Seeing the forest through many trees: multi-taxon patterns of phylogenetic diversity in the Atlantic Forest hotspot

We combine phylogenetic and point locality data from selected lineages of the Atlantic Forest flora and fauna to compare spatial patterns of biodiversity sustained by the current configuration of forest remnants to a scenario of complete forest preservation. We then ask the question "how much biodiversity is likely lost, already"? Specifically, we assess how habitat loss likely impacted the climatic spaces occupied by the local species, the inferred composition of local communities and the spatial distribution of phylogenetic diversity and endemism

New Proposal of Epiphytic Bromeliaceae Functional Groups to Include Nebulophytes and Shallow Tanks

The Bromeliaceae family has been used as a model to study adaptive radiation due to its terrestrial, epilithic, and epiphytic habits with wide morpho-physiological variation. Functional groups described by Pittendrigh in 1948 have been an integral part of ecophysiological studies. In the current study, we revisited the functional groups of epiphytic bromeliads using a 204 species trait database sampled throughout the Americas. Our objective was to define epiphytic functional groups within bromeliads based on unsupervised classification, including species from the dry to the wet end of the Neotropics. We performed a hierarchical cluster analysis with 16 functional traits and a discriminant analysis, to test for the separation between these groups. Herbarium records were used to map species distributions and to analyze the climate and ecosystems inhabited. The clustering supported five groups, C3 tank and CAM tank bromeliads with deep tanks, while the atmospheric group (according to Pittendrigh) was divided into nebulophytes, bromeliads with shallow tanks, and bromeliads with pseudobulbs. The two former groups showed distinct traits related to resource (water) acquisition, such as fog (nebulophytes) and dew (shallow tanks). We discuss how the functional traits relate to the ecosystems inhabited and the relevance of acknowledging the new functional groups

Structure-function relationships in the water-use strategies and ecological diversity of the Bromeliaceae

The Bromeliaceae is one of the largest and most ecologically diverse angiosperm families in the Neotropics. In recent years, this family has begun to emerge as a model system for the study of plant evolutionary ecology and physiology, and major advances have been made in understanding the factors involved in episodes of rapid diversification and adaptive radiation in specific bromeliad lineages. However, despite a long tradition of ecophysiological research on the Bromeliaceae, an integrative, evolutionarily-contextualised synthesis of the links between anatomical) physiological, and ecological aspects of bromeliad biology has hitherto been lacking. The overarching aim of this research project was therefore to use new quantitative data representing a wide range of bromeliad taxonomic and functional groups to elucidate how variation in leaf traits connected by structure-function relationships influences ecological differentiation among bromeliad taxa. Special emphasis was placed on hydraulic and water relations traits because of fast-paced contemporary developments in these fields. The methodologies employed included an assessment of the diversity of bromeliad hydrological habitat occupancy, quantification of key anatomical and physiological traits and their correlations, investigation of the links between vascular and extra-xylary anatomy and hydraulic efficiency and vulnerability, quantification of stomatal sensitivity to leaf-air vapour pressure deficit and stomatal kinetics, and a case study of trait-mediated niche segregation among congeneric epiphytic bromeliad species on the Caribbean island of Trinidad. The results highlight how divergences in a range of continuous and categorical anatomical traits underpin differences in physiological capacities and sensitivities, which in turn determine environmental relations and ecological distinctiveness. This research project therefore provides critical insights into the mechanistic basis of evolutionary diversification in a highly ecologically important family. It also represents the most comprehensive analysis of the significance of trait variation for ecological differentiation across any major radiation of herbaceous angiosperms.Natural Environmental Research Council award 135902

Poison frog

20 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 20)."Dendrobates arboreus, new species, is a small arboreal frog with a dorsal and ventral pattern of vivid yellow spots on a brown or black field. It is abundant at 1100-1300 m. above sea level on a low section of the continental divide in western Panama, where, in undisturbed cloud forest, virtually the entire population resdies high aboveground on trees laden with bromeliads and other epiphytes. A few specimens also come from a locality in the adjacent Caribbean lowlands. The pale-spotted color pattern of Dendrobates arboreus is similar to that of the enigmatic D. maculatus, also from western Panama, but these two species differ significantly in morphology and are not closely related. Dendrobates arboreus is assigned to the histrionicus species group, which includes two species occurring macrosympatrically with arboreus, D. speciosus (highlands) and D. pumilio (lowlands). The monophyly of the histrionicus group is indicated by very similar-sounding chirp calls - given as long trains of harsh notes that differ among species in rate of note repetition, note duration, and dominant frequency. New spectrographic analysis of pulse rates compels a restatement of Myers and Daly's original distinction between chirp calls and buzz calls, two important classes of dendrobatid vocalization. Courtship and egg laying of Dendrobates arboreus, and cannibalism of eggs by an adult female, were observed in captivity. There is no amplexus during mating, although typical cephalic amplexus (primitive within the Dendrobatidae) is retained in the behavioral repertory, possibly in an aggressive context. Courtship includes tactile signals by both sexes prior to their assuming a vent-to-vent position for egg laying and fertilization. An instance of mate piracy was observed when a second male successfully intruded at a late stage of courtship, bypassing the preliminary tactile signaling of the original pair. Defensive skin secretions of Dendrobates arboreus contained 14 piperidine alkaloids, including members of the pumiliotoxin-A class and its allopumiliotoxin-A subclass. Remaining alkaloids, including two new compounds, are left unclassified. Histrionicotoxins were not detected"--P. [1]-2

Biogeographic history and cryptic diversity of saxicolous Tropiduridae lizards endemic to the semiarid Caatinga

Background: Phylogeographic research has advanced in South America, with increasing efforts on taxa from the dry diagonal biomes. However, the diversification of endemic fauna from the semiarid Caatinga biome in northeastern Brazil is still poorly known. Here we targeted saxicolous lizards of the Tropidurus semitaeniatus species group to better understand the evolutionary history of these endemic taxa and the Caatinga. We estimated a time-calibrated phylogeny for the species group based on two mitochondrial and two nuclear genes and jointly estimated the species limits and species tree within the group. We also devoted a denser phylogeographic sampling of the T. semitaeniatus complex to explore migration patterns, and the spatiotemporal diffusion history to verify a possible role of the São Francisco River as a promoter of differentiation in this saxicolous group of lizards. Results: Phylogenetic analysis detected high cryptic genetic diversity, occurrence of unique microendemic lineages associated with older highlands, and a speciation history that took place during the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition. Species delimitation detected five evolutionary entities within the T. semitaeniatus species group, albeit with low support. Thus, additional data are needed for a more accurate definition of species limits and interspecific relationships within this group. Spatiotemporal analyses reconstructed the geographic origin of the T. semitaeniatus species complex to be located north of the present-day course of the São Francisco River, followed by dispersal that expanded its distribution towards the northwest and south. Gene flow estimates showed higher migration rates into the lineages located north of the São Francisco River. Conclusions: The phylogenetic and population structures are intrinsically associated with stable rock surfaces and landscape rearrangements, such as the establishment of drainage basins located to the northern and southern distribution ranges. The T. semitaeniatus complex preserved high genetic diversity during range expansion, possibly as a result of frequent long-distance dispersal events. Our results indicate that both the current course of the São Francisco River and its paleo-courses had an important role in promoting diversification of the Caatinga endemic T. semitaeniatus species group

Habitat amount and ambient temperature dictate patterns of anuran diversity along a subtropical elevational gradient

Aim: Patterns of diversity along elevational gradients are driven by species characteristics but remain poorly understood. Filling this gap is imperative given the deteriorating conservation status of anurans worldwide. Here, we examine frog diversity and species composition along a sharp subtropical elevational gradient and assess the degree to which these are determined by environmental and spatial predictors. Location: An extensive southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest elevational gradient ranging from 300 to 1,800 m above sea level. Methods: We sampled 38 ponds and used structural equation modelling to examine the direct and indirect effects of area, climate, habitat amount, habitat complexity and productivity on frog species richness and abundance. We also applied joint species distribution models to investigate the importance of these predictors on frog species composition using species distribution and co-occurrence along the elevational gradient. Results: We recorded 12,636 individuals of 41 frog species. Frog species richness was highest at intermediate elevations, showing a hump-shaped pattern. Frog abundance was highest at lowlands and decreased towards higher elevations. We found support for only the habitat amount hypothesis in explaining overall species richness. Although temperature had a positive influence on productivity and frog abundance, neither predictors were related to species richness. Species composition diverged markedly between lowland and highland frog assemblages, which was mainly attributed to differences in ambient temperature. Main conclusion: Elevations containing more extensive natural habitat areas retained the most species-rich frog assemblages. The mid-elevational peak is likely attributed to lowland habitat (1,400 masl). The entire elevational gradient is, however, critical in maintaining anuran species diversity as lowland assemblages are distinct from those at mid- to high elevations. Our study also shows that anthropogenic habitat loss has a decisive effect on montane frog diversity, reinforcing the need to effectively protect these areas

Diversidade, distribuição e conservação de anfíbios anuros das planícies costeiras do estado de São Paulo, Sudeste do Brasil

Orientador: Ricardo Jannini SawayaTexto em português e inglêsDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de BiologiaResumo: Indivíduos e espécies não são distribuídos aleatoriamente no espaço. Consequentemente, as metacomunidades formadas por tais organismos também apresentam uma organização espacial. Associado a isso, poucas espécies conseguem se distribuir na maioria dos ambientes possíveis. Portanto, as metacomunidades possuem uma variação em sua composição que pode ser espacialmente organizada, ou seja, existem locais que são mais similares em termos de composição de espécies do que outros. Robert Whittaker nomeou esse fenômeno como o componente beta da diversidade, ou simplesmente, diversidade beta. Entender quais processos geram e mantêm os padrões espaciais da diversidade beta é, portanto, uma questão central em ecologia de comunidades, além de auxiliar na proposição de formas apropriadas de manejo e conservação. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever padrões de diversidade beta de anfíbios anuros das planícies costeiras do Sudeste do Brasil e investigar os possíveis processos que influenciam os padrões de diversidade detectados. A dissertação está dividida em dois capítulos. No primeiro capítulo, descrevo a diversidade beta de anuros da região de estudo e avalio como esses padrões estão protegidos atualmente, por unidades de conservação. No segundo capítulo, busco entender como múltiplos preditores poderiam estar relacionados com a variação na composição de espécies da região de estudo, dado o embasamento teórico e empírico da potencial influência de tais preditores sobre a diversidade de anuros. Os resultados do primeiro capítulo mostraram que existe um padrão claro de organização espacial na diversidade beta, estruturada em três áreas de forma congruente com a história geomorfológica da região. Os resultados evidenciam ainda, que a atual rede de unidades de conservação inclui padrões de diversidade beta semelhante às áreas não protegidas. No entanto, a representatividade dessas unidades em termos de área (~ 4000 km²) é pequena (11.3%). Os resultados do segundo capítulo demonstram a importância de diferentes preditores, incluindo clima, história geomorfológica e processos espaciais em diferentes escalas, para explicar a variação espacial da composição de espécies de anuros. Dentre esses preditores, as unidades geomorfológicas foram predominantemente importantes para explicar a diversidade beta. No entanto, outros processos que foram também importantes para a estruturação das comunidades, como o gradiente climático presente dentro das unidades geomorfológicas, possivelmente gerados pela estrutura geomorfológica da região e pela presença da Serra do Mar. Nossos resultados podem apresentar implicações práticas relacionadas à escolha de potenciais áreas para a conservação das planícies costeiras do Sudeste brasileiro. Tendo em vista a conservação dos padrões de diversidade beta e de seus processos subjacentes, associado à falta representatividade de em termos de tamanho de áreas protegidas na porção central do litoral paulista, sugerimos que tais áreas sejam priorizadas no planejamento e implementação de novas unidades de conservaçãoAbstract: Individuals and species are not randomly distributed in space. Hence, the communities composed by these species also show a spatial organization. Moreover, only few species can occur in many of the available environments. Therefore, the communities present a variation in their composition which can be spatially structured, that is, there are sites more similar each other in terms of species composition than other ones. Robert Whittaker named this phenomenon as the beta component of diversity or, simply, the beta diversity. The understanding of which processes generate and maintain beta diversity is a central question of the community ecology, also helping in the proposing and applying proper ways to its conservation and management. The aims of this study were to describe the anuran beta diversity patterns of coastal plains from southeastern Brazil and assess potential processes which influence such patterns. This study comprises two chapters. In the first one, I described aspects of the anuran beta diversity in the study region and evaluated how these patterns are protected in conservation units. In the second one, I seek to understand how multiple predictors could be related with the variation in species composition, given the theoretical and empirical framework on the influence of such predictors upon anuran diversity. The results of the first chapter showed a clear spatial pattern in the variation of species composition divided in three main areas that are congruent with the geomorphological history of the region. Still, we showed that the actual network of protected areas include similar beta diversity patterns to unprotected areas. However, the representativeness of these conservation units defined as the covered area (~ 4000 km²) is very small (11.3%). The results of the second chapter demonstrated the relative importance of distinct predictors, including climate, geomorphological history and spatial scales, to explain the spatial variation of the anuran species composition. The beta diversity is mainly associated with spatial structure of geomorphological units. However, other processes are also important in structuring anuran communities, such as climatic gradients possibly related to the geomorphological structure and the presence of Serra do Mar range and also broad scale processes. Our results have practical implications related to the choice of potential areas to coastal plains conservation in southeastern Brazil. In order to conserve the beta diversity patterns and their related processes, associated to unequal representativeness defined by the size area of protected areas, mainly on the central portions of São Paulo state coast, we suggested these areas as priorities in the planning and implementing of new conservation unitsMestradoEcologiaMestre em Ecologi

SYSTEMATICS AND EVOLUTION OF THE Ronnbergia ALLIANCE (BROMELIACEAE): HISTORY OF DISJUNCT DIVERSIFICATION IN THREE BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS OF THE NEOTROPICS

The systematics, biogeography and evolution of the \u27Ronnbergia Alliance,\u27 a nested lineage within the Core Bromelioideae, were investigated. In the first chapter, the phylogenetic relationships of the Ronnbergia Alliance were reconstructed using three chloroplast and three nuclear DNA sequence markers in combination with a wide species sampling across the Core Bromelioideae and a nearly complete species-level sampling of the five species complexes that likely comprise the Ronnbergia Alliance. The analysis indicates that the Ronnbergia Alliance is a robust monophyletic group sister to the remaining Core Bromelioideae, and it is composed by species of the polyphyletic genera Aechmea, Hohenbergia and Ronnbergia. The first of main lineage within the Ronnbergia Alliance, here called the Pacific Clade, contains species of that occur exclusively in the forests of southern Central America to northwestern South America. The second clade, called the Atlantic Clade, contains species mostly limited to the central corridor of the Atlantic Forest and the Greater Antilles. The combination of apically spreading tubular corollas and unappendaged ovules are diagnostic for the Ronnbergia Alliance, whereas flower size, corolla tube length, and petal pigmentation are important characters to differentiate the Pacific and Atlantic Clades. A new taxonomic reorganization and synopsis for this clade was proposed in the second chapter. Here, all the species of the Pacific Clade were placed in Ronnbergia, whereas the species of the Atlantic Clade were relocated in the resurrected genus Wittmackia. In the third chapter, a complete taxonomic revision of the Caribbean clade of Wittmackia was conducted. In the fourth chapter, the biogeographic history and evolutionary rate dynamics of the Ronnbergia Alliance were analyzed. These analyses showed that one vicariant event that separated Ronnbergia from Wittmackia in South America, and a later long-distance dispersal event allowed the separation of Wittmackia between the Atlantic Forest and Jamaica. Although the evolutionary rate dynamics remained constant during the diversification of Ronnbergia, these rates were heterogeneous during the radiation of Wittmackia. This is the first species-level approach that combines phylogenetic, ecological, geographic and morphological information to reveal fine-scale processes that shaped the evolution of highly diverse lineages of Bromeliaceae