Vol. 3 No. 1 Ene-Jun (2013)

We would like to start this number by acknowledging the labor of the group of researchers who have believe in the editorial process of Biodiversidad Neotropical and have contributed with their work to the establishment of the journal.

Since its first number, it has been our desire to make Biodiversidad Neotropical a leading publication, contributing with the diffusion of research on the Neotropical biota. It is our pleasure to inform our audience, that with this number we have reach the required editorial and scientific standards, as well as the visibility and accessibility determined by COLCIENCIAS (the agency in charge of the accreditation of scientific publications in Colombia) to be classified as a journal «Category C» in the national system of evaluation of scientific publications «Publindex».

Our goal is to keep growing, and improving our editorial work, to not only reach a higher category in the Publindex system, but to be part of the international system of indexation. As in previous numbers, we present contributions of a Latin American researchers from five countries, from NGO ́s, universities, and scientific centers in the region including: Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, and México on a variety of aspects of the regional biodiversity.

This number starts with an interesting analysis that identifies the main conflicts that threats the diversity of aquatic mammals and mammals associated with aquatic systems on the Colombian Pacific Coast. It is followed by the evaluation of the conservation status of the jaguar and the white lipped peccary on western Ecuador. For Mexico, the perception about crocodiles by dwellers of two rural communities along the southeastern coast of Jalisco is assessed. We also present an evaluation of the population structure of the palm Ceroxylon quinduense on the Colombian Andes. Additionally, changes in biomass along a primary succession, after mining activity are studied in forests of the municipalities of Certegui and Unión Panamericana, in the Colombian department of Choco. Finally, distributional range extensions are reported for two amphibians in El Salvador.

In this way, Biodiversidad Neotropical advance in its establishment as an international journal, contributing to knowledge exchange «intercambio de saberes» among researchers, professors, student, administrators, promoters, and the general public, through the divulgation of scientific information on the biota of the region.

Alex Mauricio Jiménez-Ortega

Editor