Use of Natural Marks to Identify Individual Bokermannohyla hylax (Amphibia: Anura)

Of 16 Bokermannohyla hylax (13 males and three females) assessed during a seven-month field study in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, five were recognized visually by natural marks when recaptured and the other eleven from photographic records of the flanks and dorsum. This is the first time that identification by natural marks has been used to individually identify frogs. To test this method, waistbands with colored plastic beads were tied to the frogs’ waists to verify individual recognition upon recapture. Photographic identification is a scientific tool that consists of cataloging photographs of the animal for individual recognition and later identification in studies of behavior and population dynamics. Many individuals displayed thanatosis upon handling and some vocalized. Such vocalization is distinct from those associated with territoriality, advertisement, and release calls. The identification of individual B. hylax using digital images was an efficient, low-cost, and non-invasive method that might be of benefit in the study of other amphibian species

Use of Natural Marks to Identify Individual Bokermannohyla hylax (Amphibia: Anura)

Of 16 Bokermannohyla hylax (13 males and three females) assessed during a seven-month field study in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil, five were recognized visually by natural marks when recaptured and the other eleven from photographic records of the flanks and dorsum. This is the first time that identification by natural marks has been used to individually identify frogs. To test this method, waistbands with colored plastic beads were tied to the frogs’ waists to verify individual recognition upon recapture. Photographic identification is a scientific tool that consists of cataloging photographs of the animal for individual recognition and later identification in studies of behavior and population dynamics. Many individuals displayed thanatosis upon handling and some vocalized. Such vocalization is distinct from those associated with territoriality, advertisement, and release calls. The identification of individual B. hylax using digital images was an efficient, low-cost, and non-invasive method that might be of benefit in the study of other amphibian species

Birds of the Pantanal floodplains, Brazil: historical data, diversity, and conservation

The Pantanal floodplains of Brazil are a region of rich biodiversity. To date, the true richness of the Pantanal avifauna has not been explored satisfactorily caused by a lack of studies in the region and, especially, by the divergence of opinion among the works published by various authors on the many species found in the region. This is due to the lack of criteria in examining records, both with regard to the reliability of the identifications and in the precise geographical allocation. Therefore, in the study, we collage findings from various studies and records created by us in the last few decades from 199 distinct locations to produce a list of birds in the Pantanal floodplains. We grouped the results into three lists: primary, secondary, and tertiary. We found that the avifauna of the Pantanal floodplain is composed of a total of 617 species, of which 571 (92%) have supporting records of occurrence (primary list) and 46 still lack documentation (secondary list). The number of species listed here for the Pantanal floodplain represents 32% of all avifauna known to the Brazilian territory. This reflects the importance of the biome, as part of the national territory, for the maintenance of a meaningful avifaunistic richness. Migratory birds (n = 183), notably northern ones (n = 43), are among the main players involved in ecological processes of nutrient cycling and dispersion of important pathogens between the two continents. With regard to conservation, 25 species are included in some category of threat in the lists of threatened species with global extinction. We hope that our list will help future researchers a more definitive approach when researching the avian fauna in this bountiful region

Checklist of the birds of Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil: diversity and conservation

Several phytogeographic regions (Cerrado, Pantanal, Atlantic Forest, Gran Chaco, and Chiquitano Dry Forests) converge in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, and influence regional biodiversity. Despite a list of birds in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul being published by Nunes et al. (2017), it is necessary to update and critically review avifauna records. In this study, we gathered the results of several records obtained from species lists and online data platforms of the 336 sites in this state over the last decades and grouped them into Main (Primary and Secondary) and Tertiary Lists. The avifauna of Mato Grosso do Sul is composed of 678 species, of which 643 (95%) have records proving their occurrence (Primary List), whereas 34 still lack documentation (Secondary List). The number of related species for Mato Grosso do Sul represents 34% of the Brazilian avifauna. Some species stand out for their unique occurrence in Mato Grosso do Sul, such as Melanerpes cactorum, Celeus lugubris, Phaethornis subochraceus, and Cantorchilus guarayanus, reflecting the influence of different phytogeographic regions of the Chaco and Chiquitano Dry Forests. Migrants represent 20% of the bird community occurring in the state, of which 93 species correspond to migrants from various regions of South America (south and west) and 40 to boreal migrants. Thirty-three species perform nomadic movements across the Pantanal Plain and other regions of the state. Thirty-one species are included in some conservation-threatened categories of global and/or national endangered species lists. Other 30 species are included in the near-threatened category at the global level and 23 at the national level. In addition, species typical of dry forests (in Serra da Bodoquena and Maciço do Urucum) and those from the Atlantic Forest in the south of the state deserve attention due to their restricted distribution and the high anthropogenic pressure on their habitat

Checklist of the birds of Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil: diversity and conservation

Several phytogeographic regions (Cerrado, Pantanal, Atlantic Forest, Gran Chaco, and Chiquitano Dry Forests) converge in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, and influence regional biodiversity. Despite a list of birds in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul being published by Nunes et al. (2017), it is necessary to update and critically review avifauna records. In this study, we gathered the results of several records obtained from species lists and online data platforms of the 336 sites in this state over the last decades and grouped them into Main (Primary and Secondary) and Tertiary Lists. The avifauna of Mato Grosso do Sul is composed of 678 species, of which 643 (95%) have records proving their occurrence (Primary List), whereas 34 still lack documentation (Secondary List). The number of related species for Mato Grosso do Sul represents 34% of the Brazilian avifauna. Some species stand out for their unique occurrence in Mato Grosso do Sul, such as Melanerpes cactorum, Celeus lugubris, Phaethornis subochraceus, and Cantorchilus guarayanus, reflecting the influence of different phytogeographic regions of the Chaco and Chiquitano Dry Forests. Migrants represent 20% of the bird community occurring in the state, of which 93 species correspond to migrants from various regions of South America (south and west) and 40 to boreal migrants. Thirty-three species perform nomadic movements across the Pantanal Plain and other regions of the state. Thirty-one species are included in some conservation-threatened categories of global and/or national endangered species lists. Other 30 species are included in the near-threatened category at the global level and 23 at the national level. In addition, species typical of dry forests (in Serra da Bodoquena and Maciço do Urucum) and those from the Atlantic Forest in the south of the state deserve attention due to their restricted distribution and the high anthropogenic pressure on their habitat

Effects of fragmentation and habitat change in bird community in Una Biological Reserve region, Bahia, Brazil

Orientadores: Andre Victor Lucci Freitas, Keith Spalding Brown JuniorTese (doutorado) Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de BiologiaResumo: A Floresta Atlântica é um dos ecossistemas mais ameaçados no mundo e as unidades de conservação são importantes para manutenção da biodiversidade nesta paisagem altamente fragmentada. A avifauna da Floresta Atlântica do sul da Bahia é rica, com muitos endemismos e espécies ameaçadas de extinção. Nós investigamos a composição da avifauna da RBU e áreas adjacentes com o objetivo de medir a importância dessa UC para a proteção das espécies, assim como a resposta da comunidade aos diferentes hábitats (cabrucas, capoeiras e fragmentos florestais). Nós comparamos os resultados obtidos para aves, morcegos, lagartos, anuros e samambaias dentro dessa matriz predominatemente florestal com uma segunda área com paisagem oposta (fragmentos florestais imersos em matriz de cabrucas). Resultados: Nós encontramos 333 espécies de aves, incluindo 17 ameaçadas. A escassez de aves cinegéticas indica que a pressão de caça é alta na região. As cabrucas (plantações de cacau sob floresta raleada) exibem riqueza e abundância de aves maior que os demais hábitats investigados, com a presença de espécies generalistas invasoras. Frugívoros e insetívoros de copas foram abundantes e ricos nas cabrucas. Entretanto, insetívoros e frugívoros de sub-bosque são sensíveis à simplificação do hábitat deste sistema agroflorestal e muitas espécies desapareceram. O efeito de borda agiu significantemente para algumas espécies, com insetívoros generalistas aumentando sua riqueza e abundância, porém com alguns insetívoros e frugívoros de sub-bosque diminuindo próximo às bordas. Algumas espécies podem ser indicadores de florestas, já que ocorrem somente em interior de fragmentos. O amplo consenso sobre a importância de plantações sombreadas (cabrucas) para a conservação da biodiversidade deve ser tomado com cautela, porque algumas espécies evitam esse hábitat, mas as florestas secundárias (capoeiras) podem ser importantes para conectar fragmentos em uma paisagem. Uma comparação de pequenos fragmentos e cabrucas em duas paisagens contrastantes mostrou que a conversão de florestas em cabrucas impactaram diferentemente o padrão de dominância de espécies e guildas de aves e morcegos, porém as assembléias nas cabrucas geralmente refletem aquelas observadas em florestas próximas. A riqueza e composição de espécies foram diferentes nas paisagens analisadas, e ambos hábitats (florestas e cabrucas) de Uruçuca/Ilhéus mostraram perda de espécies florestais comparados com os mesmos hábitats em Una. Nosso estudo mostra que, apesar das cabrucas serem matrizes permeáveis para muitas espécies, elas não são substitutas das florestas. Há diferenças pronunciadas entre as duas paisagens com respeito à habilidade das cabrucas manterem a riqueza de espécies. Independente do grupo biológico considerado, uma representatividade maior de floresta nativa na paisagem influencia positivamente a riqueza de espécies encontradas nas cabrucas. O contexto da paisagem também influencia a variabilidade espacial da composição de espécies para alguns grupos biológicos, reforçando a importância e a vulnerabilidade de pequenas manchas florestais remanescentes em paisagens dominadas por cabrucas. Estes resultados apontam a necessidade de preservar áreas de hábitat primário mesmo em paisagens onde as práticas de uso da terra são geralmente favoráveis à conservação da biodiversidadeAbstract: The Brazilian Atlantic forest is one of more threatened ecosystems in the world, and the conservation units are very important in maintenance of biodiversity in a landscape highly fragmented. The avifauna of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest of southern Bahia State is very rich, with many endemisms and threatened species. We explore the composition of avifauna of UBR and adjacent areas, and investigated the bird communities in different habitats nearby UBR with aim to measure its importance for species protection. We compare these results obtained by birds, bats, lizards, frogs and ferns in a forested matrix with a second area with opposite landscape (forest fragments in a cabruca matrix). Results: We found 333 species, including 17 species threatened. The paucity of game birds, like cracids an tinamous, indicate that the hunt pressure is high in the region. The shaded cocoa plantation exhibited greater richness and abundance of birds, with the presence of generalist species that invaded this habitat. Canopy insectivores and frugivores were highly profuse in cocoa plantations. However, understory insectivores and frugivores are sensible to habitat simplification of this agroforest system, and many species vanished. Edge effect was significant for some species, with generalist insectivores showing increase in richness and abundance, but some understory insectivores and frugivores decrease near edges. Some species can be used as forest indicators, since it occurred only in interior of fragments. The widely consensus about the importance of shaded plantations for conservation of biodiversity must take in caution, because some species avoid this habitat, but the early secondary forest can be important to connect fragments in this highly patchy landscape. A comparison of small fragments and cabrucas from contrastant landscapes showed that the conversion of forest to cabrucas impacted the dominance pattern of species and guilds differently regarding birds and bats, but species assemblages in cabrucas generally reflect those observed in nearby forests. Species richness and composition were different in these landscapes, and both habitats from Uruçuca showed losses of forest-dwelling species compared with those habitats from Una. Our study has shown that, although cabrucas can be permeable matrices for many species from the local biota, they are not forest surrogates. There were pronounced differences between the two landscapes with regard to the ability of cabrucas to maintain species richness. Irrespective of the biological group considered, a greater representation of native forest in the landscape positively influences the species richness reported in cabrucas. Landscape context also influenced the spatial variability of species composition for some biological groups, stressing the importance, and the vulnerability of the small forest patches remaining in landscapes dominated by shade plantations. These results point to the need to preserve sufficient areas of primary habitat even in landscapes where land use practices are generally favorable to the conservation of biodiversityDoutoradoEcologia de ComunidadesDoutor em Ecologi

Frugivoria e dispersão de sementes de palmiteira (Euterpe edulis, Martius Arecaceae) na Mata Atlantica, sul do Estado de São Paulo

Orientador: Wesley Rodrigues da SilvaDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de BiologiaResumo: A frugivoria e a dispersão de sementes de plantas tropicais por aves têm despertado grande interesse para estudos de interação frugívoro-planta, sendo usadas como base para numerosas hipóteses sobre este mutualismo. Euterpe edulis é a palmeira mais abundante da Mata Atlântica e uma de suas espécies mais características. Este estudo investiga a ecologia da dispersão de E. edulis no Parque Estadual Intervales, uma reserva com 50.000 ha de Mata Atlântica relativamente bem preservada, localizada no sul do estado de São Paulo. A fenologia de 50 indivíduos mostrou que a frutificação é um evento longo, ocorrendo no inverno, entre maio e outubro, com pico em agosto e setembro. Não houve variação na frutificação entre os anos amostrados. A população frutifica assincronicamente, apesar da maturação dos frutos ser sincrônica dentro do indivíduo. A produção de frutos por indivíduo foi grande, sendo que cada infrutescência apresentou 3.300 frutos em média. Normalmente, cada indivíduo produziu duas infrutescências por estação reprodutiva. Foram utilizados dois métodos para observar as aves visitantes: árvore-focal e transecções. Durante 33 horas de árvore-focal foram observadas seis espécies de aves, sendo as mais importantes Lipaugus /anioides e Platycichla flavipes. Após o mês de agosto, este método se revelou improdutivo, com poucas aves sendo registradas. Nas transecções foram observadas 21 espécies de aves e um mamífero visitando infrutescências de E. edulis. As aves Lipaugus lanioides, P. flavipes e Pyrrhura frontalis foram as espécies com maior número de visitas. Lipaugus lanioides parece ser o melhor dispersor de E. edulis, já que permanece pouco tempo na infrutescência. Platycichla flavipes permaneceu muito tempo na infrutescência, o que talvez esteja relacionado à sua coloração críptica em meio aos frutos. Pyrrhura frontalis agiu como "ladrão de frutos", comendo a polpa e deixando cair a semente intacta embaixo da copa, exercendo um comportamento negativo para a dispersão das sementes, principalmente levando em conta a grande quantidade de frutos consumidos. Outras aves importantes foram Selenidera maculirostris, Baillonius bailloni, Trogon viridis, Penelope obscura e Pipile jacutinga. Brotogeris tirica agiu como predador de sementes imaturas, assim como P. frontalis. O mamífero Sciurus ingrami predou sementes imaturas e maduras. A estratégia reprodutiva de Euterpe edulis pode ser caracterizada como produção de frutos de pericarpo fino, com pouco investimento em polpa, agrupados em grandes infrutescências que exercem a função de atrair frugívoros. Os frutos são oferecidos durante o inverno, época com menor disponibilidade de recursos, sendo que o tamanho relativamente grande do fruto limita o conjunto de frugívoros visitantes. Indivíduos que frutificam mais cedo na população (no final do verão) tem taxa de remoção de frutos mais lenta, provavelmente devido à competição com outros recursos. A frutificação longa durante um período de baixa disponibilidade de alimento para frugívoros caracterizaria um recurso-chave, embora não tenha sido monitorada a disponibilidade de outros recursos, sendo necessário estudos adicionais. Há evidências de que E. edulis representa um papel importante na manutenção da comunidade de frugívoros no Parque Estadual Intervales durante períodos de menor disponibilidade de recursos. A exploração predatória dos palmitais pode ter consequências drásticas para a comunidade de frugívoros da Mata Atlântica, eliminando um recurso essencial para a manutenção da integridade biótica deste ecossistemaAbstract: Frugivory and seed dispersal of tropical plants have had increasing interest for studies in animal-plant relationships, with large implications in autecology and community ecology. Euterpe edulis is the most abundant palm in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and one of the most representative species of this ecosystem. This study investigates the ecology of seed dispersal of E. edulis in the Parque Estadual Intervales, a 50.000 ha reserve composed mostly by pristine Atlantic Forest, located in south of São Paulo State, Brazil. The phenology of 50 individuaIs showed that frutification is extended, occurring in the dry season, between May and October, with a peak in August-September. The fruit season did not vary in the years sampled. The fruiting season is asynchronous at the population leveI, despite of the fruit ripeness was synchronous within the individuaIs. The fruit production was large, with a mean of 3,300 fruits per infructescence. Each individual produced two infructescences annually. Two methods were applied for bird observations: focal-tree and transects. Six bird species was observed in 33 focal-tree hours, the most important were the Cinnamon-vented Piha (Lipaugus lanioides) and the Yellow-legged Thrush (Platycichla jlavipes). After August, this method accounted for a small number of records, and it was abandoned. Twenty-one bird species and one mammal visited E. edulis infructescences in the transects trials. The species with larger number of visits were the Cinnamonvented Piha, the Yellow-legged Thrush and the Reddish-bellied Parakeet (pyrrhura frontalis). The Cinnamon-vented Piha was the primary seed disperser, remaining short periods in the infructescence. The Yellow-legged Thrush performed long time visits, (maybe for its cryptic coloration), dropping the seeds under the parent crown. The Reddish-bellied Parakeet acted as a fruit thieve, eating the pulp and dropping the seed beneath the parent plant, playing a negative role for the seed dispersal, mainly account for the great amount of fruit wasting. Other bird species that visited E. edulis fruits were the Spot-billed Toucanet (Selenidera maculirostris), the Saffron Toucanet (Baillonius bailloni), the Yellow-bellied Trogon (Trogon viridis), the Dusky-l egged Guan (Penelope obscura) and the Black-fronted Piping-Guan (Pipile jacutinga). The Plain Parakeet (Brotogeris tirica) was a seed predator of unripe fruits, like the Reddishbellied Parakeet. The squirrel Sciurus ingrami ate immature and ripe fruits. The reproductive strategy of Euterpe edulis can be summarized in the production of thin pericarp fruit, with a low investment in pulp, displayed in great infructescences that attract birds, and the frugivore assemblage are gape-limited by the fruit size. The fruits were offered during the dry season, when the community suffers a low resource availability. Individual trees that ripe their fruits early in the population (late wet season) had a slow removal rate, probably by competition with other tree species. The extended fruiting season in a period of low resource availability identifies a keystone resource. There are some evidences that E. edulis plays an important role in maintaining the frugivore community on the PEI at the time of scarcity, but additional data are necessary to make certain the keystone-resource condition. The predatory exploitation of E. edulis for extracting its palm-heart might have dramatic consequences to the frugivore community of Atlantic Forest, eliminating an essential food resource for maintaining the biotic integrity of this ecosystemMestradoEcologiaMestre em Ciências Biológica

Artificial perches as a nucleation technique for restoration of a riparian environment: characterization of the seed rain and of natural regeneration

Riparian habitats are important to the maintenance of ecological processes and environmental services. However, a significant portion of the riparian vegetation in the Brazilian Atlantic forest has been removed in response to increasing human pressure. Therefore, the application of restoration techniques in these habitats becomes essential. In this context, a nucleation model with 18 artificial perches was evaluated for the restoration of a degraded riparian area in Gaspar, Santa Catarina, Brazil, by the characterization of the seed rain and natural regeneration. In two years we collected 21,864 seeds of 51 morphospecies, and recorded 42 colonizing species. Zoochoric seeds belonging to 15 plant families comprised 17% of the seed rain and 19.05% of the spontaneously regenerating plant species. Asteraceae and Poaceae were the most represented families. The artificial perches performed the nucleating function through the increase of zoochoric seed rain. However, possibly due to different barriers that were not evaluated in this study, part of these seeds was not recruited. We recommend the application of this technique for the attraction of dispersers in degraded areas similar to the study site

Artificial perches as a nucleation technique for restoration of a riparian environment: characterization of the seed rain and of natural regeneration.

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2010v23n3p125Os ambientes ciliares são importantes para a manutenção de processos ecológicos e de benefícios sócio-ambientais. Porém, com a crescente pressão antrópica, uma parcela significativa da vegetação ciliar da Mata Atlântica foi removida. Torna-se assim, urgente a aplicação de técnicas restaurativas nestes ambientes. Nesse contexto, o modelo de nucleação com 18 poleiros artificiais foi avaliado para a restauração de uma área ciliar em Gaspar, SC, Brasil, através da caracterização da chuva de sementes e regeneração natural. Em dois anos de estudo foram coletadas 21.864 sementes de 51 morfoespécies e registradas 42 espécies na regeneração. Sementes zoocóricas, pertencentes a 15 famílias botânicas, compuseram 17% do total e 19,05% das espécies da regeneração natural. As famílias Asteraceae e Poaceae foram as mais representativas. Os poleiros artificiais exerceram a função nucleadora ao contribuírem com a chuva de sementes zoocóricas. Porém, possivelmente, devido a diferentes barreiras não avaliadas nesta pesquisa, parte destas sementes não foi recrutada. Recomenda-se a aplicação da técnica para a atração de dispersores em áreas degradadas semelhantes ao estudo.Riparian habitats are important to the maintenance of ecological processes and environmental services. However, a significant portion of the riparian vegetation in the Brazilian Atlantic forest has been removed in response to increasing human pressure. Therefore, the application of restoration techniques in these habitats becomes essential. In this context, a nucleation model with 18 artificial perches was evaluated for the restoration of a degraded riparian area in Gaspar, Santa Catarina, Brazil, by the characterization of the seed rain and natural regeneration. In two years we collected 21,864 seeds of 51 morphospecies, and recorded 42 colonizing species. Zoochoric seeds belonging to 15 plant families comprised 17% of the seed rain and 19.05% of the spontaneously regenerating plant species. Asteraceae and Poaceae were the most represented families. The artificial perches performed the nucleating function through the increase of zoochoric seed rain. However, possibly due to different barriers that were not evaluated in this study, part of these seeds was not recruited. We recommend the application of this technique for the attraction of dispersers in degraded areas similar to the study site.&nbsp