Tupper 4pm seminar
Tue, May 8, 4pm seminar
speaker will be William
Laurance, STRI
Impacts of roads and
hunting on African
rainforest mammals
Paleo-Talk
Wed, May 9, 4pm, Paleo-Talk
speaker is Alexander Correa
8000 years of climatic
variability in the
Amazonian Piedmont in
Peru 
Bambi seminar
Thu, May 10, Bambi seminar
speaker will be Andrew Ugan,
University of Utah
How low can we go?
Testing the use of stable
carbon and nitrogen
isotopes from prehistoric
animal bone as markers of
short-term climate change
Arriving next week
Noelle Beckman, University
of Minnesota, to study "What
are the relative roles of
mammals, insects, and
pathogens in seed removal
and seed survival at the
pre-dispersal stage", in
Gamboa.
Natalia Biani, University of
Texas at Austin, to study
interspecific social parasitism
in nocturnal bees: Megalopta
ecuadoria, M. genalis and M.
byroni (Hymenoptera,
Halictidae), at Naos.
Jonathan Shik, to carry out a
study of army ant diversity
and impact across four
tropical forests, on BCI.
Boris Baer, Jacobus Boomsma
and Henrik De Fine, to study
the evolutionary ecology of
fungus growing ants, in
Gamboa.
Jonathan Drury, to work on
BCI Forest Dynamics Plot.
 STRI news
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panam?        www.stri.org        May 4, 2007
Drought is a mechanism 
determining species 
distribution in tropical 
rain forests
Drought tolerance is a critical
determinant of tropical plant
distributions, reports the article
in Nature (May 3) ?Drought
sensitivity shapes species
distribution patterns in tropical
forests? by Bettina Engelbrecht,
research associate at STRI and
the University of Kaiserlauten
in Germany (photo at right),
Lisa Comita, from the
University of Georgia, STRI
scientists Rick Condit, Ben
Turner and Steve Hubbell and
STRI research associates Tom
Kursar, and Melvin Tyree.
The authors examined the role
of drought for the distribution
of tropical rainforest shrubs
and trees. Tropical forests are
not usually associated with
drought, but actually most
tropical forests are exposed to
one or even two dry seasons,
and during these dry periods,
plants can suffer from the lack
of water. They grow less, wilt or
even die.
The authors examined to what
extent the tolerance of plants to
drought, combined with the
variation of the availability of
water at different scales?both
local and regional? is
important for the distribution
of plant species in humid
forests, or if other factors such 
as light or nutrients might be
more important.
"The key novelty of our study is
that we were able to quantita-
tively link experimental and ob-
servational results to examine if
drought tolerance really is a
'mechanism' determining the
distribution of species in tropi-
cal rain forest" said Bettina.
"In the tropics, climate change
does not just mean temperature
change-dramatic shifts in
rainfall patterns also are
expected to occur" said Turner,
"Our research shows that
changes in rainfall patterns will
have considerable consequences
for tropical forests."
The article, distributed by Neal
Smith, has been reviewed in
many important news services
including Nature podcast, at:
www.nature.com/nature/po
dcast/v447/n7140/nature-20
07-05-03.html
                   ? Hubert Herz          
La tolerancia a la sequ?a es una
determinante clave en la distri-
buci?n de plantas tropicales,
informa el art?culo "La toleran-
cia a la sequ?a moldea los
patrones de distribuci?n de
especies" publicado por Nature
(mayo 3) por Bettina
Engelbrecht, investigadora
asociada a STRI y la Universi-
dad de Kaiserlauten (en la foto),
Lisa Comita, de la Universidad
de Georgia, los cient?ficos de
STRI Rick Condit, Ben Turner
y Steve Hubbell, e investigado-
res asociados Tom Kursar y
Melin Tyree.
Los autores examinaron el rol
de la sequ?a en la distribuci?n
de ?rboles y arbustos tropicales.
Los bosques tropicales no se
asocian usualmente con sequ?as,
pero en realidad, m?s bosques
tropicales est?n expuestos a una
o dos estaciones secas, y
durante estos per?odos, las
plantas pueden sufrir mucho
More arrivals
Judy Guinan, Eileen Hudson
and Beth Meyer, Michigan
State University, to participate
at an Environmental Biology
course in Panama, in Gamboa.
STRI in the news
?Forest tree distribution
affected by drought, study
says? by By Greg Lavine.
2007. The Salt Lake Tribune
May 3.
?Water main: precipitation
?not light or nutrients-
determines which tropical
trees thrive? David Biello. 
Scientific American.com
?Drought limits tropical plant
distributions, scientists
report.? 2007. Physorg.com
?Drought tolerance limits
tropical plant distributions?
200. Scientific bloging: May 3.
New publications
Engelbrecht, Bettina M. J.,
Comita, Liza S., Condit,
Richard, Kursar, Thomas A.,
Tyree, Melvin T., Turner,
Benjamin L., and Hubbell,
Stephen P. 2007. "Drought
sensitivity shapes species
distribution patterns in
tropical forests." Nature
447(7140): 80-82. 
Kuris, Armand M., Goddard,
Jeffrey H.R., Torchin, Mark
E., Murphy, Nicole, Gurney,
Robert, and Lafferty, Kevin
D. 2007. "An experimental
evaluation of host specificity:
The role of encounter and
compatibility filters for a
rhizocephalan parasite of
crabs." International Journal for
Parasitology 37(5): 539-545.
Marussich, Wendy A., and
Machado, Carlos A. 2007.
"Host-specificity and
coevolution among pollinating
and nonpollinating New
World fig wasps." Molecular
Ecology 16(9): 1925-1946.
por falta de agua: crecen menos,
se debilitan e incluso mueren.
Los autores examinaron hasta
qu? punto la tolerancia de las
plantas a la sequ?a, combinada 
con la variaci?n en la
disponibilidad de agua a
diferentes escalas?local y
regional?es importante para la
distribuci?n de especies de
plantas en los bosques
h?medos, o si otros factores
como la luz o los nutrientes son
m?s importantes.
"La novedad clave de nuestro
estudio es que pudimos asociar 
cuantitativamente los resultados
experimentales y de
observaciones para examinar si
la tolerancia a la sequ?a es
realmente un mecanismo que
determina la distribuci?n de
especies en los bosques
tropicales" asegura Engelbrecht.
"En los tr?picos, el cambio
clim?tico no s?lo significa
temperatura, tambi?n debemos
esperar la sucesi?n de cambios
dram?ticos en los patrones de
lluvia" comenta el cient?fico de
STRI, Ben Turner.
El art?culo, distribuido por Neal
Smith ha sido rese?ado por
varios servicios de noticias
importantes, incluyendo Nature
podcast.
Five new species from the
tropical eastern Pacific
Five new species of aeolid
nudibranchs are described in the
article ?Five new species of
aeolid nudibranchs (Mollusca,
Opisthobranchia) from the
tropical eastern Pacific? by
STRI visiting scientist Alicia
Hermosillo from the University
of Guadalajara, Mexico, and
Angel Vald?s from the Natural
History Museum of Los
Angeles County, California. The
article was published by the
American Malacological Bulletin
(22: 119-137). Available from:
calderom@si.edu
The new species are described
based on specimens collected at
several localities of the tropical
eastern Pacific, from Isla
Isabela, Nayarit, Mexico to
Parque Nacional de Coiba,
Panama. Three of the new
species belong to the genus
Cuthona Alder and Hancock,
1855: Cuthona destinyae, Cuthona
millenae and Cuthona behrensi; one
to Eubranchus Forbes, 1838:
Eubranchus yolandae, and one to
Cerberilla Bergh, 1873, la
Cerverilla chavezi. An additional
species, possibly belonging to
the genus Herviella Baba, 1949 is
not named because of the lack
of adequate anatomical
information.
Roberto Chavez and Buceo
Vallartech, Puerto Vallarta,
M?xico and Ross Robertson
and STRI funded the fieldwork
onboard the R.V. Urrac?.
Cinco nuevas especies de
nudibranquios ae?lidos
(babosas de mar) aparecen
descritas en el art?culo ?Five
new species of aeolid
nudibranchs (Mollusca,
Opisthobranchia) from the
tropical eastern Pacific? [Cinco
especies nuevas de nudibran-
quios ae?lidos (Mollusca,
Opistobranquia) del Pac?fico
oriental tropical] de Alicia
Hermosillo visitante en STRI
de la Universidad de Guadala-
jara, M?xico, y Angel Vald?s,
del Museo de H istoria Natural
del Condado de Los Angeles,
California. El art?culo es del
American Malacological Bulletin
(vol. 22:119-137 ).
La descripci?n de las nuevas
especies se llev? a cabo con
espec?menes encontrados en
varios lugares en el Pac?fico
oriental tropical, desde Isla
Isabella en M?xico hasta el
Parque Nacional de Coiba en
Panam?. Tres de las nuevas
especies pertenecen al g?nero
Cuthona Alder y Hancock, 1855:
Cuthona destinyae, Cuthona millenae
y Cuthona behrensi: uno a
Eubranchus Forbes, 1838:
Eubranchus yolandae, y uno a
Cerberilla Bergh, 1873: Cerverilla
chavezi. Una especie adicional,
posiblemente del g?nero
Herviella Baba, 1949 no ha sido
bautizada debida a la falta de
informaci?n anat?mica.
Roberto Ch?vez y Buceo
Vallartech de Puerto Vallarta,
M?xico y Ross Robertson y
STRI patrocinaron el trabajo de
campo a bordo del R.V. Urrac?.
 
Cuthona destinyae
Cuthona millenae
Cuthona behrensi
Eubranchus yolandae
Cerverilla chavezi
More publications
Morris, W.F., Hufbauer, R.A.,
Agrawal , A.A., Bever, J.D.,
Borowicz, V.A., Gilbert,
Gregory S., Maron, J.L.,
Mitchell, C.E., Parker, Ingrid
M., Power, A.G., Torchin,
Mark E., and V?zquez, D.P.
2007. "Direct and interactive
effects of enemies and
mutualists on plant
performance: a meta-analysis."
Ecology 88(4): 1021?1029.
Quek, S. Peck, Davies, Stuart
James, Ashton, Peter S., and
Pierce, Naomi E. 2007. "The
geography of diversification in
mutualistic ants: a gene's-eye
view into the Neogene history
of Sundaland rain forests."
Molecular Ecology Online.
Smith, Adam R., Wcislo,
William T., and O'Donnell,
Sean. 2007. "Survival and
productivity benefits to social
nesting in the sweat bee
Megalopta genalis
(Hymenoptera: Halictidae)."
Behavioral Ecology and
Sociobiology Online.
Sousa, Wayne P. 2007.
"Mangrove forest structure
and dynamics, Punta Galeta,
Panama." Bulletin of the
Ecological Society of America
88(1): 46-49.
Sousa, Wayne P., Kennedy,
P.eter G., Mitchel, Betsy J.,
and Ordonez, Benjamin. 2007.
"Supply-side ecology in
mangroves: Do propagule
dispersal and seedling
establishment explain forest
structure?" Ecological
Monographs 77(1): 53-76.
Wishnie, Mark H., Dent,
D.H., Mariscal, E., Deago,
Jose, Cedeno, Norma, Ibarra,
D., and Ashton, Peter S. 2007.
"Initial performance and
reforestation potential of 24
tropical tree species planted
across a precipitation gradient
in the Republic of Panama."
Forest Ecology and Management
243(1): 39?49.
        Inside
            Smithsonian Research
No. 16, Spring 2007
STRI hosts
ANAM
officials
Forty officials from Panama's
Environmental Authority
(ANAM) organized a visit STRI
on Tuesday, April 24th, to meet
with STRI scientists and discuss
topics relevant to their work as
decision makers and
technicians.
Diana Laguna, ANAM director
of Informatics (left) and N?lida
G?mez, STRI Academic
Programs Coordinator,
welcomed the group, followed
by talks by Jefferson Hall,
director of STRI's PRORENA
on environmental services
provided by the Panama Canal
Watershed; Rolando P?erez, on
studies and long-term tree
censusses of tropical forests,
Milton Garc?a, on the
generation of basic information
as an useful tool in decision
making for environmental
issues, and Catherive Potvin, on
avoided deforestation. Each talk
was followed by a stimulating
session of questions and
answers. Fifteen members of
the STRI staff participated in
the event.
Cuarenta funcionarios de la
Autoridad Nacional del
Ambiente de Panam? (ANAM)
Ambiente de Panam? (ANAM)
organizaron una visita a STRI el
martes 24 de abril, para reunirse
con investigadores de STRI y
discutir t?picos relacionados
con su trabajo como tomadores
de decisiones y t?cnicos
ambientales.
Diana Laguna, directora de
Inform?tica de la ANAM (a la
izquierda en la foto) y N?lida
G?mez, coordinadora de la
Oficina de Programas
Acad?micos de STRI les dieron
la bienvenida a los participantes.
Seguidamente escucharon
charlas por  Jefferson Hall,
director de PRORENA de
STRI, sobre los servicios
ambientales que presta la
Cuenca del Canal de Panam?;
Rolando P?rez, del Centro de
Ciencias Forestales del Tr?pico
de STRI, sobre estudios y
censos de ?rboles a largo plazo
en bosques tropicales; Milton
Garc?a, del Proyecto de
Fisiolog?a Vegetal de STRI,
sobre la generaci?n de
informaci?n b?sica ?til como
herramienta en la toma de
dediciones en temas
ambientales; y Catherine Potvin,
de la Universidad de McGill,
sobre la deforestaci?n evitada.
Al final de cada charla se dieron
estimulantes sesiones de
preguntas y respuestas. Quince
miembros del personal de STRI
participaron en el evento..
 STRI in the News
I n s id e  Sm ith s o n ian  R e s e a rc h , published
quarterly by the Smithsonian Office for
Public Affairs, published two articles about
STRI:
       
Chili pepper starch grains linked to ancient
settlement sites across the Americas, by
Donald Smith
http://www.si.edu/opa/insideresearch/arti
cles /V16_ChiliPepper.html
Forest Science
http://www.si.edu/opa/insideresearch/arti
cles /V16_NewsNotes.html
S M I T H S O N I A N   T R O P I C A L   R E S E A R C H   I N S T I T U TE ,    M A Y    4 ,   2 0 0 7
Workers of the
World: Unite!
Story: Bill Wcislo
Edited by M Alvarado
& ML Calderon
Photos: MA Guerra
Social insects are
among the most
ecologically dominant
and evolutionarily
successful terrestrial
animals. Why? Their
success is thought to
be associated with
their way of organizing
work within their social
systems: only one or a
few individuals
reproduce, while the
others cooperate as
non-reproductive
workers.
This division of labor
is thought to generate
efficiencies due to the
economics of
large-scale
organization. It also
has consequences for
how organisms gather
information about their
world. 
The goal of a Panama's
SENACYT-funded
project by Bill Wcislo
(inset photo at right)
and Adam Smith
(shown looking for
nests along with an
intern on the project,
Margarita Lopez) is to
study factors
associated with the
transition from solitary
living to social
cooperation among
nocturnal sweat bees,
and the consequences
of such a transition.
Such studies are
possible with
Megalopta bees (inset 
photo) because
females either live
alone, or in social
groups. The project
aims to answer three
questions:
Why do some bees
start their own nests
rather than staying at
home with their
mothers as oppressed
workers?
What factors shape the
expression of social
behavior? 
Do bees of different
behavioral classes
exhibit different
patterns of brain
development?
Ecol?gica y
evolutivamente, los
insectos sociales est?n
entre los animales m?s 
exitosos de la tierra. 
?Por qu?? Se cree que
su ?xito se relaciona
con la forma en que
organizan su trabajo
dentro de sistemas
sociales: solo uno o
pocos individuos se
reproducen, mientras
que los dem?s
cooperan como
trabajadores. Tambi?n
se piensa que esta
divisi?n del trabajo
genera eficiencia al ser 
econ?mica para
organizaciones de gran
tama?o. Tambi?n tiene
consecuencias en la
forma en que los
organismos obtienen
la informaci?n sobre
su ambiente.
El objetivo de un
proyecto financiado
por SENACYT de
Panam?, con Bill
Wcislo (recuadro
superior) y Adam
Smith (quien observa
nidos en la foto, junto
con Margarita L?pez,
pasante del proyecto)
es  estudiar los
factores asociados con
la transici?n de una
vida solitaria a la
cooperaci?n social
entre abejas dulces
nocturnas, y las
consecuencias de
dicha transici?n.
Estos estudios son
posibles con abejas
Megalopta (recuadro)
debido a que sus
hembras viven ya sea 
solas o en grupos
sociales. El proyecto
busca resolver tres
interrogantes:
?Por qu? algunas
abejas  construyen sus
propios nidos en
vez de quedarse en
casa con sus madres
como obreras
oprimidas?
?Qu? factores moldean
la expresi?n del 
comportamiento
social?
?Exhiben las abejas
que se comportan de
forma diferente
patrones de desarrollo
cerebral diferentes?