ESTRUCTURA DEL PAISAJE Y DESARROLLO TURÍSTICO EN CAHUITA, TALAMANCA

El ciclo de turismo se relaciona directamente con los recursos con que cuentan los destinos, es por esto que el presente artículo analiza las particularidades del sistema turístico del distrito de Cahuita, en el cantón de Talamanca, y su relación con la estructura del paisaje de los años: 1976, 1987, 1997 y 2010.  La oferta a pequeña escala, con una alta participación de los pobladores locales, ha gene-rado un sistema turístico basado en diversidad de recursos como la cultura, la playa y la naturaleza, que  capta un  segmento diferente  al que  se oferta  en  el producto  turístico nacional. Lo  anterior, puede ser un indicador que potencia la transformación del turismo en transforme en dinamizador del desarrollo  local. La actividad  turística generada en el área de estudio emerge aprovechando esas condicionantes multiculturales,  y de presencia de cobertura natural. Los análisis de estructura de paisaje evidencian una alta vulnerabilidad, debido al crecimiento de las áreas de cultivo de las áreas residenciales, lo cual puede provocar un deterioro de alta conectividad que tiene que ver con los fragmentos de cobertura natural. Esta  investigación muestra el dinamismo de  la restauración ecológica, especialmente en el periodo de estudio (34 años), que afecta  las características de  losbosques de baja densidad, lo que repercute en los  resultados de los índices de estructura de paisaje.

Mapa de amenazas naturales potenciales: Hoja Cahuita

Mapa de ubicación de amenazas naturales, con el objetivo de apoyar el proceso de prevención contra desastres naturales en el nivel local.

First Report of the Isolation and Molecular Characterization of Rickettsia amblyommii and Rickettsia felis in Central America

During 2010, 15 adult ticks, identified as Amblyomma cajennense, were collected from horses in Cahuita and Turrialba districts, whereas 7 fleas, identified as Ctenocephalides felis, were collected from a dog in San Jose city, Costa Rica. In the laboratory, three A. cajennense specimens, two from Cahuita and one from Turrialba, were individually processed for rickettsial isolation in cell culture, as was a pool of seven fleas. Rickettsiae were successfully isolated and established in Vero cell culture from the three ticks and from a pool of seven fleas in C6/36 cell culture. The three tick isolates were genotypically identified as Rickettsia amblyommii, and the flea isolate was identified as Rickettsia felis through DNA sequencing of portions of the rickettsial genes gltA, ompA, and ompB of each isolate. In addition, other seven ticks were shown to contain rickettsial DNA. Polymerase chain reaction products of at least two of these ticks were sequenced and also showed to correspond to R. amblyommii. Overall, 66.7% (10/15) of the A. cajennense adult ticks were found to be infected with rickettsiae. This is the first report of a successful isolation in cell culture of R. amblyommii and R. felis from Central America.

Revision of the larval morphology (Zoea I) of the family Hippolytidae (Decapoda, Caridea), with a description of the first stage of the shrimp Hippolyte obliquimanus Dana, 1852

The aim of this study was to summarize the available data on larval morphology of the first zoea of the family Hippolytidae and describe the first zoeal stage of H. obliquimanus from two geographically distinct populations, Brazilian and Caribbean in order to discuss inter- and intraspecific variability. Ovigerous females of Hippolyte obliquimanus were collected at Cahuita (Limon, Costa Rica) and at Ubatuba (Sao Paulo, Brazil). We compiled the published descriptions of all available hippolytid Zoea I (66 spp., 21%), and all zoeae share several characteristics. However, such morphological features cannot be used to distinguish the first zoeae of Hippolytidae from other caridean larvae. Historically, the presence of an exopodal seta at the maxillule and the absence of the anal spine/papilla have been considered as characteristic for the Zoea I of the genus Hippolyte. The results of our revision, however, did not support these conclusions: although H. obliquimanus showed an exopodal seta at the maxillule, four congeners did not bear such structure; moreover, H. obliquimanus as well as one other congener have an anal spine/papilla. All morphological characters observed in the first zoeal stage of H. obliquimanus are shared with others species of the family Hippolytidae. Intraspecific variability in Hippolyte obliquimanus was detected in one morphological aspect: the first zoea had four denticles on the ventral margin of the carapace in the Brazilian population, while specimens from the Costa Rican population had three.

Potential impacts of polar fronts on sedimentation processes at Abrolhos coral reef (South-West Atlantic Ocean/Brazil)

Several reefs of the world have undergone changes in community due to sedimentation processes. It has been suggested that Abrolhos reefs (Brazil/South-West Atlantic) are subjected to a steady coastal influence, although there is still little information regarding this assumption. In this work, we have analyzed a set of environmental parameters concerning sedimentation characteristics at the Abrolhos reefs, near 18 degrees S-39 degrees W. The analysis included remote sensing, model and in situ data to provide a three-dimensional quantitative description of the processes that influence sediment apportionment to the reefs. Mineralogy and natural radioactivity of sediment trapped at three reef sites in a transect perpendicular to the coastline were used in conjunction with numerical weather prediction model and remote sensing databases. We have observed an increase of around 100% of sediment flux during the summer compared to the winter season. A comparison of regional rainfall regime, sediment plume dynamics and a year-around monitoring of polar fronts trajectories and surface wind showed that the wind-driven resedimentation due to polar front activity is the major contributor to the intensification of sedimentation processes at the offshore area of Abrolhos reefs, despite river runoff from mainland. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extracción, identificación y prueba microbiológica del agar extraído de Gracilaria fortissima dawson (rhodophyta, gigartinales, gracilariaceae) (ING)

The red seaweed Gracilaria fortissima colected in the caribean coast of Costa Rica, was studied for the extraction, identification and microbiological performance of the agar contend of this plant, as well as the mineral contend. The research was done focused on the agar quality included pH, % extraction, geling point, fusion point and gel strength, as well as infrared analysis and the performance as a microbiological culture of bacteria and fungus and compared with commercial agar from BDH chemicals.