Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático
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Reproductive traits associated with species turnover of amphibians in Amazonia and its Andean slopes

2017 , Jiménez-Robles O. , Guayasamin, Juan M. , Ron S.R. , De la Riva I.

Assembly of ecological communities is important for the conservation of ecosystems, predicting perturbation impacts, and understanding the origin and loss of biodiversity. We tested how amphibian communities are assembled by neutral and niche-based mechanisms, such as habitat filtering. Species richness, β-diversities, and reproductive traits of amphibians were evaluated at local scale in seven habitats at different elevation and disturbance levels in Wisui Biological Station, Morona-Santiago, Ecuador, on the foothills of the Cordillera del Kutukú; and at regional scale using 109 localities across evergreen forests of Amazonia and its Andean slopes (0–3,900 m a.s.l.). At local scale, species composition showed strong differences among habitats, explained mainly by turnover. Reproductive modes occurred differently across habitats (e.g., prevalence of direct developers at high elevation, where breeding in ground level water disappears). At regional scale, elevation was the most important factor explaining the changes in species richness, reproductive trait occurrences, and biotic dissimilarities. Species number in all groups decreased with elevation except for those with lotic tadpoles and terrestrial reproduction stages. Seasonality, annual precipitation, and relative humidity partially explained the occurrence of some reproductive traits. Biotic dissimilarities were also mostly caused by turnover rather than nestedness and were particularly high in montane and foothill sites. Within lowlands, geographic distance explained more variability than elevation. Habitat filtering was supported by the different occurrence of reproductive traits according to elevation, water availability, and breeding microhabitats at both scales, as well as other assembly mechanisms based in biotic interactions at local scale. Human-generated land use changes in Amazonia and its Andean slopes reduce local amphibian biodiversity by alteration of primary forests and loss of their microhabitats and the interaction network that maintains their unique amphibian assemblages with different reproductive strategies. © 2017 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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A new species of the Pristimantis orestes group (Amphibia: Strabomantidae) from the high Andes of Ecuador, Reserva Mazar

2013 , Guayasamin, Juan M. , Arteaga A.F.

We describe a new Pristimantis from La Libertad and Rumiloma, Reserva Mazar, Andes of Southeastern Ecuador, at elevations between 2895-3415 m. This species is assigned to the P. orestes group, from whose members it differs by its small body size (adult males = 18.1 mm; adult females = 23.7 mm), usually reticulated ventral pattern, and visible tympanum. The vocalization of the new species consists of a series of calls; each call is composed by a pulsed, nonmodulated note in frequency, and with a dominant frequency of 3122-3171 Hz. A molecular phylogeny based on a fragment of the mitochondrial gene 12S shows that the new species is sister to Pristimantis simonbolivari. © 2013 Magnolia Press.

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Early stages of speciation with gene flow in the Amazilia Hummingbird (Amazilis amazilia) subspecies complex of Western South America

2022 , Cowles, S.A. , Witt, C.C. , Bonaccorso, Elisa , Grewe, F. , Uy, J.A.C.

Disentangling the factors underlying the diversification of geographically variable species with a wide geographical range is essential to understanding the initial stages and drivers of the speciation process. The Amazilia Hummingbird, Amazilis amazilia, is found along the Pacific coast from northern Ecuador down to the Nazca Valley of Peru, and is currently classified as six phenotypically differentiated subspecies. We aimed to resolve the evolutionary relationships of the six subspecies, to assess the geographical pattern and extent of evolutionary divergence, and to test for introgression using both a mtDNA marker and a genome-by-sequencing dataset from 86 individuals from across the species range. The consensus phylogenetic tree separated the six subspecies into three distinct clades, corresponding with the Ecuador lowlands (A. amazilia dumerilii), the Ecuador highlands (A. amazilia alticola and A. amazilia azuay), and the Peruvian coast (A. amazilia leucophoea, A. amazilia amazilia, and A. amazilia caeruleigularis). However, an unresolved mtDNA network suggests that the diversification of the subspecies was recent and rapid. We found evidence of gene flow among the subspecies A. amazilia dumerilii, A. amazilia alticola, and A. amazilia leucophoea, with strong genetic isolation of the subspecies A. amazilia azuay in the isolated Yunguilla Valley of Ecuador. Finally, environmental data from each subspecies’ capture locations were concordant with the three distinct clades. Overall, our results suggest that both expansions into new habitats and geographic isolation shaped the present-day phylogeny and range of the A. amazilia subspecies, and that A. amazilia azuay may be genetically divergent enough to be considered a separate species. © 2022 The Authors. Ecology and Evolution published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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Stratification and recovery time jointly shape ant functional reassembly in a neotropical forest

2023 , Hoenle P.O. , Staab M. , Donoso, David A. , Argoti A. , Blüthgen N.

Microhabitat differentiation of species communities such as vertical stratification in tropical forests contributes to species coexistence and thus biodiversity. However, little is known about how the extent of stratification changes during forest recovery and influences community reassembly. Environmental filtering determines community reassembly in time (succession) and in space (stratification), hence functional and phylogenetic composition of species communities are highly dynamic. It is poorly understood if and how these two concurrent filters—forest recovery and stratification—interact. In a tropical forest chronosequence in Ecuador spanning 34 years of natural recovery, we investigated the recovery trajectory of ant communities in three overlapping strata (ground, leaf litter, lower tree trunk) by quantifying 13 traits, as well as the functional and phylogenetic diversity of the ants. We expected that functional and phylogenetic diversity would increase with recovery time and that each ant community within each stratum would show a distinct functional reassembly. We predicted that traits related to ant diet would show divergent trajectories reflecting an increase in niche differentiation with recovery time. On the other hand, traits related to the abiotic environment were predicted to show convergent trajectories due to a more similar microclimate across strata with increasing recovery age. Most of the functional traits and the phylogenetic diversity of the ants were clearly stratified, confirming previous findings. However, neither functional nor phylogenetic diversity increased with recovery time. Community-weighted trait means had complex relationships to recovery time and the majority were shaped by a statistical interaction between recovery time and stratum, confirming our expectations. However, most trait trajectories converged among strata with increasing recovery time regardless of whether they were related to ant diet or environmental conditions. We confirm the hypothesized interaction among environmental filters during the functional reassembly in tropical forests. Communities in individual strata respond differently to recovery, and possible filter mechanisms likely arise from both abiotic (e.g. microclimate) and biotic (e.g. diet) conditions. Since vertical stratification is prevalent across animal and plant taxa, our results highlight the importance of stratum-specific analysis in dynamic ecosystems and may generalize beyond ants. © 2023 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Ecological Society.

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Upcycling the Banana Industry in Ecuador: A Methodology to Estimate Biowaste and Catalogue of Bioproducts

2023 , Jiménez M.P.S. , Tobes, Ibon

Ecuador is the leading exporter of bananas globally. This industry generates a large amount of organic waste since the plant is cut down for every crop, but only the fruit bunch is used. These residues can be converted into sustainable environmental products that could replace polluting materials. This investigation presents a GIS-based methodology used to estimate the biomass of the residues of banana agriculture in Ecuador and to determine how much organic waste could be used as raw materials to manufacture new biodegradable products. We estimated that more than forty million metric tons of waste are produced every nine months. Our methodology can be a low-cost quantitative complement to the survey-based estimations conducted by the Ecuadorian government to evaluate banana production. Additionally, our work presents five products that could be manufactured with organic waste, like disposable plates, bioplastics for food utensils, cardboard covers, fibers for hydraulic cement, and wallpaper. Finally, we offer a product catalog developed as a technical guide for future bio-enterprises to elaborate biodegradable products inspired by a circular economy scheme. In light of the estimated amount of banana waste generated in the country, we consider that Ecuador has the potential to develop an industry based on this raw material to generate products such as those proposed in our review, shifting the banana industry to a more sustainable, profitable process, and generating new incomes and sources of employment. © 2023,. All Rights Reserved.

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Haemosporidian parasites in the ash-breasted Sierra finch (Geospizopsis plebejus): insights from an Andean dry forest population

2023 , Chavarría X. , Matta N.E. , Cadena-Ortíz H. , Alarcón I. , Bahamonde-Vinueza D. , González A.D. , Bonaccorso E.

Haemosporidian genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus and Leucocytozoon, responsible for avian malarial infections, are highly diverse and have a wide range of health effects and predictors, depending on the host and its environmental context. Here, we present, for the first time, detailed information on the identity, prevalence and parasitaemia of haemosporidians and other haemoparasites that infect the ash-breasted Sierra finch, Geospizopsis plebejus, in an Andean dry forest. We study the consequences of infection in the host body and health conditions and explore the environmental and intrinsic factors that influence infection status and parasitaemia. We conducted diagnoses by cytochrome b (cytb) sequencing and morphological identification, and estimated the levels of parasitaemia based on microscopy. We identified 6 cytb lineages infecting G. plebejus. Two of them were new lineages: Haemoproteus sp. GEPLE01 and GEPLE02. We also detected Haemoproteus sp. ZOCAP08, Haemoproteus sp. AMAVIR01, Plasmodium homopolare BAEBIC02 and Plasmodium cathemerium ZONCAP15. By microscopy, we detected Haemoproteus coatneyi, Haemoproteus erythrogravidus, P. homopolare and other unidentified species of Haemoproteus, Plasmodium, Babesia sp. and 1 microfilaria. We found no evidence of Leucocytozoon. Additionally, we detected several coinfections by sequencing and microscopy. The prevalence of haemosporidian infections was high (87.7%), and the mean parasitaemia was 61.65 infected cells per 10 000 erythrocytes examined. Prevalence and parasitaemia were higher for Haemoproteus than for Plasmodium. Haemoproteus sp. AMAVIR01 showed the highest prevalence (43.1%) and mean parasitaemia (94.39/10 000 erythrocytes) and might be associated with H. coatneyi. Immature individuals showed a lower prevalence than adults, supporting previous findings. Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press.

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Molecular phylogeny of stream treefrogs (Hylidae: Hyloscirtus bogotensis Group), with a new species from the Andes of Ecuador

2015 , Guayasamin J.M. , Rivera-Correa M. , Arteaga A. , Culebras J. , Bustamante L. , Pyron R.A. , Peñafiel N. , Morochz C. , Hutter C.R.

We present a new molecular phylogeny of the stream treefrog genus Hyloscirtus, with an improved taxon sampling in the Hyloscirtus bogotensis group. The tree supports the existence of three clades within the genus (Hyloscirtus armatus group, H. bogotensis group and Hyloscirtus larinopygion group) in congruence with previous studies, and suggests the presence of at least three new species in the H. bogotensis group. Herein, we describe one of these species, Hyloscirtus mashpi n. sp. from the Pacific slope of the Ecuadorian Andes. The validity of the latter is supported by molecular, morphological and acoustic data. We also tested individuals of the new species for the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, finding a prevalence of 17.6% (6 positives and 28 negatives). However, at sampled streams, frog densities were high, suggesting that H. mashpi n. sp. may be tolerant to the infection. © 2015, © 2015 The Author(s). Published by Taylor & Francis.

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Order Trichoptera

2015 , Holzenthal R.W. , Thomson R.E. , Ríos-Touma B.

Trichoptera, or caddisflies, are an order of aquatic insects occurring around the world in rivers, streams, and lakes. About 15,000 species are known. The aquatic larvae use silk to construct cases in which they reside or to spin silken nets to capture food suspended in the water column. The adults, with the body and wings covered with fine hairs, are crepuscular and resemble small moths. Larvae are important components of aquatic food webs. Most are intolerant of pollution and serve as biological indicators of water quality. This chapter provides an overview of the geographical, morphological, and ecological diversity of caddisflies. Aquatic respiration, osmoregulation, diapause, and other physiological adaptations are reviewed. The literature on general aspects of life history, ecology and behavior, such as adult emergence, mating behavior, egg laying, predation, construction behavior, food and feeding, drift, and production is reviewed. The effect of climate change and other human impacts on the diversity and distribution of caddisflies is discussed. Finally, methods for collecting, preparing, and observing immature stages and adults for scientific study are presented. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Feeding ecology of the Terciopelo pit viper snake (Bothrops asper) in Ecuador

2023 , Loaiza-Lange A. , Székely D , Torres-Carvajal O. , Tinoco N. , Salazar Valenzuela, David , Székely P.

Thoroughly documenting prey items and diet composition is crucial for understanding a predator’s role in the ecosystem. In gape restricted predators, such as snakes, documenting and analyzing the type and size of the prey is important to interpret their ecological role. We describe the diet patterns of a species of venomous snake, the Terciopelo pit viper (Bothrops asper), from its Ecuadorian populations. Examining the gastrointestinal contents of museum specimens collected over an extensive area of the Pacific lowlands of Ecuador, we encountered 69 identifiable prey items from four major taxonomic groups (amphibians, centipedes, mammals, and reptiles). We evaluated the observed composition of prey to check for differences between sexes and size-classes. To complement our observations of the Terciopelo species complex throughout their distribution, we carried out a systematic literature review. Our data show an ontogenetic shift in diet, with a transition from more diverse diet in juveniles towards a mammal-specialized diet in adults, and distinct proportion of prey taxa between the sexes in the juvenile size class. Copyright 2023 Loaiza-Lange et al.

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Validating anthropogenic threat maps as a tool for assessing river ecological integrity in Andean-Amazon basins

2019 , Lessmann J. , Troya M.J. , Flecker A.S. , ChrisFunk W.W. , Guayasamin, Juan M. , Ochoa-Herrera V. , LeRoyPoff N.N. , Suárez E. , Encalada A.C.

Anthropogenic threat maps are commonly used as a surrogate for the ecological integrity of rivers in freshwater conservation, but a clearer understanding of their relationships is required to develop proper management plans at large scales. Here, we developed and validated empirical models that link the ecological integrity of rivers to threat maps in a large, heterogeneous and biodiverse Andean-Amazon watershed. Through fieldwork, we recorded data on aquatic invertebrate community composition, habitat quality, and physical-chemical parameters to calculate the ecological integrity of 140 streams/rivers across the basin. Simultaneously, we generated maps that describe the location, extent, and magnitude of impact of nine anthropogenic threats to freshwater systems in the basin. Through seven-fold cross-validation procedure, we found that regression models based on anthropogenic threats alone have limited power for predicting the ecological integrity of rivers. However, the prediction accuracy improved when environmental predictors (slope and elevation) were included, and more so when the predictions were carried out at a coarser scale, such as microbasins. Moreover, anthropogenic threats that amplify the incidence of other pressures (roads, human settlements and oil activities) are the most relevant predictors of ecological integrity. We concluded that threat maps can offer an overall picture of the ecological integrity pattern of the basin, becoming a useful tool for broad-scale conservation planning for freshwater ecosystems. While it is always advisable to have finer scale in situ measurements of ecological integrity, our study shows that threat maps provide fast and cost-effective results, which so often are needed for pressing management and conservation actions. © 2019 Lessmann et al.

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