around Abra Apacheta, in Cangallo (Ayacucho) and Huaytara (Huancavelica) Provinces. The aims of this study were: to study vascular floristic composition of High Andes (over 4500 m of altitude) and characterize highland vegetation. There were used conventional techniques for botanical collection and vegetation coverage measurements by intersection-line transects and Point Quadrat modifyed method. There were registered 134 species of vascular plants (Pteridophytes, Gymnospems, Eudicots and Monocots) grouped in 60 genera and 23 families. Eudicots were the dominant group with 74% of the total registered, 82% in genera and 77% in species; followed by Monocots with 13%, 13% and 21% in the previous categories. Monilophytes (ferns) were poorly represented by two families (9%), two genera (3%) and two species (1%); while Gymnosperms only registered one specie (Ephedra rupestris Benth.). By the quantitative analysis three types of plant communities associated to cryoturbated soils were characterized, we also report two types of associated vegetation: grasslands and rocky areas.

Entre los años 2006 y 2008, se llevaron a cabo estudios florístico y de vegetación de los suelos crioturbados y hábitats asociados en cuatro localidades de la Cordillera Blanca (Ancash, Perú) localizadas por encima de los 4500 m. Se realizaron recolectas botánicas además de transectos de intersección-línea, en los cuales se midió el espacio (en cm) ocupado por cada especie. Fueron determinadas 136 especies de plantas vasculares, agrupadas en 65 géneros y 26 familias. Las Magnoliópsida (dicotiledóneas) fueron las más diversas con 97 especies, seguidas de las Liliópsidas (Monocotiledóneas) con 36. La mayor diversidad está concentrada en las familias Asteraceae y Poaceae (40,63%). Los géneros con mayor riqueza de especies fueron Senecio (18) y Calamagrostis (12). Se registraron 76 especies (54,82%) en suelos crioturbados y hábitats asociados; mientras que 60 especies (44,11%) fueron colectadas en la vegetación adyacente. El 95,56% de las especies reportadas fueron hierbas perennes. Se caracterizaron cuatro tipos de comunidades vegetales: a) comunidad de suelos crioturbados propiamente dicha, b) comunidad de suelos crioturbados asociada a pajonal, c) comunidad de suelos crioturbados asociada a roquedal seco y d) comunidad de suelos crioturbados asociadas a roquedal húmedo. Se indícan las especies características de cada comunidad.

ResumenBatrachophrynus y Telmatobius son los dos únicos géneros reconocidos de Telmatobiinae presentes en los Andes centrales. Las especies de ambos géneros presentan adaptaciones para la vida en la altitud de los Andes siendo de hábitos acuáticos o semiacuáticos en bofedales, riachuelos, lagunas o lagos altoandinos. Este estudio presenta las relaciones filogenéticas entre Batrachophrynus y 13 especies de Telmatobius utilizando caracteres morfológicos larvales y adultos, incluyendo caracteres diagnósticos para Batrachophrynus y Telmatobius, y las sinapomorfías sugeridas para Telmatobius. El análisis filogenético dio como resultado 20 árboles igualmente parsimoniosos con una longitud de 56 pasos. Batrachophrynus forma un grupo monofilético anidado dentro del clado de Telmatobius. En este estudio, la mayoría de sinapomorfías que sustentan a Telmatobius (incluyendo a Batrachophrynus) provienen de la morfología larval y estas sinapomorfías probablemente soporten a todo el género Palabras clave: Batrachophrynus, Telmatobius, Morfología, Filogenia, Andes centrales. AbstractBatrachophrynus and Telmatobius are the two genus of Telmatobiinae from the central Andes. Both genera have species with adaptations for life at high altitude in the Andes, with aquatic or semi-aquatic habits in creeks, lagoons and lakes. The objective of this study is to evaluate the phylogenetic relationships between Batrachophrynus and 13 species of Telmatobius from the central Andes using larval and adult morphology including diagnostic characters for Batrachophrynus and Telmatobius, and putative sinapomorphies for Telmatobius. The phylogenetic analysis showed 20 parsimonious trees with 56 steps length. The results of this study hypothesize that the species assigned to Batrachophrynus form a monophyletic group nested within Telmatobius. In this study, most of the synapomorphies that support Telmatobius (including Batrachophrynus) come from larval morphology and these sinapomorphies will probably support the whole genus.

The present study analyses the geographical distribution, conservation status, and nomenclature of Peruvian endemic Pedersenia weberbaueri. The species distribution was modelled using MaxEnt based on occurrence data and bioclimatic variables. The conservation status of the species was assessed against the categories and criteria of the IUCN Red List, and nomenclatural and typification issues were resolved. The potential distribution map of P. weberbaueri shows that the species is restricted to the seasonally dry tropical forests of the Marañón valley within a narrow latitudinal, longitudinal, and elevational range. Consequently, we propose to categorise the species as Endangered (EN) and provide the necessary information for its inclusion in the IUCN Red List. Finally, we resolve nomenclatural issues and designate a lectotype. The results contribute to the biological knowledge of P. weberbaueri and support subsequent conservation management plans.

Anyone who teaches ecology in the tropics, as I do, will welcome this book for its copious use of tropical examples to illustrate basic ecological concepts, but the greater appeal of the book lies in the determined effort made to 'identify and evaluate' many commonly held notions about differences between tropical and extra-tropical regions in ecological phenomena. Throughout, the book adopts a comparative approach to assess the evidence for generalizations about tropical ecology and reaches some conclusions based on these. Following a preface in which the author outlines the objectives, scope and justification for the book, the main text is presented in two parts. Part 1, titled Ecology of Natural Ecosystems, deals with ecological terminology and the limits of the tropics in an Introduction (Chapter 1), Basic Concepts of Energy Flow (Chapter 2), Nutrient Cycling (Chapter 3), Population Ecology (Chapters 4 and 5), Ecology and Evolution (Chapter 6) and Ecology of Communities (Chapter 7); Part 1 is concluded with a treatment of the tropical terrestrial biomes, forest, savanna and desert (Chapter 8). Applied aspects of the subject are treated in Part 2 (Human Ecology) under Human Foods (Chapter 9), Human Populations (Chapter 10) and Ecology and Conservation (Chapter 11), care being taken to link these aspects to their theoretical bases. Four short appendices outlining procedures for calculating some terms discussed in the text, a list of references and an index conclude the book. Features which make the book particularly suitable as an undergraduate text (one of the objectives of the author) include its high readability, imparted by the simple language and bold print, and the summary, set of study questions and well-annotated reading list which follow each of the substantive chapters. But as a student text the paperback (and presumably cheaper) edition is poorly bound. The review copy came apart before I had read it through. The book is largely up-to-date, thus fulfilling another objective of the author. The thorough integration of plant and animal aspects and the attention paid to topical issues of humanenvironment interaction reflect this and are particularly appropriate for the tropics. For a book that is in many respects first class, some errors are unfortunate. What, for example can be made of this statement on p. 19, Section 2.2.1: 'While production is potentially continuous in tropical areas provided that other factors are limiting. . .'? Surely, production is only potentially continuous when other factors are not limiting. Again the omission of the word 'index' after 'leaf area' (p. 23, line 12) gives the impression that 'leaf area' rather than 'leaf area index' is sometimes greater in tropical ecosystems in response to 'greater intensity of radiation', whereas the well-known response of leaf area to increasing radiation intensity is to become smaller. Also the definition of leaf area index (p. 227, Table 8.1) as 'area cm g" 1 of leaves' is confusing since leaf area per unit weight of leaves is specific leaf...