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05/01/13 - A new article about Neotropical Carapa spp

Phylogeography of a species complex of lowland Neotropical rain forest trees (Carapa, Meliaceae) by Scotti-Saintagne, Caroline; Dick, Christopher W.; Caron, Henri; et al.  JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY  40 (4) : 676-692   DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2699.2011.02678.x  Published: APR 2013

Main conclusions  The biogeographical history of Neotropical Carapa appears to have been influenced by events that took place during the Neogene. Our results point to an Amazonian centre of origin and diversification of Neotropical Carapa, with subsequent migration to the Pacific coast of South America and Central America. Gene flow apparently occurs among species, and introgression events are supported by inconsistencies between chloroplast and nuclear lineage sorting. The absence of phylogeographical structure may be a result of the ineffectiveness of geographical barriers among populations and of reproductive isolation mechanisms among incipient and cryptic species in this species complex. (Photo : Carapa akuri tree, a new species from Central Guyana © Pierre-Michel Forget).

 

04/14/13 - A new species of Carapa in Equator

Carapa amorphocarpa (Meliaceae) is a new species of Carapa (Meliaceae) in Equator from the slopes of the Cerro Golondrinas 2000-2300 m asl.), near the border with Colombia. Carapa amorphocarpa is distinguished easily by its thick leaflets with rounded or shortly emarginated apices and especially by its enormous amorphous fruits. (Photo © Palacio, W). The article has been published in Caldasia by Walter Palacio from Herbario Nacional del Ecuador (QCNE), Universidad Técnica del Norte, Ibarra, Ecuador. Abstract.

Palacio, W. (2012). Four new tree species from Ecuador. Caldasia [On line] 34: 75-85.

 

02/03/13 - Back to the Trees in French Guiana

François Feer and Pierre-Michel Forget were granted in 2012 by the Labex DRIIHM (Dispositif de Recherche Interdisciplinaire sur les Interactions Hommes-Milieux) to carry on a study on the effect of the opening of the Bridge between France and Brazil as part of the APR OHM Oyapock. They will thus start their study entitled  "Evaluation rapide de l’impact de la construction du pont sur la faune et les processus écologiques qui en dépendent : mise en place d’un suivi à long terme des modifications de l’environnement dans la vallée de l’Oyapock" in February.

 

12/06/12 - Patrick Jansen 's talk in Brunoy, 6 december 2012

Patrick A . Jansen from the the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama & Wageningen University, the Netherlands, is giving a talk today at our lab (MNHN, Brunoy) entiled : "Extensive secondary seed dispersal revealed by telemetric seed tags" . Abstract. Most studies of seed dispersal assume that seeds reach the site where they either germinate or die in a single step, often referred to as primary dispersal. The importance of secondary dispersal tends to be downplayed. We used miniature radio transmitters to track the ‘secondary’ dispersal of palm seeds by agoutis, which scatter-hoard seeds in shallow caches in the soil throughout the forest, on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. We found that rodents removed seeds at high rates but that seeds were initially cached at mostly short distances and then quickly dug up again, suggesting poor dispersal and low survival. However, rather than eating the recovered seeds, agoutis continued to move and re-cache the seeds, up to 36 times. An estimated 35% of seeds travelled >100 m from the source. Serial video-monitoring of cached seeds revealed that the stepwise dispersal was caused by agoutis repeatedly stealing and re-caching each other’s buried seeds. Agoutis directed dispersal towards locations that had fewer palms and palm seeds than did the origin, supposedly to reduce the risk of cache theft. Thus, telemetry revealed that secondary dispersal by agoutis was highly effective, facilitating movement away from adults and siblings to a degree never before anticipated. http://agoutienterprise.wordpress.com

 

11/01/12 - New thesis by Aisha Nyiramana on the ecology of Carapa grandifora tree in Rwanda

Aisha Nyiramana (photo Doris Gomez) from the University of Butaré, Rwanda, defended her Ph D thesis on 9th October at the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Brunoy. The thesis is entitled "PRODUCTION DE FRUITS, DISSEMINATION ET DEVENIR DES GRAINES DE CARAPA GRANDIFLORA SPRAGUE (MELIACEE) DANS LE PARC NATIONAL DE NYUNGWE, RWANDA". Dr. Aisha Nyiramana analysed the seed-seedling ecology of Carapa grandiflora, a tree today dispersed by the giant rodent Cricetomys kivuensis after the extinction of the elephant (Loxondota cyclotis) in 1999. The study questions the importance of rodents as alternative seed dispersers of large-seeded species previously dispersed by megafauna in African rainforests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Thesis Jury from left to right: Nina Farwig, François Bretagnolles, Christiane Denys, Aisha Nyiramana, Beth Kaplin & Pierre-Michel Forget. Photo: Doris Gomez)

 

09/25/12 - Of Bats and Rats: A tribute to Elisabeth "Eli" Kalko

Gfö 2012. Plenary speech at the 42th Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria and Switzerland from 10 to 14 September 2012 at the Leuphana University of Lüneburg. Title :"Of Bats and Rats: Interplay Between Primary and Secondary Seed Dispersers of Small- and Large-Seeded Plants in Tropical Rainforests" by Pierre-Michel Forget1 and Marco A. R. Mello2. 1. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, France and 2. Universität Ulm, Germany. Abstract.


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