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Development of microsatellite markers and assembly of the plastid genome in Cistanthe longiscapa (Montiaceae) based on low-coverage whole genome sequencing

Autores:

Stoll, A., Harpke, D., Schütte, C., Stefanczyk, N., Brandt, R., Blattner, F., & Quandt, D.

Resumen:

Cistanthe longiscapa is an endemic annual herb and characteristic element of the Chilean Atacama Desert. Principal threats are the destruction of its seed deposits by human activities and reduced germination rates due to the decreasing occurrence of precipitation events. To enable population genetic and phylogeographic analyses in this species we performed paired-end shotgun sequencing (2x100 bp) of genomic DNA on the Illumina HiSeq platform and identified microsatellite (SSR) loci in the resulting sequences. From 29 million quality-filtered read pairs we obtained 549,174 contigs (average length 614 bp; N50 = 904). Searching for SSRs revealed 10,336 loci with microsatellite motifs. Initially, we designed primers for 96 loci, which were tested for PCR amplification on three C. longiscapa individuals. Successfully amplifying loci were further tested on eight individuals to screen for length variation in the resulting amplicons, and the alleles were exemplarily sequenced to infer the basis for the observed length variation. Finally we arrived at 26 validated SSR loci for population studies in C. longiscapa, which resulted in 146 bi-allelic SSR markers in our test sample of eight individuals. The genomic sequences were also used to assemble the plastid genome of C. longiscapa, which provides an additional set of maternally inherited genetic markers.

Año: 2017

Palabras claves:

Referencia APA: Stoll, A., Harpke, D., Schütte, C., Stefanczyk, N., Brandt, R., Blattner, F., & Quandt, D. (2017). Development of microsatellite markers and assembly of the plastid genome in Cistanthe longiscapa (Montiaceae) based on low-coverage whole genome sequencing. PLOS ONE, 12(6), e0178402. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0178402

Ocupaciones arcaicas y probables evidencias de navegación temprana en la costa arreica de Antofagasta, Chile.

Autores:

Castro, V., Aldunate, C., Varela, V., Olguín, L., Andrade, P., García-Albarido, F., Rubio, F., Castro, P., Maldonado, A. and Ruz, J.

Resumen:

El estudio intensivo del sitio Copaca 1, al sur de Tocopilla, proporciona antecedentes que permiten profundizar el conocimiento sobre el período Arcaico en la costa arreica de Antofagasta, para una sociedad que vivió de una eficiente adaptación costera, sin recursos complementarios extralocales. Estos nuevos hallazgos enriquecen la secuencia cronológica del Holoceno Medio, sus sistemas de asentamientos, prácticas mortuorias, modos de vida y probables evidencias de navegación.

Año: 2017

Palabras claves: Costa arreica, período Arcaico, asentamientos, cronología, funebria.

Referencia APA: Castro, V., Aldunate, C., Varela, V., Olguín, L., Andrade, P., García-Albarido, F., Rubio, F., Castro, P., Maldonado, A. and Ruz, J. (2016). Ocupaciones arcaicas y probables evidencias de navegación temprana en la costa arreica de Antofagasta, Chile. Chungará (Arica), http://dx.doi.org/10.4067/S0717-73562016005000039

Paracas dust storms: Sources, trajectories and associated meteorological conditions

Autores:

Briceño-Zuluaga, F., Castagna, A., Rutllant, J.A., Flores-Aqueveque, V., Caquineau, S., Sifeddine, A., Velazco, F., Gutierrez, D., Cardich, J.

Resumen:

Dust storms that develop along the Pisco-Ica desert in Southern Peru, locally known as “Paracas” winds have ecological, health and economic repercussions. Here we identify dust sources through MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) imagery and analyze HYSPLIT (Hybrid Single Particles Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory) model trajectories and dispersion patterns, along with concomitant synoptic-scale meteorological conditions from National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis (NCEP/NCAR). Additionally, surface pressure data from the hourly METeorological Aerodrome Report (METAR) at Arica (18.5°S, 70.3°W) and Pisco (13.7°S, 76.2°W) were used to calculate Alongshore (sea-level) Pressure Gradient (APG) anomalies during Paracas dust storms, their duration and associated wind-speeds and wind directions. This study provides a review on the occurrence and strength of the Paracas dust storms as reported in the Pisco airfield for five-year period and their correspondence with MODIS true-color imagery in terms of dust-emission source areas. Our results show that most of the particle fluxes moving into the Ica-Pisco desert area during Paracas wind events originate over the coastal zone, where strong winds forced by steep APGs develop as the axis of a deep mid-troposphere trough sets in along north-central Chile. Direct relationships between Paracas wind intensity, number of active dust-emission sources and APGs are also documented, although the scarcity of simultaneous METAR/MODIS data for clearly observed MODIS dust plumes prevents any significant statistical inference. Synoptic-scale meteorological composites from NCEP/NCAR reanalysis data show that Paracas wind events (steep APGs) are mostly associated with the strengthening of anticyclonic conditions in northern Chile, that can be attributed to cold air advection associated with the incoming trough. Compared to the MODIS images, HYSPLIT outputs were able to spatially reproduce trajectories and dust dispersion plumes during the Paracas wind storms. HYSPLIT trajectories revealed that part of the wind-eroded lithological material can be transported downwind several kilometers along the Peruvian coast and also deposited over the nearby coastal ocean, giving support to the presence of an aeolian signal in continental shelf sediments, of great importance for paleoenvironmental studies.

Año: 2017

Palabras claves: Aeolian transport, HYSPLIT trajectories, Dust storms, Southern, Peru, Synoptic-scale meteorological patterns

Referencia APA: Briceño-Zuluaga, F., Castagna, A., Rutllant, J.A., Flores-Aqueveque, V., Caquineau, S., Sifeddine, A., Velazco, F., Gutierrez, D., Cardich, J. (2017). Paracas dust storms: Sources, trajectories and associated meteorological conditions. In Atmospheric Environment. Volume 165, 2017. Pages 99-110.

Recent Deceleration of the Ice Elevation Change of Ecology Glacier (King George Island, Antarctica)

Autores:

Pętlicki, M., Sziło, J., MacDonell, S., Vivero, S. and Bialik, R.

Resumen:

Glacier change studies in the Antarctic Peninsula region, despite their importance for global sea level rise, are commonly restricted to the investigation of frontal position changes. Here we present a long term (37 years; 1979–2016) study of ice elevation changes of the Ecology Glacier, King George Island (62∘11′S, 58∘29′W). The glacier covers an area of 5.21 km2 and is located close to the H. Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station, and therefore has been an object of various multidisciplinary studies with subject ranging from glaciology, meteorology to glacial microbiology. Hence, it is of great interest to assess its current state and put it in a broader context of recent glacial change. In order to achieve that goal, we conducted an analysis of archival cartographic material and combined it with field measurements of proglacial lagoon hydrography and state-of-art geodetic surveying of the glacier surface with terrestrial laser scanning and satellite imagery. Overall mass loss was largest in the beginning of 2000s, and the rate of elevation change substantially decreased between 2012–2016, with little ice front retreat and no significant surface lowering. Ice elevation change rate for the common ablation area over all analyzed periods (1979–2001–2012–2016) has decreased from −1.7 ± 0.4 m/year in 1979–2001 and −1.5 ± 0.5 m/year in 2001–2012 to −0.5 ± 0.6 m/year in 2012–2016. This reduction of ice mass loss is likely related to decreasing summer temperatures in this region of the Antarctic Peninsula.

Año: 2017

Palabras claves: glaciology; ice elevation change; glacial retreat; DEM; Terrestrial Laser Scanning; Antarctica; South Shetland Islands

Referencia APA: Pętlicki, M., Sziło, J., MacDonell, S., Vivero, S. and Bialik, R. (2017). Recent Deceleration of the Ice Elevation Change of Ecology Glacier (King George Island, Antarctica). Remote Sensing, 9(6), p.520.

The Andes Cordillera. Part I: snow distribution, properties,and trends (1979–2014)

Autores:

Mernild, S., Liston, G., Hiemstra, C., Malmros, J., Yde, J. and McPhee, J.

Resumen:

Snow cover presence, duration, properties, and water amount play a major role in Earth’s climate systemthrough its impact on the surface energy budget. Snow cover conditions and trends (1979–2014) were simulated for SouthAmerica – for the entire Andes Cordillera. Recent data sets and SnowModel developments allow relatively high-resolutionsof 3-h time step and 4-km horizontal grid increment for this domain. US Geological Survey’s Global Multi-resolution TerrainElevation Data 2010 topography, Global Land Cover (GlobCover), Randolph Glacier Inventory (v. 4.0) glacier, and NASAmodern-era retrospective analysis for research and a pplications data sets were used to simulate rst-order atmospheric forcing(e.g. near-surface air temperature and precipitation, including the fraction of precipitation falling as snow) and terrestrial snowcharacteristics (e.g. snow cover days, snow water equivalent depth, and snow density). Simulated snow conditions were veriedagainst moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer-derived snow cover extent and 3064 individual direct observations ofsnow depths. Regional variability in mean annual air temperature occurred: positive trends in general were seen in the highAndes Cordillera, and negative trends at relatively lower elevations both east and west of the Cordillera. Snow precipitationshowed more heterogeneous patterns than air temperature due to the inuence from atmospheric conditions, topography, andorography. Overall, for the Cordillera, much of the area north of 23∘S had a decrease in the number of snow cover days, whilethe southern half experienced the opposite. The snow cover extent changed ∼−15% during the simulation period, mostlybetween the elevations of ∼3000 and 5000 m above sea level (a.s.l.). However, below 1000 m a.s.l. (in Patagonia) the snowcover extent increased. The snow properties varied over short distances both along and across the Andes Cordillera.

Año: 2017

Palabras claves: Andes Cordillera; modelling; NASA MERRA; MODIS; SnowModel; snow; snow classication; South America

Referencia APA: Mernild, S., Liston, G., Hiemstra, C., Malmros, J., Yde, J. and McPhee, J. (2017). The Andes Cordillera. Part I: snow distribution, properties, and trends (1979-2014). International Journal of Climatology, 37(4), pp.1680-1698.

Diversification dynamics, species sorting, and changes in the functional diversity of marine benthic gastropods during the Pliocene-Quaternary at temperate western South America

Autores:

Rivadeneira MM, Nielsen SN

Resumen:

Functional diversity based on species traits is a powerful tool to investigate how changes in species richness and composition affect ecosystem functioning. However, studies aimed at understanding changes in functional diversity over large temporal and spatial scales are still scant. Here we evaluate the combined effect of diversification and species sorting on functional diversity of fossil marine gastropods during the Pliocene-Quaternary transition in the Pacific coast of South America. We analyzed a total of 172 species in 29 Pliocene and 97 Quaternary sites. Each species was characterized according to six functional traits: body size, feeding type, mobility, attachment, life-habit, and larval mode. Functional diversity was estimated according to four indexes (functional richness, evenness, divergence and dispersion) based on functional traits measured. Extrapolated species richness showed a slight yet not significant decrease from the Pliocene to the Quaternary despite the fact that a large faunal turnover took place; furthermore, a large extinction of Pliocene species (61–76%) was followed by a high pulse of appearances (49–56%) during the Quaternary. Three out of four indices of functional diversity (evenness, divergence and dispersion) increased significantly towards the Quaternary which is more than expected under a random turnover of species. The increase in functional diversity is associated with a loss of large-sized carnivore forms, which tended to be replaced by small-sized grazers. Hence, this trait-selective species turnover, even in the absence of significant changes in species richness, likely had a large effect and has shaped the functional diversity of present-day assemblages.

Año: 2017

Palabras claves: Species diversity, Species extinction, Pliocene epoch, Physiological parameters, Gastropods, Biodiversity, Malacology, Marine fossils.

Referencia APA: Rivadeneira MM, Nielsen SN. (2017). Diversification dynamics, species sorting, and changes in the functional diversity of marine benthic gastropods during the Pliocene-Quaternary at temperate western South America. PLoS ONE12(10): e0187140. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0187140

The Revival of Quinoa: A Crop for Health

Autores:

Lutz, M., Bascuñan-Godoy, L.

Resumen:

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a basic food in pre‐hispanic Andean communities, used not only as a food but also for medicinal purposes. The interest in quinoa has increased because of its plasticity to adapt to environmental conditions: it tolerates frost, salinity and drought; it grows on marginal and arid soils and high altitudes. The nutritional quality of quinoa is well recognized: protein content ranges 13–17 g/100 g, with an amino acid score above 1.0 and it is gluten free. The grain contains starch and free sugars, with a glycemic index ranging 35–53, depending on the cooking time. It also contains bioactive phytochemicals such as dietary fiber, carotenoids, phytosterols, squalene, fagopyritols, ecdysteroids and polyphenols. The composition of quinoa varies among ecotypes and is affected by environmental factors: some amino acids and phytochemicals augment under stress episodes. The rationale for the revival of quinoa and its reintroduction into the diet is related with the epidemiological situation, which includes diseases that exhibit risk factors that may be reduced with a balanced nutritious diet, in which quinoa plays a major role, being considered as a “superfood.” Moreover, it is one of the crops selected by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) to offer food security.

Año: 2017

Palabras claves: Quinoa, Chenopodium quinoa Willd., ancient crop, nutritional quality, chemical composition, bioactives, health, crop plasticity.

Referencia APA: Mariane Lutz and Luisa Bascuñán‐Godoy (2017). The Revival of Quinoa: A Crop for Health, Superfood and Functional Food - An Overview of Their Processing and Utilization, Prof. Naofumi Shiomi (Ed.), InTech. dx.doi.org/10.5772/65451.

Influence of seasonal freshwater streamflow regimes on phytoplankton blooms in a Patagonian fjord

Autores:

Iriarte, J.L., Leon-Muñoz, J., Marcé, R., Clément, A., Lara, C.

Resumen:

Large-scale regional phenomena and global climate trends may alter the freshwater discharge of large Patagonian rivers and could modify local circulation patterns in ways that influence phytoplankton dynamics. Modifications detected in the streamflow regime of the Puelo River (41.5° S, Patagonia, Chile) in recent decades may affect the regularity of seasonal phytoplankton blooms in Reloncaví Fjord. We examined the occurrence/frequency of spring–summer and autumn phytoplankton blooms in Reloncaví Fjord with respect to seasonal and inter-annual changes in freshwater streamflows from 2003 to 2011. Surface chlorophyll-a derived from satellite-ocean colour and phytoplankton abundances revealed that significant recurrences of autumn phytoplankton blooms (> 2 mg Chl-a m−3, > 500 cell mL−1) were associated with historical low mean freshwater streamflows, mainly in autumn (< 350 m3 s−1). On the other hand, the occurrence of spring–summer blooms was related to high streamflows (> 470 m3 s−1) that increased mixing in the upper photic layer enough to enhance phytoplankton growth. Our findings imply that the intensity of autumn blooms in Reloncaví Fjord could be modulated by streamflow strength.

Año: 2017

Palabras claves: Chlorophyll-a, hydrological regimes, Patagonian fjords, phytoplankton blooms, satellite-ocean colour.

Referencia APA: Iriarte, J.L., Leon-Muñoz, J., Marcé, R., Clément, A., Lara, C. (2017). Influence of seasonal freshwater streamflow regimes on phytoplankton blooms in a Patagonian fjord. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 51, 304-315. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00288330.2016.1220955

Genetic differentiation between humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from Atlantic and Pacific breeding grounds of South America

Autores:

Cypriano-Souza, A. L., Engel, M. H., Caballero, S., Olavarría, C., Flórez-González, L., Capella, J., Steel, D., Sremba, A., Aguayo, A., Thiele, D., Baker, C. S. and Bonatto, S. L.

Resumen:

Humpback whales wintering in tropical waters along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the South American continent are thought to represent distinct populations or “stocks.” Here we present the first analysis of genetic differentiation and estimates of gene flow between these breeding stocks, based on both mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region sequences (465 bp) and 16 microsatellite loci from samples collected off Brazil (n = 277) and Colombia (n = 148), as well as feeding areas near the western Antarctic Peninsula (n = 86). We found significant differentiation between Brazilian and Colombian breeding grounds at both mtDNA (FST = 0.058) and microsatellite (FST = 0.011) markers and corroborated previous studies showing genetic similarity between humpbacks from Colombia and those from Antarctic Peninsula feeding areas. Estimates of long-term gene flow between Brazil and Colombia were low to moderate, asymmetrical, and mostly mediated by males. Assignment procedures detected some cases of interchange and individuals of admixed ancestry between breeding grounds, indicating limited mixing of individuals between these stocks. Overall, results highlight the differentiation of humpback whale breeding populations with adjacent feeding grounds. This appears to be a remarkable example of fidelity to seasonal habitat in the absence of any contemporary barriers.

Año: 2017

Palabras claves: Megaptera novaeangliae; population genetic structure; microsatellites; mtDNA; migration; individual assignment

Referencia APA: Cypriano-Souza, A. L., Engel, M. H., Caballero, S., Olavarría, C., Flórez-González, L., Capella, J., Steel, D., Sremba, A., Aguayo, A., Thiele, D., Baker, C. S. and Bonatto, S. L. (2017). Genetic differentiation between humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from Atlantic and Pacific breeding grounds of South America. Mar Mam Sci, 33: 457–479. doi:10.1111/mms.12378

La quinua, un modelo de sistema agroalimentario saludable y sostenible

Autores:

Enrique Alfonso Martinez Mosqueira

Resumen:

Nuestro planeta vive cambios sociales y climáticos acelerados y de magnitudes sin precedentes. En particular desde la Revolución Industrial del siglo XVIII. Entre ellos, la agricultura y su industrialización significó que el trabajo de la tierra dejó de ser una actividad agroalimentaria benéfica e inocua y se tornó agresiva y erosiva. Hoy es parte importante de la degradación de la biodiversidad y de los cambios climáticos planetarios, contribuyendo en forma importante a incrementar los gases de efecto invernadero. La pequeña agricultura que no ha sido contaminada con las prácticas de aceleración de la productividad ni con el uso extremo de agroquímicos produce aun un 70% de la alimentación mundial y es un patrimonio vivo que no debe perderse. Entre ellos está la gente y el cultivo de la quinua, una planta de las culturas andinas. Este libro busca dar a conocer sus sorprendentes propiedades nutricionales y las formas en que este cultivo puede contribuir a ser un modelo para la salud de la tierra, de las plantas, de los campesinos y de los consumidores. Formando a su vez un sistema económico también más justo y más saludable para todos: un sistema agroalimentario más sostenible.

Año: 2017

Palabras claves: agricultura ecológica, cambio climático, desarrollo sustentable, nutrición, quinua, salud, sostenibilidad, economía transparente

Referencia APA: Martínez Mosqueira, E. (n.d.). La quinua, un modelo de sistema agroalimentario saludable y sostenible.

Surface winds off Peru-Chile: Observing closer to the coast from radar altimetry

Autores:

Astudillo, O., Dewitte, B., Mallet, M., Frappart, F., Rutllant, J., Ramos, M., Bravo, L., Goubanova, K. and Illig, S.

Resumen:

The near-shore surface mesoscale atmospheric circulation in the upwelling systems off Peru and Chile is influential on the Sea Surface Temperature through Ekman transport and pumping. There has been a debate whether or not the so-called “wind drop-off”, that is a shoreward decrease of the surface wind speed near the coast, can act as an effective forcing of upwelling through Ekman pumping. Although the wind drop-off has been simulated by high-resolution atmospheric models, it has not been well documented due to uncertainties in the scatterometry-derived wind estimates associated with land contamination. Here we use the along-track altimetry-derived surface wind speed data from ENVISAT, Jason-1, Jason-2, and SARAL satellites, to document the spatial variability of the mean wind drop-off near the coast as estimated from the inversion of the radar backscattering coefficient. The data are first calibrated so as to fit with the scatterometer observations of previous and current satellite missions (QuikSCAT, ASCAT). The calibrated data are then analyzed near the coast and a wind drop-off scale is estimated. The results indicate that the wind drop-off takes place all along the coast, though with a significant alongshore variability in its magnitude. Differences between products are shown to be related both to the differences in repeat cycle between the different altimetry missions and to the peculiarities of the coastline shape at the coastal latitudes of the incident tracks. The relative contribution of Ekman pumping and Ekman transport to the total transport is also estimated indicating a comparable contribution off Chile while transport associated to Ekman pumping is on average ~ 1.4 larger than Ekman transport off Peru. Despite the aliasing effect associated with the weak repetitivity of the satellite orbit and the high frequency variability of the winds in this region, the analysis suggests that the seasonal cycle of the surface winds near the coast could be resolved at least off Peru.

Año: 2017

Palabras claves: Satellite altimetry, Peru-Chile upwelling system, Coastal surface winds, Wind drop-off

Referencia APA: Astudillo, O., Dewitte, B., Mallet, M., Frappart, F., Rutllant, J., Ramos, M., Bravo, L., Goubanova, K. and Illig, S. (2017). Surface winds off Peru-Chile: Observing closer to the coast from radar altimetry. Remote Sensing of Environment, 191, pp.179-196.

Dynamic Interactions among Boundaries and the Expansion of Sustainable Aquaculture

Autores:

Broitman, B., Halpern, B., Gelcich, S., Lardies, M., Vargas, C., Vásquez-Lavín, F., Widdicombe, S. and Birchenough, S.

Resumen:

Aquaculture is the fastest growing food production system in the world, generating more than half of the global seafood harvested today. These type of activities are crucial to provide key nutritional components for humanity in the future as populations worldwide are increasing and the demands for securing food resources are imperative. Multiple socio-ecological factors such as weak regulations and focus on maximizing production limit production and threaten the sustainable growth of aquaculture. We present a novel policy framework to evaluate and pursue growth in aquaculture considering four boundaries: biological productivity, environmental constraints to that productivity, policy that inhibits or promotes different kinds of aquaculture, and social preferences that determine aquaculture markets. Using a range of scenarios, we have shown that sustainable growth in aquaculture requires simultaneous consideration of all four boundaries and the potential interactions between all of these options. Our proposed conceptual framework shows that to further expand the boundaries of aquaculture production, the policy focus must remain flexible to enable the adaptation of from single-boundary approaches. Our approach takes account of the current boundaries, helping to consider the adaptive policy, which is deemed as a necessary tool for considering the dynamic interactions among boundaries, thus addressing the problem of defining the evolving limits of sustainable aquaculture.

Año: 2017

Palabras claves: sustainability, aquaculture research, socioecology, molusks, fishes

Referencia APA: Broitman, B., Halpern, B., Gelcich, S., Lardies, M., Vargas, C., Vásquez-Lavín, F., Widdicombe, S. and Birchenough, S. (2017). Dynamic Interactions among Boundaries and the Expansion of Sustainable Aquaculture. Frontiers in Marine Science, 4.