2 research outputs found
The influence of sugarcane preâharvest fire on hantavirus prevalence in Neotropical small mammals
The use of pre-harvest fire in sugarcane fields surprisingly results in an increase
in the abundance of Neotropical Sigmodontinae rodents, which might carry
hantavirus. By contrast, fire suspension induces a decline in rodents in the first
5 years. The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of sugarcane harvest
regimes on hantavirus prevalence in wild rodents. Field collections were carried
out on a sugarcane production area in Northeast SËao Paulo, which is responsible
for 30% of the ethanol production in Brazil. A few years after pre-harvest fire
suspension, a high prevalence of hantavirus was found in small rodents at lower
population density, but apparently higher population growth rate. Differences in
life cycle between the rodents and their predators may explain such density
patterns, as small rodents can breed twice or even three times each year, whereas
their predators usually breed only once a year. Similarly, the temporal dynamics
of the predatorâprey relationship suggests that hantavirus prevalence is related to
small rodentâs population growth and not density. Only Akodon montensis,
Calomys tener, and Necromys lasiurus contained immunoglobulin G antibodiesagainst the recombinant nucleoprotein of Araraquara orthohantavirus, a genotype
of Andes orthohantavirus, with no interspecific variation in seroprevalence among
these species. However, males presented higher prevalence rate than females, possibly
due to a male-biased dispersal pattern and a higher frequency of antagonistic
interactions. Governance measures to mitigate the role of small wild rodents on
the emergence of hantavirus in agricultural landscapes dominated by sugarcane
plantations should include the use of wildlife-friendly management techniques
(e.g., to mitigate the mortality of the predators of small rodents), human capacity
building concerning wildlife-related conflicts, and multifunctionality of agricultural
landscapes. Future studies should prioritize the possible relationship between
microhabitat structure and hantavirus prevalence in small rodents in agricultural
landscapes dominated by sugarcane fields.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
NEOTROPICAL XENARTHRANS: a data set of occurrence of xenarthran species in the Neotropics
Xenarthransâanteaters, sloths, and armadillosâhave essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths. Our data set includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to the austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n = 5,941), and Cyclopes sp. have the fewest (n = 240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 11,588), and the fewest data are recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n = 33). With regard to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n = 962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n = 12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other data sets of Neotropical Series that will become available very soon (i.e., Neotropical Carnivores, Neotropical Invasive Mammals, and Neotropical Hunters and Dogs). Therefore, studies on trophic cascades, hunting pressure, habitat loss, fragmentation effects, species invasion, and climate change effects will be possible with the Neotropical Xenarthrans data set. Please cite this data paper when using its data in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using these data