The Tropical Andes Biodiversity Hotspot: A Comprehensive Dataset for the Mira-Mataje Binational Basins.

We present a flora and fauna dataset for the Mira-Mataje binational basins. This is an area shared between southwestern Colombia and northwestern Ecuador, where both the Chocó and Tropical Andes biodiversity hotspots converge. We systematized data from 120 sources in the Darwin Core Archive (DwC-A) standard and geospatial vector data format for geographic information systems (GIS) (shapefiles). Sources included natural history museums, published literature, and citizen science repositories across 13 countries. The resulting database has 33,460 records from 6,821 species, of which 540 have been recorded as endemic, and 612 as threatened. The diversity represented in the dataset is equivalent to 10% of the total plant species and 26% of the total terrestrial vertebrate species in both hotspots. The dataset can be used to estimate and compare biodiversity patterns with environmental parameters and provide value to ecosystems, ecoregions, and protected areas. The dataset is a baseline for future assessments of biodiversity in the face of environmental degradation, climate change, and accelerated extinction processes.

The Genus Kalanchoe (Crassulaceae) in Ecuador: From Gardens to the Wild.

The genus Kalanchoe, mostly indigenous from Madagascar and Tropical Africa, is widely traded for ornamental value. In this study, we provided an updated list of wild and cultivated Kalanchoe taxa in Ecuador; we analyzed the temporal-spatial pattern of their records, and we categorized the invasion status for each taxon and its environment preferences. The records of any taxa belonging to this genus were compiled from an extensive search using various information sources. Our results confirmed the presence of 16 taxa of Kalanchoe in the country. Seven species and a hybrid were detected in the wild. Kalanchoe densiflora, K. laxiflora, K. pinnata, K. tubiflora, and K. ×houghtonii were categorized as invasive. We detected invasive records of some of these plants in protected areas. Almost all taxa had at least one record as cultivated, suggesting that the invasion pathway is ornamental trade. Kalanchoe pinnata individuals in the wild were recorded in the four biogeographic regions of Ecuador, which could be associated with the wide range of precipitations and temperatures in which the species may dwell. Our study highlights the importance of reducing the ornamental value and limiting the use of Kalanchoe taxa with invasive potential in horticulture and promoting, instead, the use of indigenous species.