National University of Misiones

Over 140 Mha of restoration commitments have been pledged across the global tropics, yet guidance is needed to identify those landscapes where implementation is likely to provide the greatest potential benefits and cost-effective outcomes. By overlaying seven recent, peer-reviewed spatial datasets as proxies for socioenvironmental benefits and feasibility of restoration, we identified restoration opportunities (areas with higher potential return of benefits and feasibility) in lowland tropical rainforest landscapes. We found restoration opportunities throughout the tropics. Areas scoring in the top 10% (i.e., restoration hotspots) are located largely within conservation hotspots (88%) and in countries committed to the Bonn Challenge (73%), a global effort to restore 350 Mha by 2030. However, restoration hotspots represented only a small portion (19.1%) of the Key Biodiversity Area network. Concentrating restoration investments in landscapes with high benefits and feasibility would maximize the potential to mitigate anthropogenic impacts and improve human well-being.

Engel, Michael S, Ceríaco, Luis M P, Daniel, Gimo M, Dellapé, Pablo M, Löbl, Ivan, Marinov, Milen, Reis, Roberto E, Young, Mark T, Dubois, Alain, Agarwal, Ishan, Lehmann A., Pablo, Alvarado, Mabel, Alvarez, Nadir, Andreone, Franco, Araujo-Vieira, Katyuscia, Ascher, John S, Baêta, Délio, Baldo, Diego, Bandeira, Suzana A, Barden, Phillip, Barrasso, Diego A, Bendifallah, Leila, Bockmann, Flávio A, Böhme, Wolfgang, Borkent, Art, Brandão, Carlos R F, Busack, Stephen D, Bybee, Seth M, Channing, Alan, Chatzimanolis, Stylianos, Christenhusz, Maarten J M, Crisci, Jorge V, D'elía, Guillermo, Da Costa, Luis M, Davis, Steven R, De Lucena, Carlos Alberto S, Deuve, Thierry, Fernandes Elizalde, Sara, Faivovich, Julián, Farooq, Harith, Ferguson, Adam W, Gippoliti, Spartaco, Gonçalves, Francisco M P, Gonzalez, Victor H, Greenbaum, Eli, Hinojosa-Díaz, Ismael A, Ineich, Ivan, Jiang, Jianping, Kahono, Sih, Kury, Adriano B, Lucinda, Paulo H F, Lynch, John D, Malécot, Valéry, Marques, Mariana P, Marris, John W M, Mckellar, Ryan C, Mendes, Luis F, Nihei, Silvio S, Nishikawa, Kanto, Ohler, Annemarie, Orrico, Victor G D, Ota, Hidetoshi, Paiva, Jorge, Parrinha, Diogo, Pauwels, Olivier S G, Pereyra, Martín O, Pestana, Lueji B, Pinheiro, Paulo D P, Prendini, Lorenzo, Prokop, Jakub, Rasmussen, Claus, Rödel, Mark-Oliver, Rodrigues, Miguel Trefaut, Rodríguez, Sara M, Salatnaya, Hearty, Sampaio, Íris, Sánchez-García, Alba, Shebl, Mohamed A, Santos, Bruna S, Solórzano-Kraemer, Mónica M, Sousa, Ana C A, Stoev, Pavel, Teta, Pablo, Trape, Jean-François, Dos Santos, Carmen Van-Dúnem, Vasudevan, Karthikeyan, Vink, Cor J, Vogel, Gernot, Wagner, Philipp, Wappler, Torsten, Ware, Jessica L, Wedmann, Sonja, Zacharie, Chifundera Kusamba (2021): EDITORIAL The taxonomic impediment: a shortage of taxonomists, not the lack of technical approaches. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 193 (2): 381-387, DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlab072, URL: https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article/193/2/381/6374389

Abstract Predicting the biodiversity impacts of global warming implies that we know where and with what magnitude these impacts will be encountered. Amphibians are currently the most threatened vertebrates, mainly due to habitat loss and to emerging infectious diseases. Global warming may further exacerbate their decline in the near future, although the impact might vary geographically. We predicted that subtropical amphibians should be relatively susceptible to warming‐induced extinctions because their upper critical thermal limits ( CT max ) might be only slightly higher than maximum pond temperatures ( T max ). We tested this prediction by measuring CT max and T max for 47 larval amphibian species from two thermally distinct subtropical communities (the warm community of the Gran Chaco and the cool community of Atlantic Forest, northern Argentina), as well as from one European temperate community. Upper thermal tolerances of tadpoles were positively correlated (controlling for phylogeny) with maximum pond temperatures, although the slope was steeper in subtropical than in temperate species. CT max values were lowest in temperate species and highest in the subtropical warm community, which paradoxically, had very low warming tolerance ( CT max – T max ) and therefore may be prone to future local extinction from acute thermal stress if rising pond T max soon exceeds their CT max . Canopy‐protected subtropical cool species have larger warming tolerance and thus should be less impacted by peak temperatures. Temperate species are relatively secure to warming impacts, except for late breeders with low thermal tolerance, which may be exposed to physiological thermal stress in the coming years.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hepatocyte apoptosis, the hallmark of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) contributes to liver injury and fibrosis. Although, both the intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways are involved in the pathogenesis of NASH, the final common step of apoptosis is executed by a family of cysteine-proteases termed caspases. Thus, our aim was to ascertain if administration of Emricasan, a pan-caspase inhibitor, ameliorates liver injury and fibrosis in a murine model of NASH. METHODS: C57/BL6J-mice were fed regular chow or high fat diet (HFD) for 20 weeks. All mice were treated with vehicle or Emricasan. RESULTS: Mice fed a HFD diet demonstrate a five-fold increase in hepatocyte apoptosis by the TUNEL assay and a 1.5-fold and 1.3-fold increase in caspase-3 and-8 activities respectively; this increase in apoptosis was substantially attenuated in mice fed a HFD treated with Emricasan (HFD-Em). Likewise, liver injury and inflammation were reduced in mice fed HFD-Em as compare to HFD by measuring serum aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels, NAS histological score and IL 1-β, TNF-α, monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) and C-X-C chemokine ligand-2 (CXCL2) quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). These differences could not be attributed to differences in hepatic steatosis as liver triglycerides content were similar in both HFD groups. Hepatic fibrosis was reduced by Emricasan in HFD animals by decreasing αSMA (a marker for hepatic stellate cell activation), fibrosis score, Sirius red staining, hydroxyproline liver content and profibrogenic cytokines by qPCR. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, these data demonstrate that in a murine model of NASH, liver injury and fibrosis are suppressed by inhibiting hepatocytes apoptosis and suggests that Emricasan may be an attractive antifibrotic therapy in NASH.

Abstract Home range estimation is routine practice in ecological research. While advances in animal tracking technology have increased our capacity to collect data to support home range analysis, these same advances have also resulted in increasingly autocorrelated data. Consequently, the question of which home range estimator to use on modern, highly autocorrelated tracking data remains open. This question is particularly relevant given that most estimators assume independently sampled data. Here, we provide a comprehensive evaluation of the effects of autocorrelation on home range estimation. We base our study on an extensive data set of GPS locations from 369 individuals representing 27 species distributed across five continents. We first assemble a broad array of home range estimators, including Kernel Density Estimation ( KDE ) with four bandwidth optimizers (Gaussian reference function, autocorrelated‐Gaussian reference function [ AKDE ], Silverman's rule of thumb, and least squares cross‐validation), Minimum Convex Polygon, and Local Convex Hull methods. Notably, all of these estimators except AKDE assume independent and identically distributed ( IID ) data. We then employ half‐sample cross‐validation to objectively quantify estimator performance, and the recently introduced effective sample size for home range area estimation () to quantify the information content of each data set. We found that AKDE 95% area estimates were larger than conventional IID ‐based estimates by a mean factor of 2. The median number of cross‐validated locations included in the hold‐out sets by AKDE 95% (or 50%) estimates was 95.3% (or 50.1%), confirming the larger AKDE ranges were appropriately selective at the specified quantile. Conversely, conventional estimates exhibited negative bias that increased with decreasing . To contextualize our empirical results, we performed a detailed simulation study to tease apart how sampling frequency, sampling duration, and the focal animal's movement conspire to affect range estimates. Paralleling our empirical results, the simulation study demonstrated that AKDE was generally more accurate than conventional methods, particularly for small . While 72% of the 369 empirical data sets had >1,000 total observations, only 4% had an >1,000, where 30% had an <30. In this frequently encountered scenario of small , AKDE was the only estimator capable of producing an accurate home range estimate on autocorrelated data.

Abstract High costs of tree planting are a barrier to meeting global forest restoration targets. Natural forest regeneration is more cost‐effective than tree planting, but its potential to foster restoration at scale is poorly understood. We predict, map, and quantify natural regeneration potential within 75.5 M ha of deforested lands in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Of 34.1 M ha (26.4%) of current forest cover, 2.7 M ha (8.0%) regenerated naturally from 1996 to 2015. We estimate that another 2.8 M ha could naturally regenerate by 2035, and a further 18.8 M ha could be restored using assisted regeneration methods, thereby reducing implementation costs by US$ 90.6 billion (77%) compared to tree planting. These restored forests could sequester 2.3 GtCO 2 of carbon, reduce the mean number of expected species at risk of extinction by 63.4, and reduce fragmentation by 44% compared to current levels. Natural regeneration planning is key for achieving cost‐effective large‐scale restoration.

Paper aging and conservation are matters of concern to those responsible for archives and library collections. Wood-derived fibers are mainly composed of cellulose, hemicelluloses, and lignin, but paper composition can also include additives, such as starch, minerals, and synthetic polymers. Therefore, paper is a multi-component material, and because of its complex and varied nature, research findings in paper chemistry can be difficult to interpret. Deterioration of paper is caused by many factors such as acid hydrolysis, oxidative agents, light, air pollution, or the presence of microorganisms. The origin of the cellulosic material, as well as pulping and papermaking procedures, additives, and storage conditions play a crucial role. The chemical changes occurring within paper thus involve multi-parameter processes. The purpose of this review, which mainly focuses on the most recent decade, is to provide a description of the more important changes produced by aging and an update of the new tools available for the study of paper deterioration and its conservation.

The species-area relationship (SAR) gives a quantitative description of the increasing number of species in a community with increasing area of habitat. In conservation, SARs have been used to predict the number of extinctions when the area of habitat is reduced. Such predictions are most needed for landscapes rather than for individual habitat fragments, but SAR-based predictions of extinctions for landscapes with highly fragmented habitat are likely to be biased because SAR assumes contiguous habitat. In reality, habitat loss is typically accompanied by habitat fragmentation. To quantify the effect of fragmentation in addition to the effect of habitat loss on the number of species, we extend the power-law SAR to the species-fragmented area relationship. This model unites the single-species metapopulation theory with the multispecies SAR for communities. We demonstrate with a realistic simulation model and with empirical data for forest-inhabiting subtropical birds that the species-fragmented area relationship gives a far superior prediction than SAR of the number of species in fragmented landscapes. The results demonstrate that for communities of species that are not well adapted to live in fragmented landscapes, the conventional SAR underestimates the number of extinctions for landscapes in which little habitat remains and it is highly fragmented.

Extinction risk is inversely associated with maximum per capita population growth rate (r(max)). However, this parameter is not known for most threatened species, underscoring the value in identifying correlates of r(max) that, in the absence of demographic data, would indirectly allow one to identify species and populations at elevated risk of extinction and their associated recovery potential. We undertook a comparative life-history analysis of 199 species from three taxonomic classes: Chondrichthyes (e.g., sharks; n = 82), Actinopterygii (teleost or bony fishes; n = 47), and Mammalia (n = 70, including 16 marine species). Median r(max) was highest for (and similar between) terrestrial mammals (0.71) and teleosts (0.43), significantly lower among chondrichthyans (0.26), and lower still in marine mammals (0.07). Age at maturity was the primary (and negative) correlate of r(max). In contrast, although body size was negatively correlated with r(max) in chondrichthyans and mammals, evidence of an association in teleosts was equivocal, and fecundity was not related to r(max) in fishes, despite recurring assertions to the contrary. Our analyses suggest that age at maturity can serve as a universal predictor of extinction risk in fishes and mammals when r(max) itself is unknown. Moreover, in contrast to what is generally expected, the recovery potential of teleost fishes does not differ from that of terrestrial mammals. Our findings are supportive of the application of extinction-risk criteria that are based on generation time and that are independent of taxonomic affinity.

Genotoxicity studies on toxic metals and their organic compounds are very important, especially so in the investigation of the effects of these compounds on the aquatic environments where they tend to accumulate. The use of endemic aquatic organisms as biological sentinels has proved useful to environmental monitoring. We assessed the mutagenic potential of tributyltin (TBT) and inorganic lead (PbII) using samples of the fish Hoplias malabaricus (commonly called traíra) using the comet assay and the piscine micronucleus and chromosome aberration tests. Eighteen H. malabaricus were acclimatized in three individual aquariums, each containing six fish, six fish being exposed to 0.3 mg/g of body weight (bw) of TBT, six to 21 mg/g bw of PbII and six being used as controls. Exposure to TBT and PbII was achieved by feeding the fish every five days with Astyanax (a small fish that is part of the normal diet of H. malabaricus) which had been injected with solutions of TBT, PbII or with water (the control group). After two months the H. malabaricus were sacrificed and their peripheral blood collected and subjected to the comet and micronucleus assays, the chromosome aberration assay being conducted using kidney-tissue. Although the comet assay showed now mutagenic effects at the lead concentrations used but encountered results with TBT, the micronucleus and chromosome aberrations assays both indicated that TBT and PbII are potentially mutagenic (p < 0.01), the micronucleus assay showing morphological alterations of the nucleus.

Finding alternatives to diminish plastic pollution has become one of the main challenges of modern life. A few alternatives have gained potential for a shift toward a more circular and sustainable relationship with plastics. Biodegradable polymers derived from bio- and fossil-based sources have emerged as one feasible alternative to overcome inconveniences associated with the use and disposal of non-biodegradable polymers. The biodegradation process depends on the environment’s factors, microorganisms and associated enzymes, and the polymer properties, resulting in a plethora of parameters that create a complex process whereby biodegradation times and rates can vary immensely. This review aims to provide a background and a comprehensive, systematic, and critical overview of this complex process with a special focus on the mesophilic range. Activity toward depolymerization by extracellular enzymes, biofilm effect on the dynamic of the degradation process, CO2 evolution evaluating the extent of biodegradation, and metabolic pathways are discussed. Remarks and perspectives for potential future research are provided with a focus on the current knowledge gaps if the goal is to minimize the persistence of plastics across environments. Innovative approaches such as the addition of specific compounds to trigger depolymerization under particular conditions, biostimulation, bioaugmentation, and the addition of natural and/or modified enzymes are state-of-the-art methods that need faster development. Furthermore, methods must be connected to standards and techniques that fully track the biodegradation process. More transdisciplinary research within areas of polymer chemistry/processing and microbiology/biochemistry is needed.

Habitat fragmentation may disrupt original patterns of gene flow and lead to drift-induced differentiation among local population units. Top predators such as the jaguar may be particularly susceptible to this effect, given their low population densities, leading to small effective sizes in local fragments. On the other hand, the jaguar's high dispersal capabilities and relatively long generation time might counteract this process, slowing the effect of drift on local populations over the time frame of decades or centuries. In this study, we have addressed this issue by investigating the genetic structure of jaguars in a recently fragmented Atlantic Forest region, aiming to test whether loss of diversity and differentiation among local populations are detectable, and whether they can be attributed to the recent effect of drift. We used 13 microsatellite loci to characterize the genetic diversity present in four remnant populations, and observed marked differentiation among them, with evidence of recent allelic loss in local areas. Although some migrant and admixed individuals were identified, our results indicate that recent large-scale habitat removal and fragmentation among these areas has been sufficiently strong to promote differentiation induced by drift and loss of alleles at each site. Low estimated effective sizes supported the inference that genetic drift could have caused this effect within a short time frame. These results indicate that jaguars' ability to effectively disperse across the human-dominated landscapes that separate the fragments is currently very limited, and that each fragment contains a small, isolated population that is already suffering from the effects of genetic drift.

Abstract Aim The anthropogenic climate change and land use change are considered two of the main factors that are altering biodiversity at the global scale. An evaluation that combined both factors can be relevant to detect which species could be the most vulnerable and reveal the regions of highest stability or susceptibility to biodiversity. We aimed to: (a) assess the effect of climate change and land use on the distribution of Cerrado plant species for different countries where they occur, (b) evaluate the effectiveness of the current network of protected areas (PAs) to safeguards species under different greenhouse–gas (GHG) emissions and land use scenarios, and (c) estimate the vulnerability of species based on protection effectiveness and habitat loss. Location Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. Methods We modelled the distribution of 1,553 plant species of Cerrado and evaluated species range loss caused by present and future land use and two GHG for 2050 and 2080. We assessed species vulnerability combining the representativeness of species within conservation units with the loss of species’ ranges outside PAs. Results We found that climate change and land use will cause great damage to Cerrado flora by 2050 and 2080, even under optimistic conditions. The greatest impacts of land use will occur in the regions where the greatest richness will be harboured. The conservation of the species will be seriously affected since the PA network is not as effective in safeguarding them under current or future conditions. Main conclusions The low level of protection together with the losses caused by the advance of agricultural lands will lead most species being highly vulnerable. Due to the distinct impacts of climate and land use over the three countries, conservation strategies should be implemented at transboundary and national levels.

A correct timing of growth cessation and dormancy induction represents a critical ecological and evolutionary trade-off between survival and growth in most forest trees (Rehfeldt et al. 1999; Horvath et al. 2003; Howe et al. 2003). We have studied the deciduous tree European Aspen (Populus tremula) across a latitudinal gradient and compared genetic differentiation in phenology traits with molecular markers. Trees from 12 different areas covering 10 latitudinal degrees were cloned and planted in two common gardens. Several phenology traits showed strong genetic differentiation and clinal variation across the latitudinal gradient, with Q(ST) values generally exceeding 0.5. This is in stark contrast to genetic differentiation at several classes of genetic markers (18 neutral SSRs, 7 SSRs located close to phenology candidate genes and 50 SNPs from five phenology candidate genes) that all showed F(ST) values around 0.015. We thus find strong evidence for adaptive divergence in phenology traits across the latitudinal gradient. However, the strong population structure seen at the quantitative traits is not reflected in underlying candidate genes. This result fit theoretical expectations that suggest that genetic differentiation at candidate loci is better described by F(ST) at neutral loci rather than by Q(ST) at the quantitative traits themselves.

The jaguar is the top predator of the Atlantic Forest (AF), which is a highly threatened biodiversity hotspot that occurs in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina. By combining data sets from 14 research groups across the region, we determine the population status of the jaguar and propose a spatial prioritization for conservation actions. About 85% of the jaguar's habitat in the AF has been lost and only 7% remains in good condition. Jaguars persist in around 2.8% of the region, and live in very low densities in most of the areas. The population of jaguars in the AF is probably lower than 300 individuals scattered in small sub-populations. We identified seven Jaguar Conservation Units (JCUs) and seven potential JCUs, and only three of these areas may have ≥50 individuals. A connectivity analysis shows that most of the JCUs are isolated. Habitat loss and fragmentation were the major causes for jaguar decline, but human induced mortality is the main threat for the remaining population. We classified areas according to their contribution to jaguar conservation and we recommend management actions for each of them. The methodology in this study could be used for conservation planning of other carnivore species.

Abstract Aim Trait data are widely used in ecological and evolutionary phylogenetic comparative studies, but often values are not available for all species of interest. Traditionally, researchers have excluded species without data from analyses, but estimation of missing values using imputation has been proposed as a better approach. However, imputation methods have largely been designed for randomly missing data, whereas trait data are often not missing at random (e.g., more data for bigger species). Here, we evaluate the performance of approaches for handling missing values when considering biased datasets. Location Any. Time period Any. Major taxa studied Any. Methods We simulated continuous traits and separate response variables to test the performance of nine imputation methods and complete‐case analysis (excluding missing values from the dataset) under biased missing data scenarios. We characterized performance by estimating the error in imputed trait values (deviation from the true value) and inferred trait–response relationships (deviation from the true relationship between a trait and response). Results Generally, Rphylopars imputation produced the most accurate estimate of missing values and best preserved the response–trait slope. However, estimates of missing data were still inaccurate, even with only 5% of values missing. Under severe biases, errors were high with every approach. Imputation was not always the best option, with complete‐case analysis frequently outperforming Mice imputation and, to a lesser degree, BHPMF imputation. Mice , a popular approach, performed poorly when the response variable was excluded from the imputation model. Main conclusions Imputation can handle missing data effectively in some conditions but is not always the best solution. None of the methods we tested could deal effectively with severe biases, which can be common in trait datasets. We recommend rigorous data checking for biases before and after imputation and propose variables that can assist researchers working with incomplete datasets to detect data biases and minimize errors.

Accurately estimating home range and understanding movement behavior can provide important information on ecological processes. Advances in data collection and analysis have improved our ability to estimate home range and movement parameters, both of which have the potential to impact species conservation. Fitting continuous-time movement model to data and incorporating the autocorrelated kernel density estimator (AKDE), we investigated range residency of forty-four jaguars fit with GPS collars across five biomes in Brazil and Argentina. We assessed home range and movement parameters of range resident animals and compared AKDE estimates with kernel density estimates (KDE). We accounted for differential space use and movement among individuals, sex, region, and habitat quality. Thirty-three (80%) of collared jaguars were range resident. Home range estimates using AKDE were 1.02 to 4.80 times larger than KDE estimates that did not consider autocorrelation. Males exhibited larger home ranges, more directional movement paths, and a trend towards larger distances traveled per day. Jaguars with the largest home ranges occupied the Atlantic Forest, a biome with high levels of deforestation and high human population density. Our results fill a gap in the knowledge of the species' ecology with an aim towards better conservation of this endangered/critically endangered carnivore-the top predator in the Neotropics.

Plasticized polylactide (PLA) composite films with multifunctional properties were created by loading bimetallic silver-copper (Ag-Cu) nanoparticles (NPs) and cinnamon essential oil (CEO) into polymer matrix via compression molding technique. Rheological, structural, thermal, barrier, and antimicrobial properties of the produced films, and its utilization in the packaging of chicken meat were investigated. PLA/PEG/Ag-Cu/CEO composites showed a very complex rheological system where both plasticizing and antiplasticizing effects were evident. Thermal properties of plasticized PLA film with polyethylene glycol (PEG) enhanced considerably with the reinforcement of NPs whereas loading of CEO decreased glass transition, melting, and crystallization temperature. The barrier properties of the composite films were reduced with the increase of CEO loading (P < 0.05). Their optical properties were also modified by the addition of both CEO and Ag-Cu NPs. The changes in the molecular organization of PLA composite films were visualized by FTIR spectra. Rough and porous surfaces of the films were evident by scanning electron microscopy. The effectiveness of composite films was tested against Salmonella Typhimurium, Campylobacter jejuni and Listeria monocytogenes inoculated in chicken samples, and it was found that the films loaded with Ag-Cu NPs and 50% CEO showed maximum antibacterial action during 21 days at the refrigerated condition. The produced PLA/Ag-Cu/CEO composite films can be applied to active food packaging. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: The nanoparticles and essential oil loaded PLA composite films are capable of exhibiting antimicrobial effects against Gram (+) and (-) bacteria, and extend the shelf-life of chicken meat. The bionanocomposite films showed the potential to be manufactured commercially because of the thermal stability of the active components during the hot-press compression molding process. The developed bionanocomposites could have practical importance and open a new direction for the active food packaging to control the spoilage and the pathogenic bacteria associated with the fresh chicken meat.

Abstract Species distribution models (SDM) are widely used in diverse research areas because of their simple data requirements and application versatility. However, SDM outcomes are sensitive to data input and methodological choices. Such sensitivity and diverse applications mean that flexibility is necessary to create SDMs with tailored protocols for a given set of data and model use. We introduce the r package flexsdm for supporting flexible species distribution modelling workflows. flexsdm functions and their arguments serve as building blocks to construct a specific modelling protocol for user's needs. The main flexsdm features are modelling flexibility, integration with other modelling tools, simplicity of the objects returned and function speed. As an illustration, we used flexsdm to define a complete workflow for California red fir Abies magnifica . This package provides modelling flexibility by incorporating comprehensive tools structured in three steps: (a) The Pre‐modelling functions that prepare input, for example, sampling bias correction, sampling pseudo‐absences and background points, data partitioning, and reducing collinearity in predictors. (b) The Modelling functions allow fitting and evaluating different modelling approaches, including individual algorithms, tuned models, ensembles of small models and ensemble models. (c) The Post‐modelling functions include tools related to models' predictions, interpolation and overprediction correction. Because flexsdm comprises a large part of the SDM process, from outlier detection to overprediction correction, flexsdm users can delineate partial or complete workflows based on the combination functions to meet specific modelling needs.

Wood biophysical properties and the dynamics of water storage discharge and refilling were studied in the trunk of canopy tree species with diverse life history and functional traits in subtropical forests of northeast Argentina. Multiple techniques assessing capacitance and storage capacity were used simultaneously to improve our understanding of the functional significance of internal water sources in trunks of large trees. Sapwood capacitances of 10 tree species were characterized using pressure-volume relationships of sapwood samples obtained from the trunk. Frequency domain reflectometry was used to continuously monitor the volumetric water content in the main stems. Simultaneous sap flow measurements on branches and at the base of the tree trunk, as well as diurnal variations in trunk contraction and expansion, were used as additional measures of stem water storage use and refilling dynamics. All evidence indicates that tree trunk internal water storage contributes from 6 to 28% of the daily water budget of large trees depending on the species. The contribution of stored water in stems of trees to total daily transpiration was greater for deciduous species, which exhibited higher capacitance and lower sapwood density. A linear relationship across species was observed between wood density and growth rates with the higher wood density species (mostly evergreen) associated with lower growth rates and the lower wood density species (mostly deciduous) associated with higher growth rates. The large sapwood capacitance in deciduous species may help to avoid catastrophic embolism in xylem conduits. This may be a low-cost adaptation to avoid water deficits during peak water use at midday and under temporary drought periods and will contribute to higher growth rates in deciduous tree species compared with evergreen ones. Large capacitance appears to have a central role in the rapid growth patterns of deciduous species facilitating rapid canopy access as these species are less shade tolerant than evergreen species.