Two major lineages of beetles inhabit cycad cones in the New World: weevils (Curculionoidea) in the subtribe Allocorynina, including the genera Notorhopalotria Tang and O’Brien, Parallocorynus Voss, Protocorynus O’Brien and Tang and Rhopalotria Chevrolat, and beetles in the family Erotylidae, including the genus Pharaxonotha Reitter. Analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) mitochondrial gene as well as cladistic analysis of morphological characters of the weevils indicate four major radiations, with a probable origin on the cycad genus Dioon Lindl. and comparatively recent host shifts onto Zamia L. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene for erotylid beetles indicates that an undescribed genus restricted to New World Ceratozamia Brongn. is the most early-diverging clade, and this lineage is sister to a large radiation of the genus Pharaxonotha onto Zamia, with apparent host shifts onto Dioon and Ceratozamia. Analysis of beetles are in accord with current models of continental drift in the Caribbean basin, support some proposed species groupings of cycads, but not others, and suggest that pollinator type may impact population genetic structure in their host cycads.

Protected areas are of paramount relevance to conserving wildlife and ecosystem contributions to people. Yet, their conservation success is increasingly threatened by human activities including habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and species overexploitation. Thus, understanding the underlying and proximate drivers of anthropogenic threats is urgently needed to improve protected areas’ effectiveness, especially in the biodiversity-rich tropics. We addressed this issue by analyzing expert-provided data on long-term biodiversity change (last three decades) over 14 biosphere reserves from the Mesoamerican Biodiversity Hotspot. Using multivariate analyses and structural equation modeling, we tested the influence of major socioeconomic drivers (demographic, economic, and political factors), spatial indicators of human activities (agriculture expansion and road extension), and forest landscape modifications (forest loss and isolation) as drivers of biodiversity change. We uncovered a significant proliferation of disturbance-tolerant guilds and the loss or decline of disturbance-sensitive guilds within reserves causing a “winner and loser” species replacement over time. Guild change was directly related to forest spatial changes promoted by the expansion of agriculture and roads within reserves. High human population density and low nonfarming occupation were identified as the main underlying drivers of biodiversity change. Our findings suggest that to mitigate anthropogenic threats to biodiversity within biosphere reserves, fostering human population well-being via sustainable, nonfarming livelihood opportunities around reserves is imperative.

The Ceratozamia miqueliana species complex has been revised from a morphological, anatomical and biogeographical perspective. The complex consists of five closely related species, one of which is new, C. santillanii sp. nov., and is described and illustrated from the northern highlands of Chiapas. The five species, although not sympatric, occur in the ‘Arc’ Pleistocene floristic refuge that covers southern Mexico, including northern Oaxaca and Chiapas, as well as southern Tabasco and Veracruz. The five species are characterised by oblong, oblanceolate to widely ob‐lanceolate leaflets with decumbent or erect megastrobili when ripe. The species complex consists of C. becerrae Perez‐Farr., Vovides & Schutzman C. euryphyllidia Vazq.Torres, Sabato & D.W. Stev., ´C. miqueliana H. Wendl., C. zoquorum Perez‐Farr., Vovides & Iglesias and the new species which is related to C. zoquorum, but differs from these in leaf, male and female cone growth habit, as well as inter‐leaflet distance. Discriminant analysis using the five species with 14 variables showed significant differences (Wilks λ test, P < 0.01) for four functions among the five species. Mahalanobis distances were also highly significant among the five species (P < 0.01). Ceratozamia euryphyllidia and C. becerrae were the most distant, whereas C. zoquorum and C. becerrae were closest.

Species relationships and phytogeography of Ceratozamia, an endangered neotropical cycad genus, based on morphology, leaflet histology, DNA...

Se realizó un listado florístico para el Cerro Quetzal (Polígono III) y zonas adyacentes de la Reserva de la Biosfera El Triunfo, Chiapas, México. Se integró una base de datos con 1,513 registros, incluye 140 familias, 432 géneros, 795 especies y 24 categorías infraespecíficas. El total de las especies registradas en este trabajo representa 9% de la flora conocida para Chiapas y aproximadamente un 26.5% de la flora estimada para El Triunfo. El número de especies es similar a las encontradas en los polígonos I y II (751 y 791 especies, respectivamente) y mayor al cerro Cebú (polígono V) (502 especies). Los tipos de vegetación presentes en el cerro Quetzal son: bosque de coníferas, bosque mesófilo de montaña, bosque tropical perennifolio, bosque tropical subcaducifolio y vegetación ruderal. El tipo de vegetación más importante por el número de especies y mejor recolectado es el bosque mesófilo de montaña. Este listado presenta novedades, como una especie nueva del género Ceratozamia (Zamiaceae) y una de Sterculia (Sterculiaceae), además de dos registros nuevos para Chiapas, una de la familia Araceae ( Monstera dubia ) y otra de la familia Fabaceae ( Albizia carbonaria ).