RESUMEN Presentamos un primer estudio de la diversidad y composición de comunidades de líquenes en remanentes de bosque seco tropical (bs-T) en el departamento de Atlántico, Colombia. Se muestrearon líquenes en dos de las tres áreas protegidas del departamento: Distrito de Manejo Integrado (DMI) Luriza y Reserva Forestal Protectora (RFP) El Palomar. El inventario registró 61 especies, incluyendo cuatro especies nuevas para la ciencia: Fissurina linoana Lücking, Moncada & G. Rodr. sp. nov., Graphis lurizana Lücking, Moncada & Celis sp. nov., Graphis mokanarum Lücking, Moncada & M.C. Martínez sp. nov. y Phaeographis galeanoae Lücking, Moncada & B. Salgado-N. sp. nov. Arthonia erupta y Coenogonium saepincola son nuevos registros para América del Sur, mientras que trece especies son reportadas por primera vez para Colombia. Unas 37 especies adicionales son nuevos reportes para Atlántico, incrementando el total de especies conocidas para el departamento de 27 a 84. Con 42 especies en Luriza y 31 en El Palomar, la riqueza de especies fue comparable con la de otros sitios de bs-T en el Neotrópico. El traslape en la composición de especies entre los dos sitios es bajo, con solamente doce (20 %) compartidas, indicando un alto nivel de heterogeneidad. Las afinidades biogeográficas son mayores con los bs-T de Centroamérica, lo que coincide con las de plantas leñosas. Estos resultados enfatizan la importancia de los remanentes de bs-T en Colombia para la conservación de una biodiversidad poco conocida.

ABSTRACT We present a first study of the diversity and community composition of lichens in seasonally dry tropical forest (DTF) remnants in the Atlántico department, Colombia. Lichens were sampled in two of the three protected areas of the department: Distrito de Manejo Integrado (DMI) Luriza and Reserva Forestal Protectora (RFP) El Palomar. The inventory revealed 61 species, including four new to science: Fissurina linoana Lücking, Moncada & G. Rodr. sp. nov., Graphis lurizana Lücking, Moncada & Celis sp. nov., G. mokanarum Lücking, Moncada & M.C. Martínez sp. nov., and Phaeographis galeanoae Lücking, Moncada & B. Salgado-N. sp. nov. Arthonia erupta and Coenogonium saepincola are new to South America, whereas thirteen species are recorded for Colombia for the first time. Further 37 species are new records for Atlántico, raising the total of species known from the department from 27 to 84. With 42 species at Luriza and 31 at El Palomar, species richness was comparable to that of other DTF sites in the Neotropics. Overlap in species composition between the two sites was remarkably low, with only twelve shared species (20 %), indicating a high level of heterogeneity. Biogeographical affinities lie with Central American DTF, which is in line with those of woody plants. These results underline the importance of the remaining fragments of DTF in Colombia in conserving partially unknown biodiversity and the necessity for their continuing conservation.

Los ecosistemas urbanos incluyen áreas suburbanas y asentamientos conectados por corredores de conmutación y tierras afectadas por la energía y materiales del núcleo urbano. Estos ecosistemas presentan enormes retos para la conservación de la biodiversidad por la alta concentración de humanos, las marcadas perturbaciones, y en Colombia la información sobre la biodiversidad allí es limitada. Se hizo un inventario de las plantas vasculares, anfibios, reptiles sin plumas y con ellas (aves), y mamíferos en el campus de la Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Sabana de Bogotá, cordillera Oriental colombiana, ~2550 m snm. El campus se ubica entre dos centros urbanos, Cajicá y Zipaquirá, y es un mosaico de ambientes urbanizados, de uso agropecuario, y con remanentes de ecosistemas naturales asociados al río Bogotá. Se registraron 205 especies de plantas, una especie de rana, una de serpiente, 80 especies de aves y 10 de mamíferos. La mayoría de los árboles del campus son plantados; una considerable proporción de plantas son exóticas y algunas son invasoras. Aves residentes y migratorias usan el campus, y representan casi el 40% de las especies conocidas para la Sabana. Entre los mamíferos hay seis especies no voladoras y posiblemente tres murciélagos, y también hay una especie exótica e invasiva, el ratón casero Mus musculus. El campus es refugio para especies amenazadas (e.g., Porphyriops melanops) y especies poco conocidas (e.g., Akodon sp.). Deben hacerse esfuerzos en el manejo adecuado del campus, e idealmente alrededor de él, manteniendo suficientes espacios verdes y humedales para conservar las especies silvestres.

Urban ecosystems include suburban and settlements connected by commuting corridors and lands affected by the energy and materials from the urban core. These ecosystems present enormous challenges for the conservation of biodiversity given their high concentration of human beings and the marked disturbances and, in Colombia, the little information about biodiversity in these environments. An inventory of vascular plants, amphibians, feathered and non-feathered reptiles, and mammals was carried out at Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, in the Sabana de Bogotá, Andes Eastern Cordillera of Colombia, 2,550 m.a.s.l. The campus is located between two urban cores, Cajicá and Zipaquirá, and it is a mosaic of urbanized environments, lands for agriculture and livestock, and remnants of natural ecosystems associated to the Bogotá River. Two hundred-five (205) plant species, one frog species, one snake species, 80 birds species and 10 mammal species were recorded. Most trees on campus have been planted; a considerable proportion of plants are exotic and some of them are recognized as invasive species. Resident and migratory birds use the campus and represent almost 40% of the known species for the Sabana de Bogotá. Among the mammals there are six non-flying mammals and possibly three bat species, and also an exotic and invasive species, the house mouse Mus musculus, was found on campus. The campus serves as refuge for threatened (e.g., Porphyriops melanops) and poorly known species (e.g., Akodon sp.). Efforts must be done to properly manage the campus, and ideally its surroundings, preserving enough green spaces and wetlands to allow the conservation of the wildlife that still survives there.

Um grupo bem estudado de plantas pode servir como modelo para abordar assuntos de conservação, evolução e biogeografia, possibilitando designar o status de conservação de táxons e detectando não somente os táxons que são mais ameaçados mas também os que constituem representantes basais, únicos e/ou relictuais de linhagens. Relacionamentos filogenéticos esclarecidos abrem a porta para uma sistemática mais refinada de clados sem se preocupar sobre grupos para- ou polifiléticos. Um grupo bem estudado pode também servir como base para ferramentas novas ou sub-utilizadas. Pesquisas sobre as Burseraceae, com mais de 100 táxons na Amazônia, está chegando rapidamente ao ponto em que a família pode ser utilizada com grande impacto tanto na conservação como em um modelo para estudar os processos que influenciam a origem e a manutenção da alta diversidad da flora Amazônica. Primeiro, estamos resolvendo a filogenia a níveis taxonômicos superiores assim como a taxonomia ao nível de espécie em vários clados, o que permite estudos comparativos. Segundo, estamos verificando que a família ocorre em toda a Bacia e é bem representada na maioria dos habitats, mas quase todos os táxons são restritos nas suas distribuições e/ou habitats ocupados; isto permite testar a importância relativa de barreiras geográficas versus diversidade de habitats no processo de especiação. A família tem tamanho adequado para provas estatísticas de hipóteses mas também suficientemente pequena para atingir intensidade necessária de amostragem, permitindo avaliar os impactos relativos de inovações morfológicas, oportunidades ecológicas e eventos biogeográficos na diversificação das Burseraceae e grupos aparentados.

A well-studied group of plants can serve as a model for addressing issues in conservation, evolution, and biogeography, making it possible to assign conservation status with confidence and detecting not only those taxa that are most threatened but also those that represent basal, unique, and/or relictual members of entire lineages. Clarified higher-level phylogenetic relationships open the door to more refined systematics of clades without having to worry if they are para- or polyphyletic. A well-studied group can also be an excellent testing ground for new or under-utilized tools and independent data sets. Research on the Burseraceae, with over 100 taxa in the Amazon, is rapidly arriving at the point where the family can be used effectively both as a tool for conservation and as a model for studying the processes influencing the origin and maintenance of high diversity in the Amazonian flora. First, we are resolving higher-level phylogenies as well as species-level taxonomy in various clades, allowing comparative approaches. Second, the family occurs throughout Amazonia and is well-represented in most habitats overall, but most of the taxa are restricted in their distributions and/or habitats; this makes it possible to test the relative importance of geographic barriers vs. habitat diversity in the speciation process. The family is sufficiently large to provide adequate statistical power for hypothesis testing and yet small enough to achieve the necessary sampling intensity, allowing us to assess the relative impacts of morphological innovation, ecological opportunity, and biogeographic events on the diversification of Burseraceae and related groups.