Estrutura da Mata estacional no Parque Estadual de Itapuã, Viamão, RS : dados preliminares

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Markedly divergent tree assemblage responses to tropical forest loss and fragmentation across a strong seasonality gradient

We examine the effects of forest fragmentation on the structure and composition of tree assemblages within three seasonal and aseasonal forest types of southern Brazil, including evergreen, Araucaria, and deciduous forests. We sampled three southernmost Atlantic Forest landscapes, including the largest continuous forest protected areas within each forest type. Tree assemblages in each forest type were sampled within 10 plots of 0.1 ha in both continuous forests and 10 adjacent forest fragments. All trees within each plot were assigned to trait categories describing their regeneration strategy, vertical stratification, seed-dispersal mode, seed size, and wood density. We detected differences among both forest types and landscape contexts in terms of overall tree species richness, and the density and species richness of different functional groups in terms of regeneration strategy, seed dispersal mode and woody density. Overall, evergreen forest fragments exhibited the largest deviations from continuous forest plots in assemblage structure. Evergreen, Araucaria and deciduous forests diverge in the functional composition of tree floras, particularly in relation to regeneration strategy and stress tolerance. By supporting a more diversified light-demanding and stress-tolerant flora with reduced richness and abundance of shadetolerant, old-growth species, both deciduous and Araucaria forest tree assemblages are more intrinsically resilient to contemporary human-disturbances, including fragmentationinduced edge effects, in terms of species erosion and functional shifts. We suggest that these intrinsic differences in the direction and magnitude of responses to changes in landscape structure between forest types should guide a wide range of conservation strategies in restoring fragmented tropical forest landscapes worldwide

Florística e estrutura da sinúsia herbácea terrícola de uma floresta estacional de encosta no Parque Estadual de Itapuã, Viamão, Rio Grande do Sul

A sinúsia herbácea terrícola em formações florestais oferece subsídios importantes para a compreensão de seus processos dinâmicos, contudo é pouco estudada em regiões subtropicais. O presente estudo descreve a florística e estrutura fitossociológica desta sinúsia em uma floresta estacional no Parque Estadual de Itapuã, Viamão, Rio Grande do Sul, em duas estações (inverno e verão). Foram levantadas 30 unidades amostrais de 4m2, nas quais foram determinadas as espécies e tomadas medidas para a estimativa de parâmetros fitossociológicos. Foram encontradas 22 espécies de 14 famílias. Orchidaceae e Poaceae tiveram a maior riqueza específica. A amostragem fitossociológica resultou em 10 espécies de oito famílias, destacando-se estruturalmente Pteris brasiliense, Olyra humilis e Asplenium sellowianum. As amostragens de verão e inverno revelaram a mesma composição, com uma diversidade específica (1,952 e 1,953 nats), cobertura e freqüência sem variação significativa. A presença de grandes rochas, a exposição sul da encosta e a aparente baixa luminosidade no interior da floresta ocasionada pelo dossel compacto, provavelmente contribuíram para a baixa cobertura e diversidade encontrados. A variação não significativa nos levantamentos em distintas estações climáticas sugere que para florestas no sul do Brasil, nas quais o dossel não apresente variação significativa na cobertura ao longo do ano, os mesmos sejam dispensáveis

Structure, diversity and phytogeographic contingent of tree species in a riverine forest in the Planalto da Campanha, Pampa biome

O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever a estrutura e a diversidade de espécies arbóreas da floresta ribeirinha no arroio Pai Passo, município de Quaraí (RS), e avaliar as relações florísticas. Foram demarcadas três parcelas de 0,25 ha e amostradas todas as árvores com perímetro à altura do peito ≥ 15 cm. Em 0,75 ha, encontramos 1.050 indivíduos distribuídos em 36 espécies nativas e duas exóticas. As espécies estruturalmente mais importantes foram Pouteria salicifolia (Spreng.) Radlk., Gymnanthes klotzschiana Müll.Arg. e Eugenia uniflora L. A diversidade de Shannon foi de 12,38 espécies equivalentes, com índices de Shannon (H’) de 2,52 e de Pielou (J’) de 0,70. As espécies de ampla distribuição corresponderam a 50%, as do contingente paranense a 25% e as chaquenhas a 25%. A riqueza específica é alta para o Planalto da Campanha, devido à compensação de espécies chaquenhas ante a diluição de espécies paranenses, porém intermediária para o bioma Pampa.The aim of this study was to describe the structure and diversity of tree species of a riverine forest in the Pai Passo stream, Quaraí municipality (RS), and evaluate the floristic relationships. Three 0.25 ha plots were delimited and all trees with a perimeter at breast height ≥ 15 cm were sampled. In 0.75 ha, we sampled 1,050 individuals distributed in 36 native and two exotic species. The structurally most important species were Pouteria salicifolia (Spreng.) Radlk., Gymnanthes klotzschiana Müll.Arg. and Eugenia uniflora L. The Shannon diversity was 12.38 equivalent species, with Shannon index (H’) of 2.52 and Pielou index (J’) of 0.70. The species with wide distribution correspond to 50%, the paranense contingent species to 25% and the chacoan species to 25%. The species richness is high for the Planalto da Campanha, due to compensation of chacoan species against the dilution of paranense species, but intermediate for the Pampa biome

Estrutura da sinúsia herbácea em Floresta Ombrófila Mista no Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra, sul do Brasil

The herbaceous synusiae is pointed out as an important indicator of forest conservation, because it generally responds to disturbance in a distinct way than tree species. The present study was carried out at Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra, Cambará do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, aiming to describe the floristics, the structure and the biological spectrum of the herbaceous synusiae, having it as an indicator of the conservation level. The survey was conducted in 30 sample units, where was observed the presence of ground herbaceous species and its respective covering. Floristic composition was supplemented with collections of species in the vicinity of the sampling units. 31 species of Angiospermae (28) and Pteridophyta (three) were inventoried 26, from these were sampled. The high covering and frequency of Ichnanthus pallens (Sw.) Benth., 98% and 93.3% respectively, followed by Coccocypselum reitzii L.B. Sm. et Downs with 66% and 100%, gave them special attention to them in terms of physiognomy and synusiae structure. The specific diversity (H’) was 2.639 (nats) and the equability (J’) was 0.810. The most frequent life form was the Hemicryptophyte. The results show a dense and rich herbaceous synusiae, although altered by natural and anthropic disturbances, among them, the ones caused by the cattle, which must be removed from the forest area in the conservation unit.A sinúsia herbácea terrícola é apontada como um importante parâmetro indicador do grau de conservação florestal, pois geralmente responde a distúrbios de forma distinta das espécies arbóreas. O presente estudo foi realizado no Parque Nacional de Aparados da Serra, Cambará do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, com o objetivo de descrever a florística, a estrutura e o espectro biológico da sinúsia herbácea, tomando-a como indicador do grau de conservação. O levantamento foi realizado em 30 unidades amostrais, nas quais anotamos a presença das espécies herbáceas terrícolas e sua respectiva cobertura. A florística foi complementada com coletas de espécies nos arredores das unidades amostrais. Inventariamos 31 espécies, 28 Angiospermae e três Pteridophyta, com a ocorrência de 26 dessas nas unidades amostrais. A alta cobertura e frequência de Ichnanthus pallens (Sw.) Benth., respectivamente com 98% e 93,33%, seguida de Coccocypselum reitzii L. B. Sm. et Downs, com 66% e 100%, as destacaram na fisionomia e na estrutura da sinúsia. A diversidade específica (H’) foi de 2,639 (nats) e a equabilidade (J’) de 0,810. A forma de vida mais frequente foi a hemicriptófita. Os resultados apontam uma sinúsia herbácea rica e densa, mas alterada por distúrbios naturais e antrópicos, e dentre estes, estão principalmente os provocados pelo gado, que deve ser removido da área florestal da Unidade de Conservação.

The Program for Biodiversity Research in Brazil: The role of regional networks for biodiversity knowledge, dissemination, and conservation

The Program for Biodiversity Research (PPBio) is an innovative program designed to integrate all biodiversity research stakeholders. Operating since 2004, it has installed long-term ecological research sites throughout Brazil and its logic has been applied in some other southern-hemisphere countries. The program supports all aspects of research necessary to understand biodiversity and the processes that affect it. There are presently 161 sampling sites (see some of them at Supplementary Appendix), most of which use a standardized methodology that allows comparisons across biomes and through time. To date, there are about 1200 publications associated with PPBio that cover topics ranging from natural history to genetics and species distributions. Most of the field data and metadata are available through PPBio web sites or DataONE. Metadata is available for researchers that intend to explore the different faces of Brazilian biodiversity spatio-temporal variation, as well as for managers intending to improve conservation strategies. The Program also fostered, directly and indirectly, local technical capacity building, and supported the training of hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students. The main challenge is maintaining the long-term funding necessary to understand biodiversity patterns and processes under pressure from global environmental changes

12,500+ and counting: biodiversity of the Brazilian Pampa

Knowledge on biodiversity is fundamental for conservation strategies. The Brazilian Pampa region, located in subtropical southern Brazil, is neglected in terms of conservation, and knowledge of its biodiversity is fragmented. We aim to answer the question: how many, and which, species occur in the Brazilian Pampa? In a collaborative effort, we built species lists for plants, animals, bacteria, and fungi that occur in the Brazilian Pampa. We included information on distribution patterns, main habitat types, and conservation status. Our study resulted in referenced lists totaling 12,503 species (12,854 taxa, when considering infraspecific taxonomic categories [or units]). Vascular plants amount to 3,642 species (including 165 Pteridophytes), while algae have 2,046 species (2,378 taxa) and bryophytes 316 species (318 taxa). Fungi (incl. lichenized fungi) contains 1,141 species (1,144 taxa). Animals total 5,358 species (5,372 taxa). Among the latter, vertebrates comprise 1,136 species, while invertebrates are represented by 4,222 species. Our data indicate that, according to current knowledge, the Pampa holds approximately 9% of the Brazilian biodiversity in an area of little more than 2% of Brazil’s total land The proportion of species restricted to the Brazilian Pampa is low (with few groups as exceptions), as it is part of a larger grassland ecoregion and in a transitional climatic setting. Our study yielded considerably higher species numbers than previously known for many species groups; for some, it provides the first published compilation. Further efforts are needed to increase knowledge in the Pampa and other regions of Brazil. Considering the strategic importance of biodiversity and its conservation, appropriate government policies are needed to fund studies on biodiversity, create accessible and constantly updated biodiversity databases, and consider biodiversity in school curricula and other outreach activitie