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- Resource utilization by earthworms affects soil C and N dynamics and further colonization of invasive earthworms. By applying 13C-labeled Tabebuia heterophylla leaves and 15N-labeled Andropogon glomeratus grass, we investigated resource utilization by three earthworm species (invasive endogeic Pontoscolex corethrurus, native anecic Estherella sp, and native endogeic Onychochaeta borincana) and their effects on soil C and N dynamics in Puerto Rican soils in a 22-day laboratory experiment. Changes of 13C/C and 15N/N in soils, earthworms, and microbial populations were analyzed to evaluate...AuthorsChing-Yu Huang, Grizelle Gonzalez, Paul F. HendrixKeywordsSourceForestsYear2016
- Seasonally dry tropical forests are distributed across Latin America and the Caribbean and are highly threatened, with less than 10% of their original extent remaining in many countries. Using 835 inventories covering 4660 species of woody plants, we show marked floristic turnover among inventories and regions, which may be higher than in other neotropical biomes, such as savanna. Such high floristic turnover indicates that numerous conservation areas across many countries will be needed to protect the full diversity of tropical dry forests. Our results provide a scientific framework...AuthorsK. Banda-R, A. Delgado-Salinas, K. G. Dexter, R. Linares-Palomino, A. Oliveira-Filho, D. Prado, M. Pullan, C. Quintana, R. Riina, G. M. Rodriguez M., J. Weintritt, P. Acevedo-Rodriguez, J. Adarve, E. Alvarez, A. Aranguren B., J. C. Arteaga, G. Aymard, A. Castano, N. Ceballos-Mago, A. Cogollo, H. Cuadros, F. Delgado, W. Devia, H. Duenas, L. Fajardo, A. Fernandez, M. A. Fernandez, J. Franklin, E. H. Freid, L. A. Galetti, R. Gonto, R. Gonzalez-M., R. Graveson, Eileen Helmer, A. Idarraga, R. Lopez, H. Marcano-Vega, O. G. Martinez, H. M. Maturo, M. McDonald, K. McLaren, O. Melo, F. Mijares, V. Mogni, D. Molina, N. d. P. Moreno, J. M. Nassar, D. M. Neves, L. J. Oakley, M. Oatham, A. R. Olvera-Luna, F. F. Pezzini, O. J. R. Dominguez, M. E. Rios, O. Rivera, N. Rodriguez, A. Rojas, T. Sarkinen, R. Sanchez, M. Smith, C. Vargas, B. Villanueva, R. T. PenningtonKeywordsSourceScienceYear2016
- Satellite-derived remote-sensing products are providing a modern circumpolar perspective of Arctic vegetation and its changes, but this new view is dependent on a long heritage of ground-based observations in the Arctic. Several products of the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna are key to our current understanding.Wereview aspects of the PanArctic Flora, the Circumpolar Arctic Vegetation Map, the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment, and the Arctic Vegetation Archive (AVA) as they relate to efforts to describe and map the vegetation, plant biomass, and biodiversity of the Arctic at circumpol...AuthorsD A Walker, F J A Daniels, I Alsos, U S Bhatt, A L Breen, M Buchhorn, H Bultmann, L A Druckenmiller, M E Edwards, D Ehrich, H E Epstein, William A. Gould, R A Ims, H Meltofte, M K Raynolds, J Sibik, S S Talbot, P J WebberSourceEnvironmental Research LettersYear2016
- There has been a recent proposal to change the way that biology is taught and learned in undergraduate biology programs in the USA so that students develop a better understanding of science and the natural world. Here, we use this new, recommended teaching– learning framework to assert that permanent forestry plots could be a valuable tool to help develop biology literacy in the Caribbean and to help reverse what we perceive to be a trend of increasing detachment from nature in our Caribbean undergraduate biology students.AuthorsH. Valles, C.M.S. CarringtonSourceCaribbean Naturalist Special issue no.1Year2016
- Between 2010 and 2012, Parc National de la Guadeloupe, Office National des Forêts, and Université des Antilles et de la Guyane established 9 permanent 1-ha plots in tropical rain forest of Basse-Terre Island (Guadeloupe). These plots comprise the Guadeloupian Forest Observatory, and are specifically designed for long-term tree growth measurements and forest-dynamics surveys. We marked more than 8000 trees with a diameter at breast height >10 cm and equipped them with tape dendrometers for measurement at 5-y intervals. We describe our field protocols for plot establishment and tree-growth...AuthorsY. Gall, A. Rousteau, G. Van LaereKeywordsSourceCaribbean Naturalist Special issue no.1Year2016
- The Golden-olive Woodpecker is a generalist species found in a wide range of habitats, being particularly common in coffee plantations within Nicaraguan cloud forests. Observations of an individual feeding at the base of Cecropia leaves revealed it was consuming Mullerian bodies that the Cecropia produces to feed Azteca ants as part of a host-inhabitant mutualistic symbiosis. This record further documents the plasticity of some species as they search for alternative sources of energy.AuthorsM.A. Torrez, Wayne J. Arendt, L. DiazKeywordsSourceWilson Journal of OrnithologyYear2016
- Carbon sequestration is a major ecosystem service provided by tropical forests. Especially in light of global climate change, understanding the drivers of forest productivity is of critical importance. Although abiotic conditions (e.g., precipitation) are known to influence forest productivity, ecological theory predicts that biodiversity may also have independent effects on productivity. We estimated standing aboveground biomass (AGB) in mature forests of Puerto Rico that span a strong precipitation gradient and 2 general soil types. With these data, we examined the independent and...AuthorsR. Muscarella, M. Uriarte, D.L. Erickson, N.G. Swenson, J.K. Zimmerman, W.J. KressSourceCaribbean Naturalist Special issue no.1Year2016
- Mona Island protects one of the most important remnants of Caribbean dry forests and hosts a high diversity of rare and endangered plant and animal species. Feral ungulates (goats and pigs) were introduced to the island ~500 y ago, and their populations may be threatening the conservation of Mona Island’s native biodiversity. In this study, we used permanent fenced and unfenced plots at 4 different depression-forest sites on Mona Island to assess longterm (10-y) understory vegetation dynamics and the potential responses of this vegetation stratum to ungulate exclusion. Depression forests...AuthorsJ. Rojas-Sandoval, E.J. Melendez-Ackerman, J. Fumero-Caban, M. Garcia-Bermudez, J. Sustache, S. Aragon, M. Morales-Vargas, G. Olivieri, D.S. FernandezSourceCaribbean Naturalist Special issue no.1Year2016
- The complex three-dimensional (3-D) structure of tropical forests generates a diversity of light environments for canopy and understory trees. Understanding diurnal and seasonal changes in light availability is critical for interpreting measurements of net ecosystem exchange and improving ecosystem models. Here, we used the Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) model to simulate leaf absorption of photosynthetically active radiation (lAPAR) for an Amazon forest. The 3-D model scene was developed from airborne lidar data, and local measurements of leaf reflectance, aerosols, and...AuthorsDouglas C. Morton, Jeremy Rubio, Bruce D. Cook, Jean-Philippe Gastellu-Etchegorry, Marcos Longo, Hyeungu Choi, Maria Hunter, Michael KellerSourceBiogeosciencesYear2016
- Research on the influence of social network structure over flows of knowledge in support of sustainability governance and action has recently flourished. These studies highlight three challenges to evaluating knowledge-action networks: first, defining boundaries; second, characterizing power distributions; and third, identifying obstacles to knowledge sharing and connectivity. We present concepts from social network analysis (SNA) commonly found to influence knowledge flows. We examine applications of SNA from across the social sciences and use the case of land governance in San Juan,...AuthorsTischa A. A. Munoz, B.B. CuttsKeywordsSourceCurrent Opinion in Environmental SustainabilityYear2016