Quantifying seasonal and diel variation in Anopheline and Culex human biting rates in Southern Ecuador

The perceptions and values that local communities have towards protected areas are of great value for the improvement of these territories’ management. Such perceptions and values are often absent in the conservation planning process, particularly in those privately protected areas that are established in areas where the land tenure system is based not only on ownership but also on customary uses. Drawing on qualitative and quantitative data obtained through semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders and members of communities surrounding a privately protected area in southern Ecuador, we identify that the level of collaboration with the managers, the distance to the protected area, the percentage of untitled land, and the dependence on the resources (customary uses) are among the variables affecting these perceptions and values. Positive perceptions towards protected areas and naturalistic values are developed among those who collaborate with the protected area managers, whereas negative perceptions, and a mix of naturalistic and biospheric values are developed among those who have a sense of a lack of attention to social needs although supporting nature conservation at the same time. The evidence presented shows the importance of matching local peoples’ expectations with conservation goals during the establishment of a protected area.

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Effects of Land-Use Change on the Community Structure of the Dung Beetle (Scarabaeinae) in an Altered Ecosystem in Southern Ecuador

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects12040306 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 306

Author(s):

Vinicio Carrión-Paladines ◽

Andreas Fries ◽

Andrés Muñoz ◽

Eddy Castillo ◽

Roberto García-Ruiz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Community Structure ◽

Land Use Change ◽

Dung Beetle ◽

Dry Forest ◽

Farm Animals ◽

P Value ◽

Southern Ecuador ◽

Abundance And Diversity ◽

Effects Of Land Use

This study evaluated the effects of land-use change (L-UCH) on dung beetle community structure (Scarabaeinae) in a disturbed dry ecosystem in southern Ecuador. Five different L-UCH classes were analyzed by capturing the dung beetle species at each site using 120 pitfall traps in total. To determine dung beetle abundance and diversity at each L-UCH, a general linear model (GLM) and a redundancy analysis (RDA) were applied, which correlated environmental and edaphic conditions to the community structure. Furthermore, changes in dung-producing vertebrate fauna were examined, which varied significantly between the different L-UCH classes due to the specific anthropogenic use or level of ecosystem disturbance. The results indicated that soil organic matter, pH, potassium, and phosphorus (RDA: component 1), as well as temperature and altitude (RDA: component 2) significantly affect the abundance of beetles (GLM: p value < 0.001), besides the food availability (dung). The highest abundance and diversity (Simpson’s index > 0.4, Shannon-Wiener index > 1.10) was found in highly disturbed sites, where soils were generally more compacted, but with a greater food supply due to the introduced farm animals. At highly disturbed sites, the species Canthon balteatus, Dichotomius problematicus, and Onthphagus confuses were found specifically, which makes them useful as bio-indicators for disturbed dry forest ecosystems in southern Ecuador.

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Noteworthy records and updated richness of medium to large-sized mammals in arid and semi-arid ecosystems of northern Peru and southern Ecuador

Journal of Arid Environments ◽

10.1016/j.jaridenv.2021.104471 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 188 ◽

pp. 104471

Author(s):

Alvaro García-Olaechea ◽

Zoila Vega ◽

Cindy M. Hurtado

Keyword(s):

Arid Ecosystems ◽

Southern Ecuador ◽

Northern Peru ◽

Semi Arid

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An Unprecedented High Content of the Bioactive Flavone Tricin in Huperzia Medicinal Species Used by the Saraguro in Ecuador

Natural Product Communications ◽

10.1177/1934578x1601100301 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 1934578X1601100

Author(s):

Chabaco Armijos ◽

Jorge Ponce ◽

Jorge Ramírez ◽

Davide Gozzini ◽

Paola Vita Finzi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Colorectal Cancer ◽

Traditional Medicine ◽

Cell Lines ◽

Cancer Cell ◽

Potent Inhibitor ◽

Community Living ◽

Medicinal Species ◽

Chemopreventive Agent ◽

Southern Ecuador

The flavone tricin (5,7,4′-trihydroxy-3′,5′-dimethoxyflavone) is considered to be a selective potent inhibitor of different cancer cell lines and a potential colorectal cancer chemopreventive agent. In this paper we describe a reliable UHPLC-UV-ESIMS method for the determination of tricin in Huperzia plants used in the traditional medicine of the Saraguro community living in Southern Ecuador. An unusually high amount of tricin was found in H. brevifolia and H. compacta, which exceeded the content of this flavone determined so far in other plants.

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