Tropical Ecology

The Asian elephant has been listed as an endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List since 1986. In Peninsular Malaysia, the elephant population continues to decline, threatened by habitat degradation. Distinguishing their potential habitats is important in mitigating the impacts of forest fragmentation. This study aimed to predict the potential habitats of elephants in the fragmented forest landscape of Ulu Jelai Forest Reserve and to identify its characteristics. Habitat suitability was evaluated using several environmental variables––elevation, slope, land use, lithology, distance to river and distance from urban areas. The results showed that the distribution of suitable habitats mainly occurred in the eastern region of the study area. Elephant habitat prediction, using maximum entropy modelling, indicated that their most suitable habitat was located in a forested area that was greatly influenced by altitude and river proximity, while urban ...

Some species of the fungal genus Ophiocordyceps that parasitize ants have evolved some degree of behavioral manipulation to increase their own transmission. Carpenter ants (Camponotus spp.) infected by Ophiocordyceps unilateralis species climb vegetation and bite leaves or other plant parts before death, while other ants infected by other Ophiocordyceps species die buried within or on the leaf-litter, attached to stems and tree trunks. The microenvironment of the host's death location is important for fungal development and dispersal to new hosts, being an interesting example of an extended phenotype. This study investigated the effect of humidity variation in space (15 km 2) and time (14 months) on the occurrence and expression of the extended Ophiocordyceps phenotype parasitizing ants in Central Amazonia. We found O. unilateralis s.l., O. kniphofioides s.l. and O. australis s.l. parasitizing 30 ant species, but O. unilateralis s.l. was by far the most abundant fungus. Parasitized Camponotus atriceps and C. bispinosus were more abundant and died in higher places in periods with greater air humidity. Otherwise, the abundance and height of C. senex cadavers were higher in drier plots. These results provide insights on how the spatial and temporal variation in air humidity may shape the occurrence and behavioral manipulation of ants infected by entomopathogenic fungi at larger scales.

O governo brasileiro tem investido e deveria investir ainda mais em infraestrutura de transporte. De acordo com as leis ambientais, esse tipo de empreendimento exige um estudo de impacto ambiental (EIA). No entanto, o EIA é uma medida reguladora aplicada pós-projeto, o que permite limitadas mudanças no projeto. Para aumentar a viabilidade ambiental, as alterações deveriam ser feitas nas etapas iniciais do projeto no contexto do planejamento estratégico regional ou nacional. Para o setor de transportes, o Plano Nacional de Logística e
Transporte (PNLT) recomenda objetivos, metas e planos para ampliação da infraestrutura do Brasil no futuro. Nós avaliamos a abordagem dos aspectos ambientais como apresentada nos três relatórios do PNLT de 2007, 2009 e 2012. O primeiro relatório (2007) resumiu a trajetória do planejamento de transportes no Brasil, desde o período da ditadura militar nos anos 1970, mostrando a necessidade de considerar os impactos ambientais dos projetos de transporte e de respeitar as leis ambientais. Os relatórios posteriores indicaram a necessidade ampliar a matriz modal de transporte, que até o momento está concentrada em rodovias, e mencionaram a
importância da Avaliação Ambiental Estratégica (AAE). O instrumento AAE permitiria identificar, antecipadamente,
os efeitos cumulativos e sinérgicos de projetos como previsto no PNLT, entretanto, ele permanece ainda como uma proposta de aprimoramento na legislação ambiental brasileira. Acreditamos que usando a AAE, orientada pelo Zoneamento Ecológico-Econômico (ZEE) e alguns conceitos básicos de Ecologia de Paisagens e Ecologia de Estradas, a proteção de regiões ambientalmente vulneráveis e de áreas prioritárias
para conservação da biodiversidade no Brasil guiariam efetivamente os objetivos, metas e planos do PNLT.

Measurement of body dimensions of carnivores usually requires the chemical immobilization of subjects. This process can be dangerous, costly and potentially harmful to the target individuals. Development of an alternative, inexpensive, and non-invasive method therefore warrants attention. The objective of this study was to test whether it is possible to obtain accurate measurements of body dimensions of leopards from camera trap photographs. A total of 10 leopards (Panthera pardus) were captured and collared at Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve, Zimbabwe from May 7 to June 20, 2017 and four body measurements namely shoulder height, head-to-tail, body, and tail length were recorded. The same measurements were taken from 101 scaled photographs of the leopards recorded during a baited-camera trapping (BCT) survey conducted from July 1 to October 22, 2017 and differences from the actual measurements calculated. Generalized Linear Mixed Effects Models were used to determine the effect of type of body measurement, photographic scale, posture, and sex on the accuracy of the photograph-based measurements. Type of body measurement and posture had a significant influence on accuracy. Least squares means of absolute differences between actual and photographic measurements showed that body length in the level back-straight forelimb-parallel tail posture was measured most accurately from photographs (2.0 cm, 95% CI [1.5-2.7 cm]), while head-to-tail dimensions in the arched back-bent forelimb-parallel tail posture were least accurate (8.3 cm, 95% CI [6.1-11.2 cm]). Using the BCT design, we conclude that it is possible to collect accurate morphometric data of leopards from camera trap photographs. Repeat measurements over time can provide researchers with vital body size and growth rate information which may help improve the monitoring and management of species of conservation concern, such as leopards.

Birds are among the most widely studied organisms on earth and represent an important indicator group
for learning about the effects of climate change – particularly in regard to the effects of climate change on
tropical ecosystems. In this review, we assess the potential impacts of climate change on tropical birds
and discuss the factors that affect species’ ability to adapt and survive the impending alterations in habitat
availability. Tropical mountain birds, species without access to higher elevations, coastal forest birds,
and restricted-range species are especially vulnerable. Some birds may be especially susceptible to
increased rainfall seasonality and to extreme weather events, such as heat waves, cold spells, and tropical
cyclones. Birds that experience limited temperature variation and have low basal metabolic rates will be
the most prone to the physiological effects of warming temperatures and heat waves. Mostly unknown
species’ interactions, indirect effects, and synergies of climate change with other threats, such as habitat
loss, emerging diseases, invasive species, and hunting will exacerbate the effects of climate change on
tropical birds. In some models habitat loss can increase bird extinctions caused by climate change by
50%. 3.5 °C surface warming by the year 2100 may result in 600–900 extinctions of land bird species,
89% of which occur in the tropics. Depending on the amount of future habitat loss, each degree of surface
warming could lead to approximately 100–500 additional bird extinctions. Protected areas will be more
important than ever, but they need to be designed with climate change in mind. Although 92% of
currently protected areas are likely to become climatically unsuitable in a century, for example only 7
or 8 priority species’ preferred climatic envelopes are projected to be entirely lost from the African
Important Bird Area network. Networks of protected areas need to incorporate extensive topographical
diversity, cover wide elevational ranges, have high connectivity, and integrate human-dominated
landscapes into conservation schemes. Most tropical bird species vulnerable to climate change are not
currently considered threatened with extinction, often due to lack of knowledge; systematically and
regularly gathering information on the ecology, and current and future distributions of these species is
an urgent priority. Locally based, long-term tropical bird monitoring and conservation programs based
on adaptive management are essential to help protect birds against climate change.

Performance of seedlings of seven rain forest, canopy dominant Shorea species was studied in a transplant experiment in forest sites at three different elevations (low, mid and high) within the humid zone of southwest Sri Lanka. Five species generally inhabit low- to mid-elevations, one at mid- and lower montane elevations, and one exclusively at lower montane elevations. Temperature, rainfall and cloudiness varied with elevation. For each site seedlings were grown in pots under partial shade conditions using similar soils and evermoist conditions. All growth measures showed differences among elevation sites, among species and in the interaction between species and elevation sites. Performances of species collectively showed (i) decline in height and leaf number with increase in elevation, (ii) higher dry mass at low- and mid-elevation sites compared to that at high-elevation and (iii) a higher mass of single leaves at the mid-elevation site than at the high-elevation site. Rank ord...

Plants can develop novel adaptations for nutrient acquisition in nutrient-limited ecosystems. These adaptations include colonization by roots of tree trunks and logs that can act as nutrient reservoirs. Termites may facilitate this root colonization by digging tunnels and accelerating decomposition in logs and tree trunks. We measured the frequency with which above-ground tree root colonization co-occurs with the presence of termites or their tunnels inside living trees above 20 cm dbh (n = 178) and dead tree trunks and logs at least 15 cm in diameter (n = 146) in a Bornean tropical forest. Roots above the soil surface co-occur with termite tunnels 39% more frequently than expected by chance in trunks of living trees and 17% more frequently than expected by chance in logs. By categorizing logs according to hardness through ease of penetration, we found that softer logs at a late stage of decay did not show co-occurrence of termite activity and roots to the same extent as harder logs. This suggests that trees forage where termites have removed physical barriers to colonization. In this fashion, termites may accelerate nutrient cycling in tropical rain forests.

A variety of chemicals including foaming agents are used to aid in the protection of forest resources from the wild land fires. The fire-fighting foams (FFFs) are formulations composed principally of surfactants. As a part of Japanese national project, environmentally inert FFFs have been developed. There is an emerging need for testing the impacts of these FFFs on the living organisms composing the typical landscapes or ecosystems in Japan. In the present report, we aimed to describe our latest attempt for assessing both the short-tem and long-term impacts of FFFs in aquatic (fresh water) and semi-aquatic (wetland) ecosystems , by employing the laboratory-sized model assays (preliminary studies) and the biotope-based observation, respectively. In the biotope assays which was based on the observation in compact biotopes mimicking the fresh water environments and wetland, both the acute and long-term eco-toxic impacts of two FFFs (soap-based and synthetic detergent-based) were assessed. Spraying of synthetic detergent-based foam formula was shown to be more toxic compared to soap-based formula and mock water treatment.

We analyzed the morphology and habitat use of 16 small-sized fish species that are abundant in the Rio das Velhas basin using 17 morphological attributes. Habitat use was characterized in terms of the species mean density considering three hydraulic factors: substrate, water depth and mean water velocity. The distribution of species within the morphological space demonstrated congruence between the morphological attributes of a species, and their occupation of vertical microhabitats. Based on this data, the species could be classified as benthic A, benthic B or nektonic zone-dwelling species. Benthic A and B species differed mainly in relation to their body shapes, which were fusiform or depressed, respectively. Generally, habitat selection by each species was related to certain hydraulic factors, water velocity in particular. Siluriformes generally had morphological or behavioral adaptations to live in fast flowing habitats, and they were found more frequently than Characiformes in microhabitats with greater water velocities. Benthic species were the most selective with respect to substrate type. Between congener species, the habitat use of Serrapinnus heterodon and Serrapinnus piaba greatly overlapped, but these species were separated in morphological space. In contrast, Characidium species were closely related in morphological space but had great habitat segregation. Fish requirements and habitat use are poorly understood but are important to species management and habitat restoration.

Distribution patterns of vascular plants with diameter at breast height (dbh) ≥ 2.5 cm were studied on the basis of compositional data from 30 small plots located in a rain-forest area in Colombian Amazonia. The research questions were: How are distribution patterns of species in relation to local abundance in plots? Do understorey species (defined as species with individuals that never attained dbh ≥ 10 cm anywhere) show better correlations with soils and environment than canopy species (defined as species with individuals that attained dbh ≥ 10 cm)? Are patterns found in the entire range of landscape units comparable to those found in well-drained uplands alone? Species that occurred in more than one plot showed higher local abundances. This pattern was consistent among environmental generalists and specialists. Locally rare species (with only one individual in a plot) occurred mostly in well-drained uplands. Considering all landscape units, Mantel tests showed substantial correla...

The principles of island biogeography are rarely applied to the animal assemblages of Amazonian river islands. Here, we compare bird assemblages of Amazonian river is‐
lands with a variety of mainland habitats. We also examine how bird species diversity and composition are related to island physical attributes. Birds were sampled with mist nets and qualitative censuses on 11 river islands and 24 mainland sites on the
lower reaches of the Rio Negro in the Brazilian Amazon. Island bird assemblages were
characterized by lower species richness and a higher abundance of a few dominant
species. Additionally, the species composition of the islands was distinct from that of
the mainland, including the nearby floodplain habitats. The number of bird species
increased with island size and habitat diversity, and decreased with degree of isola‐
tion. In addition, small islands tended to harbor an impoverished subset of the species
present on larger ones. Bird species diversity and composition on Amazonian river is‐
lands are likely influenced by the ecological succession and historical events affecting
island formation. Considering their small total area across the Amazon basin, these
insular fluvial communities could be disproportionately threatened by river channel
disturbances related to climate change or hydroelectric dam development.

To save the apes we must save their habitat - the tropical rainforests and woodlands of Africa and South-east Asia, two of the planet's 'green lungs'.  Apes are keystone species in their ecosystems, which in turn are key to global efforts to prevent dangerous climate change.  As carbon markets develop, this will bring new financial resources and job opportunities in the management of ape habitat for the benefit of local communities, biodiversity conservation and the planet.

HAL is a multidisciplinary open access archive for the deposit and dissemination of scientific research documents, whether they are published or not. The documents may come from teaching and research institutions in France or abroad, or from public or private research centers. L'archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, émanant des établissements d'enseignement et de recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires publics ou privés.

Study on foliar anatomic structure of tropical plants are useful to study various aspects of plant life related to photosynthetic, productivity, carbon sequestration, adaptation to environmental stresses as the results of global climate change, etc. This study was conducted to investigate foliar anatomic structure of ten tropical woody plant species including Barringtonia asiatica, Dracontomelon dao, Heritiera littoralis, Diospyros discolor, Calophyllum inophyllum, Antidesma bunius, Schleichera oleosa, Syzygium cumini, Madhuca longifolia dan Adenanthera pavonina; also to discuss its implication to ecophysiological adaptation to tropical dry climate. The results showed that ten woody plant species studied had variation of adaptation pattern to dry tropical climate, exposure to high light intensity or open shade and photosynthesis activity. Plant species in Group II (Antidesma bunius, Madhuca longifolia and Adenanthera pavonina) has relatively higher adaptation compared to Group I (Diospyros discolor, Calophylum inophyllum, Dracontomelon dao, Schleichera oleosa, Heritiera littoralis, Baringtonia asiatica and Syzygium cumini). Some foliar anatomic structures including palisade shape and size, stomatal index, stomatal density, spongy mesophyll thickness, the ratio of P/T and P/S are important characters that can be used as indicator of changes in environmental factors; particularly the density of stomata as indicators of climate change in dry tropic area. ABSTRAK Penelitian terhadap struktur anatomi daun pada tumbuhan tropis bermanfaat untuk mempelajari berbagai aspek kehidupan tumbuhan yang berkaitan dengan fotosintesis, produktivitas, sekuestrasi karbon, adaptasi tumbuhan terhadap stres lingkungan akibat perubahan iklim, dll. Penelitian ini dilakukan untuk mempelajari struktur anatomi daun sepuluh tumbuhan tropis berkayu meliputi Barringtonia asiatica, Dracontomelon dao, Heritiera littoralis, Diospyros discolor, Calophyllum inophyllum, Antidesma bunius, Schleichera oleosa, Syzygium cumini, Madhuca longifolia dan Adenanthera pavonina; serta membahas implikasi adaptasi ekofisiologinya terhadap iklim tropis kering. Hasil penelitian ini mengungkapkan bahwa sepuluh jenis tumbuhan yang diteliti menunjukkan variasi pola adaptasi terhadap iklim tropis kering, paparan terhadap intensitas cahaya dan aktivitas fotosintesis. Jenis-jenis tumbuhan di dalam kelompok II (Antidesma bunius, Madhuca longifolia dan Adenanthera pavonina) memiliki adaptasi yang relatif lebih tinggi dibandingkan dengan kelompok I (Diospyros discolor, Calophyllum inophyllum, Dracontomelon dao, Schleicheraoleosa, Heritiera littoralis, Barringtonia asiatica and Syzygium cumini). Beberapa struktur anatomi daun meliputi bentuk dan ukuran jaringan palisade, indeks stomata, densitas stomata, ketebalan spons mesofil, rasio P/T dan P/S merupakan karakter penting yang dapat digunakan sebagai indikator perubahan lingkungan; khususnya densitas stomata sebagai indikator perubahan iklim di area tropis kering. Kata kunci : adaptasi, iklim kering, ekofisiologi, anatomi daun, tumbuhan berkayu Jurnal Biologi Indonesia 13(1): 1-14 (2017)

Five species of reptiles present in tropical Australia are considered in this study. These are the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata); the northern long-necked turtle (Chelodina rugosa); the taipan snake (Oxyuranus scutellatus); the freshwater crocodile (Crocodylus johnstoni); and the saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus).  Background information is provided on the ecological status of each of these species and after outlining their human use (including commercial use) and management in Australia, an experimental survey method is introduced and results from its application are reported and analysed. The survey method involves two serial surveys of a sample of 204 Brisbane (Australia) residents. The first survey is based on the initial knowledge of the respondents of the reptile species and for the subsequent survey the knowledge available to participants about these species is experimentally increased.  These surveys provide information on the amount of knowledge possessed by this sample of the public about the relevant reptile species, the respondents’ attitudes to these species (including their attitudes to commercial use), respondents’ support for the survival of these reptiles and for their conservation. Furthermore, data is gathered from the surveys on the comparative amount respondents’ state they would be prepared to contribute to support the conservation of each of these focal reptile species. Respondents are asked to assume that they are given $1,000 and that this can only be allocated to the conservation of these reptiles. Later, however, they are also given the option to donate this money to any charity concerned with human welfare. The contingent valuation data for each of the reptile species are used to isolate factors that influence the comparative allocation of conservation funds to each of the relevant reptile species. Factors considered include the extent of the respondents’ knowledge of the species, the stated degree to which respondents’ reported that they liked or disliked the species, and ethical views of the respondents. Implications of the findings for the theory of economic valuation of wildlife species and for of the focal reptile species in Australia are discussed in concluding this chapter.

Abstract: Anthropogenic habitat disturbance is a major threat to tropical forests and understanding the ecological consequences of this disturbance is crucial for the conservation of biodiversity. There have been many attempts to determine the ecological traits associated with bird species' vulnerability to disturbance, but no attempt has been made to synthesize these studies to show consensus. We analyzed data from 57 published studies (covering 1214 bird species) that investigated the response of tropical bird assemblages to moderate forest disturbance (e.g., selective logging). Our results show that the mean abundance of species from six commonly reported feeding guilds responded differently to disturbance and that species' ecological traits (body size, local population size, and geographic range size) and evolutionary relationships may influence responses in some guilds. Granivore abundance increased significantly and insectivore and frugivore abundance decreased significantly following disturbance. These general conclusions were robust to the effects of ecological traits and phylogeny. Responses of carnivores, nectarivores, and omnivores were less clear, but analyses that accounted for phylogeny indicated that these guilds declined following disturbance. In contrast to the other guilds, the reported responses of carnivores and nectarivores differed among regions (Asia vs. Neotropics) and were influenced by the sampling protocols used in different studies (e.g., time since disturbance), which may explain the difficulty in detecting general responses to disturbance in these guilds. Overall, general patterns governed the responses of species to habitat disturbance, and the differential responses of guilds suggested that disturbance affects trophic organization and thus ecosystem functioning.Resumen: La perturbación antropogénica del hábitat es una de las principales amenazas a los bosques tropicales y el entendimiento de las consecuencias de esta perturbación es crucial para la conservación de la biodiversidad. Ha habido muchos intentos para determinar las características ecológicas asociadas con la vulnerabilidad de especies de aves a la perturbación, pero no ha habido intentos para sintetizar estos estudios para mostrar consenso. Analizamos datos de 57 estudios publicados (abarcando 1214 especies de aves) que investigaron la respuesta de ensambles de aves tropicales a la perturbación moderada de bosques (e.g., tala selectiva). Nuestros resultados muestran que la abundancia promedio de especies de seis gremios alimentarios comúnmente reportados respondió distintamente a la perturbación y que las características ecológicas (tamaño corporal, tamaño de la población local y extensión del rango geográfico) y las relaciones evolutivas de las especies pueden influir en las respuestas de algunos gremios. La abundancia de granívoros incrementó significativamente y la abundancia de insectívoros y frugívoros disminuyó significativamente después de la perturbación. Estas conclusiones generales fueron robustas para los efectos de las características ecológicas y filogenia. Las respuestas de carnívoros, necatarívoros y omnívoros fueron menos claras, pero los análisis que consideraron la filogenia indicaron que estos gremios declinaron después de la perturbación. En contraste con otros gremios, las respuestas reportadas para carnívoros y nectarívoros fueron difirieron entre regiones (Asia vs. Neotrópico) y fueron influenciadas por los protocolos de muestreo utilizados en diferentes estudios (e.g., tiempo después de la perturbación), lo cual puede explicar la dificultad para detectar respuestas generales a la perturbación en estos gremios. En conjunto, imperaron patrones generales en las respuestas de especies a la perturbación del hábitat, y las respuestas diferenciales de los gremios sugirieron que la perturbación afecta la organización trófica y por lo tanto al funcionamiento del ecosistema.Resumen: La perturbación antropogénica del hábitat es una de las principales amenazas a los bosques tropicales y el entendimiento de las consecuencias de esta perturbación es crucial para la conservación de la biodiversidad. Ha habido muchos intentos para determinar las características ecológicas asociadas con la vulnerabilidad de especies de aves a la perturbación, pero no ha habido intentos para sintetizar estos estudios para mostrar consenso. Analizamos datos de 57 estudios publicados (abarcando 1214 especies de aves) que investigaron la respuesta de ensambles de aves tropicales a la perturbación moderada de bosques (e.g., tala selectiva). Nuestros resultados muestran que la abundancia promedio de especies de seis gremios alimentarios comúnmente reportados respondió distintamente a la perturbación y que las características ecológicas (tamaño corporal, tamaño de la población local y extensión del rango geográfico) y las relaciones evolutivas de las especies pueden influir en las respuestas de algunos gremios. La abundancia de granívoros incrementó significativamente y la abundancia de insectívoros y frugívoros disminuyó significativamente después de la perturbación. Estas conclusiones generales fueron robustas para los efectos de las características ecológicas y filogenia. Las respuestas de carnívoros, necatarívoros y omnívoros fueron menos claras, pero los análisis que consideraron la filogenia indicaron que estos gremios declinaron después de la perturbación. En contraste con otros gremios, las respuestas reportadas para carnívoros y nectarívoros fueron difirieron entre regiones (Asia vs. Neotrópico) y fueron influenciadas por los protocolos de muestreo utilizados en diferentes estudios (e.g., tiempo después de la perturbación), lo cual puede explicar la dificultad para detectar respuestas generales a la perturbación en estos gremios. En conjunto, imperaron patrones generales en las respuestas de especies a la perturbación del hábitat, y las respuestas diferenciales de los gremios sugirieron que la perturbación afecta la organización trófica y por lo tanto al funcionamiento del ecosistema.

Feminism, now nearly half a century old, is still fractured by two divisive forms – the desire to emancipate women from masculinist power structures, and the affirmation of woman's sexual difference. However, as Teresa de Lauretis and Gillian Rose argue, for feminism to remain relevant, it must also be attentive to the fluid hegemonic conditions of power, and thus, strive to evolve new ‘forms’, which emphasize feminism's political mobility. Developing this proposition, this article discusses how a new critical feminist mobility may be detected in the work of Sydney-based Malaysian artist Simryn Gill. Born in Singapore in 1959, and hailing from a migrant Punjabi family who first settled in Malaya in the 1920s, Gill constantly travels between her home in Sydney and her family bungalow in Port Dickson, a small coastal town in Malaysia. I will discuss how Gill's feminist perspective may be mapped through the artist's shifting spatial contexts by looking at three spaces – the gallery, the domestic interior and the tropics. Through these spaces, I will explore how the artist occupies the dual roles of ‘woman’ and ‘women’, thus demonstrating the changing and fluid energy of a mobile feminist stance. Gill's art valorizes the domestic sphere as a recurring theme with this subject being central to her self-definition in the public sphere. Yet, her treatment of domesticity is distinct in its furtiveness, a tactic, which I argue, enables a feminist agency that is politically mobile, and capable of engaging issues of gender, sexuality, race, class and citizenship.El feminismo, actualmente con cerca de medio siglo de antigüedad, está aún fracturado por dos formas divisivas: el deseo de emancipar a las mujeres de las estructuras de poder masculinistas, y la afirmación de la diferencia sexual de la mujer. Sin embargo, como argumentan Teresa de Lauretis y Gillian Rose, para que el feminismo permanezca relevante, debe también considerar las condiciones hegemónicas fluidas del poder, y por lo tanto, esforzarse para desarrollar nuevas “formas”, las cuales enfaticen la movilidad política del feminismo. Desarrollando esta proposición, el presente artículo analiza cómo una nueva movilidad feminista crítica puede detectarse en las obras de la artista malaya basada en Sidney, Simryn Gill. Nacida en Singapur en 1959 y proveniente de una familia inmigrante punyabi que se estableció en Malasia por primera vez en los años 20, Gill viaja constantemente entre su hogar en Sidney y su casa familiar en Puerto Dickson, una pequeña ciudad costera de Malasia. Analizaré cómo la perspectiva feminista de Gill puede ser mapeada a través de los cambiantes contextos espaciales de la artista, observando tres espacios: la galería, el interior doméstico y el trópico. A través de estos espacios, estudiaré cómo la artista se ocupa de los roles duales de “mujer” y “mujeres”, demostrando así la cambiante y fluida energía de una postura feminista móvil. El arte de Gill valoriza la esfera doméstica como tema recurrente siendo este central para su autodefinición en la esfera pública. Sin embargo, su tratamiento de la domesticidad se caracteriza por su furtividad, una táctica que, sostengo, permite una agencia feminista que es políticamente móvil y capaz de movilizar temas de género, sexualidad, raza, clase y ciudadanía.

An understanding of the abundance of organisms is central to understanding ecology, but many population density estimates are unrepresentative because they were obtained from study areas chosen for the high abundance of the target species. For example, from a pool of 1072 lizard density estimates that we compiled from the literature, we sampled 303 estimates and scored each for its assessment of the degree to which the study site was representative. Less than half (45%) indicated that the study area was chosen to be representative of the population or habitat. An additional 15% reported that individual plots or transects were chosen randomly, but this often indicated only that the sample points were located randomly within a study area chosen for its high abundance of the target species. The remainder of the studies either gave no information or specified that the study area was chosen because the focal species was locally abundant.