Abstract: A combination of restriction associated DNA sequencing (RADSeq) and low coverage MiSeq genome sequencing was used for the development of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and INDEL (insertion/deletions) genetic markers for Ipe (Handroanthus sp.). Of the 402 putative loci identified, 389 SNPs and INDELs (315 nuclear SPNs, six chloroplast INDELs, 15 chloroplast SNPs, 12 mitochondrial INDELs and 41 mitochondrial SNPs) were successfully genotyped at 93 individuals from Brazil, Bolivia and French Guiana using a MassARRAY® iPLEX™ platform. This set of markers will be invaluable for population genetics, phylogeography and DNA fingerprinting studies. © 2017, Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature.

Abstract: Despite ongoing research in food web ecology and functional biogeography, the links between food web structure, functional traits and environmental conditions across spatial scales remain poorly understood. Trophic niches, defined as the amount of energy and elemental space occupied by species and food webs, may help bridge this divide. Here, we ask how the functional traits of species, the environmental conditions of habitats and the spatial scale of analysis jointly determine the characteristics of trophic niches. We used isotopic niches as a proxy of trophic niches, and conducted analyses at spatial scales ranging from local food webs and metacommunities to geographically distant sites. We sampled aquatic macroinvertebrates from 104 tank bromeliads distributed across five sites from Central to South America and compiled the macroinvertebrates’ functional traits and stable isotope values (δ15N and δ13C). We assessed how isotopic niches within each bromeliad were influenced by the functional trait composition of their associated invertebrates and environmental conditions (i.e., habitat size, canopy cover [CC] and detrital concentration [DC]). We then evaluated whether the diet of dominant predators and, consequently, energy pathways within food webs reflected functional and environmental changes among bromeliads across sites. At last, we determined the extent to which the isotopic niches of macroinvertebrates within each bromeliad contributed to the metacommunity isotopic niches within each site and compared these metacommunity-level niches over biogeographic scales. At the bromeliad level, isotopic niches increased with the functional richness of species in the food web and the DC in the bromeliad. The diet of top predators tracked shifts in prey biomass along gradients of CC and DC. Bromeliads that grew under heterogeneous CC displayed less trophic redundancy and therefore combined to form larger metacommunity isotopic niches. At last, the size of metacommunity niches depended on within-site heterogeneity in CC. Our results suggest that the trophic niches occupied by food webs can predictably scale from local food webs to metacommunities to biogeographic regions. This scaling process is determined by both the functional traits of species and heterogeneity in environmental conditions. A plain language summary is available for this article. © 2018 The Authors. Functional Ecology © 2018 British Ecological Society

Abstract: High-speed power-amplification mechanisms are common throughout the animal kingdom. In ants, power-amplified trap-jaw mandibles have evolved independently at least four times, including once in the subfamily Ponerinae which contains the sister genera Odontomachus and Anochetus. In Odontomachus, mandible strikes have been relatively well described and can occur in <0.15 ms and reach speeds of over 60 m s−1. In contrast, the kinematics of mandible strikes have not been examined in Anochetus, whose species are smaller and morphologically distinct from Odontomachus. In this study, we describe the mandible strike kinematics of four species of Anochetus representative of the morphological, phylogenetic, and size diversity present within the genus. We also compare their strikes to two representative species of Odontomachus. We found that two species, Anochetus targionii and Anochetus paripungens, have mandible strikes that overall closely resemble those found in Odontomachus, reaching a mean maximum rotational velocity and acceleration of around 3.7 × 104 rad s−1 and 8.5 × 108 rad s−2, respectively. This performance is consistent with predictions based on body size scaling relationships described for Odontomachus. In contrast, Anochetus horridus and Anochetus emarginatus have slower strikes relative to the other species of Anochetus and Odontomachus, reaching mean maximum rotational velocity and acceleration of around 1.3 × 104 rad s−1 and 2 × 108 rad s−2, respectively. This variation in strike performance among species of Anochetus likely reflects differences in evolutionary history, physiology, and natural history among species. © 2018 The Zoological Society of London

Abstract: Despite low plant diversity and structural simplicity, mangroves offer various ecosystem services to local human communities, including sheltering coastal social-ecological systems from high-energy storm damage. The expected increasing intensity of hurricanes due to climate change raises questions concerning the capacity of mangroves to resist and recover from such disturbances. Herein, this study contributes to a better understanding of (1) the relation between storm intensity and damage to mangrove vegetation, (2) the contributions of species-specific as well as stand-specific components of mangrove vegetation to ecosystem resistance, and (3) the recovery of pre-hurricane forest structure through time. The first two issues have been addressed using a stand-level approach implemented at two east Caribbean mangrove sites in response to three storm events. The third was addressed through a 23-yr survey of forest recovery following the passage of a high-energy storm across one of the two study sites. Generally, hurricane damage was primarily controlled by wind velocity, followed by the hydro-geomorphic context of mangrove forests and species-specific composition, respectively. The relationship between damage to trees and wind velocity evidenced a sigmoidal trend, with a maximum slope at a wind velocity averaging 130 and 180 km/h for higher vs. lower canopy stands, respectively. The red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle, was significantly less resistant to hurricane damage than was the black mangrove, Avicennia germinans. Unlike the fringe and scrub stands, inner, tall-canopy stands fully recovered by the end of the study (23 yr). These stands were more resilient because of their growth performances. Finally, the time for east Caribbean mangroves to recover from high-energy storms seems to fall within the range of the average return time of such disturbances. This may prevent such ecosystems from ever reaching a steady state.

Abstract: Deforestation-reinforced by illegal logging-is a serious problem in many tropical regions and causes pervasive environmental and economic damage. Existing laws that intend to reduce illegal logging need efficient, fraud resistant control methods. We developed a genetic reference database for Jatoba (Hymenaea courbaril), an important, high value timber species from the Neotropics. The data set can be used for controls on declarations of wood origin. Samples from 308 Hymenaea trees from 12 locations in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, and French Guiana have been collected and genotyped on 10 nuclear microsatellites (nSSRs), 13 chloroplast SNPs (cpSNP), and 1 chloroplast indel marker. The chloroplast gene markers have been developed using Illumina DNA sequencing. Bayesian cluster analysis divided the individuals based on the nSSRs into 8 genetic groups. Using self-assignment tests, the power of the genetic reference database to judge on declarations on the location has been tested for 3 different assignment methods. We observed a strong genetic differentiation among locations leading to high and reliable self-assignment rates for the locations between 50% to 100% (average of 88%). Although all 3 assignment methods came up with similar mean self-assignment rates, there were differences for some locations linked to the level of genetic diversity, differentiation, and heterozygosity. Our results show that the nuclear and chloroplast gene markers are effective to be used for a genetic certification system and can provide national and international authorities with a robust tool to confirm legality of timber. © 2018 The American Genetic Association. All rights reserved.