Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany

The use of species turnover rates to identify discontinuities in vegetation assemblages along environmental gradients is hampered by the difficulty of the application of significance tests. We used a simulation procedure to detect abrupt transitions in fern species assemblages along a tropical elevational gradient to detect elevational zonations between 100 and 3400 m in a species-rich tropical forest in Costa Rica. Significant species turnover values were only observed at 300, 1000, and 3200 m. These boundaries in vegetation assemblages were caused by different lifeforms within the pteridophyte species set: epiphytes attained high turnover values at low, terrestrials at high elevations. Accordingly, the mean elevational ranges of epiphytes and terrestrials differed clearly at high elevations, where those of terrestrial species showed a sharp decline above ca. 2500 m, but those of epiphytes kept more or less constant. The boundaries of significant range limit accumulations coincide with shifts in the environmental settings, namely humidity conditions and forest structure. The location of the observed boundaries in turn influences the elevational amplitudes of species restricted to the resulting elevational zones, determining the elevational distribution of range amplitudes. Between 1000 and 3200 m no significant boundaries were observed, although it has been argued that the lower cloud condensation layer and the frost line are the prime drivers of elevational zonations.

We studied species richness and density of rattan palms in 50 plots of 10 9 100 m 2 each between 250 m and 2420 m in eight sites in Lore Lindu National Park (LLNP), Central Sulawesi. Rattans were observed in all sample sites, representing three genera and 34 species. The elevational patterns for species richness and density were humped-shaped with maxima around 1000 m. Polynomial models of second order explained 59 and 32% of species richness and density with the factor elevation, respectively. A majority of rattan species (65%) overlapped between 1000 and 1100 m elevation, while a pronounced change in the rattan flora occurred above 1100 m. Commercially important rattan species (Calamus zollingeri, C. ornatus var. celebicus, Daemonorops macroptera) were not observed above 1250 m. The change of species assemblage was significantly related to elevation (56%), followed by geographical distance (47%) and precipitation (40%). Less than 10% of LLNP is lowland forests, much of which is threatened by agricultural intensification. In contrast, montane forests are well represented in the park and high elevation forests are not subject to agricultural conversion or intensive harvesting of rattan and other forest products. Systematic Botany, Albrecht-von-

We studied the tree communities in primary forest and three different land use systems (forest gardens, ca. 5-year-old secondary forests, cacao plantations) at 900-1200 m elevation in the environs of Lore Lindu National Park, Central Sulawesi. The primary forests had ca. 150 tree species !10 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) per hectare, which is unusually high for forests at this elevation in southeast Asia. Basal area in the primary forest was 140 m 2 ha À1 , one of the highest values ever recorded in tropical forests worldwide. Tree species richness declined gradually from primary forest to forest gardens, secondary forests, and cacao plantations. This decline was paralleled by shifts in tree family composition, with Lauraceae, Meliaceae, and Euphorbiaceae being predominant in primary forests, Euphorbiaceae, Rubiaceae and Myristicaeae dominating in the forest gardens and Euphorbiaceae, Urticaceae, and Ulmaceae in the secondary forests. Cacao plantations were composed almost exclusively of cacao trees and two species of legume shade trees. Forest gardens further differed from primary forests by a much lower density of understorey trees, while secondary forests had fewer species of commercial interest. Comparative studies of birds and butterflies demonstrated parallel declines of species richness, showing the importance of trees in structuring tropical forest habitats and in providing resources.

ABSTRACTUse of β‐diversity indices in the study of spatial distribution of species diversity is hampered by the difficulty of applying significance tests. To overcome this problem we used a simulation approach in a study of species turnover of ferns, aroids, bromeliads, and melastomes along an elevational gradient from 1700 m to 3400 m in a species‐rich tropical cloud forest of Bolivia. Three parameters of species turnover (number of upper/lower elevational species limits per elevational step, Wilson–Shmida similarity index between adjacent steps) were analysed. Significant species turnover limits were detected at 2000 (± 50) m and 3050 m, which roughly coincided with the elevational limits of the main vegetation types recognized in the study area. The taxon specificity of elevational distributions implies that no single plant group can be used as a reliable surrogate for overall plant diversity and that the response to future climate change will be taxon‐specific, potentially leadi...

We studied the patterns of species richness and range-size rarity (as a measure of endemism) of two plant groups (Pteridophyta, Bromeliaceae) and birds along two gradients of elevation, humidity and human land use in a forested Andean valley. Both transects covered the transition from an arid valley bottom through a cloud forest zone to relictual high-elevation Polylepis forest, but transects differed in overall precipitation. Plants were surveyed in 88 plots of 400 m 2 each, while birds were detected primarily through visual observations and tape recordings over areas of 0.3-1.5 km 2 . Global range sizes of all species were mapped on 1 ° -grids and rangesize rarity was calculated as the mean inverse range size of all species recorded in elevational steps of 200 m. Patterns of species richness and range-size rarity were mainly unrelated between and within study groups. Monotonic increases and decreases and hump-shaped patterns were observed for species richness as well as range-size rarity. Several of these patterns can be interpreted in the light of the ecological requirements of each taxonomic group, e.g. dependence of fern species richness on humidity or of bird richness on habitat complexity. Species richness of ferns and birds peaked at higher elevations along the less rainy transect, possibly as a result of higher levels of solar radiation and ecosystem productivity. Patterns of species richness and endemism of the study groups are causally unrelated and cannot be used to predict those of other groups at the spatial scale of this study. Human impact was highest in areas of mostly low to intermediate species richness, but was often high in zones of high endemism.

A monotonic decline in species richness with increasing elevation has often been considered a general pattern, but recent evidence suggests that the dominant pattern is hump-shaped with maximum richness occurring at some mid-elevation point. To analyse the relationship between species richness and elevation at a local scale we surveyed birds from lowlands to timberline in the Bolivian Andes. We divided the transect into 12 elevational belts of 250 m and standardized species richness in each belt with both individual-and sample-based rarefaction and richness estimation. The empirical data were then correlated to four explanatory variables: 1) area per elevational belt, 2) elevation (also representing ecosystem productivity), 3) a middomain effect (MDE) null model of geometrically constrained empirical range sizes, and 4) a hump-shaped model derived empirically for South American birds representing the regional species pool hypothesis. Local species richness peaked at ca 1000 m elevation, declined sharply to ca 1750 m, and then remained roughly constant. Elevation was the best single predictor, accounting for 78 Á/85% of the variance in the empirical data. A multiple regression model with elevation, area, and MDE explained 85 Á/90% of the variance. Monte Carlo simulations showed that the richness peak at 1000 m is the result of an overlap of two distinct avifaunas (lowland and highland) and that the correlation to MDE in the multiple regression was likely spurious. We recommend complementing correlation analyses involving MDE predictions with an examination of the distribution of range midpoints. The steep decline at mid-elevations was mainly due to a rapid loss of lowland species. The high-elevation plateau is striking and unexpected, but has also been found previously. It cannot be explained at present and exemplifies that despite several decades of research elevational gradients are still not well understood.

The quality of climate models has largely been overlooked as a possible source of uncertainty that may affect the outcomes of species distribution models, especially in the tropics, where comparatively few climatic stations are available. We compared the geographical discrepancies and potential conservation implications of using two different climate models (Saga and Worldclim) in combination with the species modelling approach Maxent in Bolivia. We estimated ranges of selected bird and fern species biogeographically restricted to either humid montane forest of the northern Bolivian Andes or seasonal dry tropical forests (in the Andes and southern lowlands). Saga and Worldclim predicted roughly similar climate patterns of temperature that were significantly correlated. Precipitation layers of both climate models were also roughly similar, but showed important differences. Species ranges estimated with Worldclim and Saga likewise produced different results. Ranges of species endemic to humid montane forests estimated with Saga had higher AUC (Area under the curve) values than those estimated with Worldclim, which for example predicted the occurrence of humid montane forest bird species near Lake Titicaca, an area that is clearly unsuitable for these species. Likewise, Worldclim overpredicted the occurrence of fern and bird species in the lowlands of the Chapare region and well south of the Andean Elbow, where more seasonal biomes occur. By contrast, Saga predictions were coherent with the known distribution of humid montane forests in the northern Bolivian Andes. Estimated ranges of species endemic to seasonal dry tropical forests predicted with Saga and Worldclim were not statistically different in most cases. However, detailed comparisons revealed that Saga was able to distinguish fragments of seasonal dry tropical forests in rain-shadow valleys of the northern Bolivian Andes, whereas Worldclim was not. These differences highlight the neglected influence of climate layers on modelling results and the importance of using the most accurate climate data available when modelling species distributions.

Aim To search for differences in the spatial variability of upper and lower elevational distribution limits of tropical ferns, based on the assumption that these are determined to different degrees by biotic and abiotic factors. Location The Yungas biogeographical region, in the Bolivian Andes. Methods From a data base of > 25,000 herbarium records, we analysed the skewness of the elevational distribution of 220 montane pteridophyte species, each with ≥ 15 records. Additionally, we compared the spatial variability of upper and lower elevational range limits of ferns in 351 plots of 400 m 2 each along four elevational transects separated by 15-450 km. Individual species showed variable elevational distribution patterns, ranging from symmetric to asymmetric, i.e. downward and upward skewed, but overall there was a statistically significant trend towards asymmetric distributions with abrupt upper limits and diffuse lower limits. This trend, however, was almost exclusively due to terrestrial species occurring at and above the current timberline. The analysis of the elevational transects revealed no significant trends. The downward-skewed distributional abundance of terrestrial, open-country ferns near the timberline appears to be a result of the extensive forest destruction that has lowered the timberline in the high Andes by 500 -800 m, opening up habitats for a restricted suite of species. Our study shows that a limited number of species can cause a general trend in the overall data set, and that failure to extract these data may result in unsupported conclusions, in our case to assign a greater importance to biotic and abiotic factors in the elevational limitation of plants at lower and upper elevations, respectively.

Bio-based resins are an alternative to petroleum-based resins in the production of fiber-reinforced polymers (FRPs) by processes such as pultrusion. A detailed understanding of the cure behavior of the resin is essential to determine the process variables for production of FRPs. In this work, the cure kinetics of soybean oil-styrene-divinylbenzene thermosetting polymers is characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. By varying the concentration of the cationic initiator from 1 to 3 weight percent (wt %), the most viable resin composition for pultrusion is identified. The ability of phenomenological reaction models to describe the DSC measurements for the optimum resin composition is tested and kinetic equations, which can be used to determine the degree of cure at any temperature and time, are determined. V

The addition of suitable cross-linking agents with norbornene-based monomers has significant effects on the thermal properties of the resulting polymers formed by olefin metathesis. Ethylidene norbornene (ENB) and endo-dicyclopentadiene (endo-DCPD) were mixed separately with various loadings of three different cross-linking agents and then polymerized with the addition of Grubbs' catalyst. The polymerization kinetics and resulting glass transition temperature (T g ) of the systems were evaluated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The addition of the first cross-linking agent, norbornadiene (CL-1), to both endo-DCPD and ENB resulted in decreasing glass transition temperatures with increasing concentrations. In contrast, the addition of the other two cross-linking agents (CL-2 and CL-3), which were both custom synthesized bifunctional norbornyl systems, to both endo-DCPD and ENB resulted in a monotonic increases in T g with cross-linker concentration. By tailoring the loading of these custom cross-linking agents, the properties of these polymer systems can be controlled for various applications, including self-healing composites.

As a member of the Sanguisorbinae, taxonomically complicated Polylepis Ruiz & Pav. from the South American Andes is one of the few wind-pollinated genera of Rosaceae. Here, it is suggested that problems traditionally faced in species delimitation and phylogeny reconstruction may be in part due to a combination of weak reproductive barriers and the large distances that can be covered by genetic information as a result of wind pollination. The pattern of species distribution as well as molecular data (AFLP) of Polylepis were contrasted with those of an unrelated, insectpollinated genus of similar species number and distribution, Minthostachys (Griseb.) Spach (Lamiaceae). In the present case, extensive pollen-mediated gene flow may explain the homogenization of genetic variability over larger distances and a lower number of species restricted to individual countries in the wind-pollinated genus Polylepis, but more examples will have to be studied before arriving at final conclusions.

Despite increasing application of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO-NPs) for industrial porpuses, data about potential toxic properties is contradictory. The current study focused on the cyto-and genotoxicity of ZnO-NPs in comparison to ZnO powder in primary human nasal mucosa cells cultured in the air-liquid interface. Additionally, IL-8 secretion as a marker for pro-inflammatory effects was measured. Particle morphology and intracellular distribution were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). ZnO-NPs were transferred into the cytoplasm in 10% of the cells, whereas an intranuclear distribution could only be observed in 1.5%. While no cyto-or genotoxicity could be seen for ZnO powder in the dimethylthiazolyl-diphenyl-tetrazolium-bromide (MTT) test, the trypan blue exclusion test, and the singlecell microgel electrophoresis (comet) assay, cytotoxic effects were shown at a ZnO-NP concentration of 50 lg/ml (P < 0.01). A significant enhancement in DNA damage was observed starting from ZnO-NP concentrations of 10 lg/ml (P < 0.05) in comparison to the control. IL-8 secretion into the basolateral culture medium was increased at ZnO-NP concentrations of 5 lg/ml (P < 0.05), as shown by ELISA. Our data indicates cyto-and genotoxic properties as well as a pro-inflammatory potential of ZnO-NPs in nasal mucosa cells. Thus, caution should be taken concerning their industrial and dermatological application. Additionally, further investigation on repetitive NP exposure is needed to estimate the impact of repair mechanisms.

Silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) are the most frequent commercialized nanomaterial currently. Due to a distinct lack of information on hazardous properties of Ag-NPs in human cells, a study was conducted to evaluate Ag-NP induced DNA damage, cell death and functional impairment in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). Initially, Ag-NPs and their cellular distribution were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Ag-NPs were exposed to hMSCs for 1, 3 and 24 h. Cytotoxicity was measured by the trypan blue exclusion test and the fluorescein-diacetate test, DNA damage was evaluated by the comet assay and chromosomal aberration test. Cytokine release of IL-6, IL-8 and VEGF was observed using the ELISA technique. Additionally, hMSC migration capability was tested in a transwell system. TEM revealed a Ag-NP distribution to cytoplasm and nucleus. Cytotoxic effects were seen at concentrations of 10 g/ml for all test exposure periods. Both, comet assay and chromosomal aberration test showed DNA damage after 1, 3, and 24 h at 0.1 g/ml. A significant increase of IL-6, IL-8 and VEGF release indicates hMSC activation. Migration ability was not impaired at subtoxic concentrations. In conclusion, we demonstrated cyto-and genotoxic potential of Ag-NPs in hMSCs at significantly higher concentrations as compared to antimicrobial effective levels.

A norbornene-based cross-linker was synthesized and mixed at different loadings with two separate monomers for self-healing polymer applications: 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene (ENB) and endo-dicyclopentadiene (endo-DCPD). The monomer/cross-linker systems were polymerized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) with Grubbs' catalyst. The thermal-mechanical properties of the polymerized networks were evaluated by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and the curing process was monitored by parallel plate oscillatory rheometry. The viscosities of the pre-polymer blends are shown to be adequately low for self-healing, and exhibit a high ROMP reactivity to form cross-linked networks with enhanced thermal-mechanical properties. The addition of cross-linker increases the glass transition temperature (T g ) and the storage modulus both above and below T g . The storage modulus increase above T g is used to estimate the molecular weight (M c ) between entanglements or cross-link sites for both ENB and endo-DCPD-based networks. The crosslinker also greatly accelerates network formation as defined by the gelation time.

The high species richness of tropical forests has long been recognized, yet there remains substantial uncertainty regarding the actual number of tropical tree species. Using a pantropical tree inventory database from closed canopy forests, consisting of 657,630 trees belonging to 11,371 species, we use a fitted value of…