Browsing by Autor "Cecilia Blundo"

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Author Correction: Mature Andean forests as globally important carbon sinks and future carbon refuges
(Nature Portfolio, 2021) Álvaro Duque; Miguel A. Peña; Francisco Cuesta; Sebastian González‐Caro; Peter G. Kennedy; Oliver L. Phillips; Marco Calderón-Loor; Cecilia Blundo; Julieta Carilla; Leslie Cayola
Elevation and latitude drives structure and tree species composition in Andean forests: Results from a large-scale plot network
(Public Library of Science, 2020) Agustina Malizia; Cecilia Blundo; Julieta Carilla; Oriana Osinaga Acosta; Francisco Cuesta; Álvaro Duque; Nikolay Aguirre; Zhofre Aguirre Mendoza; Michele Ataroff; Selene Báez
Our knowledge about the structure and function of Andean forests at regional scales remains limited. Current initiatives to study forests over continental or global scales still have important geographical gaps, particularly in regions such as the tropical and subtropical Andes. In this study, we assessed patterns of structure and tree species diversity along ~ 4000 km of latitude and ~ 4000 m of elevation range in Andean forests. We used the Andean Forest Network (Red de Bosques Andinos, https://redbosques.condesan.org/) database which, at present, includes 491 forest plots (totaling 156.3 ha, ranging from 0.01 to 6 ha) representing a total of 86,964 identified tree stems ≥ 10 cm diameter at breast height belonging to 2341 identified species, 584 genera and 133 botanical families. Tree stem density and basal area increases with elevation while species richness decreases. Stem density and species richness both decrease with latitude. Subtropical forests have distinct tree species composition compared to those in the tropical region. In addition, floristic similarity of subtropical plots is between 13 to 16% while similarity between tropical forest plots is between 3% to 9%. Overall, plots ~ 0.5-ha or larger may be preferred for describing patterns at regional scales in order to avoid plot size effects. We highlight the need to promote collaboration and capacity building among researchers in the Andean region (i.e., South-South cooperation) in order to generate and synthesize information at regional scale.
Evaluación del estado de conservación de los bosques montanos en los Andes tropicales
(2012) Natalia Tejedor‐Garavito; Esteban Álvarez‐Dávila; Sandra Lorena Franco Arango; Alejandro Araujo Murakami; Cecilia Blundo; Tatiana Erika Boza Espinoza; M. A. la Torre Cuadros; Jackeline Gaviria; Nelcy Patricia Vargas Gutiérrez; Peter M. Jørgensen
Autores del artículo: N. Tejedor Garavito, E. Álvarez, S. Arango Caro, A. Araujo Murakami, C. Blundo, T.E. Boza Espinoza, M.A. La Torre Cuadros, J. Gaviria, N. Gutíerrez, P.M. Jørgensen, B. León, R. López Camacho, L. Malizia, B. Millán, M. Moraes, S. Pacheco, J.M. Rey Benayas, C. Reynel, M. Timaná de la Flor, C. Ulloa Ulloa, O. Vacas Cruz, A.C. Newton.
Historical Assembly of Andean Tree Communities
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute, 2023) Sebastian González‐Caro; J. Sebastián Tello; Jonathan A. Myers; Kenneth J. Feeley; Cecilia Blundo; Marco Calderón-Loor; Julieta Carilla; Leslie Cayola; Francisco Cuesta; William Farfán-Ríos
Patterns of species diversity have been associated with changes in climate across latitude and elevation. However, the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying these relationships are still actively debated. Here, we present a complementary view of the well-known tropical niche conservatism (TNC) hypothesis, termed the multiple zones of origin (MZO) hypothesis, to explore mechanisms underlying latitudinal and elevational gradients of phylogenetic diversity in tree communities. The TNC hypothesis posits that most lineages originate in warmer, wetter, and less seasonal environments in the tropics and rarely colonize colder, drier, and more seasonal environments outside of the tropical lowlands, leading to higher phylogenetic diversity at lower latitudes and elevations. In contrast, the MZO hypothesis posits that lineages also originate in temperate environments and readily colonize similar environments in the tropical highlands, leading to lower phylogenetic diversity at lower latitudes and elevations. We tested these phylogenetic predictions using a combination of computer simulations and empirical analyses of tree communities in 245 forest plots located in six countries across the tropical and subtropical Andes. We estimated the phylogenetic diversity for each plot and regressed it against elevation and latitude. Our simulated and empirical results provide strong support for the MZO hypothesis. Phylogenetic diversity among co-occurring tree species increased with both latitude and elevation, suggesting an important influence on the historical dispersal of lineages with temperate origins into the tropical highlands. The mixing of different floras was likely favored by the formation of climatically suitable corridors for plant migration due to the Andean uplift. Accounting for the evolutionary history of plant communities helps to advance our knowledge of the drivers of tree community assembly along complex climatic gradients, and thus their likely responses to modern anthropogenic climate change.
Mature Andean forests as globally important carbon sinks and future carbon refuges
(Nature Portfolio, 2021) Álvaro Duque; Miguel A. Peña; Francisco Cuesta; Sebastian González‐Caro; Peter G. Kennedy; Oliver L. Phillips; Marco Calderón-Loor; Cecilia Blundo; Julieta Carilla; Leslie Cayola
Untangling the importance of niche breadth and niche position as drivers of tree species abundance and occupancy across biogeographic regions
(Wiley, 2020) Dilys M. Vela Díaz; Cecilia Blundo; Leslie Cayola; Alfredo F. Fuentes; Lucio R. Malizia; Jonathan A. Myers
Abstract Aim Ecological niches shape species commonness and rarity, yet, the relative importance of different niche mechanisms within and across ecosystems remains unresolved. We tested the influence of niche breadth (range of environmental conditions where species occur) and niche position (marginality of a species’ environmental distribution relative to the mean environmental conditions of a region) on tree‐species abundance and occupancy across three biogeographic regions. Location Argentinian Andes; Bolivian Amazon; Missouri Ozarks. Time period 2002–2010. Major taxa studied Trees. Methods We calculated abiotic‐niche breadths and abiotic‐niche positions using 16 climate, soil and topographic variables. For each region, we used model selection to test the relative influence of niche breadth and niche position on local abundance and occupancy in regional‐scale networks of 0.1‐ha forest plots. To account for species–environment associations caused by other mechanisms (e.g., dispersal), we used null models that randomized associations between species occurrences and environmental variables. Results We found strong support for the niche‐position hypothesis. In all regions, species with higher local abundance and occupancy occurred in non‐marginal environments. Observed relationships between occupancy and niche position also differed from random species–environment associations in all regions. Surprisingly, we found little support for the niche‐breadth hypothesis. Observed relationships between both local abundance and niche breadth, and occupancy and niche breadth, did not differ from random species–environment associations. Main conclusion Niche position was more important than niche breadth in shaping species commonness and rarity across temperate, sub‐tropical and tropical forests. In all forests, tree species with widespread geographic distributions were associated with environmental conditions commonly found throughout the region, suggesting that niche position has similar effects on species occupancy across contrasting biogeographic regions. Our findings imply that conservation efforts aimed at protecting populations of common and rare tree species should prioritize conservation of both common and rare habitats.