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bioRxiv2024

Presence of Triatoma breyeri (Reduviidae, Triatominae) in Bolivia

The study focuses on identifying and understanding the ecological dynamics of Triatoma breyeri in Bolivia. Morphological identification and molecular analysis using gene fragments (COI, CytB and 16S) confirms T. breyeris presence and its relation to other species. The species has been consistently found in the Estancia-Mataral - La Palma region since 2010 but has not spread to other regions in Bolivia. The region of occurrence is a small characteristic dry inter-Andean valley. A MaxEnt model suggests part of the Bolivian Montane Dry Forest ecoregion serves as a unique habitat within its range. The infrequent presence in Bolivia and the distance from its main range in Argentina suggest recent accidental introduction, possibly through human transport. Further research is needed to comprehend its persistence in this small area of Bolivia.

ecology↗

bioRxiv2020

Are indigenous territories and community-managed areas effective natural climate solutions? A neotropical analysis using matching methods and geographic discontinuity designs.

Indigenous Territories (ITs) with less centralized forest governance than Protected Areas (PAs) may represent cost-effective natural climate solutions to meet the Paris agreement. However, the literature has been limited to examining the effect of ITs on deforestation, despite the influence of anthropogenic degradation. Thus, little is known about the temporal and spatial effect of allocating ITs on carbon stocks dynamics that account for losses from deforestation and degradation. Using Amazon Basin countries and Panama, this study aims to estimate the temporal and spatial effects of ITs and PAs on carbon stocks. To estimate the temporal effects, we use annual carbon density maps, matching analysis, and linear mixed models. Furthermore, we explore the spatial heterogeneity of these estimates through geographic discontinuity designs, allowing us to assess the spatial effect of ITs and PAs boundaries on carbon stocks. The temporal effects highlight that allocating ITs preserves carbon stocks and buffer losses as PAs in Panama and Amazon Basin countries. The geographic discontinuity designs reveal that ITs boundaries secure more extensive carbon stocks than their surroundings, and this difference tends to increase towards the least accessible areas, suggesting that indigenous land use in neotropical forests may have a temporarily and spatially stable impact on carbon stocks. Our findings imply that ITs in neotropical forests support Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Thus, Indigenous peoples must become recipients of countries results-based payments.

ecology↗