Aydeé Cornejo

The Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies · Research Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases

Stream ecosystem functioning is often impaired by warming and salinization, but the joint effect of both environmental stressors on key processes such as leaf litter decomposition is virtually unknown, particularly in the tropics. We experimentally explored how increased water temperature (26, 29 and 32°C) and salinity (no salt addition, 0.1, 1.0 a...

Stream ecosystems are highly vulnerable to changes in land use and vegetation in their catchments for two reasons: firstly, they receive inputs of nutrients, contaminants and sediments through runoff; and secondly, terrestrial leaf litter is the major basal resource supporting their food webs. Leaf litter decomposition by microorganisms and detriti...

Several human activities often result in increased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) inputs to running waters through runoff. Although headwater streams are less frequently affected by these inputs than downstream reaches, the joint effects of moderate eutrophication and global warming can affect the functioning of these ecosystems, which represent t...

Microplastics (MPs) have been recognized as as one of the most ubiquitous environmental pollutants globally. They have been found in all ecosystems studied to date, threatening biological diversity, ecosystem functioning and human health. The present study aimed to elucidate the environmental and anthropogenic drivers of MP dynamics in the whole ca...

The objective of this study was a preliminary evaluation of the adult Trichoptera (Insecta) fauna of Omar Torrijos Herrera General Division National Park, comparing collection methods and local/regional species affinities. Employing both Malaise traps and UV light traps, adult caddisflies were collected in four streams (two each in the Caribbean an...

The relationship between detritivore diversity and decomposition can provide information on how biogeochemical cycles are affected by ongoing rates of extinction, but such evidence has come mostly from local studies and microcosm experiments. We conducted a globally distributed experiment (38 streams across 23 countries in 6 continents) using stand...

Several studies have examined the transmission dynamics of the novel COVID-19 disease in different parts of the world. Some have reported relationships with various environmental variables, suggesting that spread of the disease is enhanced in colder and drier climates. However, evidence is still scarce and mostly limited to a few countries, particu...

Freshwater organisms are often sensitive to pesticides, but their sensitivity varies across different taxa and with pesticide type and action mode, as shown by multiple acute toxicity tests. Such variability hampers predictions about how freshwater ecosystems may be altered by pesticide toxicity, which is especially critical for under-studied areas...

Understanding which factors affect the process of leaf litter decomposition is crucial if we are to predict changes in the functioning of stream ecosystems as a result of human activities. One major activity with known consequences on streams is agriculture, which is of particular concern in tropical regions, where forests are being rapidly replace...

Running waters contribute substantially to global carbon fluxes through decomposition of terrestrial plant litter by aquatic microorganisms and detritivores. Diversity of this litter may influence instream decomposition globally in ways that are not yet understood. We investigated latitudinal differences in decomposition of litter mixtures of low a...

Running waters contribute substantially to global carbon fluxes through decomposition of terrestrial plant litter by aquatic microorganisms and detritivores. Diversity of this litter may influence instream decomposition globally in ways that are not yet understood. We investigated latitudinal differences in decomposition of litter mixtures of low a...

Con especial satisfacción, compartimos con la sociedad panameña y la comunidad científica mundial, los resultados de 10 años de investigación científica, con una muestra de investigaciones que han recibido apoyos económicos por parte de la Secretaría Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (Senacyt) en distintas áreas del conocimiento. Este co...

Aquatic macroinvertebrates play a crucial role in freshwater ecosystems, but their diversity remains poorly known, particularly in the tropics. This “taxonomic void” limits our understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes in freshwater ecosystems, and the scale at which they operate. We used DNA barcoding to estimate lineage diversity (and...

The expansion of agriculture is particularly worrying in tropical regions of the world, where native forests are being replaced by crops at alarming rates, with severe consequences for biodiversity and ecosystems. However, there is little information about the potential effects of agriculture on the functioning of tropical streams, which is essenti...

Fungicides can reach streams through runoff or adhered to leaf litter, and have the potential to adversely affect processes such as litter decomposition and associated communities. This study investigated the effects of chlorothalonil, a widely used fungicide, on litter decomposition, detritivorous invertebrates (larvae of the insect Sericostoma py...

Extreme temperatures have increased in intensity, duration and frequency in the last century, with potential consequences on key ecological processes such as organic matter breakdown. Many stream ecosystems are fueled by the breakdown of terrestrial leaf litter, which is exposed to atmospheric conditions for certain periods of time before entering...

Aquatic macroinvertebrates play a crucial role in freshwater ecosystems, but their diversity remains poorly known, particularly in the tropics. This “taxonomic void” represents limits our understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes in freshwater ecosystems, and the scale at which they operate. We used DNA barcoding to estimate lineage dive...

Tropical forests are declining at unprecedented rates in favour of agriculture, and streams can be severely impacted due to effects of multiple stressors that have rarely been considered together in tropical studies. We studied the effects of multiple stressors associated with agricultural practices (pesticide toxicity, nutrient enrichment and habi...

The determination of water quality in rivers is a very important task for ensuring the well-being of any population [1]. Moreover, It is very laborious task, involving a combination of chemical and microbiological analysis techniques. A low cost alternative to achieve this same goal is the use of biomonitoring or recognition of macroinvertebrate or...

The determination of water quality in rivers is a very important task for ensuring the well-being of any population. Moreover, It is very laborious task, involving a combination of chemical and microbiological analysis techniques. A low cost alternative to achieve this same goal is the use of biomonitoring or recognition of macroinvertebrate organi...

We report two new, curious records of freshwater worms collected in the Panama Canal, Panama: the ribbon worm, Apatronemertes albimaculosa Wilfert and Gibson, 1974, and the leech, Placobdella parasitica (Say, 1824). Identification of these specimens relied on morphological examinations and, more heavily, on molecular barcoding using the mitochondri...

El Comité de Biomonitoreo de la Red Analítica de Latinoamérica y el Caribe (RALACA), patrocinado por el Organismo Internacional de Energía Atómica (OIEA), ha implementado en diversos países programas de biomonitoreo participativo de la calidad del agua, con la producción de material didáctico e informativo, guías de campo y producción de equipamien...

The Republic of Panama currently has 358 recorded species of Trichoptera. Herein we add 25 new country records for Panama. The newly recorded taxa increase Panama’s total known caddisflyfauna to 383 species, distributed among 15 families and 52 genera. These results are part of an ongoing effort to characterize the caddisfly fauna of Panama, and to...

In Panama, there are community organizations that guarantee access to water for human consumption to more than 20% of the country's total population. For the sustainability of the water resource, it is essential to involve the communities in the process of monitoring the water quality. This can be achieved through the implementation of participator...

En Panamá se han reportado a la fecha 21 especies del orden Plecoptera, todas del género Anacroneuria (Perlidae) y los aportes al conocimiento de esta fauna se han dado de manera esporádica, con períodos de hasta más de 30 años sin ningún tipo de registro. A pesar de ello, el 62% de las especies conocidas para Panamá, corresponden a localidad ti...

In order to ascertain the distribution of the insect order Trichoptera (caddisflies) in Panama, we reviewed the taxonomic literature for the adult stage. This was necessary because almost none of the immature stages in this order have been associated. Aguila (1992) generated the first summary of information about the adult Trichopteran species and...

To date, the genus Psephenops Grouvelle (= Xexanchorinus) is comprised of ten described species with an apparent fragmentary distribution: P. smithi Grouvelle (Antillean, with two subspecies (Bameul 2001)); P. grouvellei Champion (Guatemala); P. haitianus Darlington (Haiti); P. maculicollis Darlington (Costa Rica and Colombia); P. argentinensis Del...

In order to present an updated species list of leeches from Panama, a search of published taxonomic papers and review of material deposited in the CoZEM-ICGES and the MUPADI of UNACHI was performed. To compare the leeches’ richness of Panama with respect to Central America, a search for references in the area was performed. This review allowed us t...

Panama has a total of 52 species of freshwater decapods, of which 20 are of crabs and 32 are shrimps, representing 6.4% of the wealth of crabs and 29.4% respectively, of the wealth of shrimp known in the Neotropics. Type locality for 42% of these species is Panama, which suggests that there is a greater diversity in Panama that is far from being we...

RESUMEN En Panamá contamos con 33 especies de efemerópteros reportadas a la fecha y 11 de estas especies presentan localidad tipo. Las principales recolectas de este grupo se dieron entre la década de 1970 y 1980, impulsados principalmente por proyectos de infraestructura. Se reportaron muestreos de la fauna de efemerópteros en 23 de las 52 cuencas...

In order to integrate the knowledge of the order Odonata in Panama, a review of the literature that included descriptions of both adults and larvae was made. To know the distribution the order in Panama, the genus-level information was compiled, based on the analysis of the literature available in scientific journals, in addition to reviewing the m...

In order to integrate the knowledge of aquatic bugs of Panamá, we have reviewed the taxonomic literature (from 1880-june 2015) that included descriptions of both adults and nymphs. We also reviewed the material deposited in the Zoological Collection Eustorgio Dr. Mendez (CoZEM) the Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies (ICGES) Panama. 145 sp...

The fauna of Panama is species-rich due to its location and topography, and the resulting diversity of microclimates and habitats. The last summary of information about the caddisfly fauna (Insecta: Trichoptera) of Panama in 1992 noted 168 taxa in 13 families and 39 genera. Since then, and through 2014, a large number of publications, based on work...

The perlid genus Anacroneuria is the most widely distributed stonefly occurring in the Neotropics. Regional studies of this genus were made early in the last century, whereas local taxonomic and distributional studies have recently increased. In this study, we provide new Central American records for four species of Anacroneuria. Anacroneuria choco...

Many forested headwater streams are heterotrophic ecosystems in which allochthonous inputs of plant litter are a major source of energy. Leaves of riparian vegetation entering the stream are broken down by a combination of biotic and abiotic processes and, in most temperate and boreal streams, provide food and habitat for dense populations of detri...

Aiming to characterize the structures of aquatic macroinvertebrate’s commu- nity in Cerro Petaquilla Mining Project, we established 17 sampling stations, divided in two areas: Buffer Area (AA) and Direct Impact Area (AID), which were evaluated in September, 2007. We did three comparisons: between area, between stations and between microhabitats (ba...

Understanding what mechanisms shape the diversity and composition of biological assemblages across broad-scale gradients is central to ecology. Litter-consuming detritivorous invertebrates in streams show an unusual diversity gradient, with α-diversity increasing towards high latitudes but no trend in γ-diversity. We hypothesized this pattern to be...

Aim We tested the hypothesis that shredder detritivores, a key trophic guild in stream ecosystems, are more diverse at higher latitudes, which has important ecological implications in the face of potential biodiversity losses that are expected as a result of climate change. We also explored the dependence of local shredder diversity on the regional...

Most hypotheses explaining the general gradient of higher diversity toward the equator are implicit or explicit about greater species packing in the tropics. However, global patterns of diversity within guilds, including trophic guilds (i.e., groups of organisms that use similar food resources), are poorly known. We explored global diversity patter...

The decomposition of plant litter is one of the most important ecosystem processes in the biosphere and is particularly sensitive to climate warming. Aquatic ecosystems are well suited to studying warming effects on decomposition because the otherwise confounding influence of moisture is constant. By using a latitudinal temperature gradient in an u...

The decomposition of plant litter is one of the most important ecosystem processes in the biosphere and is particularly sensitive to climate warming. Aquatic ecosystems are well suited to studying warming effects on decomposition because the otherwise confounding influence of moisture is constant. By using a latitudinal temperature gradient in an u...

We explored the spatial and temporal variability of benthic macroinvertebrate communities (density, taxon richness, evenness and taxonomic composition) in a tropical Panamanian stream that is potentially affected by organic and chemical pollution resulting from human activities. As predicted, pristine headwaters of Site I. located within the Altos...

Stream shredders play an important role in the breakdown of allochthonous leaf litter—a well-known, key process in temperate headwater streams. In contrast, it has been suggested that litter breakdown in tropical streams is driven by microorganisms, shredders being scarce or absent. We propose that shredders have been overlooked in some tropical st...

IBISCA-Panama (“Investigating the BIodiversity of Soil and Canopy Arthropods”, Panama module) represents a large-scale research initiative to quantify the spatial distribution of arthropod biodiversity in a Neotropical forest, using a combination of (1) international collaboration, (2) a set of common research questions, and (3) an integrated exper...