We report the identification of a fungus, a member of the genus Neoscytalidium which is associated with human keratitis. Phylogenetic analysis and morphological observations on conidiogenous cells, which occur only in arthric chains in aerial mycelium and the coelomycetous synasexual morph is absent, identified a new species, Neoscytalidium oculus sp. nov. The fungus formed biofilm at a concentration of 1 × 10 conidia/mL, during 96 hours of incubation at 37°C, and also manifested haemolysis and melanin production. This is the first report in Latin America of a new species of Neoscytalidium from a clinical isolate has been identified.

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Questions:What are the mechanisms operating behind the plant community structure changes over time after lahars activity of Popocatépetl volcano? We hypothesize that functional diversity matters more than species richness and that, after major disturbances, the pioneer plant community will first show a ruderal composition, that subsequently changes into successional stages in which competitive and stresstolerating species become dominant life-forms. We expect this process to be revealed by the community's functional signature. Location: Popocatépetl volcano in Mexico (19°1′0″N, 98°37′0″W) which has undergone large eruptive activity that has caused lahars formation. Methods: In 2002, survey plots were established in the bottom of the Huilóac gorge. Species composition and abundance data were thereafter collected for 10 years. In 2013, data on three functional traits leaf area (LA), leaf dry matter content and LA of 67 species were obtained and each species was assigned to a strategy according to the CSR (Competitive, Stress-Tolerant or Ruderal) scheme. A community-functional signature was calculated for each year. Also, a parallel ordination of plots strategies composition in time was performed to confirm functional shift trends.Results: Initial successional phases were dominated by ruderal and competitive species. Thereafter, the communities went through a phase of increasing heterogeneity of strategies, which was followed by dominance of competitive and stress-tolerant strategists in the later years. Parallel ordination confirmed the gradient of functional differentiation through time. Conclusions:The change from ruderal/competitive to stress-tolerant and competitive species with time suggests that the most recent lahar event played a major role in sorting species according to their tolerance for disturbances. Thereafter, a major trend has been the gradual shift from ruderal to stress-tolerant species (conifers and alpine grasses). K E Y W O R D Scommunity assembly, functional traits, plant functional types, plant primary succession, plant strategies, volcanic environments 376 |

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