University of Costa Rica

About: University of Costa Rica is a education organization based out in San José, Costa Rica. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Venom. The organization has 9817 authors who have published 16781 publications receiving 238208 citations. The organization is also known as: UCR & Universidad de Costa Rica.

Factors affecting phenological patterns of bombacaceous trees in seasonal forests in Costa Rica and Mexico.

Abstract: We compared phenological patterns of tree species of the family Bombacaceae in three seasonal forests in Mexico and Costa Rica whose dry seasons vary in duration and intensity. The objectives were to (1) determine intraspecific variation in phenology between sites in different geographic locations with different precipitation regimes, (2) compare interspecific phenological patterns within sites during one year, and (3) document seasonal pollinator use of floral resources at one site in relation to the flowering phenology of these species. To determine the sequence of phenological events in trees of the family Bombacaceae across three study sites, phenology of marked individuals was recorded every 2 wk from September 2000 through August 2001 for six species. To estimate the importance of bombacaceous species in the diet of nectarivorous bats, pollen samples were collected from the bodies or feces of bats once every 2 wk during flowering. Our study suggests that phenological patterns of the Bombacaceae family in Neotropical dry forests are mainly constrained by phylogenetic membership and adaptive selective pressures associated with competition for pollinators. Abiotic factors related to precipitation and soil water content appear to be regulating leaf flushing and abscission, but the principal causes of flowering are related to ultimate factors associated with competition for pollinators. This study is the first that evaluates the phenological pattern of species and genera of the same family at different latitudes in a similar life zone. Phenological events in plants may be affected by various factors that can be classified as proximate or ultimate causes. Proximate causes principally include short-term environmental events that may trigger phenological patterns, while ultimate causes include evolutionary forces that are responsible for these patterns. Environmental cues such as changes in water level stored by plants (Reich and Borchert, 1984; Borchert, 1994; but see Wright and Cornejo, 1990; Wright, 1991), seasonal variations in rainfall (Opler et al., 1976), changes in temperature (Ashton et al., 1988; Williams-Linera, 1997), photoperiod (Leopold, 1951; Tallak Nilsen and Huller, 1981; van Schaik, 1986; Rivera et al., 2002), irradiance (Wright and van Schaik, 1994), and sporadic climatic events (Sakai et al., 1999) have been mentioned as proximate causes triggering phenological events in tropical plants. In forests with a marked dry season, changes in water availability from shifts in precipitation regimes and soil moisture have been proposed as the es

Concern for Generativity and Its Relation to Implicit Pro‐Social Power Motivation, Generative Goals, and Satisfaction With Life: A Cross‐Cultural Investigation

Abstract: So far, cross-cultural research on generativity has been lacking. The present study tests the cross-cultural applicability of an integrative model of generativity proposed by McAdams and de St. Aubin. Measures of implicit pro-social power motivation, a general disposition for generativity, generative goals, and life satisfaction were administered to adults in Cameroon, Costa Rica, and Germany. These measures cover the intrapersonal part of the generativity model. After examining the comparability of the measures across the three cultures, cultural differences in the level of each variable were inspected. Finally, the hypothesized model was tested via structural equation modeling. Results show that the model can be successfully applied in all three cultural samples. This finding has interesting implications for the further investigation of generativity, particularly its social antecedents and behavioral consequences.