Tupper 4pm seminarTuesday, November 20, 4pmseminar speaker will be PierreSepulchre, University ofCalifornia, Santa BarbaraConstraining humanevolution at differenttimescales: A climatemodeling approach

Paleo-TalkWednesday, November 21,Paleo-Talk speaker will bePierre Sepulchre, University ofCalifornia, Santa Cruz, at 4pm,CTPA, AnconImpact of uplifts on climatethrough time: From Africato South America

Bambi seminarThursday, November 22 isThanksgiving Day, and therewill be no Bambi seminar onBCI.

ArrivalsKate Kirby, University ofBritish Columbia, Canada, tostudy agrobiodiversity inCentral Americanhomegardens: An investigationat multiple scales, at Tupper.

Fred Ogden, University ofWyoming, to join a project toquantify environmentalservices provided by tropicalforests, in Agua Salud,Gamboa.

Anthony G. Coates, STRI, tohost Smithsonian Channelcrew filming a program onSTRI.

DeparturesEldredge Bermingham, InezCampbell, John Christy,Rachel Collin, Luis D'Croz,Hector Guzman and MarkTorchin traveled toWashington DC this week, toparticipate at the MarineScience Network Symposium.

STRI news

Steve Hubbell'sneutral theory isbased on theconcept thatinteractionsbetween speciescan be largelyignored inmodelingpatterns ofspeciesabundance.

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panamá www.stri.org November 16, 2007

Why do somany specieslive in tropicalforests and coral reefs?Debate over a controversial hypothesisof biodiversity andspecies abundanceA group of scientists includingSTRI plant biologist Stephen P.Hubbell published the article “Patterns of relative speciesabundance in rainforests andcoral reefs” in the November1 issue of Nature (450: 45-49).st

The team, that includes IgorVolkov (leading author) andJayanth Banavar from PennState, and physicist AmosMaritan of the University ofPadua in Italy, report goodagreement between the speciesrichness of two of the world'smost vulnerable ecosystems—tropical forests and coralreefs— and a simplemathematical model buildingon the so-called “neutral theoryof biodiversity” Hubbell'sbrainchild.

Among ecological theorists, the“neutral theory of biodiversity”has sparked a six-year quarrelover the fundamentalassumptions of their discipline. The Nature paper countersanother scientific team's claimin 2006 that coral-reef diversity“refutes” the neutral theory. At

the same time, the paper by

Volkov et al. modifies the

classical version of neutral

theory that appeared in a 2001

book by Hubbell. Banavar,

Maritan, Volkov, and their

collaborators have been active

in the development of a

mathematical framework for

understanding ecosystems that

builds on and clarifies Hubbell's

neutral theory.

Photo: Christian Ziegler

“Despite its controversialnature, neutral theory hasproved to be a good startingpoint for understandingecosystems,” said Maritan. Andaccording to Banavar, “Thesix-year saga of neutral theory isan intriguing example of how ascientific hypothesis canfertilize stimulating newresearch while evolving overtime in response to scientificcritiques”

Source: Penn State University

DeparturesRoss Robertson toWashington DC to participateat the Marine ScienceNetwork Symposium, then toBrisbane, Australia.

Margarita Pearce to Montreal,Canada, to participate in thecoordination of STRI-McGillprograms, NEO andUniversities Consortium.

Fernando Santos-Granero toWashington, DC, to attendAnnual Meeting of theAmerican AnthropologicalAssociation and contribute atalk to the Symposium.

New publicationsHolst, Irene, Moreno P., JorgeEnrique, and Piperno,Dolores R. 2007."Identification of teosinte,maize, and Tripsacum inMesoamerica by using pollen,starch grains, and phytoliths."Proceedings of the NationalAcademy of Sciences 104(45):17608–17613.

Juliao, Genimar Reboucas.2007. Riqueza e abundância deinsetos galhadores associadosao dossel de florestas de terrafirme, várzea e igapó daAmazônia Central. PhD.dissertation, InstitutoNacional de Pesquisas daAmazonia (INPA).Universidade Federal doAmazonas (UFAM), Manaos,Brazil.

Pontes Ribeiro, Servio, andBasset, Yves. 2007."Gall-forming andfree-feeding herbivory alongvertical gradients in a lowlandtropical rainforest: theimportance of leafsclerophylly." Ecography 30:663-672.

CTFS–TEAM network meeting andanalytical workshopThe Tropical Ecology,Assessment and Monitoring(TEAM) network is an effortled by ConservationInternational, with long-termfunding from the Gordon andBetty Moore Foundation, todevelop a global network ofsites and scientists to monitorquantitative trends inbiodiversity using standardizedmethods, to make this datapublicly available, and toforecast changes in biodiversity.

The Network's Science Meetingheld from November 4-7 atSTRI’s Tupper Center was co-hosted by STRI’s Center forTropical Forest Science andConservation International. Themain objectives of the meetingwas to strengthen ties andexchange information andexperiences with CTFSscientists, one of the mostimportant tropical forestnetworks in the world. Theevent brought together ideasabout the science, protocols,and data analysis generated bythese two networks though acombination of plenarysessions, working groups andposter sessions. Theparticipants also discussedscience accomplishments atManaus, Volcan Barva,Caxiuana, Rio Doce in Brazil,the Yasuní CTFS Plot inEcuador, the Nanjenshan/Fushan plots in Taiwan, and the

Ituri Plot in the DemocraticRepublic of Congo, and had theopportunity to visit BCI andthe CTFS historical 50-hectareForest Dynamic Plot on theIsland.

TEAM Initiative vice-president Sandy Andelsman thankedSTRI and scientists StuartDavies, Richard Condit andSteve Hubbell for co-hostingthe meeting. Very special thankswent to CTFS'Jeannette Eggerfor the organization of the“best TEAM workshop ever.”

La red Ecología Tropical,Estudio y Monitoreo (TEAM,por sus siglas en inglés) es unesfuerzo liderado porConservation International, confondos a largo plazo de laFundación Gordon y BettyMoore, para desarrollar una redglobal de sitios y científicospara monitorear las tendenciascuantitativas en biodiversidad,usando métodos estandarizadospara que la información seaaccesible al público, así comopara preveer cambios en labiodiversidad.

La reunión científica de la redllevada a cabo del 4 al 7 denoviembre en el Centro Tupperde STRI, fue co-patrocinadapor el Centro de CienciasForestales del Trópico de STRIy Conservation International.Los objetivos principales de la

reunión fueron fortalecer lasrelaciones con el CTFS ycompartir información yexperiencias con sus científicos,una de las redes de bosquestropicales más importantes delmundo. En el evento sepresentaron ideas sobre ciencia,protocolos y análisis deinformación generada por estasdos redes a través de unacombinación de sesionesplenarias, grupos de trabajo ysesiones de afiches. Losespecialistas tambiéndiscutieron los logroscientíficos en Manaos, VolcanBarva, Caxiuana, Rio Doce enBrasil, la parcela de Yasuní delCTFS en Ecuador, las parcelasNanjenshan/ Fushan enTaiwan, y la parcela Ituri Ploten la República Democrática delCongo, y tuvieron laoportunidad de visitar BarroColorado y la histórica parcelade 50 héctareas de de Dinámicade Bosques del CTFS en la Isla.

La vice-presidenta de laIniciativa TEAM SandyAndelsman agradeció a STRI ya los científicos Stuart Davies,Richard Condit y Steve Hubbellpor el co-patrocinio de lareunión. Jeannette Egger, delCTFS recibió unagradecimiento my especial porla organización del “mejor tallerque ha tenido el TEAM.”

New publicationsRetallack, Gregory, and Kirby,Michael Xavier. 2007. "MiddleMiocene global change andpaleogeography of Panama."Palaios 22: 667-679.

Vargas, Sergio, Guzman,Hector M., and Breedy,Odalisca. 2007. "Distributionpatterns of the genus Pacifigorgia(Octocorallia: Gorgoniidae):track compatibility analysis andparsimony analysis ofendemicity." Journal ofBiogeography Online.

Basset, Yves, Corbara, Bruno,Barrios E., Hector V.,Cuenoud, Philippe, Leponce,Maurice, Aberlenc,Henri-Pierre, Bail, Johannes,Bito, Darren, Bridle, Jon R.,Castano Meneses, Gabriela,Cizek, Lukas, Cornejo Remice,Aidee, Curletti, Gianfranco,Delabie, Jacques H.C., Dejean,Alain, Didham, Raphael K.,Dufrene, Marc, Fagan, LauraL., Floren, Andreas, Frame,Dawn M., Halle, Francis,Hardy, Olivier J., Hernandez,Andres, Kitching, Roger L.,Lewinsohn, Thomas M., Lewis,Owen T., Manumbor, Markus,Medianero, Enrique, Missa,Oliver, Mitchell, Andrew W.,Mogia, Martin, Novotny,Vojtech, Odegaard, Frode,Gama de Oliveira, Evandro,Orivel, Jerome, Ozanne, ClaireM.P., Pascal, Olivier, Pinzon,Sara, Rapp, Mathieu, PontesRibeiro, Servio, Roisin, Yves,Roslin, Tomas, Roubik, DavidWard, Samaniego, Mirna,Schmidl, Jurgen, Sorensen,Line L., Tishechkin, Alexey,Van Osselaer, Christian, andWinchester, Neville N. 2007."IBISCA-Panama, a large-scalestudy of arthropodbeta-diversity and verticalstratification in a lowlandrainforest: rationale, study sitesand field protocols." Bulletin deL'Institut Royal des SciencesNaturelles de Belgique Entomologie77(1): 39-69.

Invasive species, fiddler crabs,mangroves and coral reefs aresome of the topics that will bediscussed as more than 70Smithsonian scholars and theircollaborators present marineresearch at the two-daySmithsonian Marine ScienceSymposium, held at SI’s S.Dillon Ripley CenterAuditorium in Washington DCfrom Thursday, November 15to Friday, November 16.

The symposium, convened bythe Smithsonian's UnderSecretary for Science, willhighlight individual andlong-term, pan-institutionalmarine research, with particularfocus on ecology, systematics,developmental biology andgeology.

The scholars will discussmarine research findings fromthe Chesapeake Bay; IndianRiver lagoon and Florida Keys;Mesoamerican Barrier Reef inBelize; the Atlantic and Pacificcoasts off the Isthmus ofPanama; and otherinternational research sites.

The symposium advances atradition of marine science thatbegan nearly 150 years ago andresulted in some of the world'sforemost collections of marinespecimens.

Presentations and postersinclude subjects on Caribbeancoral reef ecosystems: 35 yearsof Smithsonian marine sciencein Belize; Biogeogaphy ofmarine invasions: Currentstatus and future predictions;The turtles' tale: flagships andinstruments for marineresearch; Education andconservation; Contribution ofcommercial fishing to thedecline in Hawaiian monk seals;The private life of shrimps:Sex, conflict and sexualselection in hermaphrodites;and Rising CO2, rising sea leveland rising (or sinking?) coastalwetlands.

Especies invasoras, cangrejosviolinistas, manglares yarrecifes coralinos serán

Photo: Edgardo Ochoa

algunos de los tópicos adiscutirse mientras que 70académicos del Smithsonian ysus colaboradores presentan susestudios marinos en elSimposio de dos días deCiencias Marinas delSmithsonian, que se lleva a cabodel jueves 14 al viernes 15 denoviembre en el Auditorio delCentro S. Dillon Ripley enWashington DC.

El simposio, convocado por elSubsecretario para Ciencias delSmithsonian, destacará lasinvestigaciones marinas pan-institucionales individuales y alargo plazo, con énfasisparticular en ecología,sistemática, biología deldesarrollo y geología.

Los académicos discutirán loshallazgos en investigacionesmarinas llevadas a cabo en laBahía Chesapeake, la laguna de del Indian River, los Cayos de laFlorida, la Barrera Mesoameri-cana en Belice, las aguascosteras del Pacífico y elAtlántico del Istmo de Panamá,

y otras estaciones deinvestigación internacionales.

El simposio adelanta latradición de ciencias marinasque empezó hace cerca de 150años y que ha dado comoresultado algunas de las colec-ciones de especímenes marinosmás prominentes del mundo.

Las presentaciones y afichesincluyen temas sobre ecosis-temas de arrecifes coralinos: 35años de ciencias marinas delSmithsonian en Belice;biogeografía de invasionesmarinas: estado actual ypredicciones para el futuro; lahistoria de las tortugas: grandeslogros e instrumentos para lainvestigación marina; educacióny conservación; contribución dela pesca comercial en ladisminución de las focas monjede Hawaii; la vida privada de loscamarones; selección sexual enhermafroditas; y el aumento deCO2, el aumento en el nivel delmar y el surgimiento ohundimiento de humedalescosteros.

SmithsonianMarine

ScienceSymposium

Gaining a better understanding of biological invasions

Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, November 16, 2007

Story:

Dominique Roche

Edited by M Alvarado

& ML Calderon

Photo: Rob Nelson.

Through increased

globalization,

human-mediated

introductions of exotic

species have risen

dramatically over the

past two centuries.

Despite significant

economic and

environmental

consequences of

introductions and

broad scale initiatives

to prevent them,

researchers still

struggle to understand

the fundamental

processes

underlying the

success of

invasive

species.

Among other factors

considered important

in invasion success

(e.g., propagule

pressure, resource

availability,

disturbance), the role

of natural enemies

(predators, parasites,

pathogens) has yet to

be fully evaluated.

Dominique Roche, a

STRI-McGill NEO

student working with

Brian Leung, McGill

and STRI staff scientist

Mark Torchin, is

evaluating the extent to

which a reduced

parasite load facilitates

the demographic

success of an exotic

African tilapia

introduced to Panama.

Specifically, Roche

works in the Panama

Canal Watershed,

investigating the

parasites of Nile

Tilapia, Oreochromis

niloticus, and those of

a native competitor,

Vieja maculicauda, the

only native cichlid not

yet extirpated from

lakes Gatun and

Alajuela.

By examining parasite

transfer between these

two species as well as

differences in the

abundance of parasites

in the hosts and their

impact on host fitness,

Roche hopes to gain a

better understanding

of an important

mechanism influencing

biological invasions.

Al aumentar la globali-

zación, la introducción

de especies exóticas

por la mano del

hombre ha crecido

dramáticamente

durante los dos últi-

mos siglos. A pesar de

las significativas con-

secuencias económi-

cas y ambientales, y

las iniciativas a gran

escala para prevenir-

las, los investigadores

aún luchan para

entender los procesos

fundamentales en los

que se basa el éxito de

las especies invasoras.

Entre otros factores

considerados impor-

tantes para el éxito de

las invasiones (e.j.

presión del propágulo,

disponibilidad de

recursos, disturbios),

el papel de los enemi-

gos naturales (depre-

dadores, parásitos,

patógenos) debe eva-

luarse en su totalidad.

Dominique Roche,

estudiante del

Programa NEO de STRI

y McGill quien trabaja

con Brian Leung, de

McGill y el científico de

STRI Mark Torchin,

está evaluando hasta

dónde la reducida

carga de parásitos

facilita el éxito

demográfico de una

tilapia africana intro-

ducida en Panamá.

Específicamente,

Roche trabaja en la

Cuenca del Canal de

Panamá, investigando

los parásitos de la

tilapia del Nilo,

Oreochromis niloticus

y los de su rival nativo,

Vieja maculicauda, el

único cíclido nativo

que no ha sido

extirpado de los lagos

de Gatún y Alajuela.

Al examinar la

transferencia de

parásitos entre estas

dos especies al igual

que las diferencias en

la abundancia de

parásitos en los

hospederos y su

impacto en la salud del

hospedero, Roche

espera obtener un

mejor conocimiento de

un importante

mecanismo que afecta

las invasiones

biológicas.