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Introduction
I am interested in the conservation of endangered and native plants.
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November 2011 - present
November 2011 - present
August 2002 - July 2011
Publications
Publications (80)
Las zonas del valle interandino, en donde se asienta el Distrito Metropolitano de Quito (DMQ), es constantemente modificada y deforestada por lo que los ecosistemas de ribera son –particularmente– importantes ya que constituyen unas de las pocas zonas de vegetación nativa en el área urbana. El libro “Plantas de las quebradas de Quito” presenta un c...
Phaedranassa schizantha (Amaryllidaceae) is an endangered species endemic to Ecuador and two varieties have been described: P. schizantha var. schizantha and P. schizantha var. ignea. We assessed population genetic structure and demographic patterns in 11 populations across the range of the species using 13 microsatellite loci. Our data show that g...
Species distribution models (SDMs) are popular tools for predicting the geographic ranges of species. It is common practice to use georeferenced records obtained from online databases to generate these models. Using three species of Phaedranassa (Amaryllidaceae) from the Northern Andes, we compare the geographic ranges as predicted by SDMs based on...
Knowledge of Carex L. (true sedges) and Hypericum L. (St. John's wort) in the Neotropics is fragmentary.
As a result of a fieldwork campaign in Ecuador and revision of herbarium collections (K, QCA and QCNE), we present here relevant records of twelve Carex (Cyperaceae) and four Hypericum (Hypericaceae) species. Regarding Carex , we present the nov...
Bioblitz is a citizen global science initiative which aims to find and identify as many species of fauna and flora as possible in a specific area during a short period of time. This activity promotes the engagement of the public to learn about the biodiversity of a particular region, often in urban areas. The objective of this study was to do the f...
Laplacea plicata G. Moya, N. Miranda, Oleas & C. Ulloa, restricted to the sandstone plateaus of the Cordillera del Cóndor in southeastern Ecuador, is described as a species new to science, illustrated, and compared with other two morphologically similar species: L. tomentosa (Mart.) G. Don and L. spathulata Kobuski. Additionally, a preliminary cons...
Zephyranthes carinata Herb., a specie of the Amaryllidoideae subfamily, has been reported to have inhibitory activity against acetylcholinesterase. However, scientific evidence related to their bioactive alkaloids has been lacking. Thus, this study describes the isolation of the alkaloids of this plant, and their inhibition of the enzymes acetylcho...
Mentor relationships are crucial to retention, success, and wellbeing of women and underrepresented minority scientists in academia. A network of diverse mentors may support achieving long-term career goals, advancement, and retention of both mentors and mentees, thus enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Diversified mentorship is...
The development of ecological sustainability within cities requires raising awareness among citizens of the importance of biodiversity for their daily lives. We evaluated the biodiversity awareness of high school students and their families, working with two schools in Guayllabamba, part of the Metropolitan District of Quito, Ecuador. A total of 40...
Covid-19 has been among the most disruptive events in recent decades. At the time of writing, it has caused more than 5 million deaths worldwide and considerable economic losses. However, it has also sped up the process of technological development and technology adoption. One sector that has been deeply affected by the impact of the pandemic is hi...
Natural products are one of the main sources for developing new drugs. The alkaloids obtained from the plant family Amaryllidaceae have interesting structures and biological activities, such as acetylcholinesterase inhibition potential, which is one of the mechanisms used for the palliative treatment of Alzheimer’s disease symptoms. Herein we repor...
Clusia is a remarkable genus of Neotropical woody plants as its members engage in either C3 photosynthesis or employ, to varying degrees, crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) photosynthesis. Information about the evolutionary history of CAM in Clusia is scarce. Restriction site-associated sequencing of 64 species (20% of the genus) provided strong su...
RESUMEN INTRODUCCIÓN. El crecimiento de las ciudades ha afectado considerablemente los sistemas ecológicos, haciendo necesaria la creación de espacios verdes. La flora nativa es una buena opción para dichos espacios, debido al mínimo costo de mantenimiento, su adaptación a las temperaturas, precipitaciones y resistencia a plagas. OBJETIVO. Conocer...
Particulate matter (PM) accounts for millions of premature deaths in the human population every year. Due to social and economic inequality, growing human dissatisfaction manifests in waves of strikes and protests all over the world, causing paralysis of institutions, services and circulation of transport. In this study, we aim to investigate air q...
Este editorial resume los 10 años de historia y los principales logros del Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático (BioCamb), de la Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica. El BioCamb fue creado el 15 de julio del 2011, en respuesta a la necesidad de conocer la diversidad biológica del Ecuador, incluyendo su interrelación con el...
The COVID-19 crisis has generated considerable research efforts in all areas of knowledge, including the area of business and management. This article aimed to describe the body of knowledge generated on COVID-19 regarding business and management to generate the basis for future research. The present study identified 1,751 relevant articles in the...
Premise:
A disjunct distribution, where a species' geographic range is discontinuous, can occur through vicariance or long-distance dispersal. Approximately 75 North American plant species exhibit a ~650 km disjunction between the Ozark and Appalachian regions. This disjunction is attributed to biogeographic forces including: (1) Eocene-Oligocene...
The Cutuchi River Basin extends over the inter-Andean valley south of the Cotopaxi Volcano, in Ecuador. It flows through two provinces, Cotopaxi and Tungurahua, and its waters are extensively used to irrigate crops that provide food to the main cities in the country. Unfortunately, the basin receives untreated domestic and industrial discharges. Th...
This manuscript presents the results of field research aimed to identify the perceptions that condition the urban imaginaries addressing the green spaces in Quito, Ecuador. Two focus groups were carried out with experts in designing green spaces. The results were evaluated through discourse analysis, applying the dialectical hermeneutical method, t...
Studying the genetic signatures of evolutionary diversification in young lineages is among the most promising approaches for unveiling the processes behind speciation. Here, we focus on Oreotrochilus chimborazo, a high Andean species of hummingbird that might have experienced rapid diversification in the recent past. To understand the evolution of...
Effective mentoring implies a two-way relationship in which mentees obtain benefits from the knowledge and training provided by mentors, and mentors gain the possibility of contemplating and learning new perspectives, of self-evaluating their roles and, in consequence, growing as professionals 1,2. Mentorship relationships cannot be separated from...
1. Error in Figure An error on our paper [1] came to our attention. The reason for the correction is a mistake in Figure 1. The names of the species were switched between P. schizantha and P. dubia. The correct new Figure 1 is shown below: The above error did not change the results and conclusions of our paper. However, the authors would like to ap...
Alzheimer's disease is considered the most common cause of dementia and, in an increasingly aging population worldwide, the quest for treatment is a priority. Amaryllidaceae alkaloids are of main interest because of their cholinesterase inhibition potential, which is the main palliative treatment available for this disease. We evaluated the alkaloi...
The chemical structures appear incorrectly in the original publication of this article. They appear correctly here.
INTRODUCCIÓN. El Ecuador es uno de los países más biodiversos del mundo por lo que el estudio de su diversidad es de prioridad mundial. El 16 de marzo de 2020 el gobierno ecuatoriano decretó el estado de excepción, restricción de movilidad, suspensión de la jornada laboral y cierre de fronteras en el territorio nacional como medidas de protección y...
This data reports a list of all trees DBH >10 cm in four 50 × 50 m (0.25ha) permanent plots at Mashpi Rainforest Biodiversity Reserve in the Ecuadorian Chocó forest. Plots were established within an altitudinal gradient from 800 to 1200 m. We collected, labelled, measure and identify all trees found within the plots. All voucher specimens are avail...
It is estimated that 50 million people in the world live with dementia, 60-70% of whom suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD). Different factors are involved in the development of AD, including a reduction in the cholinergic neurotransmission level. The Amaryllidaceae plant family contains an exclusive, large, and still understudied alkaloid group ch...
Rhodophiala bifida (Herb.) Traub, Amaryllidaceae, is a species native to South America known to produce alkaloids with potential pharmacological uses such as montanine, which has anti-inflammatory potential. R. bifida could be applied as a natural source of montanine. It is important to understand the genetic diversity of this species in order to a...
Rhodophiala bifida (Herb.) Traub, Amaryllidaceae, is a species native to South America known to produce alkaloids with potential pharmacological uses such as montanine, which has anti-inflammatory potential. R. bifida could be applied as a natural source of montanine. It is important to understand the genetic diversity of this species in order to a...
It is estimated that 50 million people in the world live with dementia, 60-70% of whom suffer from Alzheimer's disease (AD). Different factors are involved in the development of AD, including a reduction in the cholinergic neurotransmission level. The Amaryllidaceae plant family contains an exclusive, large, and still understudied alkaloid group ch...
Se presenta una lista de especies de árboles de la Amazonía ecuatoriana, revisada taxonómicamente, que es el resultado de 20 años de inventarios florísticos y revisiones de especímenes en los herbarios ecuatorianos. Los resultados determinaron que hay 2296 especies de árboles, el 90% de estas especies se encuentran actualmente en la lista de No Eva...
Premise of research. Heterospecific pollen deposition on stigmas can impact plant reproduction by decreasing seed set or inducing fruit abortion. Pollinating bats often carry pollen from many species on their fur, and thus bat-pollinated flowers may exhibit tolerance to heterospecific pollen deposition, but to our knowledge this has never been stud...
We compiled a data set for all tree species collected to date in lowland Amazonian Ecuador in order to determine the number of tree species in the region. This data set has been extensively verified by taxonomists and is the most comprehensive attempt to evaluate the tree diversity in one of the richest species regions of the Amazon. We used four m...
Tropical anurans are among the most diverse and vulnerable organisms on Earth, yet the evolutionary mechanisms behind their diversity remain relatively unexplored. Epipedobates anthonyi is a poison frog that inhabits southern Ecuador and northern Peru along a broad elevational range (0–1800 m). Throughout its range, this species exhibits variation...
El 24 de octubre del 2014 mediante Acta Constitutiva se crea la Red de Herbarios del Ecuador conformada inicialmente por 11 herbarios: QCNE, QCA, LOJA, QPLS, QUSF, ECUAMZ, HA, HUTPL, CHEP, HUTN y HUTI, con el objetivo de fomentar y difundir la investigación botánica en Ecuador, además de establecer relaciones científicas con los herbarios y centros...
Vicia ocalensis Godfrey & Kral (Ocala vetch) is a declining endemic plant that is state-listed as endangered in Florida and as critically imperiled globally. This perennial vine is historically known from only three populations along the shorelines of separate spring systems within the Ocala National Forest. One of these populations recently rejuve...
Because of their importance to people, nature, and societies, domestic gardens have attracted increasing research interest. However, significant areas of interest remain unexplored, such as the variables that determine individuals’ satisfaction with their gardens. Our main goal was to address this gap. We surveyed 1,005 individuals with home garden...
Taxonomy is a scientific discipline that has provided the universal naming and classification system of biodiversity for centuries and continues effectively to accommodate new knowledge. A recent publication by Garnett and Christidis [1] expressed concerns regarding the difficulty that taxonomic changes represent for conservation efforts and propos...
Using complementary metrics to evaluate phylogenetic diversity can facilitate the delimitation of floristic units and conservation priority areas. In this study, we describe the spatial patterns of phylogenetic alpha and beta diversity, phylogenetic endemism, and evolutionary distinctiveness of the hyperdiverse Ecuador Amazon forests and define pri...
The Ecuadorian Hillstar Oreotrochilus chimborazo is a high Andean hummingbird that inhabits paramo ecosystems from extreme southern Colombia to southern Ecuador. The species is currently divided into three subspecies that differ in morphology and geographic distribution but no molecular differences have been found between them using mitochondrial m...
Title Abstract Keywords
New species of the genera Stenomesson and Eucharis (Amaryllidaceae) are described from Ecuador. Stenomesson
ecuadorense is the second species of the genus reported from that country, and the only endemic one. It is related to Stenomesson
miniatum and Stenomesson
campanulatum, both from Peru, with which it shares orange flower color and the fusion o...
PHYTOTAXA ISSN 1179-3155 (print edition) ISSN 1179-3163 (online edition) 50 Accepted by Lorenzo Phaedranassa Herbert (1845: misc. 16) is a small genus of bulbous, terrestrial geophytes comprising some eleven species, eight endemic to Ecuador, three known from Colombia, and one from Costa Rica (Meerow 1990). Most of the species are narrow endemics k...
The plant family Amaryllidaceae presents a group of isoquinoline type alkaloids that have been subject of active research for almost 200 years and many of these compounds have been studied for diverse biomedical activities. This study has been focused on the analysis of Stenomesson aurantiacum from the Ecuadorian Andes, being one of the first studi...
El flujo genético es un proceso que ocurre naturalmente vía dispersión de semillas, movimiento de polen o individuos y su incorporación al acervo génico en una nueva localidad. El flujo genético depende de factores como la forma de dispersión, tiempo de viabilidad, distancia de dispersión, entre otros. El intercambio genético entre individuos es es...
Phaedranassa brevifolia was first described from a single specimen collected in 1978 in Northern Ecuador (Meerow 1987) in a habitat classified as Dry Montane Scrub, characterized by thorny dry forest (Valencia et al. 1999). The above-ground parts of this bulbous species consist of only one or two leaves approximately 12 cm in length (Meerow 1990),...
Ribes echinellum (Coville) Rehder (Miccosukee gooseberry; Grossulariaceae) is a Federally Threatened
species known from only two localities: Jefferson County (Florida, FL) and McCormick County (South Carolina, SC). This perennial shrub, ca. 1 m tall, is deciduous, and reproduces both vegetatively (clonal growth) and sexually (seed production). Rece...
Living botanic garden plant collections are a fundamental and underutilized worldwide resource for plant conservation. A common goal in managing a botanical living collection is to maintain the greatest biodiversity at the greatest economic and logistic efficiency. However to date there is no unified strategy for managing living plants within and a...
A review of available Caribbean Island red-lists species (CR and EN categories based on the IUCN guidelines from 2001, and E category established according to the IUCN guidelines from 1980) is presented. A database of over 1,300 endemic species that are either Critically Endangered or Endangered sensu IUCN was created. There are molecular systemati...
Phaedranassa viridiflora (Amaryllidaceae) is an endemic and endangered plant restricted to the Northern Andes in Ecuador. It is known in three locations where it is sympatric with other Phaedranassa species. Phaedranassa viridiflora is the only species of the genus with yellow flowers. We analyzed 13 microsatellite loci to elucidate the genetic str...
The Tropical Andes is a diversity hotspot for plants, but there is a scant knowledge about patterns of genetic variation within its constituent species. Phaedranassa tunguraguae is an IUCN endangered plant species endemic to a single valley in the Ecuadorian Andes. We estimate the levels of genetic differentiation across the geographic distribution...
Phaedranassa schizantha (Amaryllidaceae), conocida como “ashpa cebolla” o “falsa cebolla”, es una especie de planta bulbosa endémica de la sierra central del Ecuador. Debido a su distribución geográfica restringida y al reducido número de poblaciones, P. schizantha se encuentra categorizada como En Peligro de Extinción según los criterios de la lis...
Speciation can be understood as a continuum occurring at different levels, from population to species. The recent molecular revolution in population genetics has opened a pathway towards understanding species evolution. At the same time, speciation patterns can be better explained by incorporating a geographic context, through the use of geographic...
[This corrects the article on p. e7353 in vol. 4.].
Background:
The Cocoseae is one of 13 tribes of Arecaceae subfam. Arecoideae, and contains a number of palms with significant economic importance, including the monotypic and pantropical Cocos nucifera L., the coconut, the origins of which have been one of the "abominable mysteries" of palm systematics for decades. Previous studies with predominan...
Strict consensus trees from parsimony analysis for loci WRKY2-12 (four loci).
(1.31 MB TIF)
Strict consensus trees from parsimony analysis for loci WRKY16, 19, and 21 (three loci).
(1.00 MB TIF)
All 75 taxa used in the study are listed with voucher specimens and GenBank accession numbers for the WRKY sequences.
(0.12 MB DOC)
Maximum likelihood bootstrap consensus trees for each of four WRKY loci: WRKY2, 6, 7, and 12.
(0.87 MB TIF)
Maximum likelihood bootstrap consensus trees for each of three WRKY loci: WRKY16, 19, and 21, as well as the combined analysis (all seven loci).
(0.94 MB TIF)
Strict consensus tree of 190 lowest “cost” reconciled species trees found by 25 heuristic searches by the program GeneTree using gene tree bootstrapping.
(0.08 MB TIF)
This table lists the specific primers used to amplify and sequence the seven WRKY loci from members of Arecaceaea tribe Cocoseae.
(0.03 MB DOC)
The ability to rapidly genotype a large number of individuals is the key to any successful marker-assisted plant breeding program. One of the primary bottlenecks in high-throughput screening is the preparation of DNA samples, particularly the quantification and normalization of samples for downstream processing. A rapid and simple Sybr Green I-base...
