1. Evaluation of ecosystem processes and global change adaptation. Extreme Ecosystems

2. Research team Carlos Iván Espinosa Pablo Ramón Elizabeth Gusmán Omar Cabrera Indira Black Diego Marín Andrea Jara

3. Tropical dry forest of Southern Ecuador Dry season: May to November Annual temperature: 20-26 °C Annual precipitation: 300-700 mm

4. Tropical dry forest of Southern Ecuador High levels of endemism Amotape-Huancabamba area constitutes a single phytogeographic zone. Imágenes fauna: http://www.darwinnet.org

6. General objetive: To examine the biological effects of global change on the dynamic and integrity´s ecosystems, indicated by changes in the structure and functionality. Evaluation of ecosystem processes and global change adaptation. Extreme ecosystems.

7. Specific objetives: 1.To monitory the temporal changes in structure and functionality of dry forest, which allow us to define indicators of change.  Temporal approach 2.To study the changes in vegetation along an altitudinal gradient to simulate changes caused by variations in environmental conditions.  Spatial approach

8. Objective 1: Dry forest characterization and definition of indicators of change. Establishment of a 25 has. plot

9. Objective 1 Is the community structure of dry forest (regeneration and adult plants) explained by interspecific relationship and seed dispersal processes in space and time? Spatial structure of woody plants Seed dispersal syndromes and spatial distribution of adult plants and seed rain.  The first 5 has. of the plot have been established floristic composition spatial distribution data 1 Ha  Installing seed traps in 5 ha plot for sampling of seed rain density

10. Objective 1:

11.  Preliminary inventory of birds species of REMA  25 species captured in mist nets

12. Objective 1: To what extent environmental variables determine the dynamic (growth, recruitment and mortality) and the phenological cycles of dry forest species? Radial growth of: Geoffroea spinosa, Capparis flexuosa, Bursera graveolens & Tabebuia chrysantha variation of precipitation and temperature  phenology of growth ring of deciduous, semi- deciduous and evergreen 4 months of monitoring

13. Objective 2: Extreme ecosystems adequacies to environmental variations Spatial patterns: 30 x 30 m plots  200m

14. Objective 2: What changes are there in the community structure and species morpho-physiology in response to changing environmental conditions? Factors: – Altitud  temperatura Croton wagneri Insects community (Leaves morpho-physiology)

15. Objective 2: What changes are there in the community structure and species morpho-physiology in response to changing environmental conditions? Factors: – Altitud  temperatura – Pendiente  nutrients Croton wagneri 3500 mapped points: - Dependent variables: location, length, crown area

16. Objective 2: How do environmental conditions, interspecific relationships and soil seed bank influence the gap – patch dynamic? -432 soil samples  soil seed bank