Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time, and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space. While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes, vast areas of the tropics remain understudied. In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity, but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases. To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge, it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

ECOLOGIA DE UMA ESPÉCIE DE Sayomyia Coquillet (DIPTERA, CHAOBORIDAE) EM UM BREJO DA RESTINGA DE MARICÁ, RIO DE JANEIRO, BRASIL

In a quantitative sampling carried our in a sand dune marsh at Restinga de Maricá, 901 larvae and pupae of one species of the genus Sayomyia were caught from January, 1987 to February, 1988. The occurrence of the species was concentrated in the winter - spring period (78% of individuals). Although depth variation was the main determining factor of macroinvertebrate adaptations and populational fluctuations in the waterbody. The frequencies of Sayomyia sp. were mainly explained out by the presence of Spirogyra sp. (Chlorophyta) and pH variation. The abundance of this alga is pointed out as responsible For the nutrient availability for phytoplankton and, consequently zooplankton, the main food sources for Sayomyia sp.Em amostragens quantitativas realizadas em um brejo de dunas na Restinga de Maricá, RJ, foram coligidas 901 larvas e pupas de uma espécie do gênero Sayomyia, no período de janeiro de 1987 a fevereiro de 1988. A ocorrência da espécie no brejo concentrou-se no período inverno - ­primavera (78% dos indivíduos). Embora o principal fator determinante de adaptações e flutuações populacionais de macroinvertebrados no corpo d'água seja a variação da profundidade, os valores de freqüência de Sayomyia sp. tiveram como principais causas a presença de Spirogyra sp. (Chlorophyta) e a variação pH. A abundância dessa alga é apontada como responsável pela disponibilidade de nutrientes para crescimento de fitoplâncton e, conseqüentemente zooplâncton, prin­cipais fontes de alimento para Sayomyia sp

ODONATA DO ESTADO DO RIO DE JANEIRO, BRASIL: HÁBITATS E HÁBITOS DAS LARVAS

Rio de Janeiro State is located in southeastern Brazil, occupying only 0,52% (44,268 Km²) of the total area  of the country. Species of 77 genera and 12 families are currently known to occur in this Stute: Calopterygidae (2 gen.): Dicteriadidae (1 gen.); Lestidae (1 gen.); Megapodagrionidae (2 gen.); Pcrilestidae (1 gen.): Coenagrionidae (14 gen.); Protoneuridae (5 gcn.); Pseudostigmatidae (1 gen.); Aeshnidae (10 gen.); Gomphidae (11 gen.): Corduliidae (2 gen.); Libellulidae (27 gen.). Informations about habitat preferences and habits (mode of existence) of larvae of 133 species of 62 genera were considered in this study, being 19 of them registered for the first time. lt was observed that species of 27 genera are lotic dwellers and those of 27 others associated with lentic habitats, Species of  8 genera occur both in lernic and lotic waters. There are no informations about larvae of 15 genera yet. In relation to the habits of the larvae it was observed that the majority of Zygoptcra from lentic habitats behave as climbers (e.g. Acanthagrion spp.. ldioneura ancilla, Ischnura spp., Lcptagrion spp., Telebasis spp.), as the major part of Aeshnidae too (e.g, Aeshna spp., Coryphaeschna spp., Gynacanthu spp., Neuraeschna costalis, Remartinia luteipennis). Representatives of these two groups become clingers in lotic habitats (e.g, Argia spp., Hetaerinu spp., Heteragrion spp., Limnetron spp ., Oxyagrion spp., Staurophlebia reticulata). Some Zygoptera has been classified secondarily as swimmers (e.g. Lestes spp., Perilestes fragilis), Alrnost all of the species of Gomphidae behave as burrowers. From the other side, the Libellulidae and Corduliidae has been considered as sprawlers in almost their totality.O Estado do Rio de Janeiro está localizado no sudeste do Brasil, ocupando somente cerca de 0.52 % (44.268 Km²) da área total do país. Até o presente, estão registrados pura o estado espécies de 77 gêneros de 12 famílias: Calopterygidae (2 gen.) ; Dicteriadidae (1 gen.); Lestidae (1 gen.); Megapodagrionidae (2 gen.); Perilestidae (1 gen.); Coenagrionidae (14 gen.); Protoneuridae (5 gen.); Pseudostigmatidae (1 gen.); Acshnidae (10 gen.); Gomphidae (11 gen.); Corduliidae (2 gen.); Libellulidae (27 gen.). Informações sobre os hábitats preferenciais e háhitos das larvas de 133 espécies de 62 gêneros foram consideradas nesse estudo, sendo inéditas para 19 dessas. Verificou-se que espécies de 27 gêneros estão associadas de forma obrigatória a ambientes lóticos, enquanto que as de outros 27 a ambientes lênticos. Oito gêneros apresentam espécies tanto em águas paradas como em águas corren­tes. Para 15 gêneros não existe qualquer tipo de informação acerca das larvas de seus representantes. Quanto aos hábitos, verificou-se que a maior parte dos Zygoptera de ambientes lênticos comporta-se como escaladores (c1imbers) (e.g. Aconthagrion spp., Idioneurn ancilla, lschnura spp., Leptugrion spp., Telebasis spp.), assim como a maior parte dos Aeshnidae (e.g. Aeshna spp., Corvphaeschna spp., Gynacantha spp., Remartinia luteipennis, Neuraeschna costalis), Por outro lado, em ambientes lóticos os representantes desses grupos comportam-se como agarradores (clingers) (e.g. Argia spp., Hetuerina spp., Heteragrion spp., Limnetron spp., Oxvagrion spp., Staurophlebiu reticulcua).  Al­guns Zygoptera podem ser classificados secundariamente como nadadores (swimmers) (e.g. Lestes spp., Perilestes fragilis). A grande maioria dos Gornphidae é fossadora (burrowers). Já os Libellulidae e Corduliidae podem ser considerados como reptantes (sprawlers) em quase sua totalidade