Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Riqueza e densidade de macroinvertebrados aquáticos associados às macrófitas aquáticas nos lagos de várzea Janauacá (AM) e grande de Curuai (PA) da Amazonia central brasileira

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Ecologia, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, 2011As planícies de inundação do rio Amazonas são hábitats para as mais diversas comunidades de macrófitas aquáticas e os macroinvertebrados destacam-se como um dos principais constituintes da sua fauna associada. O objetivo do presente trabalho foi caracterizar as comunidades de macroinvertebrados aquáticos associadas às macrófitas herbáceas em termos de densidade e riqueza de grupos taxonômicos e grupos funcionais tróficos em lagos de várzea da Amazônia Central. O estudo foi realizado no lago Janauacá proximo à cidade de Manaus (AM) e no lago Grande de Curuai próximo à cidade de Santarém (PA). Estes lagos recebem influencia direta do Rio Solimões e Amazonas, respetivamente. O estudo foi conduzido no período de cheia de 2008 e 2009. Foram realizadas as amostragens de macroinvertebrados com auxilio de um amostrador circular com rede de 250 µm de malha em estandes de macrofitas com dominância de plantas herbáceas na região litorânea dos lagos e também, medições de superfície de parâmetros físico-quimicos da água em ambos lagos e no rio Solimões e Amazonas. Os resultados obtidos em 2008 na comparação dos lagos Janauacá e Curuai apresentaram diferença siginificativa para as concentrações de calcio, potássio, carbonato, sulfato e cloro. Não foram observadas diferenças significativas para as demais variáveis. No lago Janauacá em comparação com o rio Solimões houve menor concentração média de Ca2+ e HCO3- e a condutividade elétrica também foi 66% menor. Na várzea do lago Grande de Curuai, para o mesmo período de estudo, os valores médios obtidos das variáveis físico-quimicas foram similares aos obtidos no rio Amazonas. Em períodos de cheia a maior conectividade da várzea do lago Curuai com o rio Amazonas através dos diversos igarapés e canais contribui à maior semelhança nas características físico-químicas da suas águas. Estudos da estimativa de riqueza de táxons da comunidade de macroinvertebrados aquáticos mostraram que os estandes de macrofitas aquáticas com predominância de plantas herbáceas do tipo não gramíneas detêm uma maior riqueza de táxons de macroinvertebrados associados. Os resultados da riqueza e densidade de macroinvertebrados sob o ponto de vista dos grupos funcionais tróficos deram maior informação sobre as composições dos grupos tróficas nos diferentes estandes de macrófitas dominadas por gramíneas e não gramíneas onde o GFT predador e raspador apresentaram as maiores diferenças em termo de representatividade relativa (%). _______________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThe floodplains of Amazon River are habitat for diverse communities of aquatic macrophyte macroinvertebrates stand out as a mean constituent of its fauna. The aim of this study was to characterize the macroinvertebrates associated with macrophytes in terms of density and richness of taxonomic groups and trophic functional groups in floodplain lakes of Central Amazon. The study was carried out in Janauacá lake, near to Manaus city(AM) and Grande de Curuai lake near to Santarém city (PA). These lakes receive direct influence of the Solimões and Amazon river, respectively. The study was conducted during flooded period in 2008 and 2009. Macroinvertebrates were collected with net-sampling with 0,07 m² area and 250 mm in mesh in stands of macrophytes with dominance of herbaceous plants in the littoral region of lakes and also surface measurements of physical-chemical parameters in both lakes and Solimões and Amazonas river were collected. Janauacá and Curuai lakes had significant differences in the concentrations of calcium, potassium, carbonate, sulfate and chloride. There were no significant differences for other variables. In Janauacá lake compared with the Solimões River there was a lower mean concentration of Ca2+ and HCO3-and electrical conductivity was also 66% lower in the lake. Physico-chemical variables were similar in Grande de Curuai Lake and Amazon River. In periods of full connectivity of this lake with the Amazon River by channels and streams contributes to the greater similarity in the physicochemical characteristics of its waters. Estimate richness of aquatic macroinvertebrates taxa showed that the stands of macrophytes with a predominance of herbaceous plants “non grasses” have abundance of macroinvertebrates taxa associated. The results of macroinvertebrate richness and density from the point of view of functional trophic groups gave more information on the composition of trophic groups in different macrophyte stands dominated by herbaceous “grass” type and herbaceous “no grass” type. Funcional trophic groups predator and scraper showed the greatest differences in terms of relative representativeness (%)

Why do the ithomiines (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) aggregate? Notes on a butterfly pocket in central Brazil Por que os Ithomiinae (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae) se agregam? Observações sobre um bolsão de borboletas no Brasil central

This study provides information on the species composition and the number of butterflies in different phases of an ithomiine aggregation during the 2004 dry season in central Brazil, and tests some hypotheses concerning the pocket formation. The results obtained suggest that ithomiine pockets constitute primarily an adaptation of butterflies to the adverse climatic conditions of the dry season, such as high temperatures and low air relative humidity, rather than the occurrence of large concentrations of adult food resources (flowers visited for nectar were not found in the pocket site) or defense against visually hunting predators (contrary to the prediction tested, the frequency of butterflies bearing birds beak marks on the wings significantly increased along the period of pocket formation, especially in the case of Mechanitis polymnia, the most abundant species in the pocket). Other hypotheses concerning the pocket formation are also discussed.Este trabalho apresenta dados sobre a composição de espécies e o número de indivíduos encontrados em diferentes fases de formação de um bolsão de Ithomiinae investigado na estação seca de 2004 em uma floresta de galeria do Brasil central, e testa algumas hipóteses relacionadas à formação do bolsão. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que o bolsão constitui primariamente uma adaptação das borboletas às condições adversas da estação seca, tais como altas temperaturas e baixa umidade relativa do ar, e não como conseqüência de grande concentração de recursos alimentares dos adultos (flores visitadas para obtenção de néctar não foram encontradas na área do bolsão), ou simples defesa contra predadores visualmente orientados (contrariamente à predição testada, a freqüência de borboletas apresentando marcas de bicadas de aves sobre as asas aumentou significativamente ao longo do período de formação do bolsão, especialmente no caso de Mechanitis polymnia, a borboleta mais abundante). Outras hipóteses relacionadas à formação do bolsão são também discutidas

Checklist and New Occurrences of Odonata (Insecta) from Volta Grande do Xingu, Pará, Brazil

The order Odonata (Insecta) is composed of aquatic insects popularly known as dragonflies and damselflies. Members of this order are closely linked to the conservation status of their habitats; however, the Wallacean shortfall in some regions still remains high. The Volta Grande do Xingu region is known to have high endemism of some groups, such as Actinopterygii (fish), which can be applied to other groups that do not yet have their fauna known at the site, such as the order Odonata. The Wallacean shortfall and constant anthropic changes (for example, the construction of the Belo Monte Hydroelectric) have been obstacles in the preservation of these and other groups. In that regard, the main aim of this paper is to provide a checklist of Odonata (Insecta) adult species from the streams of Volta Grande do Xingu, Pará, Brazil. The collections were carried out in 19 streams in the Volta Grande do Xingu region in September 2019, corresponding to the drought period. A total of 526 specimens were collected, where two suborders, six families, 26 genera and 43 species were identified. Three species of Odonata were registered for the first time in the state of Pará: Erythrodiplax famula (Erichson in Schomburgk, 1848); Acanthagrion chacoense Calvert, 1909 and Epipleoneura lamina Williamson, 1915. These data allow us to help increase the knowledge of Odonata fauna in the streams of Volta Grande do Xingu, a region that is under intense anthropic pressure. This helps to reduce the Wallacean shortfall, with another area sampled for the state of Pará