Dieta de queixadas (Tayassu pecari) por DNA metabarcoding de fezes na região do Parque Nacional das Emas (Goiás, Brasil)

Tayassu pecari é uma espécie ameaçada de extinção que tem o Parque Nacional das Emas como importante refúgio no Cerrado. Nesta região, T. pecari é identificada como espécie-problema devido aos danos causados às plantações, em especial ao cultivo de milho. Para identificar a constituição da dieta dos queixadas, este trabalho utilizou DNA metabarcoding em fezes. Foram encontradas 80 espécies de plantas em 47 famílias, em 16 amostras de fezes utilizando o barcode trnL. Foi observado que existe uma constituição alimentar distinta para cada ponto de coleta e que a diversidade na dieta é maior nas amostras de dentro do Parque. Destaca-se a presença de soja, cana de açúcar, brachiaria e, em grande proporção, milho. Os resultados permitiram identificar 21 espécies que podem responder positivamente ao fogo, seja em nível de gênero ou de família, indicando que queimas prescritas na época correta podem aumentar a disponibilidade de alimentos para os queixadas no interior do Parque

Data from: Fire management in the Brazilian Savanna: first steps and the way forward

1. Several decades of frustrated attempts to prevent fires in the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado) have led to deleterious ecological and management consequences. In 2014, the first Integrated Fire Management (IFM) program was launched in three protected areas (PA). 2. The IFM program considers local practices, ecological information, management options, and aims to create landscape mosaics of different fire histories to conserve biodiversity, reduce the prevalence of late-dry season (LDS) wildfires, protect fire-sensitive vegetation, and reduce conflicts between PA managers and local communities. 3. The first three years of imposed fire management regimes led to 40-57% reduction in LDS fires, improved dialogue between researchers, managers and local communities, generating fire management learning communities. 4. Synthesis and applications. This Integrated Fire Management programme represents a major advance in Cerrado management and conservation, by actively managing fires and decreasing the proportional of areas burnt by late-dry season wildfires. It can contribute to protected areas’ management in Cerrado and other South American fire-prone ecosystems. Long-term monitoring and research are essential to understand the ecological implications and to improve fire management practices

In Case of Fire, Escape or Die: A Trait-Based Approach for Identifying Animal Species Threatened by Fire

Recent studies have argued that changes in fire regimes in the 21st century are posing a major threat to global biodiversity. In this scenario, incorporating species’ physiological, ecological, and evolutionary traits with their local fire exposure might facilitate accurate identification of species most at risk from fire. Here, we developed a framework for identifying the animal species most vulnerable to extinction from fire-induced stress in the Brazilian savanna. The proposed framework addresses vulnerability from two components: (1) exposure, which refers to the frequency, extent, and magnitude to which a system or species experiences fire, and (2) sensitivity, which reflects how much species are affected by fire. Sensitivity is based on biological, physiological, and behavioral traits that can influence animals’ mortality “during” and “after” fire. We generated a Fire Vulnerability Index (FVI) that can be used to group species into four categories, ranging from extremely vulnerable (highly sensible species in highly exposed areas), to least vulnerable (low-sensitivity species in less exposed areas). We highlight the urgent need to broaden fire vulnerability assessment methods and introduce a new approach considering biological traits that contribute significantly to a species’ sensitivity alongside regional/local fire exposure