The expansion of invasive species is a global concern. Within the Orchidaceae there are a number ... more The expansion of invasive species is a global concern. Within the Orchidaceae there are a number of invasive species. One of the most widely distributed invasive orchids in Mexico is Oeceoclades maculata (Lindl.) Lindl. By examining the population dynamic variations of an invasive species in its range of expansion, we can identify the factors that have contributed to that variation. Life Table Response Experiments (LTRE) were used to describe the dynamic of four populations of O. maculata in different ecosystems in south Chiapas, Mexico. Our goals were to quantify the contributions of differences between years and sites, and their interactions, to overall differences in population growth rate (k), and to underlying vital rates. Fertility, survival and growth made the largest contributions, both positive and negative, to annual differences in k. Spatial variations in k were also found. The largest plants (S3 and S4) made the contributions of greatest magnitude each year and in each site. In seven of eight cases, the inclusion of the interaction term gave a better estimate of the population growth rate. This investigation highlights the need for taking into account life-history variations at different scales when the research goal is to study expansion of an invasive species in a heterogeneous landscape. The usefulness of LTRE studies was also demonstrated to better understand the natural history of the species and thus lay the groundwork for planning efficient management strategies, either for the conservation of rare, endangered species, or for the control of invasive species.
Agroecology and sustainable food systems, Mar 1, 2019
The "desmusgue" is a process wherein epiphytes are removed from coffee bushes to increase product... more The "desmusgue" is a process wherein epiphytes are removed from coffee bushes to increase production but its benefits are largely anecdotal. The main aim of this study was to find out whether this practice effectively increases coffee production, its cost-benefit and its effect on epiphyte biodiversity. We found that coffee bushes of Coffea arabica and C. canephora that had epiphytes removed produced more fruits than those with epiphytes. However, the increase in production and in farmer´s incomes were highly variable. This practice clearly endangers epiphyte biodiversity. In order to protect epiphytes and farmer income, farmers should be informed of the impact of "desmusgue" on epiphytes, and the consequences of biodiversity loss.In order to protect epiphytes and farmer income, farmers should be informed of the impact of "desmusgue" onepiphytes, and the consequences of biodiversity loss. In addition, coffee certification programs that subsidize epiphyte-friendly practices, and protected areas and community reserves that favor epiphytes should be established.
Orchids coexist with a diversity of endophytic fungi within their roots and other parts of the pl... more Orchids coexist with a diversity of endophytic fungi within their roots and other parts of the plant. These are presumed to contribute to nutrition, and may protect the plants against pathogens and herbivores; however, some may be latent pathogens and/or bring no benefit to the plant. Guarianthe skinneri is an epiphytic Central American threatened orchid used as an ornamental plant and in the rituals and celebrations of many communities. However, in the Soconusco region (Chiapas, Mexico), the pseudobulbs of mature plants are affected by the Lasiodiplodia theobromae fungus, causing the disease “black blotch”. We evaluated and compared the diversity of the endophytic fungal community within the leaves, pseudobulbs and roots of mature plants in two conditions, asymptomatic and symptomatic. Thirty samples from each condition and tissue were amplified with ITS and sequenced by Illumina MiSeq. Sequences were obtained and analyzed to determine taxonomic assignment and functionality with FU...
Função política e social do direito e teorias da constituição 4
Understanding the human interaction with nature is of paramount importance to understand the way ... more Understanding the human interaction with nature is of paramount importance to understand the way in which the human being categorizes, uses and manages the plants that grow in a specific environment. Several studies demonstrate how the human knowledge built from the appropriation of the physical and environmental environment, influences the process of adapting plants in the wide area, allowing the resilience of the people in the face of changes. The qato'ok pueblo lives in the municipality of Tuzantán, region of Soconusco, state of Chiapas, Mexico. Its main activity is agriculture for the production of maize under the milpa system and the management of cacao in policulture. However, the language of this pueblo is considered to be at severe risk of disappearing due to the policies of educational assimilation that has been subject since the 1930s of the past siglo, and the little interest of young people to recover the knowledge associated with the language. Under this adverse context, there is evidence in the memory of the elders of a knowledge regarding the use and management of plants adapted to the particularities of the territory, which was built throughout the time, allowing in its adaptation to elaborate a whole series of categories of ethnobotanical use. Under this approach, information was collected that identifies 57 plant species in the qato'ok language. Using methodologies from social and ethnobiological sciences, information was obtained to create lists of plant books. These were triangulated with information from the herbaria and the knowledge of the elders of the community, to obtain categories of useful plants, in such a way as to support the efforts to conserve local ethnobotanical knowledge, in the same way as the Ethnobiological Garden of the Selvas del Soconusco can play an important role.
Phorophytes are assumed to act as facilitators for epiphytes, but empirical evidence indicates th... more Phorophytes are assumed to act as facilitators for epiphytes, but empirical evidence indicates that they also act as amensalists. While few epiphytes can colonize most phorophytes, some epiphytes (such as orchids) appear in few phorophytes and/or have low population sizes, suggesting that are strongly phorophyte-limited. We assume that phorophyte type must determine the structure of the interaction network between epiphytes and phorophytes. In order to identify phorophyte type, we studied their distribution of epiphytes and, using two methods for measuring interaction intensity (raw and standardized data), analyzed the structure of the epiphyte-phorophyte interaction network. We quantified and identified all of the epiphytes and their phorophytes in all of the woody plants (diameter at breath height ≥ 5 cm) found in five 0.1 ha transects (10 × 100 m) in an oak forest of central Mexico. Acacia farnesiana and Bursera copallifera were the preferred phorophytes with greater epiphyte loads than would be expected by chance, while Quercus magnoliifolia and Q. candicans were limiting, with less epiphytes than would be expected by chance. In the network analyses, the preferred phorophytes concentrated interactions. These included B. copallifera, which, despite being infrequent, had the highest intensity of interaction with the most abundant epiphyte (Viridantha atroviridipetala: Bromeliaceae), while the most abundant phorophyte (Q. magnoliifolia) had low interaction intensity. This study reinforces the increasing evidence showing that epiphytes can be phorophyte-limited and shows that the type and importance of phorophytes within the interaction network is not determined by their abundance.
... México, DF México. Address Correspondence to: Carmen Ruíz Bello, Facultad de Ciencias Agrícol... more ... México, DF México. Address Correspondence to: Carmen Ruíz Bello, Facultad de Ciencias Agrícolas. ... Los medios de cultivo in vitro estudiados fueron: Murashige y Skoog; Vacin y Went; Dalla Rosa y Laneri K07, y Phytamax (medio de manteni-57º ANIVERSARIO ...
Background and Aims: Biological invasions are considered as second to habitat loss as a cause of ... more Background and Aims: Biological invasions are considered as second to habitat loss as a cause of the extinction of species. The study of population dynamics is particularly relevant for species with expansive behavior. The aims of this study were to: (1) evaluate the population ecology of Oncidium poikilostalix in shaded coffee plantations in Mexico, (2) evaluate the reproductive behavior of O. poikilostalix in this habitat, and (3) determine whether this orchid should be considered as an invasive species.Methods: During 2013-2015, most of the individuals of the Mexican population of O. poikilostalix (located south of the state Chiapas) were marked and measured. Additionally, the flower and fruit production (first flowering and repeated flowering), mortality and recruitment of new individuals were registered annually, and its potential distribution was modeled.Key results: Within this period a population increase of 1.11% was observed, with a proportional increase in the number of f...
Background: Understanding the effect of perturbation, be it natural or anthropogenic, on the demo... more Background: Understanding the effect of perturbation, be it natural or anthropogenic, on the demography and dynamics of the plant populations can help conservation management planning. Aims: We assessed the impacts of management of a shade coffee plantation on a population of Oncidium poikilostalix (Orchidaceae). Methods: We studied in a coffee (Coffea arabica) agroecosystem the impact of the current traditional management [T] and two hypothetical epiphyte control management scenarios (intense 'desmusgue' [ID] and moderate 'desmusgue' [MD]), on the only known Mexican population of O. poikilostalix. Based on 3 years of field demographics data, the population dynamics of the orchid were projected using T, ID and MD scenarios for 20 years into the future. Results: Under the current management T, the population of O. poikilostalix was projected to grow continuously (λ = 1.102). Conversely, under management ID, the loss of individuals would lead to a sustained population decline (λ = 0.843); in the case of MD, the population would decline more slowly with the population growth rate tending towards equilibrium (λ = 0.966). Conclusions: The changes in the management of coffee plantations that have become common throughout the southeast of Mexico represent a threat to the survival of the only population of O. poikilostalix in Mexico, and likely threaten other epiphytic species.
All oral presenters, including invited and keynote speakers, must submit a manuscript for the Act... more All oral presenters, including invited and keynote speakers, must submit a manuscript for the Acta. If this is not agreed to by the author(s), the work can be presented as a poster. Authors of posters are welcomed to submit their manuscript for Acta Horticulturae but posters cannot be published as such. The manuscript should be submitted a few weeks before the symposium starts or at the symposium in order to avoid unnecessary delay in the reviewing process and editing of the Acta Horticulturae volume. Submission of a manuscript implies: that the work described has not been published before (except in form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review or thesis); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that its publication has been approved by all co-authors, if any, as well as-tacitly or explicitly-by the responsible authorities at the institution where the work was carried out. The copyright to an article submitted for publication is transferred to ...
and Unciferia). Based on analyses that have evaluated the phylogenetic relationships of Stelis, i... more and Unciferia). Based on analyses that have evaluated the phylogenetic relationships of Stelis, in this work we compare and discuss both proposals. The concept of Stelis s.l. encompasses a monophyletic group with variable morphology among its members but with strong support. Against this, it has been argued that there are no morphological synapomorphies that define the group and, hence, it is preferable to divide it. However, this consideration forgets the fact that morphology is not the only criterion useful in delimiting a taxonomic group. On the other hand, following this approach leads to taxonomic inflation and complicates a classification system that otherwise would be easier to learn and use. Some groups segregated from Stelis s.l. are not monophyletic (Dracontia, Effusiella); others are monotypic and defined by autapomorphies (Lalexia, Mystacorchis). Furthermore, more phylogenetic work is necessary to evaluate the position of some species previously transferred to Stelis s.l. that seem to be more closely related to Pleurothallis (e.g. Stelis quadrifida, S. restrepioides).
Native orchid cultivation is a compatible alternative for impoverished coffee farmers in southeas... more Native orchid cultivation is a compatible alternative for impoverished coffee farmers in southeastern Mexico who are in crisis due to falling prices. Sustainable orchid cultivation is also an urgent necessity as an alternative to nonsustainable extraction from protected reserves, forest fragments and traditional coffee plantations, and to restore and conserve populations within these habitats. Our objective was to test the effects of locally available substrates and fertilizers upon orchids cultivated under typical rural conditions in coffee-producing areas in Soconusco, Chiapas. Seven species of epiphytic orchids native to Soconusco region—Cattleya aurantiaca, Brassavola nodosa, Prosthechea (Encyclia) chacaoensis, Anathallis (Pleurothallis) racemiflora, Cattleya skinneri, Cycnoches ventricosumandEncyclia cordigera—were propagatedin vitro, acclimatized and established in rustic orchid galleries in the home gardens and plantations of coffee growers. Locally available waste products w...
Differences in alpha and beta bat diversity among montane rainforest and five shaded coffee plant... more Differences in alpha and beta bat diversity among montane rainforest and five shaded coffee plantations under different management regimes, as well as some environmental factors and vegetation parameters influencing bat richness, were evaluated for the first time in ...
... México, DF México. Address Correspondence to: Carmen Ruíz Bello, Facultad de Ciencias Agrícol... more ... México, DF México. Address Correspondence to: Carmen Ruíz Bello, Facultad de Ciencias Agrícolas. ... Los medios de cultivo in vitro estudiados fueron: Murashige y Skoog; Vacin y Went; Dalla Rosa y Laneri K07, y Phytamax (medio de mantenimiento de Orquídeas). ...
The "desmusgue" is a process wherein epiphytes are removed from coffee bushes to increase product... more The "desmusgue" is a process wherein epiphytes are removed from coffee bushes to increase production but its benefits are largely anecdotal. The main aim of this study was to find out whether this practice effectively increases coffee production, its cost-benefit and its effect on epiphyte biodiversity. We found that coffee bushes of Coffea arabica and C. canephora that had epiphytes removed produced more fruits than those with epiphytes. However, the increase in production and in farmer´s incomes were highly variable. This practice clearly endangers epiphyte biodiversity. In order to protect epiphytes and farmer income, farmers should be informed of the impact of "desmusgue" on epiphytes, and the consequences of biodiversity loss.In order to protect epiphytes and farmer income, farmers should be informed of the impact of "desmusgue" onepiphytes, and the consequences of biodiversity loss. In addition, coffee certification programs that subsidize epiphyte-friendly practices, and protected areas and community reserves that favor epiphytes should be established.
The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari, is a serious problem for the majority of the... more The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari, is a serious problem for the majority of the world‘s coffee growers and has proved to be one of the most intractable of present day pests. Despite a great deal of research, control still depends largely on the application of the organochlorine insecticide endosulfan, which is damaging to the environment, or a series of cultural and biological control methods which give variable and unpredictable results. This review summarizes the most important aspects of the biology and ecology of H. hampei and its control and identifies weak points in the knowledge about this pest. Emphasis is placed upon an analysis of the non-chemical control methods available and suggestions are offered for novel ecological and environmental factors worthy of further research, in the search for viable and sustainable control methods.
The expansion of invasive species is a global concern. Within the Orchidaceae there are a number ... more The expansion of invasive species is a global concern. Within the Orchidaceae there are a number of invasive species. One of the most widely distributed invasive orchids in Mexico is Oeceoclades maculata (Lindl.) Lindl. By examining the population dynamic variations of an invasive species in its range of expansion, we can identify the factors that have contributed to that variation. Life Table Response Experiments (LTRE) were used to describe the dynamic of four populations of O. maculata in different ecosystems in south Chiapas, Mexico. Our goals were to quantify the contributions of differences between years and sites, and their interactions, to overall differences in population growth rate (k), and to underlying vital rates. Fertility, survival and growth made the largest contributions, both positive and negative, to annual differences in k. Spatial variations in k were also found. The largest plants (S3 and S4) made the contributions of greatest magnitude each year and in each site. In seven of eight cases, the inclusion of the interaction term gave a better estimate of the population growth rate. This investigation highlights the need for taking into account life-history variations at different scales when the research goal is to study expansion of an invasive species in a heterogeneous landscape. The usefulness of LTRE studies was also demonstrated to better understand the natural history of the species and thus lay the groundwork for planning efficient management strategies, either for the conservation of rare, endangered species, or for the control of invasive species.
Agroecology and sustainable food systems, Mar 1, 2019
The "desmusgue" is a process wherein epiphytes are removed from coffee bushes to increase product... more The "desmusgue" is a process wherein epiphytes are removed from coffee bushes to increase production but its benefits are largely anecdotal. The main aim of this study was to find out whether this practice effectively increases coffee production, its cost-benefit and its effect on epiphyte biodiversity. We found that coffee bushes of Coffea arabica and C. canephora that had epiphytes removed produced more fruits than those with epiphytes. However, the increase in production and in farmer´s incomes were highly variable. This practice clearly endangers epiphyte biodiversity. In order to protect epiphytes and farmer income, farmers should be informed of the impact of "desmusgue" on epiphytes, and the consequences of biodiversity loss.In order to protect epiphytes and farmer income, farmers should be informed of the impact of "desmusgue" onepiphytes, and the consequences of biodiversity loss. In addition, coffee certification programs that subsidize epiphyte-friendly practices, and protected areas and community reserves that favor epiphytes should be established.
Orchids coexist with a diversity of endophytic fungi within their roots and other parts of the pl... more Orchids coexist with a diversity of endophytic fungi within their roots and other parts of the plant. These are presumed to contribute to nutrition, and may protect the plants against pathogens and herbivores; however, some may be latent pathogens and/or bring no benefit to the plant. Guarianthe skinneri is an epiphytic Central American threatened orchid used as an ornamental plant and in the rituals and celebrations of many communities. However, in the Soconusco region (Chiapas, Mexico), the pseudobulbs of mature plants are affected by the Lasiodiplodia theobromae fungus, causing the disease “black blotch”. We evaluated and compared the diversity of the endophytic fungal community within the leaves, pseudobulbs and roots of mature plants in two conditions, asymptomatic and symptomatic. Thirty samples from each condition and tissue were amplified with ITS and sequenced by Illumina MiSeq. Sequences were obtained and analyzed to determine taxonomic assignment and functionality with FU...
Função política e social do direito e teorias da constituição 4
Understanding the human interaction with nature is of paramount importance to understand the way ... more Understanding the human interaction with nature is of paramount importance to understand the way in which the human being categorizes, uses and manages the plants that grow in a specific environment. Several studies demonstrate how the human knowledge built from the appropriation of the physical and environmental environment, influences the process of adapting plants in the wide area, allowing the resilience of the people in the face of changes. The qato'ok pueblo lives in the municipality of Tuzantán, region of Soconusco, state of Chiapas, Mexico. Its main activity is agriculture for the production of maize under the milpa system and the management of cacao in policulture. However, the language of this pueblo is considered to be at severe risk of disappearing due to the policies of educational assimilation that has been subject since the 1930s of the past siglo, and the little interest of young people to recover the knowledge associated with the language. Under this adverse context, there is evidence in the memory of the elders of a knowledge regarding the use and management of plants adapted to the particularities of the territory, which was built throughout the time, allowing in its adaptation to elaborate a whole series of categories of ethnobotanical use. Under this approach, information was collected that identifies 57 plant species in the qato'ok language. Using methodologies from social and ethnobiological sciences, information was obtained to create lists of plant books. These were triangulated with information from the herbaria and the knowledge of the elders of the community, to obtain categories of useful plants, in such a way as to support the efforts to conserve local ethnobotanical knowledge, in the same way as the Ethnobiological Garden of the Selvas del Soconusco can play an important role.
Phorophytes are assumed to act as facilitators for epiphytes, but empirical evidence indicates th... more Phorophytes are assumed to act as facilitators for epiphytes, but empirical evidence indicates that they also act as amensalists. While few epiphytes can colonize most phorophytes, some epiphytes (such as orchids) appear in few phorophytes and/or have low population sizes, suggesting that are strongly phorophyte-limited. We assume that phorophyte type must determine the structure of the interaction network between epiphytes and phorophytes. In order to identify phorophyte type, we studied their distribution of epiphytes and, using two methods for measuring interaction intensity (raw and standardized data), analyzed the structure of the epiphyte-phorophyte interaction network. We quantified and identified all of the epiphytes and their phorophytes in all of the woody plants (diameter at breath height ≥ 5 cm) found in five 0.1 ha transects (10 × 100 m) in an oak forest of central Mexico. Acacia farnesiana and Bursera copallifera were the preferred phorophytes with greater epiphyte loads than would be expected by chance, while Quercus magnoliifolia and Q. candicans were limiting, with less epiphytes than would be expected by chance. In the network analyses, the preferred phorophytes concentrated interactions. These included B. copallifera, which, despite being infrequent, had the highest intensity of interaction with the most abundant epiphyte (Viridantha atroviridipetala: Bromeliaceae), while the most abundant phorophyte (Q. magnoliifolia) had low interaction intensity. This study reinforces the increasing evidence showing that epiphytes can be phorophyte-limited and shows that the type and importance of phorophytes within the interaction network is not determined by their abundance.
... México, DF México. Address Correspondence to: Carmen Ruíz Bello, Facultad de Ciencias Agrícol... more ... México, DF México. Address Correspondence to: Carmen Ruíz Bello, Facultad de Ciencias Agrícolas. ... Los medios de cultivo in vitro estudiados fueron: Murashige y Skoog; Vacin y Went; Dalla Rosa y Laneri K07, y Phytamax (medio de manteni-57º ANIVERSARIO ...
Background and Aims: Biological invasions are considered as second to habitat loss as a cause of ... more Background and Aims: Biological invasions are considered as second to habitat loss as a cause of the extinction of species. The study of population dynamics is particularly relevant for species with expansive behavior. The aims of this study were to: (1) evaluate the population ecology of Oncidium poikilostalix in shaded coffee plantations in Mexico, (2) evaluate the reproductive behavior of O. poikilostalix in this habitat, and (3) determine whether this orchid should be considered as an invasive species.Methods: During 2013-2015, most of the individuals of the Mexican population of O. poikilostalix (located south of the state Chiapas) were marked and measured. Additionally, the flower and fruit production (first flowering and repeated flowering), mortality and recruitment of new individuals were registered annually, and its potential distribution was modeled.Key results: Within this period a population increase of 1.11% was observed, with a proportional increase in the number of f...
Background: Understanding the effect of perturbation, be it natural or anthropogenic, on the demo... more Background: Understanding the effect of perturbation, be it natural or anthropogenic, on the demography and dynamics of the plant populations can help conservation management planning. Aims: We assessed the impacts of management of a shade coffee plantation on a population of Oncidium poikilostalix (Orchidaceae). Methods: We studied in a coffee (Coffea arabica) agroecosystem the impact of the current traditional management [T] and two hypothetical epiphyte control management scenarios (intense 'desmusgue' [ID] and moderate 'desmusgue' [MD]), on the only known Mexican population of O. poikilostalix. Based on 3 years of field demographics data, the population dynamics of the orchid were projected using T, ID and MD scenarios for 20 years into the future. Results: Under the current management T, the population of O. poikilostalix was projected to grow continuously (λ = 1.102). Conversely, under management ID, the loss of individuals would lead to a sustained population decline (λ = 0.843); in the case of MD, the population would decline more slowly with the population growth rate tending towards equilibrium (λ = 0.966). Conclusions: The changes in the management of coffee plantations that have become common throughout the southeast of Mexico represent a threat to the survival of the only population of O. poikilostalix in Mexico, and likely threaten other epiphytic species.
All oral presenters, including invited and keynote speakers, must submit a manuscript for the Act... more All oral presenters, including invited and keynote speakers, must submit a manuscript for the Acta. If this is not agreed to by the author(s), the work can be presented as a poster. Authors of posters are welcomed to submit their manuscript for Acta Horticulturae but posters cannot be published as such. The manuscript should be submitted a few weeks before the symposium starts or at the symposium in order to avoid unnecessary delay in the reviewing process and editing of the Acta Horticulturae volume. Submission of a manuscript implies: that the work described has not been published before (except in form of an abstract or as part of a published lecture, review or thesis); that it is not under consideration for publication elsewhere; that its publication has been approved by all co-authors, if any, as well as-tacitly or explicitly-by the responsible authorities at the institution where the work was carried out. The copyright to an article submitted for publication is transferred to ...
and Unciferia). Based on analyses that have evaluated the phylogenetic relationships of Stelis, i... more and Unciferia). Based on analyses that have evaluated the phylogenetic relationships of Stelis, in this work we compare and discuss both proposals. The concept of Stelis s.l. encompasses a monophyletic group with variable morphology among its members but with strong support. Against this, it has been argued that there are no morphological synapomorphies that define the group and, hence, it is preferable to divide it. However, this consideration forgets the fact that morphology is not the only criterion useful in delimiting a taxonomic group. On the other hand, following this approach leads to taxonomic inflation and complicates a classification system that otherwise would be easier to learn and use. Some groups segregated from Stelis s.l. are not monophyletic (Dracontia, Effusiella); others are monotypic and defined by autapomorphies (Lalexia, Mystacorchis). Furthermore, more phylogenetic work is necessary to evaluate the position of some species previously transferred to Stelis s.l. that seem to be more closely related to Pleurothallis (e.g. Stelis quadrifida, S. restrepioides).
Native orchid cultivation is a compatible alternative for impoverished coffee farmers in southeas... more Native orchid cultivation is a compatible alternative for impoverished coffee farmers in southeastern Mexico who are in crisis due to falling prices. Sustainable orchid cultivation is also an urgent necessity as an alternative to nonsustainable extraction from protected reserves, forest fragments and traditional coffee plantations, and to restore and conserve populations within these habitats. Our objective was to test the effects of locally available substrates and fertilizers upon orchids cultivated under typical rural conditions in coffee-producing areas in Soconusco, Chiapas. Seven species of epiphytic orchids native to Soconusco region—Cattleya aurantiaca, Brassavola nodosa, Prosthechea (Encyclia) chacaoensis, Anathallis (Pleurothallis) racemiflora, Cattleya skinneri, Cycnoches ventricosumandEncyclia cordigera—were propagatedin vitro, acclimatized and established in rustic orchid galleries in the home gardens and plantations of coffee growers. Locally available waste products w...
Differences in alpha and beta bat diversity among montane rainforest and five shaded coffee plant... more Differences in alpha and beta bat diversity among montane rainforest and five shaded coffee plantations under different management regimes, as well as some environmental factors and vegetation parameters influencing bat richness, were evaluated for the first time in ...
... México, DF México. Address Correspondence to: Carmen Ruíz Bello, Facultad de Ciencias Agrícol... more ... México, DF México. Address Correspondence to: Carmen Ruíz Bello, Facultad de Ciencias Agrícolas. ... Los medios de cultivo in vitro estudiados fueron: Murashige y Skoog; Vacin y Went; Dalla Rosa y Laneri K07, y Phytamax (medio de mantenimiento de Orquídeas). ...
The "desmusgue" is a process wherein epiphytes are removed from coffee bushes to increase product... more The "desmusgue" is a process wherein epiphytes are removed from coffee bushes to increase production but its benefits are largely anecdotal. The main aim of this study was to find out whether this practice effectively increases coffee production, its cost-benefit and its effect on epiphyte biodiversity. We found that coffee bushes of Coffea arabica and C. canephora that had epiphytes removed produced more fruits than those with epiphytes. However, the increase in production and in farmer´s incomes were highly variable. This practice clearly endangers epiphyte biodiversity. In order to protect epiphytes and farmer income, farmers should be informed of the impact of "desmusgue" on epiphytes, and the consequences of biodiversity loss.In order to protect epiphytes and farmer income, farmers should be informed of the impact of "desmusgue" onepiphytes, and the consequences of biodiversity loss. In addition, coffee certification programs that subsidize epiphyte-friendly practices, and protected areas and community reserves that favor epiphytes should be established.
The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari, is a serious problem for the majority of the... more The coffee berry borer, Hypothenemus hampei Ferrari, is a serious problem for the majority of the world‘s coffee growers and has proved to be one of the most intractable of present day pests. Despite a great deal of research, control still depends largely on the application of the organochlorine insecticide endosulfan, which is damaging to the environment, or a series of cultural and biological control methods which give variable and unpredictable results. This review summarizes the most important aspects of the biology and ecology of H. hampei and its control and identifies weak points in the knowledge about this pest. Emphasis is placed upon an analysis of the non-chemical control methods available and suggestions are offered for novel ecological and environmental factors worthy of further research, in the search for viable and sustainable control methods.
Uploads
Papers by Anne Damon