AbstractmPolylepis sericea trees grow well above the continuous forest line in the Venezuelan Andes. In these environments, extreme daily temperature ranges can occur at any time of the year and trees experience a 4 month dry period. The purpose of this work was to study carbon and water relations of this species in the field during wet and dry seasons in order to understand this species' success at such high altitudes. Leaf gas exchange (portable system in open mode) and leaf water potential (pressure chamber) were measured at 1 -2 h intervals during several daily courses at 4000 m elevation in the Páramo de Piedras Blancas. CO2 assimilation versus leaf temperature curves were also obtained for this species in the laboratory. Clear differences in the measured parameters were observed between seasons. For a wet season day, maximum CO2 assimilation rate was 7.4 µmol m -2 s -1 and leaf conductance was relatively constant (approximately 100 mmol m -2 s -1 ). In the dry season day, maximum CO2 assimilation rate was 5.8 µmolm -2 s -1 and leaf conductance was close to 60 mmolm -2 s -1 . Minimum leaf water potentials measured were -1.3 MPa for the wet and -2.2 MPa for the dry season. The CO2 assimilation-leaf temperature relationship showed a 13.4°C leaf temperature optimum for photosynthesis with maximum and minimum compensation points of 29.5 and -2.8°C, respectively. Maximum night-time respiration was relatively high (2.7 µmol m -2 s -1 ). Our results show that P. sericea maintains a highly positive carbon balance through all daily courses, even though there is a slight water stress effect during the dry season; this suggests that its carbon assimilation machinery is well adapted to the low temperatures and seasonal water stress found in the high tropical mountains.

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Repellent activity of plant essential oils against bites of Lutzomyia migonei (Diptera: Psychodidae). Natural repellents from plant extracts have demonstrated good efficacy against bites of some insect species. The present study evaluated the repellent effect of essential oils extracted from 8 plants species against bites of Lutzomyia migonei, the Leishmania vector. The essential oils were extracted by steam destillation in Clevenger chamber, from the following plants: Hyptis suaveolens, Pimenta racemosa, Piper marginatum, Monticalia imbricatifolia, Pseudognaphalium caeruleocanum, Espeletia shultzii, Plecthranthus amboinicus and Cinnamomun zeylanicum. Repellency tests were performed under laboratory conditions by the human hand method in cage assays, using female colonies of L. migonei. The more effective oils were tested at variable concentrations on different volunteers. The protection percentage and time were calculated. The results showed what oils of P. caeruleocanum and C. zeylanicum were the most effective. Although P. amboinicus oil also had repellent effect showed an irritant effect. The oils P. marginatum, H. suaveolens and P. racemosa showed no repellent effect, while the rest of oil extracts showed significant repellency in variable degrees. P. caeruleocanum and C. zeylanicum oils provided the 95% protection against bites of L. migonei for 3h. The P. caeruleocanum oil showed the greatest protection time, with a mean over 4h and 3h at concentrations of 50% and 10% respectively. The results suggest that the P. caeruleocanum oil could represent a potential natural repellent against Leishmania vectors.

In Venezuelan paramos grasses, after Asteraceae, are the second family in numerical importance. We studied their distribution in an altitudinal gradient located in Venezuela, Sierra de La Culata, between 2,500 and 4,200 m of altitude. Twenty one 32 m parallel line transects every 50 m were placed along the gradient, perpendicular to the main slope. Each line was divided into contiguous 50 x 50 cm sampling units. Grass species occurrence inside each sample unit was considered to determine their frequency in each line or altitude. The peak and altitudinal amplitude was determined through the weighted averaging method. A total of 47 grass species were found along the gradient. Agrostis was the best-represented genus in the gradient. Considering the distribution ranges, we assume that there are different biotic and abiotic processes determining the distribution patterns. The species occurring at the highest altitudes were temperate elements, while those in the lowest areas were tropical and subtropical elements. Seven species in the gradient are endemic to the Venezuelan paramos. Grass distribution patterns in the paramo may be related to phytogeographical origin. In order to better understand the plant altitudinal distribution pattern is necessary to consider the plant responses to low temperatures, high incoming radiation, water stress and slope aspect.Key words: altitudinal patterns, phytogeography, Poaceae, South American Andes, tropical high mountain. RESUMENEn los páramos de Venezuela las gramíneas son la segunda familia numéricamente más importante, después de las Asteraceae. Nosotros estudiamos su distribución en un gradiente altitudinal ubicado en Venezuela, Sierra de La Culata, entre 2.500 y 4.200 m de altitud. Para esto colocamos 21 transectas de 32 m de longitud a lo largo del gradiente, ubicados de manera perpendicular a la pendiente, cada 50 m en altitud. Cada transecta estaba dividida en unidades de muestreo contiguas de 50 x 50 cm. Para estimar la frecuencia de las especies en cada transecta o altitud, consideramos la ocurrencia de las mismas dentro de cada una de las unidades de muestreo. Determinamos el óptimo y la amplitud altitudinal a través del método de los promedios ponderados. Encontramos un total de 47 especies de gramíneas distribuidas a lo largo del gradiente. Agrostis fue el género mejor representado. Teniendo en cuenta los intervalos de distribución, podemos asumir que hay diferentes procesos que determinan la distribución de las especies, pudiendo estos ser de origen biótico y abiótico. Las especies que ocurren a mayores altitudes correspondieron a elementos templados, mientras que aquellos que ocurren en áreas de menor altitud fueron elementos tropicales y subtropicales. Siete de las especies del gradiente son endémicas a los páramos de Venezuela. Los patrones de distribución de las gramíneas en el páramo, parecen estar relacionados con el origen fitogeográfico. Para entender mejor los determinantes de los patrones de distribución altitudinal es necesario considerar las relaci...

Temperature determines plant formations and species distribution along altitudinal gradients. Plants in the tropical high Andes, through different physiological and morphological characteristics, respond to freezing night temperatures and high daytime energy inputs which occur anytime of the year. The main objective of this study was to characterize day and night temperature related responses of two Lupinus species with different altitudinal ranges (L. meridanus, 1,800-3,600 and L. eromonomos, 3,700-4,300 m of altitude). Are there differences in night low temperature resistance mechanisms between the species along the gradient? How do these species respond, in terms of optimum temperature for photosynthesis, to increasing altitude? Lupinus meridanus shows frost avoidance, in contrast to L. eromonomos, which tolerates freezing at higher altitudes. Optimum temperature for photosynthesis decreases along the gradient for both species. Maximum CO 2 assimilation rates were higher in L. meridanus, while L. eromonomos showed decreasing CO 2 assimilation rates at the higher altitude. In most cases, measured daily leaf temperature is always within the 80 % of optimum for photosynthesis. L. meridanus' upper distribution limit seems to be restricted by cold resistance mechanisms, while L. eromonomos' to a combination of both cold resistance and to CO 2 assimilation responses at higher altitudes.