Fundacion Biodiversa Colombia

The demand for natural products that promote sustainable production chains is growing worldwide. Honey, while not a staple for food security due to its limited nutritional contribution, represents a valuable resource to foster dietary diversity, responsible consumption, and forest conservation. Its production depends directly on access to diverse flora with low pesticide exposure and requires minimal soil transformation or external inputs, making it a low-impact practice. Beekeeping also contributes to the maintenance of pollinator populations, which are key for biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. Consumer interest in the origin and authenticity of honey has grown in recent years, especially for Apis mellifera products (Escuredo and Seijo 2024, Mascarello et al. 2024). Less known is the diversity and economic potential of stingless bees (Meliponini). Across tropical and neotropical regions, nearly 500 species have been described (Grüter 2020), many of which produce honey and act as key pollinators. In Colombia, about 34 species are reportedly used in meliponiculture (Nates-Parra and Rosso-Londoño 2013). This practice is expanding in rural areas, where it complements agriculture and is compatible with family-centered management. Traditional knowledge attributes medicinal properties to stingless bee products (Sgariglia et al. 2010, Rosales 2012). Although clinical validation remains limited, biochemical studies of their honeys have identified distinctive compositions rich in phenolic compounds and other bioactive molecules, providing preliminary evidence of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that warrant further research (Gomes et al. 2022). These properties are linked to microbial communities naturally present in stingless bee honeys. Fermentative yeasts and lactic acid bacteria shape these products, creating unique ecological niches with potential probiotic and bioactive value (da Silva et al. 2024). Microbial assessment is also essential to detect possible pathogens, as not all stingless bee species are recommended for meliponiculture: Trigona species, for example, may incorporate feces or dead animal tissue into nests, raising sanitary concerns (Gómez et al. 2023) Developing markets for stingless bee products requires robust methodologies for authentication and safety. We propose environmental DNA (eDNA) as a tool to address three dimensions of traceability and diversity assessment: Entomological origin of honey. Despite vast bee diversity, taxonomic expertise has declined, limiting our ability to monitor wild bees. DNA-based approaches, particularly metabarcoding, enable verification of the bee taxa involved in honey production—critical in regions with limited expertise. Challenges include primer selection for non- Apis bees, expanding reference databases, and training in molecular methods. Incorporating eDNA and metabarcoding into product traceability could democratize biodiversity monitoring and inform public policy. Botanical foraging spectrum. DNA from bee pollen and honey reveals floral visitation patterns, offering a proxy for ecosystem health. Progress is constrained by incomplete plant reference libraries. Diversity indices—borrowed from microbiome studies—can help characterize floral communities, though interpretation must account for variable foraging behavior across bee species. Microbial diversity and bioprospecting. Stingless bee honeys act as natural “filters,” concentrating microbial communities with industrial, probiotic, or antibiotic potential. Although generally safe, rigorous biosafety evaluation is needed to balance opportunities with risks. Reliable isolation and cultivation methods will be key to characterize diversity, establish reference libraries, and develop pipelines for future bioprospecting. Entomological origin of honey. Despite vast bee diversity, taxonomic expertise has declined, limiting our ability to monitor wild bees. DNA-based approaches, particularly metabarcoding, enable verification of the bee taxa involved in honey production—critical in regions with limited expertise. Challenges include primer selection for non- Apis bees, expanding reference databases, and training in molecular methods. Incorporating eDNA and metabarcoding into product traceability could democratize biodiversity monitoring and inform public policy. Botanical foraging spectrum. DNA from bee pollen and honey reveals floral visitation patterns, offering a proxy for ecosystem health. Progress is constrained by incomplete plant reference libraries. Diversity indices—borrowed from microbiome studies—can help characterize floral communities, though interpretation must account for variable foraging behavior across bee species. Microbial diversity and bioprospecting. Stingless bee honeys act as natural “filters,” concentrating microbial communities with industrial, probiotic, or antibiotic potential. Although generally safe, rigorous biosafety evaluation is needed to balance opportunities with risks. Reliable isolation and cultivation methods will be key to characterize diversity, establish reference libraries, and develop pipelines for future bioprospecting. Our pilot project, in the Magdalena Medio region of Colombia, applies eDNA analyses to bees, honey, pollen, and associated microorganisms. The study focuses on three genera of stingless bees maintained in boxes derived from colonies collected in situ in the El Silencio nature reserve of Fundación Biodiversa Colombia, ensuring foraging in a pesticide-free environment with high floral diversity. As one of the first efforts to apply DNA-based tools to stingless bee biodiversity surveys and product authentication, this initiative highlights the need for stronger collaboration, standardized data frameworks, and investment to unlock the potential of eDNA for conservation and bioeconomic development.

Presentamos registros recientes y novedosos (a través de fototampeo) del pecarí de labio blanco (Tayassu pecari) en una localidad del Magdalena Medio (DRMI Ciénaga de Barbacoas, Yondó, Colombia) donde la especie se reporta como extinta localmente. Los registros provienen de una única localidad a lo largo de tres muestreos, sin embargo, no se reportaron más sitios con presencia de la especie en nuestros trabajos a lo largo de diferentes localidades del Magdalena Medio o en otros estudios publicados. Esto sugiere que la especie tiene baja abundancia y ocupación en el paisaje altamente transformado de este valle interandino. Una búsqueda de registros adicionales en plataformas digitales arrojó colectas históricas en el Caribe Colombiano y un registro reciente en el valle del rio Cauca en Antioquia (Colombia), el cual debe ser confirmado en campo. La presencia de pecarí de labio blanco, junto con otras especies amenazadas como el Mono Araña Café, la Danta colombiana, el Jaguar y el Oso Hormiguero Gigante, resaltan la necesidad de restaurar el paisaje fragmentado del Magdalena Medio para mantener su diversidad a largo plazo.

One-third of all Neotropical forests are secondary forests that regrow naturally after agricultural use through secondary succession. We need to understand better how and why succession varies across environmental gradients and broad geographic scales. Here, we analyze functional recovery using community data on seven plant characteristics (traits) of 1,016 forest plots from 30 chronosequence sites across the Neotropics. By analyzing communities in terms of their traits, we enhance understanding of the mechanisms of succession, assess ecosystem recovery, and use these insights to propose successful forest restoration strategies. Wet and dry forests diverged markedly for several traits that increase growth rate in wet forests but come at the expense of reduced drought tolerance, delay, or avoidance, which is important in seasonally dry forests. Dry and wet forests showed different successional pathways for several traits. In dry forests, species turnover is driven by drought tolerance traits that are important early in succession and in wet forests by shade tolerance traits that are important later in succession. In both forests, deciduous and compound-leaved trees decreased with forest age, probably because microclimatic conditions became less hot and dry. Our results suggest that climatic water availability drives functional recovery by influencing the start and trajectory of succession, resulting in a convergence of community trait values with forest age when vegetation cover builds up. Within plots, the range in functional trait values increased with age. Based on the observed successional trait changes, we indicate the consequences for carbon and nutrient cycling and propose an ecologically sound strategy to improve forest restoration success.

Land-use change occurs nowhere more rapidly than in the tropics, where the imbalance between deforestation and forest regrowth has large consequences for the global carbon cycle. However, considerable uncertainty remains about the rate of biomass recovery in secondary forests, and how these rates are influenced by climate, landscape, and prior land use. Here we analyse aboveground biomass recovery during secondary succession in 45 forest sites and about 1,500 forest plots covering the major environmental gradients in the Neotropics. The studied secondary forests are highly productive and resilient. Aboveground biomass recovery after 20 years was on average 122 megagrams per hectare (Mg ha(-1)), corresponding to a net carbon uptake of 3.05 Mg C ha(-1) yr(-1), 11 times the uptake rate of old-growth forests. Aboveground biomass stocks took a median time of 66 years to recover to 90% of old-growth values. Aboveground biomass recovery after 20 years varied 11.3-fold (from 20 to 225 Mg ha(-1)) across sites, and this recovery increased with water availability (higher local rainfall and lower climatic water deficit). We present a biomass recovery map of Latin America, which illustrates geographical and climatic variation in carbon sequestration potential during forest regrowth. The map will support policies to minimize forest loss in areas where biomass resilience is naturally low (such as seasonally dry forest regions) and promote forest regeneration and restoration in humid tropical lowland areas with high biomass resilience.