INTROPICA

9-19

Authors: Cristian Granados Martínez, Johan Rodríguez Chila, Héctor López Salgado

We analyzed the environmental and biological conditions in four locations of Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta (CGSM): Boca de la Barra (BA), Boca del río Sevilla (SE), Centro de la CGSM (CE), Caño Grande (CG), its relationship to phytoplankton primary production (PPF) system and metabolism as well: We found that CGSM, tropical estuarine lagoon system, is greatly influenced by freshwater input from rivers that supply the system during the rainy season, where concentrations of nutrients (ammonium, nitrate and phosphate) were generally high when the salinity decreased. Overall Breathing (R) was higher than the PPF, this pattern can be explained by freshwater input. In addition, we found that there is a strong trend towards heterotrophy, with 65%, contrasting with 35% of autotrophy.

33-39

Authors: Catherine Pardey R., Mario Augusto García

In order to incorporate resistance to deforming pepper mosaic virus (PepDMV) in three commercial varieties of Cayenne, Habanero and Tabasco peppers, several crosses were made with PepDMV- resistant pepper lines selected under artificial and field conditions. A total of 36 F1 hybrids obtained from these crosses were self pollinated to produce F2 seed. The F2 plants were planted under greenhouse conditions for mechanically inoculation with the virus. The virus-resistant plants selected in these tests were advanced until the F4 generation. The selected resistant lines have variable levels of capsaicin, and yield potential, but some lines possess commercial fruit types

51-62

Authors: Isaac Romero Borja, Jorge Alberto Luna Fontalvo, Wilmer Ponce Obregón

This work was aimed at assessing the quality of the water of the downstream basin of the Manzanares River, in order to diagnose its more feasible use according to the Colombian legislation established in Decree 3939 of 2010 (allowable values established in the Decree 1594 of 1984, in effect temporarily) and the Resolution 2115 of 2007. The water from Donama creek presented the best physicochemical (conductivity, 76 μS/cm; BOD, 2,8 mg/l; dissolved oxygen, 6,52 mg/l, phosphorus, 0,05 mg/l; nitrate, 0.11 mg/l) and microbiological conditions (total coliforms, 420 NMP/100 ml: fecal coliforms, 220 NMP/100 ml). The water from Vira Vira, Donama, Matogiro and Chucunchaca creeks and Manzanares River can be used for agricultural, livestock and recreational (through primary and secondary contact) purposes, as well as for preservation of wildlife and associated ecosystems; moreover, these waters are suitable for drinking water production. The water supplied to the village of Bonda does not meet the conditions of color, turbidity, nitrite concentration and total and fecal coliforms established by national regulations. The estimates of BOD, COD, nitrites, solids and coliforms (total and fecal) are the main factors affecting the characteristics of the water resource, explaining 92% of the behavior of the system.

71-88

Authors: Eliana Barrios Vásquez, Carlos Trujillo Arcila, Tatiana Sánchez Armenta

The benthic community associated with soft bottoms on the south side of Taganga Bay on the Colombian Caribbean was characterized according to its community attributes during the 2009 rainy season (between september and december). Three sites were established at 8 to 12 meters in depth and samples were collected for biological, grain size and organic matter analyses. We found 141 families and 16045 individuals, belonging to the Phyla Annelida, Brachiopoda, Chelicerata, Chordata, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, Echiura, Hemichordata, Mollusca and Sipuncula, with a wet biomass of 20,78 g. 40.6% of all organisms collected were from The Polychaeta group (Phylum Annelida), which was the most abundant. The similarity analysis (ANOSIM) revealed no structural differences during the sampling period , but spatial differences were shown among stations, with station E1 having particular community characteristics making it different from stations E2 and E3

101-108

Authors: Pedro Eslava-Eljaiek, Eberhard Wedler, Daniel Serna-Macias

The main hatching criteria of Artemia sp. from Pozos Colorados (Santa Marta, Colombia) are presented in this work. The samples were collected between April and July 2008 in two sites. We estimated the values of the following indicators (± standard deviation): number of cysts per gram (252,678±25,70), diameter of hidrated (245,64±10,90 μm) and ecapsulated (224,58±11,57 μm) cysts, chorion thickness (10,89±6,72 μm), hatching percentage (64,60±0,85; 66±0,62 y 64,97±1,16 a 5, 15 y 30 PSU, respectively), hatching rates (To = 9,0 horas, T10 = 10 horas, T90 = 15,67 horas y TS = 5,67 horas), biomass hatching (300,07±3,95 mg/g), and size of the nauplio (431,79±25,41 μm). The values of the physicochemical parameters, recorded from January to December of the same year, fell within the following ranges: conductivity, 84,3-210 mS/cm; salinity, 15-23,6 PSU; pH, 5,47-8.90; dissolved oxygen, 0,21-11.54 mg /l; oxygen saturation, 0-2.50 %; and temperature, 23,7-37.40°C. The results show that the Salinas of Pozos Colorados is a privileged area for promoting the cultivation and exploitation of Artemia, because of the traits and quality of their cysts.

5-18

Authors: Andrés Vélez-Pereira, Yiniva Camargo Caicedo, Sandra Rocío Balaguera Rincones

Different stages during the degradation of municipal solid wastes (MSW) in landfills can contribute to the emission of bioaerosols, which may represent a health hazard causing allergic, respiratory and infectious diseases. However, the studies related to the generation of airborne bacteria in landfill sites in Colombia are still scarce. Therefore, this study was aimed to establish the spatial and temporal distribution of airborne bacteria generated during the final disposal of MSW at the Palangana landfill site, located at Sant a Marta district. To achieve this aim, three monitoring locations were selected at different operations taking place in the landfill site, and following the wind direction; these locations corresponded to the active cell, the close cell and the leachate collection pond, where six monitoring campaigns were performed both in the morning and afternoon. Airborne bacteria were collected on standard plate count agar using a two-stage cascade impactormodel 10-800 (Tisch Environmental, Inc.), operating at 28,3 l/min during 3 min (sampling time) and located at 1,5 m height. Plates were incubated for 48 h at 28°C for colony counting. The highest airborne bacteria concentration in the morning sampling was obtained at the leachate pond (2.320 CFU/m3), whereas in afternoon samplings the highest concentration as obtained in the active cell (3.545 CFU/m3). Besides, there was higher concentration of breathable bacteria compared to the sedimentable bacteria, confirming the health hazard for site workers due to the exposure to the airborne bacteria that can reach the respiratory system.

29-46

Authors: Marisabel Ureta Adrianzén

The species richness of Peruvian Rainforest is immense considering the great diversity of microclimates and land surfaces; this makes the central forest of our country an interesting and particular place. That is the case of the Central Forest in Oxapampa (Peru), located in the eastern slopes of the Andes. The Missouri Botanical Garden-Perú possesses samples collected since 2004 and currently 35 000 botanical specimens have been deposited in the Herbario de la Selva Central - HOXA (Herbarium of Central Forest-HOXA). For the present study, a taxonomical review was performed for the Myristicaceae family; consequently 550 specimens were distinguished, determined and identified in 4 genera and 14 species. The most important species found include Compsoneura, Iryanthera, Otoba and Virola. Among other aspects, it is central to point out that the largest geographical distribution of the family Myristicaceae was found in lowland Amazonian forests. However, this study collected species from transitional forests; such is the case of Compsoneura sprucei, which also comprise a new species for the department of Pasco in Peru.

47-56

Authors: Luz Adriana Velasco, Darío Vega, Ernesto Acosta, Judith Barros

In order to validate and optimize the protocol used for the spawning induction and fertilization of the mangrove oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae in Colombia, the reproductive cycle of natural populations from the Ciénaga de Mallorquín, was examined. Two experiments of induced reproduction were performed. In the first one, the effect of two spawning induction techniques (“Colombian” and “Cuban”) were compared based on the spawning response time, the fecundity and the percentages of spawned organisms. In the second experiment, the influence of two fertilization systems (“grouping” and “individual”) was evaluated, in terms of the percentages of oocyte fertilization and larvae D as well as larval growth and survival. Populations studied xhibited a semiannual reproductive cycle, the highest proportion of organisms in mature sexual state were obtained between June and July, coinciding with the beginning of the rainy season. The ercentage of spawned organisms was significantly higher using the Colombian spawning induction technique. The spawning response time was lesser in animals induced by the Colombian technique and the fecundity was not affected by the spawning inductor. Higher values of oocyte fertilization and larval growth were obtained with the grouping system of fertilization. Nevertheless, embryonic and larval survival values were similar for both treatments. In conclusion, the induced reproduction of C. rhizophorae populations from Ciénaga de Mallorquín, could carried out during rainy season (between april and september), using the Colombian spawning induction technique and the grouping system of fertilization. However it is necessary to improve the incubation techniques and larval culture in order to increase survival and growth values.

63-76

Authors: Patricia Martínez-Nieto, Daniel G. García-González

Encenillo (Weinmannia tomentosa Lf) and pagoda (Escallonia myrtilloides Lf) are dominant native tree species that can be found in the forests of the complex Andean Guerrero (Cundinamarca, Colombia). Forty two phosphorus-solubilizing bacteria and 125 nitrogen-fixing strains were isolated from the rhizosphere of these trees, out of which the microbial strains presenting the best five results of dissolution of phosphate and acetylene reduction by plant species were selected. The diazotrophic strains selected were identified as close to Enterobacter gergoviae, Alcaligenes sp. (E13C and E12E strains), Enterobacter sp. (E14C.2 strain), Pseudomonas sp., Sphingomonas sp., Paenibacillus sp., Achromobacter sp., Flavobacterium adoratum, and Klebsiella pneumoniae, and as phosphate-solubilizingbacteria near to Pantoea agglomerans, Pantoea sp., Brevudimonas sp., Enterobacter sp. (E6C.1 strain), Burkholderia cepacia, Arthrobacter sp., Aeromicrobium sp., Corynebacterium sp., Pimelobacter sp. and Micrococcus sp. In order to perform preliminary in vivo tests with the chosen microorganisms, it was inoculated bacterial mixture to encenillo and pagoda seedlings and evaluated their longitudinal growth for three months under greenhouse conditions. The major averages were obtained with the inoculation of Enterobacter gergoviae and Pantoea sp. in encenillo seedlings (average increase of 51% and 57% greater than the controls without microbial inoculation and sterile molasses medium, respectively) and the mixture of all selected bacteria in pagoda (Stimulation of 16% and 32% compared to controls molasses and without bacterial inoculation, respectively). The results showed that all the combinations using microbial inocula significantly stimulated longitudinal growth (Duncan multiple range test P<0.05). The synergism shown by co-inoculation of diazotrophic bacteria and phosphate solubilizing bacteria indicate the potential of these microorganisms as plant growth promoters and biofertilizers.

87-96

Authors: Maribet Gamboa

Spatial mobility between habitat fragments may present significant changes to the benthic organism system. Freshwater insects achieve dispersal using a manifold of mechanisms that may vary with respect to the characteristics of the individual or the environment; these can be categorized as passive or actives and have important implications in the processes of colonization, gene flow and evolutionary divergence. This review aims to explore studies of benthic insect dispersal based on empirical, theoretical approaches and examples of the dispersion in tropical and templates areas. We discuss how the spread can occur, its consequences and adaptations, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of conventional methods with respect to the molecular methods to study the dispersal of aquatic insects and when it is considered that human activities can prevent or reduce dispersion between different river systems, through the disruption and habitat fragmentation. In general, we looked for new questions to the mechanisms and patterns of dispersal in freshwater invertebrates and how they can be extrapolated to other taxa, since the selective pressures in aquatic systems as discrete habitats are similar.

104-107

Authors: Luis M. Rangel G., Luis A. Vidal V.

With the objective of knowing the microflora present in ballast water in the Santa Marta bay, samples were realized in 34 ships, between January and September of 2006. Stephanopyxis niponnica was found in two coal ships coming from the United States. The presence of this species of biogeographic distribution for cold waters, demonstrates the transport and potential introduction of exotic species to the region of Santa Marta via ballast water.

5-15

Authors: Larrys Fontalvo-Rodríguez, Cesil Solís-Medina

An ant community was studied in nine areas in the complex mining of Cerrejón Ltd. in the Cerrejón Valley (Department of Guajira-Colombia). In each site, 10 sampling stations were installed over four time periods, covering the different climatic events of the region. Ants were collected using pitfall traps, mini-Winklerbags, manual capture and Malaise traps. For the comparisons between areas, we applied non parametric estimators of richness, diversity indices and similarity coefficients. 3.935 individuals were collected in 2.652 capture events, 71 species belonging to eight subfamilies, 19 tribes and 37 genera were identified. The estimators of richness produced estimates of 73 species (ICE), 73 (Chao 1) and 77 (Jacknife 1) respectively, for the nine areas. No significant differences between the diversity values were detected. The Bray-Curtis similarity coefficient showed that the sites are not similar in relation to their richness and abundance. Each area contributed species to the total diversity of Formicidae, which suggest that they should be conserved to maintain the local and regional biodiversity.

47-53

Authors: Hernando Suárez-Gómez

Pathogenicity, mortality and lethal time of Beauveria bassiana (Bals.) Vuillemin on maize weevil, Sitophilus zeamais (Motsch.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) was evaluated using concentrations of 1 x 106, 1 x 107, 1 x 108 and 1 x 109 conidias/ml. The study was conducted at the Entomology Laboratory of the Magdalena University (Colombia) (temperature de 25±1ºC; relative humidity 90±2 %; and photoperiod = 1 2:12) .The fungus was isolate from Leptopharsa gibbicarina (Hemiptera: Tingidae), insect pest of oil palm. Adults of the S. zeamais were obtained from a laboratory mass rearing. The experiment was organized in a complete randomized design with four replications. These insects were exposed to the fungus using four concentrations of conidias/ml. The mortality mean was 98,37 0% for all concentrations. There were significant differences (P ≥ 0,05) among concentration and control. The minor Mean lethal time was to concentrations 1x106 conidia/ml. Results show efficient control

67-78

Authors: Ralf Strewe, Gheynner Lobatón-Polo, Cristóbal Navarro, César Vega-Sepúlveda, Carlos Villa-De León

Based on bird research, the basin of the Toribio River on the slopes of San Lorenzo Hill was declared as the first Important Bird Area (IBA) in the Colombian Caribbean region, a programme by the Alexander Von Humboldt Institute and Birdlife international. To ensure the long term protection of IBA, a conservation corridor has been devised in the basin of the Toribio River, on the North East slope of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, county of Magdalena, within an altitudinal gradient which ranges from 450 to 2.600 m (above sea level), as an Interlink of Agro-forestry and natural Eco-systems mosaics. The certification programme ‘Critical Ecosystems Alliance’ (CEA), was developed as an implementation instrument of the conservation corridor, with specific conservation criterion and unique for Colombia and South America. The corridor implementation was carried out through the establishment of 34 nurseries with 61.000 planting bags and 36.000 seedlings produced from native species, timber-yielding and fruit-bearing for the bio-diversification of the agro-forestry systems and for the reforestation of the critical areas. In 34 premises the criterion was implemented handling 69 water springs, 308 ha of agro-forestry systems with a diversified shade, 101 ha of reforestation areas and 182 ha of freed areas for the habitat conservation and recovery.

93-99

Authors: Luz Adriana Velasco, Judith Barros-Gómez, Gloria Helena Ospina-Salazar, Carlos Alberto Trujillo

In order to understand the effect of light intensity, temperature and salinity on the growth in density of the microalgae Isochrysis galbana (T-ISO), a factorial experiment 2x2x2 was done under laboratory conditions. Microalgal growth was higher at high illumination (1024 lux) than at low one (24 lux). Temperature caused different effects depending on the light intensity supplied. In cultures with high illumination, bigger growth was obtained at high temperature (28°C), but in conditions of low light intensity, higher growth was presented at low temperature (22°C). Salinities between 27 and 35 did not show any effect on the growth of the microalgae.

113-119

Authors: Lennin Florez-Leiva, Alejandro Rangel-Campo, Marta Díaz-Ruíz, Dagoberto Venera-Pontón, Guillermo Díaz-Pulido

Increased rates of sedimentation in the marine environment as a consequence of increased runoff, deforestation, inappropriate agricultural practices, etc, is a matter of concern due to the negative impacts on the ecology of coral reefs. Benthic algae are amongst the most important biological components of such ecosystems, however, little is known about the impacts of sedimentation on the ecology of tropical benthic algae. In this study we explored the effects of different types of sediment on the abundance and community structure of the algae in the Tayrona National Natural Park, Colombian Caribbean. The results showed that the addition of different types of sediments (from land, river, and marine) had minor effects on the cover, diversity and community structure of the algae. The different type of sediments added did not significantly change the algal structure, however there were rare species with low abundance that occurred preferentially in specific sediment treatments. We conclude that there are a wide range of responses of algae to nature of the sediments

5-12

Authors: Dency José Pacheco-López, Manuel Enrique Taborda-Martínez, Catalino De la Rosa-Torres

When making the preliminary phytochemical study to determine in qualitative form the chemical composition of the seed, barks and leaves of Thevetia peruviana specie, cardiotonic glycosides, flavonoids, triterpenoids and steroids were obtained like components main in leaves, bark and seeds. To the extracted fixed oil of the seed a fatty acid profile was made to him in a high resolution gas chromatograph with ionization detector in flame (HRGC-FID), the majority components were the acids oleic (46%), palmitic (23.4%), linoleic (17%), stearic (9,4%) and arachidic (1.8%). These percentage values with those of almond oils, castor oil, olive, cacao, coconut, corn, cottonseed, peanut, soybean, sunflower and fat of pig are compared. This oil offers the possibility of being taken advantage of at industrial level due to the high yield extraction and the physicochemical characteristics its fatty acids. The antifungal activity of ethereos and etanolics extracts to different concentrations was evaluated in front of the fungus Mycosphaerella fijiensis, with negative results; nevertheless, one does not discard that it has this property against less resistant fungi. The commercial antifungal Mancozeb was used like positive control.

21-32

Authors: Eberhard Wedler, Yorcelis Cruz

Following up the encouraging levels of production of Red Tilapia in cages, has been proposed the study of this fish in fenced enclosures. The effect of feeding based solely on the natural availability on the growth was evaluated throught two experiments with seed densities of 10 fish/m3 and 20 fish/m3 , respectively, and with a method to both exploit the enormous amount of available natural food: I) use of artificial substrate for perifiton and II) use of underwater lights at night. Up to now the maximum obtained capacity in cages has been of 75 kg/m3 , with seed densities of up to 200 fish/m3 . However, when the seed density was increased, in the little available space, contact among animals was frequent, causing maltreatment and ulcerations which ended in diseases and in an increase in mortality. Mean final weight were 416,26±0,96 g and 405,38±4,22 g in the first experiment and 447,47±4,065 g and 399,43±0,376 g in the second experiment during 9 and 6 months of culture, respectively. Although has not established the maximum carrying capacity, so far has been obtained a production of 1,67 kg/m3 with seed densities of 20 fish/m3 without employing supplementary food. In general the key to the success of this type of production method was the use at night of underwater lights of cheap design, which allow for continuous feeding by fish, and takes advantage of the nighttime abundance of zooplankton.

43-57

Authors: Erika Pava, Jacqueline Carrasquilla, William López

It presents physical and chemical characteristics and abundance of the algae classes from cienaga of San Silvestre, a Sogamoso River´s floodplane located at the Magdalena River´s middle basin. During low rains season three surveys were done to the physical and chemical aspects and one collect was made to establish the phytoplanktonic community composition. A two way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was made, and it found significative differences in the horizontal distribution of Chlorophyceae and Bacillariophyceae algal abundance. I the other hand, there are not significative differences an algal abundance between the two deeps .

69-79

Authors: César Enrique Tamarís-Turizo, Héctor Jaime López-Salgado

Climatic diversity of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Gaira River basin is due to the geographical position, proximity to sea, altitudinal variation and exposition to surroundings winds, structuring a region of high biological biodiversity and interest, especially about climate zonation. Map of Gaira River basin‘s climate zonation and hidric index were made and some classification ranks proposed bye Instituto de Hidrología, Meteorología y de Estudios Ambientales – IDEAM were adapted

87-100

Authors: Lina María Ramos-Ortega, Erlenis Fontalvo, William López

In the littoral and pelagic zone at the Cienaga Cerro de San Antonio, between 22 and 23 of October of 2004 vertical profiles of temperature, dissolved oxygen, electrical conductivity and pH were made. Water samples were collected to evaluate the main physicochemical and biological characteristics. The phytoplanktonic primary productivity was established and collects were made to evaluate the phytoplanktonic biomass and composition. The swamp is a continuous warm polymictic lake. The values of the physicochemical variables were similar to the reported ones for other floodplanes of the Magdalena river. The primary productivity is between 14.6 y 235.9 mg C.m-3.h-1. Finally 20 morfoespecies of algae are reported, which contributes to a biomass between 2,5 and 5,9 mg CL a.m-3

109-112

Authors: Ralf Strewe, Carlos Villa-De León, Gheynner Lobatón, Andrea Morales Rozo, Fernando Ayerbe Quiñones

New localities for the Carib Grackle (Quiscalus lugubris) in Colombia are detected, records for the Caribbean coast of Colombia come from the departments of Magdalena and La Guajira. The records are obtained in the birds in Tropical dry Forests and coastal wetlands monitoring program. The range extension of populations are an indicator of the deterioration of the natural ecosystems of the region, according to the anthropophily of the species.

7-22

Authors: Eduino Carbonó De La Hoz, Zeyder Cruz

This study was performed in the banana’s zone of Santa Marta, Colombia, from march 2000 throughout november 2001. The main goal was identify cover crops species that could be potentially useful in commercial banana plantations. Four species were selected from the weed complex spontaneously associated to banana plantations. Teramus volubilis Sw., Callisia cordifolia (Sw.) E. S. Anderson et Woodson, Desmodium scorpiurus (Sw.) Desv. and D. triflorum (L.) DC. showed characteristics of capability on competence and control of weeds in banana plantations. This study promote a useful index for the evaluation and selection of cover crops species potentially important in banana plantations (Potentially as Cover Crop Index) in order to quantify observational parameters, needed for the selection. A list of weed species, which grow in Santa Marta banana plantations region, is presented

35-49

Authors: Luis O. Duarte, Jairo Altamar, Fabián D. Escobar

The Fisheries Assessment and Ecology Information System (SIEEP) emerges from the necessity of a efficient scheme for the storing, standardizing, validation and recovering of the informative basis (biotic and abiotic) to develop the integral approaches claimed by the scientific community for the study of fisheries resources. It is a digital database developed in Microsoft® Access 2002, with a relational and hierarchical model for data storing integrated by three components that include several modules: document catalogue, biotic information and abiotic information. It has a graphic interfaces system of intuitive access through which users can navigate in the application, store data, explore information, execute queries and reports that are visualised in the screen, are exported in several file formats or are printed. The gathering of the information derived from studies carried out in the Upwelling Ecosystem off Colombia, Caribbean Sea, since 1970 was the first application of the SIEEP. An informative basis with over 250.000 records was obtained, that for sure will become an obligated source for fisheries researches in the region. The SIEEP allows storing useful information for analysis and management strategies that place fisheries in the ecosystem context. Contributions with data and initiatives for the permanent update of the SIEEP are welcomed.