Especial Pioneros: Wikiri, pioneros en exportación de ranas

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Conservation efforts among Wikiri, Centro Jambatu, and The O'Connell Lab at Harvard University

Population Genetics and Conservation

Amphibian populations are declining worldwide due to habitat loss and the spread of harmful pathogens. We have partnered with the Centro Jambatu and WIKIRI to use the genomics tools developed in the O'Connell Lab to aid in conservation efforts by tracking populations of Ecuadorian amphibians, particularly Oophaga sylvatica.

Wikiri: Bioconocimiento, biocomercio y conservación

Wikiri es una empresa que se dedicada a la investigación y conservación de las ranas ecuatorianas. La comercialización de estos anfibios permite proteger a los anfibios en peligro de extinción.  Así lo destaca el reportaje presentado en noticias de Ecuavisa, en el cual la Gerente de Wikiri, Lola Guarderas, da a conocer los objetivos de la empresa.

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Ranas que ayudan a otras a salvar su especie

Diario El Universo, Guayaquil, Ecuador, Domingo 20 octubre 2013

Wikiri makes news in Reuters

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Jambatu Center in Reuters

Wikiri hace noticia en la agencia Reuters

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Centro Jambatu en Reuters

Ranas mascotas: Wikiri, propuesta de biocomercio sustentable

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Wikiri en la Revista Q de Quito

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Ecuador exporta ranas para ser mascotas

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Captive bred Gastrotheca riobambae

Captive bred adults of Gastrotheca riobambae depicting intrapopulation color variation. La Merced, Valle de los Chillos, Pichincha Province, Ecuador.  © Wikiri SA, 2013.

Wikiri en la Revista Vistazo

Revista Vistazo Nº 1105 Septiembre 5/ 2013

Wikiri en la II Cumbre Internacional del Medio Ambiente

Izquierda a derecha: Lola Guarderas (Wikiri SA), Lorena Tapia (Ministra de Ambiente), Ricardo Estrada (CORPEI), Giovanni Ginatta (CORPEI), José Javier Guarderas (Sambito SA)

María Dolores Guarderas (Gerente de Wikiri SA) dictó una charla en el Foro de Biocomercio de la  II Cumbre Internacional del Medio Ambiente realizada en Guayaquil, Ecuador, el 17 de Julio de 2013.

En su charla destacó la importancia del biocomercio de anfibios de Ecuador y de como la empresa Wikiri  participa en el financiamiento de la investigación científica y la conservación de los anfibios ecuatorianos.

Este foro tuvo el auspicio del Ministerio de Ambiente del Ecuador y del proyecto de Biocomercio de CORPEI.

Ver más información en este enlace:

Biocomercio, una alternativa de desarrollo sostenible que promueve el MAE


María Dolores Guaderas (Manager of Wikiri SA) gave a talk at the Biotrade Forum for the International Environment Summit held in Guayaquil, Ecuador, on July 17, 2013.

In her speech, she emphasized the importance of the Biotrade of Ecuador's amphibians, and how the company Wikiri participates in funding scientific research and conservation of Ecuadorian amphibians.

This forum was sponsored by the Ministry of Environment of Ecuador and the CORPEI Biocomercio project.

See more information at this link:

Biocomercio, una alternativa de desarrollo sostenible que promueve el MAE
 

Captive bred (farm) Oophaga sylvatica (Paru morph)

Captive bred adults and subadults of Oophaga sylvatica (Paru morph) depicting intrapopulation (Otokiki Reserve, Alto Tambo, Esmeraldas Province, Ecuador) color variation. © Wikiri SA, 2013.

Wikiri fue premiada entre las mejores empresas exportadoras del Ecuador

La Economista María Dolores Guarderas (Gerente General de Wikiri SA) recibe el premio de Fedexpor.

Ayer se realizó la premiación de las mejores empresas exportadoras del país por parte de la Federación Ecuatoriana de Exportadores (Fedexpor). Frutimanía, SKS Farms y Tescopesca recibieron el primer lugar en las categorías de pequeña, mediana y gran empresa exportadora, respectivamente. Induglob obtuvo una mención por innovación de productos; La Fabril por mejores estándares de producción; Sigmaplast por mejor innovación tecnológica: Wikiri por mejor producto exótico y Omarsa por mejor diversificación de mercados tradicionales. Álvaro Maldonado, directivo de la Federación Ecuatoriana de Exportadores, resaltó el accionar de los empresarios e hizo un llamado al Gobierno para impulsar el comercio exterior. Asímismo, los exportadores pidieron impulsar la firma de acuerdos comerciales con bloques como el de la Unión Europea (UE) y acercarse más a los mercados tradicionales como EE.UU. y la Comunidad Andina de Naciones (CAN). Eso estará en manos de Francisco Rivadeneira, nuevo ministro de comercio exterior, quien fue posesionado la noche de ayer por parte del presidente Rafael Correa.

Diario EL COMERCIO Redacción Negocios 09:24 Jueves 20/06/2013


Wikiri was awarded among the top Exporters of Ecuador

Yesterday the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters (Fedexpor), awarded the best export companies of the country. Frutimanía, SKS Farms and Tescopesca received first place in the categories of small, medium and large exporting company, respectively. Induglob was mentioned for product innovation; La Fabril for best production standards; Sigmaplast for best technological innovation; Wikiri for best exotic product and Omarsa for best traditional market diversification. Alvaro Maldonado, director of the Ecuadorian Federation of Exporters, highlighted the actions of entrepreneurs and called on the Government to boost foreign trade. Also, exporters requested to increase trade agreements with the European Union (EU) and work closer with traditional markets such as the U.S. and the Andean Community of Nations (CAN). That is now in the hands of Francisco Rivadeneira, new trade minister, who was sworn in last night by President Rafael Correa.

Insight into the natural variation of frogs of the "Paru morph" Oophaga sylvatica (Anura: Dendrobatidae)

Wild adults of Oophaga sylvatica (Paru morph) of the Otokiki population, Esmeraldas province. Site 1 (70 x 40 m): 734 meters asl, sampled area: 2800 square meters. © Centro Jambatu

Individuals of the the Paru morph of Oophaga sylvatica (= Dendrobates sylvaticus) exported by Wikiri are the offspring of a parental population from the Otokiki reserve (143 acres of tropical rainforests of northwestern Ecuador). Otokiki reserve is located in the Alto Tambo region (Esmeraldas province) at an altitude of about 700 meters above sea level. 

The amount of color pattern variation within this Otokiki population, which occurs naturally, is perplexing. See figure depicting variation of wild-caught adult individuals at one of the study sites (Site 1) in Otokiki. All individuals found in a preliminary sampling are included, but additional sampling might reveal more individuals and variation.

At Otokiki, similar large variation in colors and patterns is represented in quadrats under management  by Wikiri (three habitat-enriched semiclosed enclosures, one enriched open quadrat), and in one control (not enriched) quadrat.

Also, we have documented a great amount of intrapopulation variation at other sites in Esmeraldas province, for example, towards the east of Alto Tambo at Guadal (near Lita, Esmeraldas province). Less color pattern variation is seen in lowland populations at Durango and Playón de San Francisco, which display more uniform colors.

How to interpret this variation and what are it’s causes?

Underlying causes of this intrapopulation variation of the Paru morph are largely unknown and currently are a matter of speculation. For now, we are reluctant to interpret this variation as the result of hybridization —a phenomenon that can occur between species as a result of primary or secondary contact (after a period of isolation). Underlying factors behind the observed variation probably lie in the evolutionary history of this population. The historical human intervention in the area could have played a role as well, but the variation is not a consequence of Wikiri manipulation.

Understanding the mechanisms that promote intrapopulation divergence (such as the one observed at Otokiki reserve and surrounding areas) and interpopulation divergence (such as the one among populations of O. sylvatica in the pacific lowlands of Ecuador and Colombia), and ultimately speciation, is one of the most challenging and intriguing tasks in evolutionary biology. Geographical barriers, ecological gradients, genetic drift, and sexual selection are the main mechanisms (currently speculative for O. sylvatica populations, as mentioned before) invoked to explain these processes, which are shaping the variation observed.

Centro Jambatu has begun a research program and study projects on the evolution of coloration, morphology and behavior within and among populations of Oophaga sylvatica. The program is a cooperative effort among Ecuadorian and USA researchers. We will be doing field, molecular, and experimental work. The Otokiki population will be critical for our understanding of coloration evolution  because of its huge  variability.

For a better understanding of this variation and its evolution, we need to conduct fine-tuned studies including morphological descriptions in relation to behavior, geography, and molecular population genetic structure. Also, we need to conduct lab controlled experiments to see the consequences of color variation. We will need to set up crosses between color morphs in order to identify color specific SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms) and then examine the expression bias of parental alleles in the offspring. We will study behavioral issues and also we will address questions of color determination.

Finally, we think that the hobbyists industry and people who love these frogs should appreciate the unique opportunity and monumental effort done by Wikiri (see also Ecuafrog of Wikiri and the amphibian trade) in providing farm and captive raised frogs from a population that displays such a great intrapopulation variation, which include dull and bright colored individuals, spotted and non-spotted frogs, orange, red, yellow and brown colors. Hopefully this variation can be preserved at the site (Otokiki) and region of Alto Tambo. Backup populations under care of hobbyists are also important as an ex situ tool helping integrative conservation strategies.

Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios

Fundación Otonga

Updated: 4 January 2013