Caribbean Journal of Science最新文献

{"title":"Taxonomy of Croton flavens (Euphorbiaceae), a Caribbean Endemic, and a Preliminary Subsectional Classification of Croton section Adenophylli","authors":"Benjamin W. van Ee, P. Berry","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a14","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a14","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Croton flavens shares a general morphology with multiple species throughout Croton section Adenophylli, which has complicated the application of names to these taxa. We generated nuclear (ITS) and chloroplast (trnL-F) phylogenies of C. sect. Adenophylli in order to identify the phylogenetic placement of C. flavens and morphologically similar species. Based on these phylogenies, we recognize six subsections within the section, two of which (C. subsects. Adenophylli and Velamea) required new combinations, three others (C. subsects. Caribaeus, Laceratoglandulosus, and Meridionalis) are newly described, and one (C. subsect. Pungentes) was previously described. Croton flavens is restricted to the islands of the West Indies, extending from the Bahamas to Trinidad, but absent from the Leeward Antilles. It appears to be rare at the extremes of its range in the Bahamas and Trinidad, but otherwise it is often a ubiquitous member of dry, shrubby vegetation of many Caribbean islands. Within C. flavens we recognize a widespread typical variety and C. flavens var. pallidus from Hispaniola and Cuba.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"51 1","pages":"314 - 357"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2021-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45919052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"DNA Barcoding of Adiantum (Pteridaceae: Vittarioideae) in Puerto Rico","authors":"Karlyn Grafals Nieves, Benjamin W. van Ee","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a13","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a13","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract We used the chloroplast markers trnL-F and rbcL to construct a DNA barcode sequence library of Adiantum (Pteridaceae) from Puerto Rico. By conducting BLAST searches, the trnL-F marker was able to successfully determine specimens of six out of 10 species for which data were generated, and failed for four. For the nine species for which rbcL sequences were obtained, the BLAST search method was successful for three, partially successful for three, and a failure for three. Phylogenetic analyses of both markers were able to resolve and distinguish all sampled taxa, with the exception that sequences of A. latifolium and A. ×variopinnatum were recovered as an unresolved polytomy with A. petiolatum nested within it. The molecular data indicate that what has previously been determined as A. pyramidale on Jamaica, Cuba, Hispaniola, and Puerto Rico likely represents at least two distinct species, based on data from Cuba and Puerto Rico. We also report the presence of A. ×variopinnatum on Puerto Rico for the first time.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"51 1","pages":"287 - 313"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2021-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49075878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial Ecology of Invasive Predatory Species Informs Predator Control Program for the Jamaican Rock Iguana (Cyclura collei)","authors":"Kirtana Kumar, S. Pasachnik, D. Reid, A. Harmer","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a11","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a11","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Extinctions and population decline of species on islands are often attributed to invasive alien species (IAS). Predation from IAS, such as the Small Indian Mongoose (Urva auropunctata) drove the Critically Endangered Jamaican Rock Iguana (Cyclura collei) to near extinction. Historical and ongoing conservation efforts have restored the population to 500 to 600 adults today. Despite intensive control, IAS incursions into the core area remain common, preventing natural population recruitment. To improve our management and understanding of IAS, we investigated IAS spatial use within the range of the Jamaican Rock Iguana. Seventeen mongooses and cats were tracked with Very High Frequency (VHF) and Global Positioning System (GPS) transmitters for up to 72 days. Several spatial analyses were performed for all IAS, and home ranges were calculated for 13 individuals. Average 100% Minimum Convex Polygon (MCP) home range for VHF tracked mongoose and cats were 25.7 ha and 23.9 ha, respectively. Average 100% MCP, 95% Kernel Density Estimate (KDE), and 50% KDE home range estimates for GPS tracked cats were 78.2 ha, 80.3 ha, and 21.6 ha, respectively. Average IAS range length (distance between the two farthest points) was 979.2 m. Tracking tunnels were also utilized and revealed nearly equal numbers of mongoose tracks inside and outside the iguana core zone. Our results suggest the use of 100 m grid spacing for traps and the introduction of a buffer zone surrounding the core protected zone to restrict IAS incursions. The suggested modifications are expected to mitigate the effects of IAS on the Jamaican Rock Iguana population, improve hatchling survival, and facilitating natural population recruitment and growth.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"51 1","pages":"242 - 263"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2021-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42410035","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Surficial and Shallow Subsurface Geology of the Northern and Central Exuma Cays, The Bahamas","authors":"P. Hearty, J. Backstrom","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a12","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a12","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract The surface and subsurface geology of the Exuma Cays in the central Bahama Islands records sea-level cyclicity that extends back to the Jurasssic, however the focus of this paper is the Plio-Pleistocene, since approximately 1–3 million years ago. During the 1990s, the first author surveyed a large number of the islands by boat, mapped the geology on 1:25,000 topographic maps with the aid of air photos, and more recently complemented these mapping studies using Google Earth Pro. In 1994, two 33 m cores were extracted from Norman's Pond Cay and Lee Stocking Island in the southern group of the Exuma Cays. The outcropping rocks throughout the Cays are characterized by a mix of nearly pure bioclastic and oolitic sediments and limestone units. Generally, the highstand limestone deposits are capped with lowstand terra rossa paleosols, red-stained micritic limestone, calcrete, or karst surfaces. From surface and subsurface geology, a minimum of seven stratigraphic units are recorded, yet many cycles are obviously missing. Three broad eustatic intervals are evident from the δ18O record. These are associated with the Pliocene-early Pleistocene (“PP” >1.2 Ma), Mid-Pleistocene Transition (“MPT” ∼1.2–0.7 Ma), and the mid-late Pleistocene (“MLP” ∼0.7 Ma to present). A combination of physical stratigraphy, geomorphology, paleomagnetism, and amino acid racemization (AAR) provide a general age framework for these deposits. Pliocene beds at -25 m in only one core appear to indicate slow subsidence of the Bahama Banks. An interval of prolonged bank marginal or lower sea stands of the MPT are indicated by a cluster of dense, clayey red paleosols. Many MLP rocks on the islands and in the cores retain sufficient amino acids to establish a relative chronology for the MLP. The geomorphic and stratigraphic succession from the Exumas shows very rapid progradation of the over-steepened bank margin toward Exuma Sound by several km since the Plio-Pleistocene. The purpose of this paper is to: 1) characterize the geology of the existing Exuma rocks and cays; 2) demonstrate the shallow-subsurface stratigraphy in two 33-m long cores; and 3) provide some examples of how the Exuma Cays and their margins have evolved over the past 1–3 million years.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"51 1","pages":"264 - 286"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2021-12-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"45373623","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Direct Economic Inputs from Internationally Funded Science Projects to the Abaco Islands, The Bahamas","authors":"C. Layman, Olivia Patterson Maura, S. Giery, Jacob E. Allgeier, A. Rypel","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v52i1.a2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v52i1.a2","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract International expenditures for scientific research are important for small island developing nations, especially for those local communities that directly support research activities. We used the Abaco Islands, The Bahamas, as a case study to quantify the direct monetary inputs to a local economy via internationally funded scientific research. We found that over two years the external monetary influx was $995,310, via 24 research teams, spent across diverse business sectors on Abaco Island. A direct survey approach ensured this was a conservative estimate, leaving out numerous indirect economic impacts, thereby suggesting the actual monetary infusion was significantly higher. The highest expenditures were for services (e.g., local salaries and boat guides), lodging, food/drink, and major equipment (e.g., vehicles). While we do not have data from research teams working on other islands, significant research expenditures are made elsewhere in The Bahamas, including through government-sponsored efforts, environmentally-focused non-governmental organizations, and research centers. In addition to the research-based contributions that give rise to conservation and management decision-making, scientific activity brings benefits through the injection of money into local island economies. This relationship warrants study at larger regional scales, including across The Bahamas archipelago.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"52 1","pages":"16 - 23"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2021-12-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46118311","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Statistical Methods Used in Research Concerning Endangered and Threatened Animal Species of Puerto Rico: a Meta-study","authors":"Sebastian J. Rivera, K. Alpi, J. Collazo, M. Stoskopf","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a10","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a10","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract A concern about statistics in wildlife studies, particularly of endangered and threatened species, is whether the data collected meet the assumptions necessary for the use of parametric statistics. This study identified published papers on the nine endangered and six threatened species found only on Puerto Rico using five different databases. The results from the Zoological Record database identified the most articles, including all identified by the other databases. Of the 222 identified articles, 108 included some form of statistics, 26 used only descriptive statistics, 34 included only parametric statistics, 26 used only nonparametric statistics, and 22 reported both parametric and nonparametric statistical analyses. This meta-study showed that the percentage of articles with no statistical treatment decreased in the most recent 20 years, and that although parametric statistics continue to be the most commonly used in published wildlife studies of Puerto Rican wildlife, there has been a distinct increase in the use of nonparametric statistics over time.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"51 1","pages":"225 - 241"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2021-11-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43605747","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In Memoriam: Paul Yoshioka (1945–2021)","authors":"D. Ballantine, R. Appeldoorn, N. E. Aponte","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a9","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"51 1","pages":"223 - 224"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2021-10-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47532394","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The Mastofauna of Banco Chinchorro Atoll, Mexico","authors":"P. Charruau","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a8","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Banco Chinchorro Atoll, the largest atoll in the Caribbean and Mexico, was declared a biosphere reserve due to its cultural, economic, and biological importance. The diversity of fish, birds, and reptiles in its aquatic and terrestrial environments has been well studied. However, knowledge about its richness in mammals is scarce and the existing information has not been synthesized to date. The objective of this work is therefore to search and review the existing literature on the mammals of Banco Chinchorro, and to present a first synthesis on the mastofauna of the atoll. Thirty documents mentioning mammals at Banco Chinchorro were found, from which eight species were identified. Of these, three species were invasive and have been eradicated, one native species became extinct, and four native species still occur in the reserve, two bats and two cetaceans. With these four mammal species, the number of known vertebrates at Banco Chinchorro is now 360. More research on the mammals of Banco Chinchorro is needed to increase the knowledge of the ecology and the population status of the species present in the area. It is also very likely that other species of bats and cetaceans are present in the reserve.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"51 1","pages":"213 - 222"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2021-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43588910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Morphometric Assessment of Non-indigenous Populations of Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Pisces, Loricariidae) in Jamaica","authors":"Aisha Bailey, E. Hyslop","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a7","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract A morphometric investigation of suckermouth catfish specimens collected from the Upper and Lower Morass of Black River, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica was conducted between June 2007 and May 2008. Descriptions of 39 morphometric and 15 meristic measures are given. Taxonomic assessment through the application of dichotomous keys, photographic identification, and comparison with other morphometric work on similar species, identified the loricariid as Pterygoplichthys pardalis (Pisces, Loricariidae). Further analysis revealed that populations of P. pardalis in the Upper Morass have relatively longer heads, longer snouts, longer and deeper caudal penduncles, and deeper dorsal fins compared with individuals from the Lower Morass. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) showed no distinct groups of P. pardalis occurring throughout the Black River Basin. Both populations exhibited allometric growth and the relationships between length and weight in the P. pardalis populations were significant and linear.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"51 1","pages":"202 - 212"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2021-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46048484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Identity of Fish Fry from the “Tetí” Fishery in Eastern Cuba","authors":"S. Rodríguez-Machado, T. Rodríguez-Cabrera, P. Chakrabarty","doi":"10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a6","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Fisheries of juvenile and larval fishes (i.e., fish-fry fisheries) often exploit the migratory behavior of diadromous species on their return to rivers. Although these fisheries are common worldwide, fish-fry fisheries are subject to insufficient management and the identity of the target species is frequently unknown. The artisanal fish-fry fishery in Cuba is known as “Tetí,” and is restricted to the eastern region of the country. Fishing “Tetí” has been practiced for hundreds of years, but an increase in tourism has elevated demand in recent years and may pose a threat to the conservation of this natural resource. Also, it remains unclear if “Tetí” refers to one or to multiple species. The present study aims to identify the fish fry that make up the “Tetí” fishery in Eastern Cuba with genetic data. We first used a standard nucleotide BLAST to identify the sequences. Then, we recovered the phylogenetic position of these samples based on a maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis that also used available sequences from GenBank. Here, we provide evidence that Busck's Stone-Biting Goby, Sicydium buscki (Gobiidae), is a component of the “Tetí” fishery in Cuba. However, whether this fishery includes one or more species remains a mystery until additional samples can be analyzed. This species identification represents the first efforts towards effective management that can be taken to regulate this fishery. Collecting additional scientific and fishing data from the “Tetí” fishery, and including them in local management plans, will be an important strategy for avoiding overfishing this resource.","PeriodicalId":55274,"journal":{"name":"Caribbean Journal of Science","volume":"51 1","pages":"194 - 201"},"PeriodicalIF":0.4,"publicationDate":"2021-09-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48287848","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}