of TVUs and of a streamflow station was used to calculate watershed level hydrologic balances. We quantified the impact of the TVUs outputs by calculating evapotranspiration under non-standard conditions (ETc adj).

Result: Evapotranspiration of wetlands and tarns was high, exceeding annual precipitation. Shrubland had low evapotranspiration. Recharge of páramo reservoirs (soils, wetlands, tarns) occurred when monthly rainfall exceeded 90 mm. In dry years there were lower water yields with less effective hydrological regulation. In average years the differences between input and output in watershed balances were very small.

Conclusions: The high and constant evapotranspiration of the wetlands and tarns (due to permanent water availability) suggests they could maintain streamflow during dry periods. Their high evapotranspiration rates are compensated by low rates in shrublands units, reducing the mean total evapotranspiration of the watershed. The watershed balances suggest a limited regulatory capacity in these relatively dry páramos with no volcanic soils.     

Neglect of medical evidence of torture in Guantánamo Bay: a case series

Background

In the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US, the government authorized the use of “enhanced interrogation” techniques that were previously recognized as torture. While the complicity of US health professionals in the design and implementation of US torture practices has been documented, little is known about the role of health providers, assigned to the US Department of Defense (DoD) at the US Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, Cuba (GTMO), who should have been in a position to observe and document physical and psychological evidence of torture and ill treatment.

Methods and Findings

We reviewed GTMO medical records and relevant case files (client affidavits, attorney–client notes and summaries, and legal affidavits of medical experts) of nine individuals for evidence of torture and ill treatment and documentation by medical personnel. In each of the nine cases, GTMO detainees alleged abusive interrogation methods that are consistent with torture as defined by the UN Convention Against Torture as well as the more restrictive US definition of torture that was operational at the time. The medical affidavits in each of the nine cases indicate that the specific allegations of torture and ill treatment are highly consistent with physical and psychological evidence documented in the medical records and evaluations by non-governmental medical experts. However, the medical personnel who treated the detainees at GTMO failed to inquire and/or document causes of the physical injuries and psychological symptoms they observed. Psychological symptoms were commonly attributed to “personality disorders” and “routine stressors of confinement.” Temporary psychotic symptoms and hallucinations did not prompt consideration of abusive treatment. Psychological assessments conducted by non-governmental medical experts revealed diagnostic criteria for current major depression and/or PTSD in all nine cases.

Conclusion

The findings in these nine cases from GTMO indicate that medical doctors and mental health personnel assigned to the DoD neglected and/or concealed medical evidence of intentional harm. Please see later in the article for the Editors'' Summary     

Genetic analysis of a successful repatriation programme: giant Galápagos tortoises

As natural populations of endangered species dwindle to precarious levels, remaining members are sometimes brought into captivity, allowed to breed and their offspring returned to the natural habitat. One goal of such repatriation programmes is to retain as much of the genetic variation of the species as possible. A taxon of giant Galápagos tortoises on the island of Espa?ola has been the subject of a captive breeding-repatriation programme for 33 years. Core breeders, consisting of 12 females and three males, have produced more than 1200 offspring that have been released on Espa?ola where in situ reproduction has recently been observed. Using microsatellite DNA markers, we have determined the maternity and paternity of 132 repatriated offspring. Contributions of the breeders are highly skewed. This has led to a further loss of genetic variation that is detrimental to the long-term survival of the population. Modifications to the breeding programme could alleviate this problem.     

Phylogeography of the Galápagos hawk (Buteo galapagoensis): a recent arrival to the Galápagos Islands

Galápagos hawks (Buteo galapagoensis) are one of the most inbred bird species in the world, living in small, isolated island populations. We used mitochondrial sequence and nuclear minisatellite data to describe relationships among Galápagos hawk populations and their colonization history. We sampled 10 populations (encompassing the entire current species range of nine islands and one extirpated population), as well as the Galápagos hawk's closest mainland relative, the Swainson's hawk (B. swainsoni). There was little sequence divergence between Galápagos and Swainson's hawks (only 0.42% over almost 3kb of data), indicating that the hawks colonized Galápagos very recently, likely less than 300,000 years ago, making them the most recent arrivals of the studied taxa. There were only seven, closely related Galápagos hawk haplotypes, with most populations being monomorphic. The mitochondrial and minisatellite data together indicated a general pattern of rapid population expansion followed by genetic isolation of hawk breeding populations. The recent arrival, genetic isolation, and phenotypic differentiation among populations suggest that the Galápagos hawk, a rather new species itself, is in the earliest stages of further divergence.     

Plant resources of the Tehuacán-Cuicatlán valley, Mexico

Information on richness of plant resources, and their forms of use and management in the biosphere reserve Tehuacan-Cuicatlan, Mexico is analyzed. This 10 000 km² region hosts nearly 2700 vascular plant species, and it is acknowledged as one of the arid areas with the highest floristic diversity in North America. The seven indigenous ethnic groups that live in this region have cultural roots that date back almost 10 000 years. Based upon ethnobotanical and floristic studies, as well as bibliographical sources, a total of 808 useful plant species were identified, most of them (90%) being native, and 44 species being endemic to the region. A total of 681 species are wild plants, 109 are weeds and ruderal plants, and 86 are domesticated crops. However, it was noted that considerable overlap exists between the species of these 3 categories. For example, while wild and ruderal plants (706 species) are foraged by both humans and domestic animals, 59 species of this group are also managed in situ. On the other hand, 168 wild, ruderal and domesticated species are cultivated. The Tehuacán-Cuicatlan Valley is one of the richest regions of Mexico in plant resources. Local knowledge on use and management of plants is a valuable source of information for designing conservation and social development strategies for the biosphere reserve.     

The herb community of a tropical forest in central Panamá: dynamics and impact of mammalian herbivores

Mammals are hypothesized to either promote plant diversity by preventing competitive exclusion or limit diversity by reducing the abundance of sensitive plant species through their activities as browsers or disturbance agents. Previous studies of herbivore impacts in plant communities have focused on tree species and ignored the herbaceous community. In an experiment in mature-phase, tropical moist forest sites in central Panamá, we studied the impact of excluding ground-dwelling mammals on the richness and abundance of herbs in 16, 30×45-m plots. Within each plot, we censused the herbaceous community in 28, 2×2-m subplots (1,792 m² total area sampled). We identified over 54 species of herbs averaging 1.21 ramets m⁻² and covering approximately 4.25% of the forest floor. Excluding mammals for 5 years had no impact on overall species richness. Within exclosures, however, there was a significant two-fold increase in the density of rare species. Overall herbaceous density and percent cover did not differ between exclosures and adjacent control plots, although cover did increase over time. Mammalian exclusion significantly increased the total cover of three-dominant herb species, Pharus latifolius, Calathea inocephala, and Adiantum lucidum, but did not affect their density. This study represents one of the most extensive herbaceous community censuses conducted in tropical forests and is among a few that quantify herbaceous distribution and abundance in terms of both density and cover. Additionally, this work represents the first community level test of mammalian impacts on the herbaceous community in a tropical forest to date. Our results suggest that ground dwelling mammals do not play a key role in altering the relative abundance patterns of tropical herbs in the short term. Furthermore, our results contrast sharply with prior studies on similar temporal and spatial scales that demonstrate mammals strongly alter tree seedling composition and reduce seedling density. Thus, we question the pervasiveness of top–down control on tropical plant communities and the paradigm that defaunation will inexorably lead to widespread, catastrophic shifts in plant communities.     

Microbial Community Comparisons as a Function of the Physical and Geochemical Conditions of Galápagos Island Fumaroles

Microbial communities at six fumarole fields on Sierra Negra and Alcedo volcanoes in the Galápagos Islands were examined to test how extreme geochemical conditions affect microbial biodiversity. The geologic substrates consist of basalt and rhyolite with varying amounts of alteration and sulfur precipitates. Collected samples of substrates varied in pH from 0–6, and substrate temperatures were within the mesophilic, thermophilic, and hyperthermophilic temperature ranges. Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analyses were done to assess the relationship of communities to each other as a function of geologic substrate, pH, and temperature. Comparative analyses of community diversity define two distinct clusters showing that the relationship between spatially separated microbial communities at the fumaroles is most influenced by the pH of the local environment.     

Colonization and diversification of Galápagos terrestrial fauna: a phylogenetic and biogeographical synthesis

Remote oceanic islands have long been recognized as natural models for the study of evolutionary processes involved in diversification. Their remoteness provides opportunities for isolation and divergence of populations, which make islands remarkable settings for the study of diversification. Groups of islands may share a relatively similar geological history and comparable climate, but their inhabitants experience subtly different environments and have distinct evolutionary histories, offering the potential for comparative studies. A range of organisms have colonized the Galápagos Islands, and various lineages have radiated throughout the archipelago to form unique assemblages. This review pays particular attention to molecular phylogenetic studies of Galápagos terrestrial fauna. We find that most of the Galápagos terrestrial fauna have diversified in parallel to the geological formation of the islands. Lineages have occasionally diversified within islands, and the clearest cases occur in taxa with very low vagility and on large islands with diverse habitats. Ecology and habitat specialization appear to be critical in speciation both within and between islands. Although the number of phylogenetic studies is continuously increasing, studies of natural history, ecology, evolution and behaviour are essential to completely reveal how diversification proceeded on these islands.     

Zoogeography of Pacific Ocean islands: a comparison of the rotifer faunas of Easter Island and the Galápagos archipelago

During September 1990, an extensive sampling of the freshwaters of Easter Island was conducted. The resulting list of rotifer species, supplemented by taxa present in samples collected during a previous trip to the island, is compared with that of another oceanic island of volcanic origin, namely Santa Cruz, Galápagos archipelago. In spite of less research, Santa Cruz has a richer rotifer fauna which, unlike Easter Island, includes endemic species. Possible causes for the faunal poverty of Easter Island are: large source-to-target distance, small target size, uniformity of the target island's ecosystems and limited age of its aquatic biotopes.     

Morphometrics Parallel Genetics in a Newly Discovered and Endangered Taxon of Galápagos Tortoise

Galápagos tortoises represent the only surviving lineage of giant tortoises that exhibit two different types of shell morphology. The taxonomy of Galápagos tortoises was initially based mainly on diagnostic morphological characters of the shell, but has been clarified by molecular studies indicating that most islands harbor monophyletic lineages, with the exception of Isabela and Santa Cruz. On Santa Cruz there is strong genetic differentiation between the two tortoise populations (Cerro Fatal and La Reserva) exhibiting domed shell morphology. Here we integrate nuclear microsatellite and mitochondrial data with statistical analyses of shell shape morphology to evaluate whether the genetic distinction and variability of the two domed tortoise populations is paralleled by differences in shell shape. Based on our results, morphometric analyses support the genetic distinction of the two populations and also reveal that the level of genetic variation is associated with morphological shell shape variation in both populations. The Cerro Fatal population possesses lower levels of morphological and genetic variation compared to the La Reserva population. Because the turtle shell is a complex heritable trait, our results suggest that, for the Cerro Fatal population, non-neutral loci have probably experienced a parallel decrease in variability as that observed for the genetic data.     

Evolution in Darwin's finches: a review of a study on Isla Daphne Major in the Galápagos archipelago

This paper reviews research pertaining to the problem of speciation of the finches on the Galápagos archipelago carried out by assistants, several colleagues, Peter Grant and myself. I give a brief history of the radiation, examine the process of divergence by natural selection over time, and then consider the nature of the reproductive barrier to gene flow between closely related species. Fluctuating climatic conditions have produced a continuously changing ecological landscape and altered feeding conditions for the finches over the last 30 years. Finch populations tracked these changes by natural selection and evolutionary responses to the main events. At each event significant morphological change occurred from one generation to the next generation. As a consequence of these accumulated changes, the mean bill shape and body size of the Geospiza fortis and G. scandens populations differed markedly from 1973 to 2002. Song, a learned culturally transmitted trait, acted as a barrier to reproduction between these species. Rare incidences of misimprinting on song led to hybridization and introgression. Low levels of gene flow from one species to another increased genetic variation on which selection acted. Although the major driving force of diversification was ecological change, the process of diversification involved a subtle interplay between ecology, genetic evolution and learned culturally transmitted traits. An important message for conservation is that neither the environment nor species are fixed entities, therefore a wise strategy for conserving endangered species should keep them capable of further change.     

The reproductive biology of a Central American cichlid Neetroplus nematopus in Lake Xiloá,Nicaragua

This study was conducted to provide a five-year database on the breeding seasonality and breeding biology of a Central American cichlid fish Neetroplus nematopus, a biparental substratum-spawning cichlid that cares for its eggs, wrigglers, and fry for up to six weeks. A total of 503 breeding pairs were monitored for breeding success. Breeding pairs of N. nematopus are sexually dimorphic in size, with females averaging 39% of male body mass. Fry emerged from 85% of nesting cavities. After three weeks, only 30% of the broods were present in the nesting cavity; these broods had a 30% survival rate, giving a 9% overall survival rate. Nineteen percent of the successful parents with three-week-old broods adopted foreign fry. A consistent unimodal breeding peak in December was observed for five years. This breeding peak differed dramatically from the bimodal breeding season 20 years found in the 1970s. The effects of extensive grenade fishing practices during the 1980s might have played a substantial role in the observed change. Grenade fishing stopped in 1991, and the number of N. nematopus pairs increased by 136% from 1990 to 1995. With increased density of breeding fish, the breeding season for this species also expanded. The balance between divergent selection due to competition for breeding sites and stabilizing selection due to predation pressure on offspring is of breeding is a strategy to reduce predation on the parent's own young [Current Zoology 56 (1): 43-51 2010].     

Lábrea hepatitis in Salvador, Bahia? (Presentation of a possible case)

A case of a four-year-old boy from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, with a probable Lábrea hepatitis is reported. He ran a rapid course of fever, jaundice, abdominal pain, agitation, coma and death. Histologically, the liver presented widespread hepatic cell lytic and coagulative necrosis, acute fatty changes, mononuclear cell infiltration and cholestasis. The study of the case raises the question whether Lábrea hepatitis can occur outside the Amazonian region, or else its clinico-pathological features lack specificity.     

Vegetation diversity, composition and structure in a cattle agro-landscape of Matiguás, Nicaragua

The diversity, composition and structure of vegetation in a cattle landscape in Matiguás, Nicaragua was characterized, and the floristic and structural differences of six types of habitats (secondary forests, riparian forests, charrales, live fences and pastures with high and low tree cover) were compared. A total of 3 949 trees of 180 species and 52 families were recorded. Forty six percent of the total trees reported for the landscape were represented by Guazuma ulmifolia (18.5%), Bursera simaruha (13.2%), Tabebuia rosea (6.3%), Enterolobium cyclocarpum (4.2%) and Albizia saman (3.4%). Many of the dominant species in the landscape were typical of open and disturbed areas. There were significant differences between the different habitats in the patterns of tree species richness, abundance, diversity, structure and floristic composition. The riparian forests had greater tree richness (p=0.0001) and diversity (p=0.0009) than other habitats. The floristic composition varied across habitats. with pairs of habitats sharing between 18.4 and 51.6% of the same tree species, and with clear differences in composition between the forested (riparian and secondary forests) and agricultural habitats. Of the habitats studied, the riparian forests and secondary forests seem to have greatest value for the conservation of the flora in the agropaisaje because they have the greatest species richness, and maintain small populations of endangered species. On the basis of the study, we recommend including agricultural landscapes in strategies to conserve tree diversity and suggest measures to ensure the maintenance of tree diversity in the Matiguas landscape.