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To understand properly the production process and characteristics that allow a plant to be sustainably exploited it is necessary to obtain information derived from several disciplines A long-term project on Stenocereus griseus, a cactus species traditionally used and commercialized in SW Mexico, has been initiated, using a multidisciplinary approach, following the product from the mother plant to commercialization in order to assess true sustainability in the exploitation of this resource. Individual plants were identified and labeled, to track their development through time and correlate annual production with environmental factors. Fruit development has been studied to establish a harvest index. Studies on firmness, respiration, physiological weight loss, extractable juice, °Brix, pH, titratable acidity and vitamin C, as well as reducing sugars and a proximal analysis were made to determine quality, postharvest handling and refrigerated storage potential. A commercial evaluation was also made to predict the economic value of this potential crop. Results indicated that the more young branches the plant has the more fruits it could produce. It is suggested that experiments in pruning should be undertaken as a next phase. Characterization of fruits was made to select the best varieties for establishment. °Brix showed to be the best parameter to determine time of harvest. The fruit loses its spines 24 hours after harvest. Vitamin C decreases from 14.5 mg to 2.5 mg during the storage period. Results of proximal analysis are shown for the three most common types of fruits found in the Region of La Mixteca, Oaxaca. Commercial analysis shows that fresh fruits are suitable for exploitation.

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. Southwestern Association of Naturalists is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Southwestern Naturalist.

No abstract

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org.. Southwestern Association of Naturalists is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Southwestern Naturalist.ABsTRAcT-Glossophaga soricina, Artibeus jamaicensis, Artibeus lituratus, and Artibeus phaeotis were studied under natural conditions in the "Costa Grande" region of Guerrero, Mexico, and data were gathered on diversity, monthly variation, capture-recapture frequency, and activity patterns of the bat community. The species diversity index was 1.505. Glossophaga soricina was abundant from May through July, Artibeus jamaicensis was abundant in November and December, Artibeus lituratus from September to January, and Artibeus phaeotis in September thru November. In general, large bats (A. jamaicensis and A. lituratus) were recaptured no more than twice, but small ones (G. soricina and A. phaeotis) were recaptured up to three to five times. We recaptured 5.8% of A. jamaicensis, 9.6% of A. lituratus, 11.6% of G. soricina, and 23.4% of A.phaeotis. Animals recaptured on the same night that they were banded constituted 34.5% of the recaptures. Glossophaga soricina and A. phaeotis were recaptured in the same locality where they were banded. The first 5 h after sunset yielded 58.2% of the captures, and the remaining 41.8% was obtained in the following 8 h.Considerable attention has been given to the community structure and composition of tropical bat faunas (LaVal, 1970;Fleming et al., 1972;LaVal and Fitch, 1977). However, these studies have only rarely included diversity and activity patterns as factors influencing the structure and function of the community. We studied the structure of a tropical bat community in a banana grove and coconut plantation and analyzed various factors including the average number of recaptures, nightly and monthly activity, and changes of species diversity throughout the year.MATERIALS AND METHoDS-Bats were captured in the region known as "Costa Grande" in Guerrero, Mexico (Fig. 1). The area is on the Pacific Coast between Acapulco and the Michoacan border, at an altitude of 150 m above sea level. The region was covered with coconut (Cocos nucifera), banana (Musa paradisiaca), and papaya (Carica papaya) plantations. In some of these plantations, the crops were mixed. The native vegetation was tropical dry forest and was represented only by small patches located between cultivated areas and on the slopes of the Sierra Madre del Sur.Data were gathered at four localities. All were near Tecpan de Galeana, in coconut 10 to 12 m high, coconut and banana, or coconut and papaya plantations as follows: (1) Tecpan de Galeana, 120 m, 17013'06"N, 100037'30"W; (2) 2 km SE Tecpan de Galeana, 120 m; (3) 2 km SW Tecpan de Galeana, near the...