The occurrence of fauna in commercial plantations is often associated with structural complexity. Through a meta-analysis, we tested whether the structural complexity of plantations could enhance bird species assemblages and whether bird assemblages respond differently depending on taxonomic affiliation, body size, and diet. Our analyses included 167 case studies in 31 countries in which bird assemblages in forests and plantations were compared and 42 case studies in 14 countries in which bird assemblages in plantations of different structural complexity were compared. Species richness, but not abundance, was higher in forests than in plantations. Both species richness and abundance were significantly higher in complex than in structurally simple plantations. Taxonomic representation and body size did not differ between forest and plantations, except that there were fewer insectivorous birds in plantations than in forests. In the comparison of simple versus complex plantations, abundance of all taxonomic and dietary groups was higher in complex plantations. Body size did not affect bird species richness or abundance. Independent of the type of plantation, bird richness and abundance were greater in structurally complex plantations. Enhancing the structural complexity of plantations may mitigate their impact and offer habitat for some native species.

Despite the increasing claims that structural complexity in agroforestry plantations is a key variable for enhancing bird biodiversity, few studies have experimentally manipulated the understory component of structural complexity. Here, we examined the impact of removing understory vegetation from oil palm plantations on the richness and abundance of birds in eastern Guatemala, testing if bird richness and abundance are positively affected by the presence of understory vegetation. Oil palm plantations with understory hold more bird richness and abundance than those lacking it. The experimental removal of this vegetation, equivalent to a reduction in complexity, decreases bird richness but not abudance. Our analysis shows clear effects of vegetation removal on bird richness, such that removal reduces richness and abundance to levels found in areas without understory. Hence, leaving or implementing structural complexity within plantations could satisfy the current need of making commodity production a cleaner industry, fulfilling both, the production of highly demanded commodities and the conservation of biodiversity in productive landscapes. Oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) is one of the most rapidly expanding crop in tropical regions, representing the major cause of loss of natural forests and of the decline of endangered species in several countries. Enhancing understory vegetation might reduce such negative effects. This is one of the few experimental tests about how a component of the vegetation and structural complexity of plantations affects birds.Fundacion Defensores de la Naturaleza; AGCI (Agencia de Cooperacion Internacional de Chile

Introducción: El síndrome de Noonan es un trastorno genético de herencia autosómica dominante con una expresión fenotípica variable. Se encuentra dentro de las enfermedades conocidas como rasopatías, producidas por las mutaciones en los genes RAS. Los pacientes se caracterizan por dismorfismo facial, talla baja, enfermedad cardíaca congénita, alteraciones músculos esqueléticas y en algunos casos discapacidad intelectual. Caso clínico: En el presente reporte se describe el caso de un paciente masculino de un mes de edad que acude a consulta externa, presentando dismorfismo facial y estenosis pulmonar, por lo que se realiza un seguimiento multidisciplinario por sospecha de Síndrome de Noonan. A partir del cuarto mes desarrolló linfedema en la zona del deltoides. Evolución: A los 7 meses de vida se realiza secuenciación de exoma, encontrando una variante patogénica en el gen SOS1, confirmando el diagnóstico de dicho síndrome. Conclusión: Este caso documenta la presencia de síndrome de Noonan con mutación del gen SOS1 con dismorfología facial típica, estenosis de la válvula pulmonar, criptorquidia y displasia linfática con linfedema del deltoides, hallazgo no descrito en casos previos.

SummaryIdentifying attributes that affect the vulnerability of a species to extinction is important as it allows conservation efforts to be focused on more susceptible species. We assessed whether threatened birds of Guatemala are a random subset of the avifauna, considering their taxonomic affiliation, body size, diet and geographical distribution. We found that threatened bird species in Guatemala were neither taxonomically nor geographically randomly distributed. Large-bodied species and Psittaciformes, Galliformes, Falconiformes and Ciconiformes were among the most threatened groups, and the Pacific slopes of the country hosted more threatened birds than would be expected. Published scientific information regarding Critically Endangered bird species in Guatemala is scant and biased against nocturnal and aquatic species. Research and conservation efforts ought to be oriented toward these species and regions to safeguard the Guatemalan avifauna. This study allows an overall consideration on whether we are conserving the species and areas that are important for threatened birds. ResumenLa identificación de los atributos que afectan la vulnerabilidad a la extinción en las especies permite focalizar los esfuerzos de conservación en las especies más susceptibles. Nosotros evaluamos si las aves amenazadas de Guatemala son un subconjunto aleatorio de su avifauna, en relación a su afiliación taxonómica, tamaño corporal, dieta y distribución geográfica. Las especies de aves amenazadas en Guatemala no están ni taxonómica ni geográficamente distribuidas al azar. Las especies con mayor tamaño corporal, y los Psittaciformes, Galliformes, Falconiformes y Ciconiformes son los grupos más amenazados, y las laderas del Pacífico albergan más especies de aves amenazadas de lo que se esperaría por simple azar. La información científica publicada respecto las especies críticamente amenazadas en Guatemala es escasa y sesgada contra especies acuáticas y nocturnas. Los esfuerzos de investigación y conservación deberían ser orientados hacia estas especies y regiones para proteger la avifauna de Guatemala. Este estudio permite una reflexión global sobre si estamos conservando las especies y las áreas que son importantes para las aves amenazadas.

In the version of this article originally published, a versioning error in the first paragraph led to the omission of a reference crediting the acronym "MAD". The sentence now reads "This is the case of modular/mobile, adaptive, decentralized/distributed (MAD) water systems (Stoler, J. et al. Curr. Opin. Environ. Sustain.