González-Torres, Luis R.

Vivipary is the germination of a seed inside of a fruit before it is separated from the mother plant. In the present study, the populations of several Cuban cactus species are explored in search of vivipary and Leptocereus scopulophilus is used as a model species to evaluate the effectiveness of vivipary in the establishment of offspring. Vivipary is a relatively common phenomenon in Cuban cacti from different ecosystems with variable temperature, rainfall and salinity, whose frequencies of population vivipary and average of viviparous seedlings per fruit are usually low. In L. scopulophilus, vivipary does not constitute a more efficient reproductive strategy that favors establishment, which is typically the limiting factor for the perpetuation of viviparous species. On the other hand, viviparous seedlings will be favored in environments with high levels of humidity and availability of safe sites, which are sporadic in semiarid environments.

This textbook is a project under development by our Biology faculty to ultimately provide students with all the factual information they need to succeed in the BIOL 1203 and BIOL 1209 courses at Douglas College in BC, Canada. It was developed initially as an adaptation of the OpenStax Anatomy & Physiology textbook, freely available online at http://cnx.org/content/col11496/latest/. The original adaptations of that OpenStax textbook for Douglas College are accessible online at https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/dcbiol11031109/ and https://pressbooks.bccampus.ca/dcbiol12031209/ In the first edition of the Douglas College adaptations the chapter and section numbers were left as they were in the version of the OpenStax A&P textbook, from which they were largely drawn. However, this second edition has been more extensively edited and rearranged to correspond with the curriculum used at Douglas College, so chapter and section numbers are no longer aligned specifically with the OpenStax A&P textbook.

Las plantas influyen notablemente en la estética del entorno y principalmente en el estado de ánimo de los pobladores. Su ubicación correcta, dada por la cercanía a las construcciones, así como por considerar las características de cada especie, nos proporciona un sentimiento de tranquilidad y tenencia reconfortable.

The serpentine outcrop of "lomas de La Coca" is one of the more studied serpentine area in Cuba. However, its complex flora and vegetation have conduced to contradictories results. In this work we discuss previous results and propose vegetation units based on biotic and abiotic factors such as: aspect, soil type and soil deep. The primary defined vegetation types are the microphyllous semideciduos forest on serpentine soil, the thorny xeromorphic shrubwood on serpentine soil and the gallery forest. Secondary vegetation types are represented by disturbed thorny xeromorphic shrubwood on serpentine soil, grassland with shrubs and palms, disturbed gallery forest and grassland with Cecropia schreberiana.

The population of Leptocereus scopulophilus is small and barely occupies 3.500 m2 in the southeast side of Pan de Matanzas. These unique features may require a flowering strategy different from that of most columnar cacti with larger and widespread populations. In this paper, the production of flowers, the availability of flower buds, flowers and fruits; the volume and concentration of nectar; and the energy output of this Cuban endemic species were study. Additionally, the pollination effectiveness and the likelihood of cross-pollination were estimated. L. scopulophilus starts flowering in the second half of the dry season (February) and runs through the beginning of the rainy season (June) but most flowers are produced from March to May. Most plants open an average of one flower per night. Although, the number of blooming plants increase up to April the intensity of flower production in the population is always less than 50%. Nectar production and concentration do not vary significantly. The flowers may produce up to 0,76 mL of nectar per night and allocate more than 1 kJ in the nectar. The success of the pollination increases along the course of the season up to 45%. In general, the flowering strategy of L. scopulophilus is similar to that of other columnar cacti from dry ecosystems.

Predecir cuales son las áreas protegidas que tienen las condiciones apropiadas para la presencia de una especie invasora es crucial para el desarrollo de planes de manejo acertados para su contención. Rhus succedanea, es la primera planta tóxica invasora que se reporta para Cuba, la cual además presenta tendencia transformadora. Por esto representa una amenaza para la salud humana y para la biodiversidad nativa. El objetivo del trabajo es la identificación de las áreas protegidas de Cuba con las condiciones ambientales que las hacen más propensas a ser invadidas por R. succedanea, por medio de la modelación de su nicho ecológico a nivel mundial. Se realizó un modelo mundial, en el programa Maxent, con registros de presencia tanto del rango nativo como del exótico de esta planta, obtenidos a partir de bases de datos internacionales y viajes de campo. El modelo generado fue superpuesto con el mapa de las áreas protegidas de Cuba. Las principales regiones montañosas de Cuba presentan condiciones apropiadas para la invasión por parte de R. succedanea. En cuanto a las áreas protegidas de Cuba, 64 de estas son sensibles a ser invadidas poresta planta invasora, entre las que se destacan la Reserva Ecológica Pico San Juan, la Reserva Natural El Mulo, el Parque Nacional Viñales y la Reserva de la Biosfera Sierra del Rosario. El hecho de que muchas de las zonas con probabilidades sean áreas protegidas puede ser un elemento a favor de la gestión, debido a que esdentro de las áreas protegidas donde se pueden llevar a cabo las acciones de monitoreo y contención de especies invasoras.