The Ash-breasted Tit-tyrant, Anairetes alpinus (Carriker, 1933) (Aves, Tyrannidae), is an endangered and highly specialized bird that inhabits the Polylepis forests (Rosaceae) of Peru and Bolivia. Here, we report 2 new localities in the department of Junín, central Peru, where it was detected in forests dominated by Polylepis canoi, P. rodolfo-vasquezii, and a third undescribed Polylepis species. We conclude that a residential population is the more likely possibility although the possibility of dispersal individuals should also be considered.

El trabajo tuvo como objetivo clonar dos genes procedentes de Tectona grandis L.f. haciendo uso del sistema GATEWAY, así como la transformación de Nicotiana tabacum L. L. a fin de determinar las funciones de los genes en estudio; para ello se partió de una base de datos de 1502 genes diferencialmente expresos del tallo de un árbol de 60 años; la selección de los genes fue manual, éstos fueron denominados TgMYB1 y TgMYB2; para el análisis de las secuencias se utilizaron los programas BLASTX, EXPASY, Pfam y ORF, asimismo para realizar los análisis filogenéticos y predecir la función de los genes seleccionados se utilizó la Base de Datos de Factores de Transcripción (FACTOR TRANSCRIPTION DATABASE) y el programa MEGA6 con el método de Maximum Likelihood y bootstrap igual a 10000. Se utilizaron los vectores pJET, pENTR y PK7FWG2; todas las construcciones y transformaciones fuero...

Seed physiological quality is usually determined by the interaction between genetics and the mother tree’s environment, as well as by intrinsic characteristics, such as seed mass. In the Andean highlands, massive sapling production for forest restoration projects is constrained by seed availability and quality. There, species of the genus Polylepis dominate the remnant forests. The associations of seed viability with seed mass and maternal effects were evaluated in P. flavipila, a threatened tree species endemic to the Peruvian Andes. The characteristics and environments of 18 mother trees from two sites were measured, and seed quality was assessed in three tests. Seed mass was 3.49 ± 1.76 mg (range: 0.5–16 mg) and showed the greatest variability within mother trees, followed by variability among trees and among sites. Viability rates, standard germination and greenhouse germination...

The success of reforestation and restoration projects depends on several factors, with proper seedling management and the selection of an appropriate planting area being crucial. In Peru, the populations of Retrophyllum rospigliosii (Pilg.) C.N.Page (Ulcumano) have been decreasing due to intensive logging of one of the most valuable woods in South America's tropical forests. There are few studies that unify the production of plants through seeds in nurseries and the identification of suitable areas to place the plants produced. Our study has two components. The first aimed to optimize the plant production process through an experiment that evaluated the effects of three doses of controlled-release fertilizer (CRF) (4.2, 8.4, and 12.6 g/L) and two container sizes (115 and 180 cc) on the morphological quality of seedlings in the nursery. The second component involved identifying potential ...

Heavy metal contamination of soil and agricultural products is an environmental problem, has an adverse effect on the quality of food crops, and is a danger to food security and public health. The concentration of arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) in surface soils and edible hypocotyls tissues of two ecotypes of Lepidium meyenii Walpers (maca) was evaluated in three districts of the Junín province, Peru. In addition, the risk to human health due to exposure to heavy metals from maca consumption was evaluated. Soil samples and maca hypocotyls were collected in areas influenced by mining and metallurgical activity. The mean concentration of Cd (0.32 ± 0.23 mg/kg) and Pb (0.20 ± 0.12 mg/kg) in maca samples exceeded the values established by the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Health Organization. The bioconcentration factor was less than 1. Th...

Background. Because of illegal logging, habitat fragmentation, and high value timber Andean montane forest Cedrela species (such as Cedrela angustifolia), is endangered in Central and South America. Studying the effects of climate change and tree cover loss on the distribution of C. angustifolia will help us to understand the climatic and ecological sensitivity of this species and suggest conservation and restoration strategies. Methods. Using ecological niche modeling with two algorithms (maximum entropy (MaxEnt) and Random Forest) under the ecological niche conservatism approach, we generated 16,920 models with different combinations of variables and parameters. We identified suitable areas for C. angustifolia trees under present and future climate scenarios (2040, 2070, and 2100 with SSP 3-7.0 and SSP 5-8.5), tree cover loss, and variables linked to soil and topography. Results. Our r...