Mixed Effectiveness of REDD+ Subnational Initiatives after 10 Years of Interventions on the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico

Biting rhythms and infection rates of anthropophilic sand fly species (Diptera: Phlebotominae) in sites with different land use in southern Mexico

Could tropical forest conversion shape sand fly (Diptera: Phlebotominae) biting rhythms and Leishmania infection rates? Using a Shannon trap, we estimated the bite rate and infection prevalence among anthropophilic sand flies at sites with different land use in southern Mexico. We estimated the expected monthly infection rate of the Leishmania parasite along the gradient and generated information on the biting rhythm of sand flies in a poorly characterized cutaneous leishmaniasis endemic region. We used generalized mixed linear and mixed additives models to evaluate differences in the biting rate, nocturnal activity, and inoculation rate of female sand flies, as well as their relationship with the loss of forest cover and environmental disparities recorded throughout the study area. Our results show that the loss of forest cover influences the biting rhythm of sand fly species and the potential number of infectious bites with Leishmania, but the greatest entomological and potential epidemiological risk continues to be associated with sylvatic areas (amplification events). Despite this, we detected that the effect of forest cover (%) on the entomological exposure seems to be also dependent on the sand fly species, and that, albeit to a lesser extent, Leishmania parasite is circulating in disturbed landscapes through generalist and competent sand fly vector species. We also found that land use change did not affect the nocturnal activity, however we detected that important vector species were active most of the time. Contrary to our expectation, temperature and humidity did not shape the biting rhythm of sand fly species. We discuss the limitations and epidemiological implications of our findings regarding the risk of contracting leishmaniasis in southern Mexico.

Helminths of small rodents (Heteromyidae and Cricetidae) in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico: an integrative taxonomic approach to their inventory

In this survey, we inventoried the helminths of heteromyid and cricetid rodents captured in the Yucatan Peninsula from 2017 to 2019. Helminths were identified using morphological techniques (clearing, staining, and scanning electron microscopy). Also, the 28S rRNA gene of individuals from several helminth taxa was successfully amplified and sequenced. To confirm the identification at the generic level, and in some cases at the specific level, and the genealogical relationships of the parasites, phylogenetic analyses were performed with the new 28S sequences. We identified 22 species of helminths including three trematodes (Brachylaimidae, Dicrocoeliidae, and Microphallidae), five cestodes (Davaineidae, Hymenolepididae, and Taeniidae), and 14 nematodes (Trichuridae, Ancylostomatidae, Ornithostrongylidae, Heligmonellidae, and Oxyuridae) from Heteromys gaumeri (Heteromyidae), Ototylomys phyllotis, Oligoryzomys fulvescens, Peromyscus yucatanicus, Sigmodon toltecus, and Reithrodontomys gracilis (Cricetidae). The overall frequency of infection in small rodents was 84.1% (143/170); all specimens of H. gaumeri, S. toltecus and Ol. fulvescens were infected with helminths. In total, we provided 46 new sequences of the 28S gene from 17 species of helminths. Seven species are likely undescribed species, six are reported for the first time in rodents from Mexico, and 12 are new host records in the Americas. Before this study, 87 taxa of helminths had been reported from 35 cricetid and 12 heteromyid species in 21 Mexican states. Our findings increase to 93 the helminth taxa in these rodents, and to 36 the cricetid species parasitized by helminths. This large scale-survey is the first to use an integrative approach to inventory the helminths of wild small rodents in Mexico.

Framework for Accounting Reference Levels for REDD+ in Tropical Forests: Case Study from Xishuangbanna, China

The United Nations’ expanded program for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) aims to mobilize capital from developed countries in order to reduce emissions from these sources while enhancing the removal of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by forests. To achieve this goal, an agreement between the Parties on reference levels (RLs) is critical. RLs have profound implications for the effectiveness of the program, its cost efficiency, and the distribution of REDD+ financing among countries. In this paper, we introduce a methodological framework for setting RLs for REDD+ applications in tropical forests in Xishuangbanna, China, by coupling the Good Practice Guidance on Land Use, Land Use Change, and Forestry of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and land use scenario modeling. We used two methods to verify the accuracy for the reliability of land classification. Firstly the accuracy reached 84.43%, 85.35%, and 82.68% in 1990, 2000, and 2010, respectively, based on high spatial resolution image by building a hybrid matrix. Then especially, the 2010 Globeland30 data was used as the standard to verify the forest land accuracy and the extraction accuracy reached 86.92% and 83.66% for area and location, respectively. Based on the historical land use maps, we identified that rubber plantations are the main contributor to forest loss in the region. Furthermore, in the business-as-usual scenario for the RLs, Xishuangbanna will lose 158,535 ha (158,535 × 104 m2) of forest area in next 20 years, resulting in approximately 0.23 million t (0.23 × 109 kg) CO2e emissions per year. Our framework can potentially increase the effectiveness of the REDD+ program in Xishuangbanna by accounting for a wider range of forest-controlled GHGs.