Local illegal trade reveals unknown diversity and involves a high species richness of wild vascular epiphytes

Traffic of plants and animals of wild origin is a major threat to biological diversity creating a need for legal protection of traded species. Epiphytic vascular plants are a diverse guild which provides the horticultural market with many species. Many epiphytes are under protection intended to stop illegal trade at international and local levels. To measure the richness and volume of the epiphytes that are traded illegally on a local level, we monitored an illegal sale point in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico for 85 weeks. We recorded 27 traders, 207 species and 7598 plants. Nineteen species were known for Mexico but not native to Veracruz; two others had been collected in Veracruz but had never been reported before for Mexico. About 25% of epiphyte richness in Veracruz and 47% of the State’s epiphytic orchids are traded illegally. Most of the species traded could have been harvested in lower montane cloud forest (105 species), however all vegetation types of central Veracruz are potential epiphyte sources. Twenty-seven species protected by Mexican law were traded, along with 41 species endemic to Mexico and six endemic to Veracruz. We concluded that on a local level, the richness and volume of epiphytes illegally traded are high; in fact, the volume of orchids traded equals the annual average volume of legal Mexican orchid exports. Illegal epiphyte trade occurs worldwide, making necessary crucial increases of protective measures and the development of sustainable ways of harvesting epiphytes.     

Using geomorphologic mapping to strengthen natural resource management in developing countries. The case of rural indigenous communities in Michoacan, Mexico

This paper describes the use of geomorphologic knowledge for resource management in rural areas of less developed countries. Specifically, we discuss the contribution of geomorphologic mapping (coupled with landscape knowledge) to natural resource management using geographic information systems (GIS) and remote sensing techniques. We describe a case study conducted at Nuevo San Juan Parangaricutiro, an indigenous forest community in the Paricutin area, in Michoacan, Mexico.The analysis described in this paper was used to improve the mapping of forest quality units, and to explore the relationships between land suitability and land utilisation requirements for potential diversification of economic activities in the indigenous community. The approach proved useful for the management of natural resources and was made operational by the actual managers of the resources. The community of Nuevo San Juan was granted the green certification (Smart Wood) by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and produced a fully automated resource management plan.     

Morphological variation and domestication of Escontria chiotilla (Cactaceae) under silvicultural management in the Tehuacán Valley, Central Mexico

People of the Tehuacán Valley, Central Mexico utilise the columnar cactus Escontria chiotilla for their edible fruits, gathering them in the wild and in silviculturally managed populations. Silvicultural management consists in sparing and enhancing selectively, in disturbed areas, individual trees producing fruits of the better quality for consumption and commercialisation. Fruits of trees in silviculturally managed populations are generally larger (27.23 ± 0.39 cm) and heavier (11.10 ± 0.44 g), with a higher amount of pulp (4.84 ± 0.27 g), and more (532.72 ± 15.60) and heavier (0.78 ± 0.013 mg) seeds than in wild non-manipulated populations (22.62 ± 0.31 cm, 6.44 ± 0.22 g, 2.33 ± 0.11 g, 407.63 ± 20.67, and 0.62 ± 0.015 mg, respectively). Phenotypes of trees producing better fruits were significantly more abundant in manipulated populations than in the non-manipulated ones. Artificial selection appears to be the cause of such differences among populations and, therefore, domestication process of this plant species is seemingly occurring under silvicultural management.     

Total and mineralizable soil carbon as affected by tillage in the Argentinean Pampas

This study was carried out in experimental plots established at Marcos Juárez, in the Pampean Region (center of Argentina) on Typic Argiudolls, with high silt content. The aim of this work was to study the effects of two tillage systems (reduced tillage and no-tillage) on the amount of total organic C, potentially mineralizable C, C released by respiration, and C stock in the topsoil of a corn (Zea mays L.)–wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)/soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.)–soybean rotation. No-tillage showed C stock greater than reduced tillage only at 0–5 cm depth, but not at 0–20 cm, even though in situ respiration was lower. As a consequence, no tillage did not show a differential capacity for C sequestration in comparison with reduced tillage.     

Genetic variation of xylem hydraulic properties shows that wood density is involved in adaptation to drought in Douglas-fir (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudotsuga menziesii</Emphasis> (Mirb.))

Introduction   

Relationships between wood density and hydraulic efficiency and safety (hydraulic specific conductivity and vulnerability to cavitation, respectively) could clarify the physiological process explaining the impact of density on fitness. We have used new, relatively high-throughput phenotyping methods to estimate genetic variation of wood hydraulic specific conductivity (k _s) and vulnerability to cavitation (VC) as an important step toward demonstrating the adaptive value of wood density.     

Patterns of condemnation rates in swine from a federally inspected abattoir in relation to disease outbreak information in Ontario (2005-2007)

Strong correlations between clinical signs on farms and the presence of lesions at slaughter have been reported. The objective of this study was to determine if changes in condemnation rates provide a data source for surveillance of disease outbreaks in pigs. The data were obtained from 1 abattoir in Ontario (2005-2007). The epidemiological relevance of the results was based on an outbreak of porcine circovirus associated disease (PCVAD) in Ontario in 2005. The total condemnations and condemnations due to arthritis and pneumonia patterns reflected the field infection of PCVAD in 2005 followed by the widespread use of porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV-2) vaccine in 2007. In contrast, increased rates of nephritis and enteritis suggested areas for enhanced surveillance for unexplained changes in disease patterns not identified through traditional passive surveillance. Further studies looking at the benefits of using abattoir data should compare condemnation patterns with multiple sources of swine health data.     

Environmental factors and interval from the introduction of rams to estrus in postpartum Saint Croix sheep

The objective of this study was to determine whether season and total rainfall during the breeding season, sheep parity, and/or litter size affect the interval from the introduction of rams to estrus (IRE) in hair Saint Croix sheep in northeastern Mexico. An analysis was made of 874 services performed during 9 years, introducing the rams into the sheep flock after an isolation period of 60 days during the postpartum period. Estrus was recorded twice daily during 35 days. Year and season influenced significantly on the interval between ram introduction and estrus length (P < 0.01). Winter IRE length (7.9 ± 0.1 days) was shorter than in the other three seasons (11.1 ± 0.2, 11.1 ± 0.1, and 16.2 ± 0.2 days in summer, autumn, and spring, respectively) (P < 0.01). An interaction was observed between rainfall and season, then by rainfall between 0 and 100 mm, IRE was shorter (P < 0.05) in winter (6.8 ± 0.3 days), and by rainfall between 100 and 199 mm, IRE was shorter (P < 0.05) in autumn (10.2 ± 0.5 days); however, when rainfall was beyond 200 mm, IRE length was shorter (P < 0.01) in summer (4.8 ± 0.5 days) than in autumn (14.5 ± 0.3 days). The IRE length was also longer in first lambing ewes (P < 0.05) and was not affected by litter size. In the present study, several factors, including the breeding season, rainfall and parity, directly influenced the interval between the male introduction and the onset of estrus by Saint Croix hair sheep.