Network


Latest external collaboration on country level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots.

Hotspot


Dive into the research topics where Mariana Yolotl Alvarez-Añorve is active.

Publication


Featured researches published by Mariana Yolotl Alvarez-Añorve.


PLOS ONE | 2012

Local and Landscape Factors Determining Occurrence of Phyllostomid Bats in Tropical Secondary Forests

Luis Daniel Avila-Cabadilla; Gerardo Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa; Kathryn E. Stoner; Mariana Yolotl Alvarez-Añorve; Mauricio Quesada; Carlos Portillo-Quintero

Neotropical forests are being increasingly replaced by a mosaic of patches of different successional stages, agricultural fields and pasture lands. Consequently, the identification of factors shaping the performance of taxa in anthropogenic landscapes is gaining importance, especially for taxa playing critical roles in ecosystem functioning. As phyllostomid bats provide important ecological services through seed dispersal, pollination and control of animal populations, in this study we assessed the relationships between phyllostomid occurrence and the variation in local and landscape level habitat attributes caused by disturbance. We mist-netted phyllostomids in 12 sites representing 4 successional stages of a tropical dry forest (initial, early, intermediate and late). We also quantitatively characterized the habitat attributes at the local (vegetation structure complexity) and the landscape level (forest cover, area and diversity of patches). Two focal scales were considered for landscape characterization: 500 and 1000 m. During 142 sampling nights, we captured 606 individuals representing 15 species and 4 broad guilds. Variation in phyllostomid assemblages, ensembles and populations was associated with variation in local and landscape habitat attributes, and this association was scale-dependent. Specifically, we found a marked guild-specific response, where the abundance of nectarivores tended to be negatively associated with the mean area of dry forest patches, while the abundance of frugivores was positively associated with the percentage of riparian forest. These results are explained by the prevalence of chiropterophilic species in the dry forest and of chiropterochorous species in the riparian forest. Our results indicate that different vegetation classes, as well as a multi-spatial scale approach must be considered for evaluating bat response to variation in landscape attributes. Moreover, for the long-term conservation of phyllostomids in anthropogenic landscapes, we must realize that the management of the habitat at the landscape level is as important as the conservation of particular forest fragments.


American Journal of Botany | 2012

Functional regeneration and spectral reflectance of trees during succession in a highly diverse tropical dry forest ecosystem

Mariana Yolotl Alvarez-Añorve; Mauricio Quesada; G. Arturo Sánchez-Azofeifa; Luis Daniel Avila-Cabadilla; John A. Gamon

PREMISE OF THE STUDY The function of most ecosystems has been altered by human activities. To asses the recovery of plant communities, we must evaluate the recovery of plant functional traits. The seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF), a highly threatened ecosystem, is assumed to recover relatively quickly from disturbance, but an integrated evaluation of recovery in floristic, structural, and functional terms has not been performed. In this study we aimed to (a) compare SDTF plant functional, floristic, and structural change along succession; (b) identify tree functional groups; and (c) explore the spectral properties of different successional stages. METHODS Across a SDTF successional gradient, we evaluated the change of species composition, vegetation structure, and leaf spectral reflectance and functional traits (related to water use, light acquisition, nutrient conservation, and CO(2) acquisition) of 25 abundant tree species. KEY RESULTS A complete recovery of SDTF takes longer than the time period inferred from floristic or structural data. Plant functional traits changed along succession from those that maximize photoprotection and heat dissipation in early succession, where temperature is an environmental constraint, to those that enhance light acquisition in late succession, where light may be limiting. A spectral indicator of plant photosynthetic performance (photochemical reflectance index) discriminated between early and late succession. This constitutes a foundation for further exploration of remote sensing technologies for studying tropical succession. CONCLUSIONS A functional approach should be incorporated as a regular descriptor of forest succession because it provides a richer understanding of vegetation dynamics than is offered by either the floristic or structural approach alone.


Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences | 2013

Evaluating factors that predict the structure of a commensalistic epiphyte-phorophyte network.

Roberto Sáyago; Martha Lopezaraiza-Mikel; Mauricio Quesada; Mariana Yolotl Alvarez-Añorve; Alfredo Cascante-Marín; Jesús M. Bastida

A central issue in ecology is the understanding of the establishment of biotic interactions. We studied the factors that affect the assembly of the commensalistic interactions between vascular epiphytes and their host plants. We used an analytical approach that considers all individuals and species of epiphytic bromeliads and woody hosts and non-hosts at study plots. We built models of interaction probabilities among species to assess if host traits and abundance and spatial overlap of species predict the quantitative epiphyte–host network. Species abundance, species spatial overlap and host size largely predicted pairwise interactions and several network metrics. Wood density and bark texture of hosts also contributed to explain network structure. Epiphytes were more common on large hosts, on abundant woody species, with denser wood and/or rougher bark. The network had a low level of specialization, although several interactions were more frequent than expected by the models. We did not detect a phylogenetic signal on the network structure. The effect of host size on the establishment of epiphytes indicates that mature forests are necessary to preserve diverse bromeliad communities.


PLOS ONE | 2014

Phyllostomid Bat Occurrence in Successional Stages of Neotropical Dry Forests

Luis Daniel Avila-Cabadilla; Kathryn E. Stoner; Jafet M. Nassar; Mário M. Espírito-Santo; Mariana Yolotl Alvarez-Añorve; Carla I. Aranguren; Mickaël Henry; José A. González-Carcacía; Luiz Alberto Dolabela Falcão; Gerardo Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa

Tropical dry forests (TDFs) are highly endangered tropical ecosystems being replaced by a complex mosaic of patches of different successional stages, agricultural fields and pasturelands. In this context, it is urgent to understand how taxa playing critical ecosystem roles respond to habitat modification. Because Phyllostomid bats provide important ecosystem services (e.g. facilitate gene flow among plant populations and promote forest regeneration), in this study we aimed to identify potential patterns on their response to TDF transformation in sites representing four different successional stages (initial, early, intermediate and late) in three Neotropical regions: México, Venezuela and Brazil. We evaluated bat occurrence at the species, ensemble (abundance) and assemblage level (species richness and composition, guild composition). We also evaluated how bat occurrence was modulated by the marked seasonality of TDFs. In general, we found high seasonal and regional specificities in phyllostomid occurrence, driven by specificities at species and guild levels. For example, highest frugivore abundance occurred in the early stage of the moistest TDF, while highest nectarivore abundance occurred in the same stage of the driest TDF. The high regional specificity of phyllostomid responses could arise from: (1) the distinctive environmental conditions of each region, (2) the specific behavior and ecological requirements of the regional bat species, (3) the composition, structure and phenological patterns of plant assemblages in the different stages, and (4) the regional landscape composition and configuration. We conclude that, in tropical seasonal environments, it is imperative to perform long-term studies considering seasonal variations in environmental conditions and plant phenology, as well as the role of landscape attributes. This approach will allow us to identify potential patterns in bat responses to habitat modification, which constitute an invaluable tool for not only bat biodiversity conservation but also for the conservation of the key ecological processes they provide.


American Journal of Botany | 2014

Influence of matrix type on tree community assemblages along tropical dry forest edges

Julieta Benítez-Malvido; Julio César Gallardo-Vásquez; Mariana Yolotl Alvarez-Añorve; Luis Daniel Avila-Cabadilla

UNLABELLED • PREMISE OF THE STUDY Anthropogenic habitat edges have strong negative consequences for the functioning of tropical ecosystems. However, edge effects on tropical dry forest tree communities have been barely documented.• METHODS In Chamela, Mexico, we investigated the phylogenetic composition and structure of tree assemblages (≥5 cm dbh) along edges abutting different matrices: (1) disturbed vegetation with cattle, (2) pastures with cattle and, (3) pastures without cattle. Additionally, we sampled preserved forest interiors.• KEY RESULTS All edge types exhibited similar tree density, basal area and diversity to interior forests, but differed in species composition. A nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination showed that the presence of cattle influenced species composition more strongly than the vegetation structure of the matrix; tree assemblages abutting matrices with cattle had lower scores in the ordination. The phylogenetic composition of tree assemblages followed the same pattern. The principal plant families and genera were associated according to disturbance regimes as follows: pastures and disturbed vegetation (1) with cattle and (2) without cattle, and (3) pastures without cattle and interior forests. All habitats showed random phylogenetic structures, suggesting that tree communities are assembled mainly by stochastic processes. Long-lived species persisting after edge creation could have important implications in the phylogenetic structure of tree assemblages.• CONCLUSIONS Edge creation exerts a stronger influence on TDF vegetation pathways than previously documented, leading to new ecological communities. Phylogenetic analysis may, however, be needed to detect such changes.


Journal of Tropical Ecology | 2017

Importance of riparian habitat for frugivorous bats in a tropical dry forest in western Mexico

Mariana Zarazúa-Carbajal; Luis Daniel Avila-Cabadilla; Mariana Yolotl Alvarez-Añorve; Julieta Benítez-Malvido; Kathryn E. Stoner

Riparian forests (RF) provide shelter, feeding resources and commuting areas and are fundamental for local fauna during long drought periods in tropical dry forests. Nevertheless, information regarding vertebrate ecology in tropical RF is scarce. The studies of bats in riparian habitats have been mostly focused on insectivorous assemblages in non-tropical regions. We contrasted the occurrence of frugivorous bats between RF and upland dry forest (UDF) in a Neotropical dry forest region and evaluated how vegetation structure modulates frugivorous bat presence and abundance. We sampled bat ensembles and vegetation structure in three UDF and three RF sites in Jalisco, Mexico. Bat ensembles and populations were analysed with generalized linear models, including as independent factors: (1) habitat and (2) vegetation attributes. In 72 nights we captured 840 bats belonging to seven species. No effect of habitat type or vegetation structure on species richness was found, but habitat type did affect bat species composition and abundance. Moreover, vegetation structural traits affected frugivorous bat abundance. Frugivore abundance was higher in RF than in UDF probably because RF provides greater resources and more roosting sites. Riparian forests also present more canopy cover and accessible flight spaces. Our results support the importance of RF for frugivorous bats in terms of abundance and composition. Additionally, the lack of differences in species richness between UDF and RF highlights the importance of both habitats for maintaining frugivorous bats, as well as the related ecosystem processes and services in tropical dry forest landscapes.


Forest Ecology and Management | 2009

Succession and management of tropical dry forests in the Americas: Review and new perspectives

Mauricio Quesada; G. Arturo Sánchez-Azofeifa; Mariana Yolotl Alvarez-Añorve; Kathryn E. Stoner; Luis Daniel Avila-Cabadilla; Julio Calvo-Alvarado; Alicia Castillo; Mário M. Espírito-Santo; Marcílio Fagundes; Geraldo Wilson Fernandes; John A. Gamon; Martha Lopezaraiza-Mikel; Deborah Lawrence; Leonor Patricia C. Morellato; Jennifer S. Powers; Frederico de Siqueira Neves; Víctor Rosas-Guerrero; Roberto Sáyago; Gumersindo Sánchez-Montoya


Biological Conservation | 2017

Multiscale analysis of factors influencing herpetofaunal assemblages in early successional stages of a tropical dry forest in western Mexico

Yesenia Fraga-Ramírez; Ireri Suazo-Ortuño; Luis Daniel Avila-Cabadilla; Mariana Yolotl Alvarez-Añorve; Javier Alvarado-Díaz


Archive | 2013

Fruit-Eating Bats and Birds of Three Seasonal Tropical Dry Forests in the Americas

Jafet M. Nassar; Kathryn E. Stoner; Luis Daniel Avila-Cabadilla; Mário M. Espírito-Santo; Carla I. Aranguren; José A. González-Carcacía; Juan Lobato-García; Lemuel Olívio-Leite; Mariana Yolotl Alvarez-Añorve; Hugo de Matos Brandão; Luiz Dolabela-Falcão; Jon Paul Rodríguez


Archive | 2013

Tropical Dry Forest Ecological Succession in Mexico: Synthesis of a Long-Term Study

Mariana Yolotl Alvarez-Añorve; Luis Daniel Avila-Cabadilla; Alicia Castillo; Martha Lopezaraiza-Mikel; Silvana Martén-Rodríguez; Víctor Rosas-Guerrero; Roberto Sáyago; Gumersindo Sánchez-Montoya; José Contreras-Sánchez; Francisco J. Balvino-Olvera; Sergio Olvera-García; Sergio Lopez-Valencia; Natalia Valdespino-Vázquez

Collaboration


Dive into the Mariana Yolotl Alvarez-Añorve's collaboration.

Top Co-Authors

Avatar

Luis Daniel Avila-Cabadilla

National Autonomous University of Mexico

View shared research outputs
Top Co-Authors

Avatar

Kathryn E. Stoner

New Mexico State University

View shared research outputs
Top Co-Authors

Avatar

Mauricio Quesada

National Autonomous University of Mexico

View shared research outputs
Top Co-Authors

Avatar

Julieta Benítez-Malvido

National Autonomous University of Mexico

View shared research outputs
Top Co-Authors

Avatar

Martha Lopezaraiza-Mikel

National Autonomous University of Mexico

View shared research outputs
Top Co-Authors

Avatar

Roberto Sáyago

National Autonomous University of Mexico

View shared research outputs
Top Co-Authors

Avatar

Mário M. Espírito-Santo

Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais

View shared research outputs
Top Co-Authors

Avatar

Alicia Castillo

National Autonomous University of Mexico

View shared research outputs
Top Co-Authors

Avatar

Gumersindo Sánchez-Montoya

National Autonomous University of Mexico

View shared research outputs
Top Co-Authors

Avatar

Ken Oyama

National Autonomous University of Mexico

View shared research outputs
Researchain Logo
Decentralizing Knowledge