Aliens in the backyard: Did the American bullfrog conquer the habitat of native frogs in the semi-deciduous atlantic forest?

The American bullfrog Lithobates catesbeianus has a natural distribution in North America, but was spread by human activities in different regions around the world. It is listed as the most invasive amphibian species, affecting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and the community of native species. In addition, the American bullfrog is extensively associated with lethal pathogens, with high correlation of the presence of this species with population declines and extinctions. Here we test if this alien species has spread through the landscape, establishing populations at new locations. We used diverse methods including georeferencing of satellite images, ethnobiological interviews and field data to evaluate the dispersion and effects of L. catesbeianus introduction on amphibian composition, species number, and density of individuals in forest fragments in an Atlantic Forest landscape. We did not find any relationship between density of individuals, number of species or composition of the native anuran assemblages in forest fragments in relation to the presence or proximity of American bullfrog introduction points. Additionally, we found that the dispersion potential of this species in the studied landscape is zero, as it was only found in those fragments where it was specifically introduced 15 years ago. The species has not established new populations in the landscape. Although exotic, L. catesbeianus thrives in lentic habitats and has no apparent effect on the structural metrics of the native anuran assemblage. Despite this alien species exhibiting a capacity to adapt and survive at the point of introduction, its potential for propagation is limited probably by the fragmented terrestrial landscape and regional stream network. © 2020, British Herpetological Society. All rights reserved

A new species of Rheotanytarsus Thienemann & Bause (Diptera: Chironomidae) from Peruvian Andes, with updated key to South American species

Rheotanytarsus is a speciose genus, currently composed by more than 100 nominal species distributed worldwide, 19 are known from the Neotropical region, four from South America and only one is registered for Peru. In the present study, a new species is described and illustrated based on males collected in the Peruvian Andes. In addition, the key to the South American species is updated and a distribution map of them is provided. Rheotanytarsus amaru sp. n. is easily distinguished from the congeneric species by the dark general coloration and the hypopygial morphology. Copyright © 2020 Magnolia Pres

Streamflow variability in colombian pacific basins and their teleconnections with climate indices

Oceanic-atmospheric phenomena of different time scales concurrently might affect the streamflow in several basins around the world. The Atrato River Basin (ARB) and Patia River Basin (PRB) of the Colombian Pacific region are examples of such basins. Nevertheless, the relations between the streamflows in the ARB and PRB and the oceanic-atmospheric factors have not been examined considering different temporal scales. Hence, this article studies the relations of the climate indices and the variability of the streamflows in the ARB and PRB at interannual and decadal timescales. To this, the streamflow variability modes were obtained from the principal component analysis (PCA); furthermore, their linear dependence with indices of the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO), precipitation (PRP), the Choco low-level jet (CJ), and other indices were quantified through (a) Pearson and Kendall's tau correlations, and (b) wavelet transform. The PCA presented a single significant mode for each basin, with an explained variance of around 80%. The correlation analyses between the PC1s of the ARB and PRB, and the climate indices showed significant positive (negative) high correlations with PRP, CJ, and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) (ENSO indices). The wavelet coherence analysis showed significant coherencies between ENSO and ARB: at interannual (2-7 years) and decadal scale (8-14), preferably with the sea surface temperature (SST) in the east and west Tropical Pacific Ocean (TPO). For PRB with the SST in the central and western regions of the TPO in the interannual (4-8 years) and decadal (8-14 years) scales, the decreases (increases) in streamflow precede the El Nino (La Nina) events. These results indicate multiscale relations between the basins' streamflow and climate phenomena not documented in previous works, relevant to forecast the extreme flow events in the Colombian Pacific rivers and for planning and implementing strategies for the sustainable use of water resources in the basins studied. © 2020 by the authors

Compositional and diversity comparisons between the palynological records of the Neogene (Solimões Formation) and Holocene sediments of Western Amazonia

Western Amazonia underwent dramatic changes in its landscape and environments during the Neogene, which led to its extant, hyperdiverse, tropical rainforest. Although the palynological fossil record has been the most useful proxy for understanding the history of the Amazonian biome, the floristic composition and diversity of the Neogene and the present Amazonian environments have never been thoroughly compared. In this work, we present preliminary comparisons of the pollen content of a Miocene core from the Solimões Formation in western Amazonia (Brazil) with the pollen content of Holocene sediments from flooded environments (várzeas and lake margins) near the Miocene site. We found a total of 463 pollen and spore types (Miocene, n = 284; Holocene, n = 231), only 52 of which were shared. The Holocene flooding environments displayed distinct palynological signals; both the Holocene and Miocene palynofloras have pollen primarily sourced from the local, flooded environments, with no significant differences in within-sample pollen diversity. The Holocene palynoflora was more heterogeneous in composition than the Miocene palynoflora, probably because the Miocene wetlands (the Pebas System) were highly homogeneous at a continental scale, far more than modern western Amazonia, thus implying that the spatial vegetation turnover was much lower than in modern ecosystems. © 2019, © 2019 AASP–The Palynological Society

Recursos polínicos coletados por Melipona Illiger, 1806 e Frieseomelitta Ihering, 1912 (Apidae-Apinae-Meliponini) em matas de igapós do Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brasil

There is a great diversity of meliponines in Brazil, especially in the Amazon. These insects have one of the most important functions for the maintenance of life on the planet: pollination. In addition, bees have an economic importance: meliponiculture, a profitable activity that sustains many communities. That is why work on these Meliponines is so important. In 1999, an excursion was made in the Amazon along the Rio Negro channel, led by Dr. João Maria Franco de Camargo and collections of pollen material from various Meliponines were carried out. In this study the pollen resources of 10 species of stingless bees were studied, whose nests were arranged along a 1600km stretch on the banks of the Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brazil. The samples were collected in the end of the rainy season (July-August) in 1999. The material was taken from pollen pots found in natural nests. The pollen material was homogenized and prepared according to the usual acetolysis technique. The work consisted of the identification of pollen types, calculation of the trophic niche overlap between pairs of bee species and cluster analysis of diets. The work was divided into two chapters, the first of which analyzed pollen pots from four species of bees belonging to the genus Frieseomelitta. In the second chapter, samples of six species of Melipona were analyzed. Of the 31 samples obtained from the Frieseomelitta nests, 32 plant species (17 botanical families) were identified, 12 of which were considered attractive to these bees, while six were promoters of temporary specialization events. The results reaffirmed the potentially generalist pattern of these bees with the occurrence of temporary specialization events, being more influenced by local conditions than by the kinship between species in the collection of pollen resources. In the second chapter of the 17 obtained from Melipona nests, 32 plant species (17 botanical families) were identified. Of these, 12 pollen types were considered attractive and each pollen pot, on average, had five pollen types. The species accumulation curve, produced by rarefaction, showed a stabilization of the number of species with the count of 600 grains. Finally, this work indicates important botanical species for crops close to nests of bee species present in this study, either for species conservation programs or Meliponaries.Existe uma grande diversidade de meliponíneos no Brasil, em especial na Amazônia. Esses insetos possuem uma das funções mais importantes para a manutenção da vida no planeta: a polinização. Além disso, as abelhas possuem uma importância econômica: a meliponicultura, uma atividade rentável que sustenta muitas comunidades. Por isso trabalhos a respeito desses Meliponíneos são tão importantes. No ano de 1999, foi realizada uma excussão na Amazônia ao longo do canal do Rio Negro, liderada por pelo Dr. João Maria Franco de Camargo e realizadas coletas de material polínico de vários Meliponíneos. Neste estudo foram estudados os recursos polínicos de 10 espécies de abelhas sem ferrão, cujos os ninhos estavam dispostos ao longo de um trecho 1600km às margens do Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brasil. As amostras foram coletadas no período final da estação chuvosa (julho-agosto) do ano de 1999. O material foi retirado de potes de pólen encontrados em ninhos naturais. O material polínico foi homogeneizado e preparado segundo técnica usual de acetólise. O trabalho consistiu na identificação dos tipos polínicos, cálculo da sobreposição de nicho trófico entre pares de espécies de abelhas e análise de agrupamento das dietas. O trabalho foi dividido em dois capítulos, sendo que no primeiro foram analisados potes de pólen de quatro espécies de abelhas pertencentes ao gênero Frieseomelitta. No segundo capítulo foram analisadas amostras de seis espécies de Melipona. Das 31 amostras obtidas dos ninhos de Frieseomelitta foram identificadas 65 espécies vegetais (29 famílias botânicas), sendo 18 destes, considerados atrativos para essas abelhas, enquanto três foram promotores de eventos de especialização temporária. Os resultados reafirmaram o padrão potencialmente generalistas dessas abelhas com a ocorrência de eventos de especialização temporária, sendo mais influenciado pelas condições locais do que pelo parentesco entre as espécies na coleta dos recursos polínicos. No segundo capítulo das 17 amostras obtidas de ninhos de Melipona, foram identificadas 32 espécies vegetais (17 famílias botânicas). Destas, 13 tipos polínicos foram considerados atrativos e cada pote de pólen, em média, apresentou cinco tipos polínicos. A curva de acumulação de espécies, produzidas por rarefação mostraram estabilização do número de espécies com a contagem de 600 grãos. Por fim, este trabalho sinaliza espécies botânicas importantes para cultivos próximos a ninhos das espécies de abelhas presentes neste estudo, seja para programas de conservação das espécies ou Meliponários

Composição e estabilidade temporal de assembleias de peixes em igarapés de cabeceira na bacia do rio Xingu

The Amazon basin harbor to a complex system of small watercourses, known regionally as igarapés. These small streams are highly dependent on the availability of rain in their drainage areas, which makes them sensitive to the environmental changes taking place on the planet. Recent studies indicate that ichthyofauna amazonian presents a low resistance and resilience to climate change, being sensitive to abrupt climate changes, such as extreme and gradual droughts, such as increased precipitation and frequency of stormy. Faced with the fragility of this ichthyofauna and the climatic models that predict the increase in the frequency and intensity of extreme events, it is essential to identify the effects of these events on these assemblies in order to develop efficient conservation strategies. In this study, we verified whether there are differences in the composition of the fish assemblages of terra-firme perennial streams between periods of drought and rain, and we assessed the effects of the flow interruption caused by a severe drought on the ichthyofauna of 12 streams of terra-firme in the Xingu river basin, in the Brazilian East Amazon, between 2012 and 2014. At the end of the dry period of the first year of sampling, six streams dried up completely or were reduced to disconnected puddles of water. It was found that the fish assemblages of the perennial streams present stability in their structure over time, not differing between periods. On the other hand, the fish assemblages of the streams that dried up took on a new configuration after the temporary interruption of the flow. Most of the changes detected were transient, however, some persisted after the flow resumed. Together, these results indicate that severe drought events can change the composition of fish species in headwater streams and that such changes may persist in the medium term (years).A bacia amazônica abriga um complexo sistema de pequenos cursos d’água, conhecidos regionalmente como igarapés. Esses pequenos igarapés são altamente dependentes da disponibilidade de chuvas em suas áreas de drenagem, o que os tornam sensíveis às mudanças ambientais em curso no planeta. Estudos recentes indicam que a ictiofauna amazônica apresenta uma baixa resistência e resiliência às mudanças climáticas, sendo sensível a mudanças climáticas abruptas, como secas extremas, e graduais, como o aumento da precipitação e da frequência de tempestades. Diante da fragilidade dessa ictiofauna e dos modelos climáticos que preveem o aumento da frequência e intensidade de eventos extremos, torna-se fundamental identificar os efeitos desses eventos sobre essas assembleias para a elaboração de estratégias eficientes de conservação. Neste estudo, verificamos se existem diferenças na composição das assembleias de peixes de igarapés de terra firme perenes entre os períodos de seca e chuva, e avaliamos os efeitos da interrupção de fluxo causada por uma forte seca sobre a ictiofauna de 12 igarapés de terra firme da bacia do rio Xingu, na Amazônia Oriental brasileira, entre 2012 e 2014. No final do período seco do primeiro ano de amostragens, seis desses igarapés secaram completamente ou ficaram reduzidos a poças desconectadas. Verificou-se que as assembleias de peixes dos igarapés perenes apresentam estabilidade na sua estrutura ao longo do tempo, não diferindo entre os períodos de seca e chuva. Por outro lado, as assembleias de peixes dos igarapés que secaram tomaram uma nova configuração após a interrupção temporária do fluxo. A maioria das mudanças detectadas foram transitórias, no entanto, algumas persistiram após a retomada do fluxo. Em conjunto, esses resultados indicam que eventos de secas fortes podem alterar a composição de espécies de peixes de igarapés de cabeceira, e que tais mudanças podem persistir em médio prazo (anos)

Inibição da perda de cobertura vegetal natural nas Terras Indígenas da Amazônia Legal Brasileira

The Brazilian Amazon contains the world’s largest tract of tropical forest, about one quarter of which is within demarcated indigenous territories. Formal governmental recognition of these traditional territories is often a critical deterrent to deforestation, but the relative conservation performance of Indigenous Lands (ILs) under different legal categories and geographic contexts remains poorly understood. We used 30-m resolution Landsat satellite imagery to quantitatively assess the land cover status and annual rates of natural vegetation loss for 381 indigenous territories between 1985 and 2017. Using a comprehensive set of environmental and socio-economic covariates and a mixed-modelling approach, we found that all stages of formal IL recognition consistently inhibits natural vegetation loss throughout the Brazilian Amazon compared to adjacent unprotected areas. Formal Demarcation and distance from roads were the main proximate drivers of avoided natural vegetation loss inside ILs. Forest loss associated with road building is substantially curbed by ILs, showing the importance of frontier expansion when assessing indigenous reserve performance in counteracting natural vegetation loss. Because forest and savannah losses associated with agribusiness frontiers and infrastructure projects are likely to intensify, the importance of ecosystem services provided by ILs is expected to grow across the Brazilian Amazon. Cultural traits or heavily settled ILs have no impact on their effectiveness in precluding natural vegetation loss. Given widespread encroachment of agribusiness, formal recognition of indigenous territories is a key factor in decelerating primary habitat conversion across the Amazon.A Amazônia brasileira contém a maior área de floresta tropical do mundo, cerca de um quarto da qual está dentro de territórios indígenas. O reconhecimento formal desses territórios originários pelo governo pode ser crítico ao controle do desmatamento, porém, o desempenho relativo para conservação das Terras Indígenas (TIs) sob diferentes situações legais e contextos geográficos permanece pouco compreendido. Nós utilizamos imagens de satélite com resolução de 30 m para avaliar quantitativamente o status da cobertura vegetal e uso da terra, bem como as taxas anuais de perda de vegetação natural de 378 territórios indígenas e seu entorno direto, entre 1985 e 2017. Utilizando uma abordagem de modelos mistos nós avaliamos um conjunto abrangente de covariáveis ambientais e socioeconômicas, e concluímos que todos os estágios, incluindo os iniciais, do reconhecimento formal de TIs contribuem consistentemente para o controle da perda de vegetação natural em toda a Amazônia brasileira, em comparação com áreas desprotegidas adjacentes. A homologação final e a proximidade das estradas foram as principais covariáveis determinantes da perda evitada de vegetação natural. Ressalta-se, assim, a importância de se considerar a expansão da infraestrutura, ao avaliar o desempenho das reservas indígenas no controle da perda de vegetação natural. Como a perda de florestas e cerrados associada a fronteiras do agronegócio e projetos de infraestrutura tende a se intensificar, espera-se que a importância dos serviços ecossistêmicos fornecidos pelas TIs aumente na Amazônia brasileira. Nossos resultados apontaram, ainda, que componentes étnicos e linguísticos das populações das TIs não afetam a sua performance de conservação, assim como TIs mais densamente povoadas não apresentam redução de eficácia para a conservação. Verificamos, portanto, que dado o avanço da fronteira agrícola, o reconhecimento formal dos territórios indígenas é o fator-chave na desaceleração da conversão de habitat primário na Amazônia

Socoró (Mouriri guianensis Aubl.): germinação, desenvolvimento da plântula e classificação das sementes para fins de armazenamento

Mouriri guianensis is a fruit tree of the family Melastomataceae, which is founded naturally on the bakes of rivers and lakes. Its fruits with a sweet taste, are consumed in natura by human, and above all, by the aquatic fauna. Despite the potential use of this species, information about it is scarce. Thus, it was sought to elucidate some information related to fruit, seeds, germinate and beginning stages of seedling development. This work has been divided into two chapters. The first, intituled Fruit and seed characterization, emergence and development of the seedling of Mouriri guianensis, that presents the results of the characterization of fruits and seeds, of the emergency in function of matrixes and description and identification of the structures in the seedling development. It was found that the fruit is of the bacoideus type, indehiscent, of medium side and round shape. It presents from 1 or 2 seed per fruit. The seeds are brown, small and opaque, with a firm consistency, smooth and polished forehead. The seeds of the different matrixes exhibit significant differences in terms of emergency, with an average emergency time of 80 to 88 days. The germintion is of the bypogeal, cryptocotylar and unipolar type, starting on the 24th day upon sowing with the protrusion of the primary root, followed by the elongation of the epicotyl, appearance of the secondary roots, cataphylls and eophylls, with the seedling showing the second pair of eophylls expanded at 52 days after sowing. The second chapter, titled Classification of the socoró seeds (Mouriri guianensis Aubl.) as regards tolerance to desiccation and storage, aimed at classifying the seeds of Mouriri guianensis as regards tolerance to desiccation, aiming to indicate the most appropriate conditions for maintaining their viability. The Hong and Ellis protocol was adopted for this purpose, with adaptations. Seeds with different degrees of humidity (36.9; 22.3; 10,7; 5.3%), just as a degree of humidity of 5.3%, which after being stored for three months at -18 ºC, were submitted to the emergency test. The socoró seeds have an orthodox behavior, since they can withstand the desiccation until the degree of humidity of 5.3%; the storage, with this water content, for a period of three months, under the temperature of -18 ºC, maintain ed seed viability. Keywords: Melastomataceae, biometry, seedlings, desiccation, viability.Mouriri guianensis é uma árvore frutífera da família Melastomataceae, encontrada naturalmente às margens dos rios e lagos. Seus frutos, de sabor doce, são consumidos de forma in natura pelo homem e, sobretudo, pela fauna aquática. Apesar do potencial de uso dessa espécie, as informações acerca da mesma são escassas. Assim, buscou-se elucidar algumas informações relacionadas aos frutos, sementes, germinação e estádios iniciais de desenvolvimento da plântula. Para tanto, este trabalho foi dividido em dois capítulos. O primeiro, intitulado Caracterização de frutos e sementes, emergência e desenvolvimento da plântula de Mouriri guianensis, apresenta resultados da caracterização dos frutos e sementes, da emergência em função das matrizes, bem como a descrição e identificação das estruturas no desenvolvimento da plântula. Verificou-se que o fruto é do tipo bacóide, indeiscente, de tamanho médio e formato globoso. Apresenta de 1 a 2 sementes por fruto. As sementes são marrons, pequenas e opacas, de consistência firme, apresentando testa lisa e polida. As sementes das diferentes matrizes apresentam diferenças significativas quanto a emergência, com tempo médio de emergência de 80 a 88 dias. A germinação é do tipo hipógea, criptocotiledonar e unipolar, iniciando-se no vigésimo quarto dia após a semeadura, com a protrusão da raiz primária, seguida do alongamento do epicótilo, aparecimento das raízes secundárias, catafilos e eofilos, e o segundo par de eofilo expandido aos 52 dias após a semeadura. O segundo capítulo, intitulado Classificação das sementes de socoró (Mouriri guianensis Aubl.) quanto a tolerância ao dessecamento e ao armazenamento, teve como objetivo classificar as sementes de Mouriri guianensis quanto à tolerância à dessecação, visando a indicação de condições mais adequadas de conservação da viabilidade das mesmas. Para tanto, foi adotado o protocolo de Hong e Ellis, com adaptações. Sementes com diferentes graus de umidade (36,9; 22,3; 10,7; 5,3%), assim como o grau de umidade de 5,3%, depois de armazenadas por três meses a -18 ºC, foram submetidas ao teste de emergência. As sementes de socoró apresentam comportamento ortodoxo, uma vez que suportam a dessecação até o grau de umidade de 5,3%; o armazenamento, com este teor de água, pelo período de três meses, sob temperatura de -18 ºC, manteve a viabilidade das sementes. Palavras-chave: Melastomataceae, biometria, plântula, dessecamento, viabilidade