Drivers of human-wildlife impact events involving mammals in Southeastern Brazil

Funding Information: LMR thanks FCT / MCTES financial support to cE3c ( UIDB/00329/2020 ), through national funds, and the co-funding by the FEDER , within the PT2020 Partnership Agreement and Compete 2020. RRH thanks the support of the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior —Brasil (CAPES - Process 88881.314420/2019-01 ). WDC thanks CAPES for post-doctoral (PNPD/CAPES) scholarships. TAM thanks partial support by CEAUL (funded by FCT - Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia , Portugal, through the project UIDB/00006/2020 ).Annually millions of animals are killed as a result of human-wildlife impacts. Each year the NGO Associação Mata Ciliar (NGOMC), in Southeastern Brazil, receives and rehabilitates thousands of animals. We evaluated how natural and anthropogenic characteristics affect the risk of different types of human-wildlife impacts for mammals that arrive at the NGOMC; and explore the relationship between both the animal's size and the type of human-wildlife impact event, survival rates and the likelihood that these animals can be fully rehabilitated. To test our hypotheses regarding the drivers and consequences of the total number of human-wildlife impact events, traffic collisions, electrocutions, and requested removals, we used records of the mammals that arrived at the NGOMC between 2012 and 2018, and obtained data on environmental attributes and anthropogenic factors at the municipality level, as well as species weights. The total number of human-wildlife impact events and of requested removals were both positively correlated with deforestation rate and urban area. The number of traffic collisions was positively related to the number of fires. Municipalities with larger urban areas were more likely to have at least one electrocuted mammal. Temporally, the number of fires two months before was positively correlated with the number of human-wildlife impact events. Traffic collisions and electrocutions more frequently resulted in the death of the animal, than did other events. Animals that died were heavier on average than those that remained in captivity or were successfully released back into the wild. We conclude that human-wildlife impact event rates should decline with lower rates of deforestation, less anthropogenic fires and the adoption of other specific measures to avoid both traffic collisions with fauna and electrocutions.PostprintPeer reviewe

Hydrodynamics and seed dispersal in the lower Amazon.

The transport of seeds by water, i.e. hydrochory, is a key mechanism of long-distance dispersal constrained by the attributes of the seed and hydrodynamics. In the freshwater Amazon estuary, river hydrodynamics are influenced by seasonal changes in precipitation and tidal cycles. It is not known to what extent a hydrodynamic model may be able to predict seed dispersal. Here we parameterised a simulation model (SisBaHia) to estimate maximum seed dispersal distances per tidal cycle, which were then compared with data from in situ seed dispersal experiments. The study was conducted along a 27-km stretch of a tributary of the Amazon estuary, using the seeds of a widely distributed riparian tree?Carapa guianensis (Meliaceae). Based on the simulation model, maximum potential seed dispersal distance was higher in the rainy season (c. 8.7 km) when compared with the dry season (5.6 km), for one tidal cycle (12 hr). The seeds of C. guianensis were dispersed further during the ebb than flood tide during the rainy season, the period of seed dispersal. Average dispersal distances observed in seed dispersal experiments conducted during the rainy season, and those predicted by SisBaHia for the same period were within the same order of magnitude. The results of this study confirm that the period of higher precipitation provides favourable hydrological conditions for hydrochory in the Amazon river-estuary complex. The fact that the time taken for the tide to fall is longer in relation to the time taken for it to rise also favours the arrival of the seeds in the main channel of the Amazon, thereby increasing the probability of long-distance dispersal events

Consequences of replacing native savannahs with acacia plantations for the taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic α- and β-diversity of bats in the northern Brazilian Amazon

Across the globe, millions of hectares of native vegetation have been replaced by commercial plantations, with negative consequences for biodiversity. The effects of the replacement of native vegetation with commercial plantations on the functional and phylogenetic diversity of bat assemblages remain understudied, and most studies have focused exclusively on the taxonomic component of diversity. Here, we investigate how the replacement of natural savannahs by acacia plantations affects the α- and β-diversity of bat assemblages. We sampled bats, using mist-nets at ground level, in natural forest, savannah areas and acacia plantations, in the Lavrados de Roraima in the northern Brazilian Amazon. Our results show that, in general, acacia is less diverse than native forests in terms of taxonomic and functional diversity, and is also less taxonomically diverse than the savannah matrix which it substitutes. The observed patterns of α- and β-diversity found in the present study are in large part driven by the superabundance of one generalist and opportunistic species, Carollia perspicillata, in the acacia plantations. Taken together, our results show that the replacement of areas of natural savannah by acacia plantations causes a regional loss in diversity across all diversity dimensions: taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic. However, further studies are required to fully understand the ecological and conservation implications of this landscape change

Exploring the relationship between plural values of nature, human well‐being, and conservation and development intervention: Why it matters and how to do it?

Globally, land and seascapes across the bioculturally diverse tropics are in transition. Impacted by the demands of distant consumers, the processes of global environmental change and numerous interventions seeking climate, conservation and development goals, these transitions have the potential to impact the relationships and plurality of values held between people and place. This paper is a Synthesis of seven empirical studies within the Special Feature (SF): ‘What is lost in transition? Capturing the impacts of conservation and development interventions on relational values and human wellbeing in the tropics’. Through two Open Forum workshops, and critical review, contributing authors explored emergent properties across the papers of the SF. Six core themes were identified and are subsumed within broad categories of: (i) the problem of reconciling scale and complexity, (ii) key challenges to be overcome for more plural understanding of social dimensions of landscape change and (iii) ways forward: the potential of an environmental justice framework, and a practical overview of methods available to do so. The Synthesis interprets disparate fields and complex academic work on relational values, human well-being and de-colonial approaches in impact appraisal. It offers a practical and actionable catalogue of methods for plural valuation in the field, and reflects on their combinations, strengths and weaknesses. The research contribution is policy relevant because it builds the case for why a more plural approach in intervention design and evaluation is essential for achieving more just and sustainable futures, and highlights some of the key actions points deemed necessary to achieve such a transition to conventional practice

The COSPAR planetary protection policy for missions to Icy Worlds: A review of history, current scientific knowledge, and future directions

Recent discoveries related to the habitability and astrobiological relevance of the outer Solar System have expanded our understanding of where and how life may have originated. As a result, the Icy Worlds of the outer Solar System have become among the highest priority targets for future spacecraft missions dedicated to astrobiology-focused and/or direct life detection objectives. This, in turn, has led to a renewed interest in planetary protection concerns and policies for the exploration of these worlds and has been a topic of discussion within the COSPAR (Committee on Space Research) Panel on Planetary Protection. This paper summarizes the results of those discussions, reviewing the current knowledge and the history of planetary protection considerations for Icy Worlds as well as suggesting ways forward. Based on those discussions, we therefore suggest to (1) Establish a new definition for Icy Worlds for Planetary Protection that captures the outer Solar System moons and dwarf planets like Pluto, but excludes more primitive bodies such as comets, centaurs, and asteroids: Icy Worlds in our Solar System are defined as all bodies with an outermost layer that is believed to be greater than 50% water ice by volume and have enough mass to assume a nearly round shape. (2) Establish indices for the lower limits of Earth life with regards to water activity (LLAw) and temperature (LLT) and apply them into all areas of the COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy. These values are currently set at 0.5 and -28°C and were originally established for defining Mars Special Regions; (3) Establish LLT as a parameter to assign categorization for Icy Worlds missions. The suggested categorization will have a 1000-year period of biological exploration, to be applied to all Icy Worlds and not just Europa and Enceladus as is currently the case. (4) Have all missions consider the possibility of impact. Transient thermal anomalies caused by impact would be acceptable so long as there is less than 10−4, probability of a single microbe reaching deeper environments where temperature is >LLT in the period of biological exploration. (5) Restructure or remove Category II* from the policy as it becomes largely redundant with this new approach, (6) Establish that any sample return from an Icy World should be Category V restricted Earth return

Planetary protection: an international concern and responsibility

Planetary protection is a set of measures agreed upon at an international level to ensure the protection of scientific investigation during space exploration. As space becomes more accessible with traditional and new actors launching complex and innovative projects that involve robotics (including sample return) and human exploration, we have the responsibility to protect the pristine environments that we explore and our own biosphere. In this sense, the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR) provides the international standard for planetary protection as well as a forum for international consultation. COSPAR has formulated a Planetary Protection Policy with associated requirements for responsible space exploration. Although not legally binding under international law, the standard offered by the Policy with its associated requirements is internationally endorsed along with implementation guidelines supplied for reference in support States’ compliance with Article IX of the United Nations Outer Space Treaty of 1967. Indeed, States parties to the Outer Space Treaty (under Article VI) are responsible for any space activities in their countries, governmental and non-governmental. The main goal of this Policy is to avoid compromising the search for any lifeforms on other celestial bodies and to protect the Earth from a potential threat posed by extraterrestrial samples returned by an interplanetary mission. The COSPAR Planetary Protection Policy has defined five categories, depending on the target and objective of the specific space mission. Associated to these categories are requirements are various degrees of rigor in the contamination control applied. The Policy is assessed regularly and updated with input from new scientific findings and in conjunction with the fast-evolving space exploration milieu. The COSPAR Panel on Planetary Protection (PPP) is a designated international committee composed of scientists, agency representatives and space experts. Its role is to support and revise the COSPAR Policy and its related requirements (https://cosparhq.cnes.fr/scientific-structure/panels/panel-on-planetary-protection-ppp/). The Panel’s activities deal with the individual needs of a space mission while exercising swift care and expertise to ensure sustainable exploration of the Solar System

Optimizing disturbance management for wildlife protection: the enforcement allocation problem

To ensure public compliance with regulations designed to protect wildlife, many protected areas need to be patrolled. However, there have been few attempts to determine how to deploy enforcement effort to get the best return on investment. This is particularly complex where repeated enforcement visits may result in diminishing returns on investment. Straightforward quantitative methods to solve such problems are not available to conservation practitioners. We use structured decision-making to find the most cost-effective allocation of patrol effort among sites with a limited budget. We use the case study of declining migratory shorebirds in Moreton Bay, Australia, to determine where and when Marine Park personnel could reduce disturbance using two different scenarios: (i) where a fixed subset of sites is chosen for management each year and (ii) where different sites are visited during each patrol. The goal is to maximize the number of undisturbed birds for a given budget. We discover that by prioritizing enforcement based on cost-effectiveness, it is possible to avoid inefficient allocation of resources. Indeed, 90% of the maximum possible benefit can be achieved with only 25% of the total available budget. Visiting a range of enforcement sites at varying rates yields a greater return on investment than visiting only a fixed number of sites. Assuming an exponential reduction in disturbance from enforcement, the greatest benefit can be achieved by patrolling many sites a small number of times. Assuming a linear reduction in disturbance from enforcement, repeatedly patrolling a small number of sites where return on investment is high is best. If we only prioritize sites where wildlife is disturbed most often, or where abundance is greatest, we will not achieve an optimal solution. The choice of patrol location and frequency is not a trivial problem, and prudent investment can substantially improve conservation outcomes.Synthesis and applications. Our research demonstrates a straightforward objective method for allocating enforcement effort while accounting for diminishing returns on investment over multiple visits to the same sites. Our method is transferable to many other enforcement problems, and provides solutions that are cost-effective and easily communicable to managers

Phenology of the multi-use tree species Carapa guianensis in a floodplain forest of the Amazon Estuary.

Carapa guianensis is a multi-use tree species that is used for the production of timber and non-timber forest products (NTFPs) that are used and sold by rural Amazonian populations. Here we aimed to evaluate the phenophases of C. guianensis in várzea forest and relate them to climatic seasonality. Phenophases of fl owering (fl ower buds and open flowers), fruiting (unripe and ripe fruits), and leaf fl ush and leaf fall were recorded for 30 individual trees during a 25 month period. Relationships between rainfall and the proportion of trees in each phenophase were tested using Generalised Linear Models with quasi-binomial errors. Flowering was found to peak in the driest months of the year (September to December), while fruiting peaked during the wettest months of the year when river levels are at their highest (January to May). Leaf fl ush and leaf fall occurred simultaneously throughout the year, regardless of seasonality. Strong seasonality in fl owering and fruiting of C. guianensis likely represents a reproductive strategy that maximizes pollination and hydrochorous seed dispersal. This study has the potential to aid in planning the timing of seed collection and oil extraction activities, thus contributing to the sustainable exploitation of this tree

Behavioral and neuroanatomical correlates of facial emotion processing in post-stroke depression

Background: Emotion processing deficits are known to accompany depressive symptoms and are often seen in stroke patients. Little is known about the influence of post-stroke depressive (PSD) symptoms and specific brain lesions on altered emotion processing abilities and how these phenomena develop over time. This potential relationship may impact post-stroke rehabilitation of neurological and psychosocial function. To address this scientific gap, we investigated the relationship between PSD symptoms and emotion processing abilities in a longitudinal study design from the first days post-stroke into the early chronic phase. Methods: Twenty-six ischemic stroke patients performed an emotion processing task on videos with emotional faces ('happy,' 'sad,' 'anger,' 'fear,' and 'neutral') at different intensity levels (20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, 100%). Recognition accuracies and response times were measured, as well as scores of depressive symptoms (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale). Twenty-eight healthy participants matched in age and sex were included as a control group. Whole-brain support-vector regression lesion-symptom mapping (SVR-LSM) analyses were performed to investigate whether specific lesion locations were associated with the recognition accuracy of specific emotion categories. Results: Stroke patients performed worse in overall recognition accuracy compared to controls, specifically in the recognition of happy, sad, and fearful faces. Notably, more depressed stroke patients showed an increased processing towards specific negative emotions, as they responded significantly faster to angry faces and recognized sad faces of low intensities significantly more accurately. These effects obtained for the first days after stroke partly persisted to follow-up assessment several months later. SVR-LSM analyses revealed that inferior and middle frontal regions (IFG/MFG) and insula and putamen were associated with emotion-recognition deficits in stroke. Specifically, recognizing happy facial expressions was influenced by lesions affecting the anterior insula, putamen, IFG, MFG, orbitofrontal cortex, and rolandic operculum. Lesions in the posterior insula, rolandic operculum, and MFG were also related to reduced recognition accuracy of fearful facial expressions, whereas recognition deficits of sad faces were associated with frontal pole, IFG, and MFG damage. Conclusion: PSD symptoms facilitate processing negative emotional stimuli, specifically angry and sad facial expressions. The recognition accuracy of different emotional categories was linked to brain lesions in emotion-related processing circuits, including insula, basal ganglia, IFG, and MFG. In summary, our study provides support for psychosocial and neural factors underlying emotional processing after stroke, contributing to the pathophysiology of PSD