J. Andrew C. Smith, former STRI senior Mellon fellow from Oxford University, UK, during a
recent research visit to Panama, examining a bromeliad species at STRI's new Santa Cruz
experimental site in Gamboa ??? J. Andrew Smith, antiguo becario ?senior? de Mellon de la
Universidad de Oxford en el Reino Unido, examina una especie de bromelia en las nuevas
instalaciones de STRI en Santa Cruz, Gamboa, en un reciente viaje de investigaciones a Panam?. 
Tupper seminar
Tuesday, March 9, noon
seminar speaker will be
Manfred Ayasse, University of
Ulm, Germany
Chemical ecology of
sexually deceptive orchids
and their pollinators
Bambi seminar
Please check your GroupWise
for information on the next
Bambi, or e-mail: Bambi.
Arrivals
Pablo Ribeiro, Universidad
Nacional de Mar del Plata,
Argentina, Mar 3 - May 3, to
work with John Christy, at
Naos.
Kimberly Sheldon, Mar 5-12,
to work with Robert Ricklefs,
in Gamboa.
Steven Groh, project manager
at SI?s Office of Facilities
Engineering and Operations,
Mar 6-14, for  an inspection
visit of STRI facilities.
Martin Wikelski and Kelly
Lee, Princeton University, Mar
6 - Apr 11, to work on BCI?s
Automated Telemetry Project.
Julie Velasquez-Runk, Yale
University, Mar 6-21, to work
on the historical ecology of
Wounaan forest use in
Eastern Panama, at Tupper
and Darien.
Hans Ulrich Schnitzler and
Andrea Schaub, University of
Tuebingen, Mar 7-28, to study
echolocation strategies of
gleaning bats, on BCI.
Courtney Babbitt, University
of California at Berkeley, Mar
7-28, to study the
developmental systematics
within the Amphipoda
(Crustacea: Malacostraca:
Paracarida), at Bocas.
 STRI news
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama        www.stri.org    March 5, 2004
PNAS: origins of CAM and the epiphytic
habit in Bromeliaceae
One of the most conspicuous components in
the canopies of Neotropical forests are mem-
bers of the pineapple family (Bromeliaceae), a
large group of functionally diverse plants com-
prising almost 3000 known species. While
pineapple (Ananas comosus) and many other
bromeliads are soil-rooted terrestrial plants,
about half of the species are detached from the
soil and grow epiphytically on the surfaces of
branches in tree crowns, deriving their mois-
ture and nutrients primarily from the air and
rain. Some of the most extreme epiphytes are
Uno de los componentes m?s conspicuos de los
doseles en los bosques neotropicales son los
miembros de la familia de la pi?a (Bromeliacea),
un grupo extenso de plantas funcionalmente
diversas con cerca de 3000 especies conocidas.
Mientras que la pi?a (Ananas comosus) y muchas
otras bromelias son plantas terrestres con ra?ces
en la tierra, cerca de la mitad de estas especies se
desprenden de la tierra y crecen epif?ticamente
sobre ramas en la corona de los ?rboles y obtie-
nen su humedad y nutrientes del aire y la lluvia
primordialmente. Algunas de estas ep?fitas extre-
almost rootless "air plants", like the bromeliad
Tillandsia usneoides (Spanish moss), which can
even occupy hostile habitats such as the sur-
faces of cables high above the ground. One key
innovation enabling bromeliads to occupy
these stressful, microclimatically arid epiphytic
niches is a water-conserving form of photosyn-
thesis known as crassulacean acid metabolism
(CAM). This allows for gas exchange with the
atmosphere and uptake of carbon dioxide pri-
marily at night when the risk of dehydration is
reduced. In order to clarify the evolutionary
origins of CAM photosynthesis and the
epiphytic habit, STRI staff scientist Klaus Win-
ter with Australian postdoctoral fellow Darren
M. Crayn and STRI senior Mellon fellow J.
Andrew C. Smith from the UK, conducted a
molecular phylogenetic analysis combined with
a detailed survey of photosynthetic pathways
of the Bromeliaceae family. The results, which
will be published in a forthcoming issue of the
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA
(101: 3703-3708; March 9, 2004) demonstrate
that both CAM photosynthesis and the
epiphytic habit evolved multiple times in the
family, most likely in response to geological
and climatic changes in the late Tertiary. The
study also showed that CAM was lost in some
lineages following their radiation back into less
stressful sites. As part of their program on
functional biodiversity in tropical ecosystems,
Winter and colleagues will extend their studies
on the origins of the CAM mode of photosyn-
thesis to other groups of vascular plants. Un-
derstanding from plants in the wild how they
cope with various forms of environmental
stress may eventually facilitate the development
of more stress-tolerant types of crop plants for
cultivation in the world's marginal lands.
mas casi no tienen ra?ces; son ?plantas a?reas?
como la bromelia Tillandsia usneoides (hongo espa-
?ol), que puede incluso ocupar h?bitats hostiles
como la superficie de tendidos el?ctricos. Una
novedad clave que permite que estas bromelias
ocupen estos nichos epif?ticamente ?ridos con un
microclima de gran estr?s, es la forma de conser-
var agua del metabolismo de ?cido crasul?ceo
(CAM). Este permite el intercambio de gases con
la atm?sfera y obtiene casi todo su di?xido de
carbono en la noche, cuando el riesgo de deshi-
drataci?n es menor. Para aclarar los or?genes
evolutivos de la fotos?ntesis CAM y el h?bitat
epif?tico, el cient?fico de STRI Klaus Winter,
junto con el becario posdoctoral australiano
Darren M. Crayn y el becario ?senior? de Mellon
J. Andrew Smith del Reino Unido, llevan a cabo
un an?lisis filogen?tico molecular combinado con
un estudio detallado de los pasos de la fotos?nte-
sis de la familia Bromeliaceae. Los resultados,
que ser?n publicados pr?ximamente en Proceedings
of the National Academy of Sciences (101: 3703-3708,
del 9 de marzo de 2004) demuestran que tanto la
fotos?ntesis CAM como el h?bito epif?tico evolu-
cionaron m?ltiples veces en la familia, casi siem-
pre en respuesta a cambios geol?gicos y clim?ti-
cos que se dieron a finales del Terciario. El estu-
dio muestra tambi?n que el CAM se perdi? en
algunos linajes siguiendo su radiaci?n de regreso
a lugares de menos estr?s. Como parte de su
programa de biodiversidad funcional en ecosiste-
mas tropicales, Winter y sus colegas extender?n
sus estudios sobre la forma CAM de fotos?ntesis
a otros grupos de plantas vasculares. Aprender
c?mo las plantas silvestres logran sobrevivir con
diferentes tipos de estr?s, puede eventualmente
facilitar el desarrollo de cultivos m?s tolerantes al
estr?s, para la agricultura de tierras marginadas
del mundo.
Panamanian decrees
based on STRI work
Two recent decrees were announced in the
Panamanian Gaceta Oficial [Official Records] N/
24,963 of January 8th, 2004, based on three
publications authored by STRI staff scientist Hector
M. Guzman and collaborators. The first decree
prohibits the extraction, possession and
commercialization of the sea cucumber
(Echinodermata: Holothuroidea) in Panamanian
waters .
1, 2
The second decree establishes a 5-year ban on
conch (Strombus spp.) harvest in Panama . Queen
3
conch is listed by CITES in Appendix II since 1992.
     Both decrees are very important to marine
biodiversity conservation and for the developing of
sustainable fishing practices in Panama. International
trade in sea cucumbers soared during the 1980's.
Nearly 10,000 tons of dried sea cucumber enter the
H?ctor Guzm?n
More arrivals
Jeff Brawn, Illinois Natural
History Survey, Mar 7-30, to
continue monitoring the dy-
namics of avian communities
and population in Central
Panama, in Gamboa.
Robb Brumfield, Louisiana
State University, Mar 8 - Apr
27, to work with John Albert
Uy, in Gamboa.
William Browne and Mark
Martindale, University of
Hawaii, Mar 8-24, to study the
developmental systematics
within the Amphipoda,
(Crustacea: Malacostraca:
Peracarida), at Bocas.
Michael Braun, SI?s National
Museum of Natural History,
Mar 8 - Apr 8, to study the
hybridization and evolution of 
brilliant plumage traits in
Manacus manakins and the
speciation in Sublegatus
flycatchers, at Naos.
Manfred Ayasse, University of
Ulm, Germany, Mar 9 - 15, to
visit STRI, consult with
colleagues, and present
seminar.
Andy South, UK, Mar 10, to
work with the Automated
Telemetry Project as system
manager, on BCI.
Alan Cohen, University of
Missouri, Mar 10-29, to work
with Robert Ricklefs, in
Gamboa.
Allen Collins, ITZ Ecology
and Evolution, Mar 12-13, to
document Medusae at Bocas
del Toro.
Thomas Dijkstra and Irene
Tieleman, University of
Copenhagen, Mar 12 - May
31, to work with Jacobus
Boomsma, in Gamboa.
international seafood market each year. But it takes a sea cucumber between 5-8 years to reach
reproductive maturity. On the other hand, during the past 30 years, the overall harvest of queen
conch has increased substantially, driven by international export, growing resident populations and
increasing tourism in the Caribbean region. Conch is commercially exploited in at least 22 countries
in the region and is often consumed only as a luxury food item due to its relative rarity and high
market value. Their slow growth, occurrence in shallow waters, late maturation, and mass spawning
make queen conch particularly susceptible to over-fishing, their greatest threat. The United States is
responsible for the consumption of 80% of the world?s internationally traded queen conch.
La Gaceta Oficial de Panam? No. 24,963 del 8 de
enero de 2004, anunci? recientemente dos nuevos
decretos basados en publicaciones del cient?fico
H?ctor M. Guzm?n de STRI, y sus colaboradores. El
primer decreto proh?be la extracci?n, posesi?n y
comercializaci?n del pepino de mar (Echinodermata:
Holothuroidea) en aguas paname?as .
1, 2
El segundo decreto establece una veda de cinco
a?os para el cultivo del caracol marino en Panam? 
3.
El caracol marino aparece listado por la Convenci?n
sobre Comercio Internacional de Especies en Peligro
de Fauna y Flora Silvestre (CITES, por sus siglas en
ingl?s) en el Ap?ndice II desde 1992.
Ambos decretos son de gran importancia para la
conservaci?n de la biodiversidad marina y para el desarrollo de pr?cticas pesqueras sostenibles en
Panam?. El comercio internacional de pepinos de mar subi? exponencialmente durante la d?cada de
1980. Cerca de 10,000 toneladas de pepino de mar entran en el mercado internacional de mariscos
cada a?o. Pero al pepino de mar le toma entre 5-8 a?os llegar a su madurez reproductiva. Por otro
lado, durante los ?ltimos 30 a?os, el cultivo general del caracol marino ha aumentado
substancialmente debido a la exportaci?n internacional, el crecimiento de poblaciones residentes y el
aumento del turismo en el ?rea del Caribe. El caracol marino se explota en por lo menos 22 pa?ses
de la regi?n, y por lo general se considera un delicatesen por su escasez y alto valor en el mercado.
Su lento crecimiento en aguas someras, maduraci?n tard?a y desove en masa hacen que el caracol
marino sea especialmente susceptible a la pesca excesiva, su mayor amenaza. Los Estados Unidos
consumen el 80% del caracol marino que entra en el mercado internacional.
Losos: new chair of SCS 
Elizabeth Losos, director of STRI?s Center
for Tropical Forest Science, was named the
new chair of the Smithsonian Congress of
Scholars (SCS), an organization composed of
representatives from all the museums and
units that carry out scholarly research. SCS?
goal is to enhance communications among
scholarly staff across SI and to address issues
of common concern to the SI research
community. One of the activities sponsored
by SCS is the Smithsonian Science Seminar
Series, a monthly series that brings together
scientists from across the Smithsonian.
Losos opened the 2004 Series with the talk
?Tropical forest diversity and dynamism:
findings from a large-scale plot network.? In
February, STRI scientist William F. Laurance
presented ?The future of the Amazon:
projecting trends in development and
deforestation? to a packed audience in the
Cathy Kerby Room of SI?s National
Museum of Natural History.
Elizabeth Losos, directora del Centro de Ciencias
Forestales del Tr?pico de STRI, fue nombrada
nueva s?ndica del Congreso de Acad?micos de SI
(SCS), una organizaci?n con representantes de
todos los museos y unidades que llevan a cabo
investigaci?n acad?mica. El objetivo del SCS es el
de mejorar las comunicaciones entre el personal
acad?mico de SI y estudiar asuntos de inter?s en
com?n con la comunidad de investigadores de SI.
Una de las actividades que realiza el SCS es la Serie
de Seminarios de Ciencias del Smithsonian, un
evento mensual que re?ne a todos los cient?ficos de
SI. Losos inaugur? la Serie del 2004 con la charla
?Diversidad forestal tropical y dinamismo:
descubrimimientos desde una red de parcelas a
gran escala.? En febrero, el cient?fico William F.
Laurance de STRI, present? ?El futuro del
Amazonas: Proyectando tendencias en el desarrollo
y la deforestaci?n? ante una nutrida audiencia, en el
Sal?n Cathy Kerby del Museo Nacional de Historia
Natural del Smithsonian Institution, en
Washington DC.
(1) Guzman, Guevara & Hernandez, 2003. Mar
Biol 142:271.
(2) Guzman & Guevara, 2002. Car. J. Sci. 38: 230
(3) Guzman & Tewfik, 2003. J. Shell. Res. 22: 789.
Departures
Olga F. Linares, Mar 3-6, to
Washington DC, to serve as
representative of the National
Academy of Sciences, on two
Ford Foundation Fellowship
meetings.
Congratulations!
To Bill and Susan Laurance,
for the birth of their son
Nathan Barry, on Thursday,
March 4. He weighed 8lb 10oz
and measured 53cm.
Get well soon!
To STRI staff scientist Henk
Wolda (retired), who is back
home in Bellevue, WA, after a
successful double bypass and
major repair to both heart
valves.
New publication
Bernardi, Giacome,
Bucciarelli, G., Costagliola, D.,
Robertson, D. Ross, and
Heiser, J.B. 2004. "Evolution
of coral reef fish Thalassoma
spp. (Labridae). 1. Molecular
phylogeny and biogeography."
Marine Biology 144(2): 369-375.
Tewfik, Alexander, and
Guzman, Hector M. 2003.
"Shallow-water distribution
and population characteristics
of Strombus gigas and S. costatus
(Gastropoda Strombidae) in
Bocas del Toro, Panama."
Journal of Shellfish Research
22(3): 789-794.
L  Some of the articles listed
in this section can be obtained
in .pdf at: calderom@si.edu
For sale
Washing machine, $125,
folding couch, $20. Interested
please call George Angehr at 
264-2781.