Phylobetadiversity among Forest Types in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Complex

Phylobetadiversity is defined as the phylogenetic resemblance between communities or biomes. Analyzing phylobetadiversity patterns among different vegetation physiognomies within a single biome is crucial to understand the historical affinities between them. Based on the widely accepted idea that different forest physiognomies within the Southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest constitute different facies of a single biome, we hypothesize that more recent phylogenetic nodes should drive phylobetadiversity gradients between the different forest types within the Atlantic Forest, as the phylogenetic divergence among those forest types is biogeographically recent. We compiled information from 206 checklists describing the occurrence of shrub/tree species across three different forest physiognomies within the Southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest (Dense, Mixed and Seasonal forests). We analyzed intra-site phylogenetic structure (phylogenetic diversity, net relatedness index and nearest taxon index) and phylobetadiversity between plots located at different forest types, using five different methods differing in sensitivity to either basal or terminal nodes (phylogenetic fuzzy weighting, COMDIST, COMDISTNT, UniFrac and Rao’s H). Mixed forests showed higher phylogenetic diversity and overdispersion than the other forest types. Furthermore, all forest types differed from each other in relation phylobetadiversity patterns, particularly when phylobetadiversity methods more sensitive to terminal nodes were employed. Mixed forests tended to show higher phylogenetic differentiation to Dense and Seasonal forests than these latter from each other. The higher phylogenetic diversity and phylobetadiversity levels found in Mixed forests when compared to the others likely result from the biogeographical origin of several taxa occurring in these forests. On one hand, Mixed forests shelter several temperate taxa, like the conifers Araucaria and Podocarpus. On the other hand, tropical groups, like Myrtaceae, are also very representative of this forest type. We point out to the need of more attention to Mixed forests as a conservation target within the Brazilian Atlantic Forest given their high phylogenetic uniqueness

RecruitNet: A global database of plant recruitment networks

Plant recruitment interactions (i.e., what recruits under what) shape the composition, diversity, and structure of plant communities. Despite the huge body of knowledge on the mechanisms underlying recruitment interactions among species, we still know little about the structure of the recruitment networks emerging in ecological communities. Modeling and analyzing the community-level structure of plant recruitment interactions as a complex network can provide relevant information on ecological and evolutionary processes acting both at the species and ecosystem levels. We report a data set containing 143 plant recruitment networks in 23 countries across five continents, including temperate and tropical ecosystems. Each network identifies the species under which another species recruits. All networks report the number of recruits (i.e., individuals) per species. The data set includes >850,000 recruiting individuals involved in 118,411 paired interactions among 3318 vascular plant species across the globe. The cover of canopy species and open ground is also provided. Three sampling protocols were used: (1) The Recruitment Network (RN) protocol (106 networks) focuses on interactions among established plants (“canopy species”) and plants in their early stages of recruitment (“recruit species”). A series of plots was delimited within a locality, and all the individuals recruiting and their canopy species were identified; (2) The paired Canopy-Open (pCO) protocol (26 networks) consists in locating a potential canopy plant and identifying recruiting individuals under the canopy and in a nearby open space of the same area; (3) The Georeferenced plot (GP) protocol (11 networks) consists in using information from georeferenced individual plants in large plots to infer canopy-recruit interactions. Some networks incorporate data for both herbs and woody species, whereas others focus exclusively on woody species. The location of each study site, geographical coordinates, country, locality, responsible author, sampling dates, sampling method, and life habits of both canopy and recruit species are provided. This database will allow researchers to test ecological, biogeographical, and evolutionary hypotheses related to plant recruitment interactions. There are no copyright restrictions on the data set; please cite this data paper when using these data in publications. © 2022 The Authors. Ecology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Ecological Society of America

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits - the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants - determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits - almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

A facilitação durante a expansão florestal sobre campos no Paraná

Resumo: Nos Campos Gerais do Paraná, encontram-se extensas regiões de mosaico entre campo e floresta. Nessa região há o encontro do limite Sul do Cerrado e do limite Norte dos Campos Sulinos, além da Floresta com Araucária e a Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, gerando mosaicos de distintas fisionomias vegetais. Análises palinológicas e modelos de predição de vegetação em grande escala indicam uma tendência das florestas expandirem sobre os campos nessa região. Tal expansão pode se dar pelas bordas florestais ou pela colonização de espécies florestais sobre a matriz campestre. Nesta ocupação dos campos, as espécies florestais sofrem grande estresse, o qual pode ser atenuado pelo sombreamento promovido por plantas isoladas - nurse plants - num processo chamado facilitação. No presente estudo avaliamos a facilitação por espécies lenhosas na expansão florestal sobre campos, em uma região de ecótono entre Campo Sulino, associado à Floresta com Araucária e Cerrado, no Sul do Brasil. Comparamos o processo em dois parques estaduais que diferem no contexto fitogeográfico: Parque Estadual Guartelá (PEG), com maior influência de flora do Cerrado e Parque Estadual de Vila Velha (PEVV) com menor influência desta formação. Para avaliar o processo de facilitação na expansão das florestas sobre os campos, percorremos os dois parques e, em locais de ocorrência de campos associados a capões de florestas, estabelecemos transecções de 80m (quatro em cada parque), aproximadamente paralelas à borda dos capões e avaliamos a expansão da floresta sobre o campo a partir de plantas facilitadoras e em manchas florestais. Houve uma menor porcentagem de cobertura de espécies campestres sob a copa dos indivíduos facilitadores, em comparação às áreas de campo associadas. Além disso, esses indivíduos apresentaram maiores abundância e riqueza de plantas lenhosas recrutadas sob suas copas, comparado com os campos. Encontramos 35 espécies lenhosas facilitadoras, sendo cinco dessas comuns aos dois parques, 15 exclusivas do PEG e 15 exclusivas no PEVV. Nas manchas florestais encontramos sete espécies de plantas nucleadoras no PEG e 13 no PEVV, sendo duas comuns aos dois. Os dois parques também diferiram na porcentagem de grupos de ocorrência de espécies; grupos típicos de Cerrado foram mais abundantes no PEG enquanto grupos florestais foram mais abundantes no PEVV. Evidenciamos, para os dois parques, o papel da facilitação na expansão florestal e concluímos que áreas com influências de floras distintas apresentam diferenças nos potenciais de facilitação e na estruturação inicial dos núcleos florestais. Desta forma, a expansão florestal sobre os campos no Sul do Brasil através da facilitação é um processo dependente da influência do pool de espécies de cada região

Floresta atlântica : distribuição da diversidade vegetal em um contexto econômico e conservacionista

Orientador : Profª. Drª. Márcia C. M. MarquesTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Conservação. Defesa: Curitiba, 21/02/2017Referências ao final de cada capituloÁrea de concentração : Ecologia e conservaçãoResumo: O bioma Floresta Atlântica, um hotspot de biodiversidade, abriga a maior parte das terras cultivadas e da população do Brasil. Encontrar um caminho sustentável para o uso da terra nesse bioma é necessário, dado que as condições regionais e globais do clima, a provisão de comida e energia e a conservação da biodiversidade, estão todos em jogo. Aplicações da teoria ecológica podem auxiliar nesse objetivo de se atingir o desenvolvimento sustentável, conciliando produção e conservação da Floresta Atlântica. Essa tese teve como objetivo geral verificar o padrão de distribuição espacial da diversidade de espécies lenhosas em remanescentes da Floresta Atlântica e relacionar com indicadores de produção agrícola, a fim de subsidiar ações eficazes de conservação da biodiversidade neste bioma. A tese foi organizada em três capítulos tratando destes temas relacionados. O primeiro capítulo explorou os elementos da estrutura de metacomunidade e da diversidade da Floresta Atlântica e seus determinantes em diferentes escalas espaciais, com intuito de subsidiar políticas de conservação. A metacomunidade da Floresta Atlântica como um todo, bem como de seus tipos florestais (Florestas Ombrófila Densa, Ombrófila Mista e Estacional) apresentam estrutura de nested subsets, que representa subconjuntos aninhados com perda agrupada de espécies. Além disso, os componentes locais e geográficos da diversidade são responsáveis pela alta diversidade do bioma. Estes resultados demonstram que a diversidade da Floresta Atlântica é espacialmente estruturada e sugere que os esforços de conservação seriam mais efetivos focando na proteção de sítios ricos em diversidade. No segundo capítulo foi apresentado um breve histórico da agricultura na Floresta Atlântica a fim de se evidenciarem as grandes mudanças temporais das práticas agrícolas adotadas. As práticas de exploração econômica da Floresta Atlântica avançaram muito ao longo dos anos; iniciaram-se com um modelo extrativista, chegando à mecanização e diversificação de culturas. A quebra de paradigma do modelo agrícola foi um dos responsáveis por esses grandes avanços da agricultura no Brasil. Considerando as atuais ameaças à biodiversidade, sugere-se que o momento atual seja prenúncio de um novo paradigma na agricultura, onde o desenvolvimento agrícola seja baseado na sustentabilidade. O terceiro capítulo explorou trade-offs entre biodiversidade e produção agrícola na Floresta Atlântica, utilizando método inovador que permite a comparação entre serviços ecossistêmicos mensurados com diferentes métricas. A biodiversidade é diretamente dependente da área conservada, mas a produção agrícola pode aumentar sem a necessidade de aumento da área agrícola. Estes resultados mostram que um cenário de ganhos tanto no aumento da produção agrícola como na conservação da biodiversidade são possíveis e devem ser considerados em planejamentos futuros. Em conclusão, o trabalho sugere que esforços de conservação na Floresta Atlântica contemplem os três tipos florestais e priorizem sítios ricos em espécies. A ênfase no aumento da eficiência das práticas agrícolas em terras já convertidas para a agricultura pode promover tanto o incremento da produtividade quanto a conservação da biodiversidade nessa floresta tropical hiperdiversa. Palavras-chave: Árvore, tropical, comunidade, diversidade, serviços ecossistêmicos.Abstract: The Atlantic Forest biome is a hotspot of biodiversity and hosts most of Brazil's cultivated land and population. Finding a sustainable path for the land-use in this biome is necessary as regional and global climate conditions, food and energy provision, and biodiversity conservation are all at stake. Applications of the ecological theory can help achieving a sustainable development, reconciling production and conservation in the Atlantic Forest biome. The general objective of this thesis was to verify the pattern of the spatial distribution of the woody species diversity in forest remnants and to relate it with indicators of agricultural production, to subsidize effective conservation actions in the Atlantic Forest. The thesis was organized in three chapters addressing these related topics. The first chapter explored the elements of the metacommunity structure and diversity of the Atlantic Forest and its determinants in different spatial scales. The metacommunity of the entire Atlantic Forest, as well as of its forest types (Ombrophilous Dense, Ombrophilous Mixed, and Seasonal Forests) present a nested subsets structure with grouped loss of species. In addition, the local and geographic components of diversity are responsible for the high diversity of the biome. These results demonstrate that the diversity of the Atlantic Forest is spatially structured and suggests that conservation efforts would be more effective focusing on the protection of diversity-rich sites. In the second chapter, a brief history of agriculture in the Atlantic Forest was presented to show the temporal changes in the agricultural management. The economic exploitation practices of the Atlantic Forest have advanced over the years; it began with an extractivist model, reaching the mechanization and diversification of cultures. The paradigm breach of the agricultural model adopted was one of the responsible for these advances in the Brazilian agriculture. Given the actual levels of threat for the biodiversity, it is suggested that the current moment is a harbinger of a new paradigm in agriculture, with the agricultural advance being based on sustainability. The third chapter explored trade-offs between biodiversity and agricultural production in the Atlantic Forest, using an innovative method that allows the comparison between ecosystem services measured with different metrics. Biodiversity is directly dependent on the conserved area, but agricultural production can increase without the need to increase the agricultural land. These results show that a win-win scenario is possible, conciliating increases in the agricultural production and conserving biodiversity, and should be considered in future land use management planning. In conclusion, the result suggests that conservation efforts in the Atlantic Forest may encompass the three forest types and prioritize sites rich in species. Emphasis on increasing the efficiency of farming practices on already converted lands can enhance both productivity and biodiversity conservation in this hyper-diverse tropical forest. Key-words: Tropical Forest, metacommunity, tree, diversity, ecosystem services, agriculture

Compilation of woody species occurring in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest complex

The Atlantic Forest is a hotspot for biodiversity conservation because of its high levels of endemism and threatened areas. Three main forest types, differentiated by their floras, compose the Atlantic Forest: ‘Atlantic Forest’ sensu strictu, ‘Araucaria Mixed Forest’ and ‘Seasonal Forest’. The flora comprises taxa from the Amazon forest, Cerrado gallery forests and the Andean region, which makes the Atlantic Forest a relevant study system for ecologists and biogeographers. Here, we present data from 206 floris- tic checklists describing the occurrence of 1,916 species across the southern portion of the Atlantic Forest. This dataset can be useful for understanding mechanisms underlying plant community assembly processes and the historical relationships between different forest formations.<br /

Compilation of woody species occurring in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest complex

The Atlantic Forest is a hotspot for biodiversity conservation because of its high levels of endemism and threatened areas. Three main forest types, differentiated by their floras, compose the Atlantic Forest: ‘Atlantic Forest’ sensu strictu, ‘Araucaria Mixed Forest’ and ‘Seasonal Forest’. The flora comprises taxa from the Amazon forest, Cerrado gallery forests and the Andean region, which makes the Atlantic Forest a relevant study system for ecologists and biogeographers. Here, we present data from 206 floris- tic checklists describing the occurrence of 1,916 species across the southern portion of the Atlantic Forest. This dataset can be useful for understanding mechanisms underlying plant community assembly processes and the historical relationships between different forest formations

Urbanization homogenizes the interactions of plant-frugivore bird networks

Anthropogenic activities are the main cause of habitat loss and fragmentation, which directly affects biodiversity. Disruption in landscape connectivity among populations may affect complex interactions between species and ecosystem functions, such as pollination and seed dispersal, and ultimately result in secondary extinctions. Urbanization, one of the most intense forms of landscapes changes, has been reported to negatively affect bird and plant diversity. Still, little is known about the effects of urban landscapes on interaction networks. We investigated the relationship between urban landscape structure and plant-frugivore networks at different spatial scales. Coupling interaction data from urban areas and a model selection approach, we evaluated which landscape factors best explained the variation in urban networks properties. Our results indicate that urbanization decreases bird richness, mainly through the loss of habitat specialist species, which results in networks being composed mainly of birds well adapted to urban dwelling. We found that interaction evenness, a measure of homogeneity of interaction distribution between species, increases with urbanization. This is due to the strong dominance that generalist birds had in network composition because they foraged on all available fruits, including exotic plants. The ensuing homogenization of interactions can reduce the resilience of networks and affect the efficiency of ecosystems functions. Thus, urbanization plans should consider the proportion and distribution of green areas within cities, coupling human and ecosystem wellbeing.Fil: Schneiberg, Israel. Universidade Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Boscolo, Danilo. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Devoto, Mariano. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Cátedra de Botánica General; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario; ArgentinaFil: Marcilio Silva, Vinicius. Universidade Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Dalmaso, Cilmar Antônio. Universidade Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Ribeiro, John Wesley. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Ribeiro, Milton Cezar. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Guaraldo, André de Camargo. Universidade Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Niebuhr, Bernardo Brandão. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Varassin, Isabela Galarda. Universidade Federal do Paraná; Brasi

Distinct Outcomes in COVID-19 Patients with Positive or Negative RT-PCR Test

Identification of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by RT-PCR from a nasopharyngeal swab sample is a common test for diagnosing COVID-19. However, some patients present clinical, laboratorial, and radiological evidence of COVID-19 infection with negative RT-PCR result(s). Thus, we assessed whether positive results were associated with intubation and mortality. This study was conducted in a Brazilian tertiary hospital from March to August of 2020. All patients had clinical, laboratory, and radiological diagnosis of COVID-19. They were divided into two groups: positive (+) RT-PCR group, with 2292 participants, and negative (&minus;) RT-PCR group, with 706 participants. Patients with negative RT-PCR testing and an alternative most probable diagnosis were excluded from the study. The RT-PCR(+) group presented increased risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, mechanical ventilation, length of hospital stay, and 28-day mortality, when compared to the RT-PCR(&minus;) group. A positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR result was independently associated with intubation and 28 day in-hospital mortality. Accordingly, we concluded that patients with a COVID-19 diagnosis based on clinical data, despite a negative RT-PCR test from nasopharyngeal samples, presented more favorable outcomes than patients with positive RT-PCR test(s)