Gonzalo Rivas-Torres

Oct 15, 2024 | nature.com | Dawson White |Gonzalo Rivas-Torres |Riley Fortier |Gladys Benavides

AbstractScientists’ limited understanding of tropical plant communities obscures the true extent of species loss caused by habitat destruction1. The Centinelan extinction hypothesis2,3 posits an extreme but widely referenced scenario wherein forest clearing causes the immediate extinction of species known only from a single geographic location.

Oct 1, 2024 | nature.com | Bruno Garcia Luize |Hanna L. Tuomisto |Ted R. Feldpausch |Nicolás Castaño Arboleda |Chris Baraloto |Julien Engel | +23 more

AbstractWe describe the geographical variation in tree species composition across Amazonian forests and show how environmental conditions are associated with species turnover. Our analyses are based on 2023 forest inventory plots (1 ha) that provide abundance data for a total of 5188 tree species. Within-plot species composition reflected both local environmental conditions (especially soil nutrients and hydrology) and geographical regions.

Mar 10, 2024 | nature.com | Florian Wittmann |Rafael Assis |Aline Lopes |Rafael P. Salomão |Olaf Bánki |Carlos A. Peres | +68 more

AbstractAmazonia’s floodplain system is the largest and most biodiverse on Earth. Although forests are crucial to the ecological integrity of floodplains, our understanding of their species composition and how this may differ from surrounding forest types is still far too limited, particularly as changing inundation regimes begin to reshape floodplain tree communities and the critical ecosystem functions they underpin.

Feb 13, 2024 | onlinelibrary.wiley.com | Stephen Blake |Freddy Pérez Cabrera |Gonzalo Rivas-Torres |Sharon Deem

1 INTRODUCTION Invasion by alien species threatens biodiversity conservation from local to global scales (Weidlich et al., 2020). Invasive species have profound evolutionary and ecological impacts including reducing native species abundance and diversity, modifying trophic interactions, changing the genetic structure of native populations, and altering the ecological function of communities (Pyšek et al., 2020).

Feb 12, 2024 | biorxiv.org | Andrea Varela-Jaramillo |Juan M. Guayasamin |Christian Winkelmann |Gonzalo Rivas-Torres

AbstractPopulation surveys are vital for wildlife management, yet traditional methods often demand excessive time and resources, leading to data gaps for many species. Modern technologies such as drones can facilitate field surveys but may also increase data analysis challenges. Citizen Science (CS) can address this issue by engaging non-specialists for data collection and analysis.