Sightings of franciscana dolphins (pontoporia blainvillei): the discovery of a population in the Paranaguá estuarine complex, Southern Brazil

Submitted by Guilherme Lemeszenski ([email protected]) on 2013-08-22T18:43:45Z No. of bitstreams: 1 S1679-87592009000100006.pdf: 999687 bytes, checksum: ec72a0f80ee9b16f18b9ef407272949e (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2013-08-22T18:43:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 S1679-87592009000100006.pdf: 999687 bytes, checksum: ec72a0f80ee9b16f18b9ef407272949e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-03-01Made available in DSpace on 2013-09-30T19:31:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S1679-87592009000100006.pdf: 999687 bytes, checksum: ec72a0f80ee9b16f18b9ef407272949e (MD5) S1679-87592009000100006.pdf.txt: 23630 bytes, checksum: 40f2ef6e6f7220229634a1173c194406 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-03-01Submitted by Vitor Silverio Rodrigues ([email protected]) on 2014-05-20T15:08:38Z No. of bitstreams: 2 S1679-87592009000100006.pdf: 999687 bytes, checksum: ec72a0f80ee9b16f18b9ef407272949e (MD5) S1679-87592009000100006.pdf.txt: 23630 bytes, checksum: 40f2ef6e6f7220229634a1173c194406 (MD5)Made available in DSpace on 2014-05-20T15:08:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 S1679-87592009000100006.pdf: 999687 bytes, checksum: ec72a0f80ee9b16f18b9ef407272949e (MD5) S1679-87592009000100006.pdf.txt: 23630 bytes, checksum: 40f2ef6e6f7220229634a1173c194406 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-03-01Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho Instituto de Biociências Departamento de ZoologiaUniversidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho Instituto de Biociências Departamento de ZoologiaFAPESP: 05/59439-5FAPESP: 05/54149-

Setting priority conservation management regions to reverse rapid range decline of a key neotropical forest ungulate

Mammals are important components of biodiversity that have been drastically and rapidly impacted by climate change, habitat loss, and anthropogenic pressure. Understanding key species distribution to optimize conservation targets is both urgent and necessary to reverse the current biodiversity crisis. Herein, we applied habitat suitability models for a key Neotropical forest ungulate, the white-lipped peccary (WLP Tayassu pecari), to investigate the effects of climate and landscape modifications on its distribution, which has been drastically reduced in Brazil. We used 318 primary records of WLP to derive habitat suitability maps across Brazil. Our models included bioclimatic, topographic, landscape, and human influence predictors in two modelling approaches. Models including all categories of predictors obtained the highest predictive ability and showed prevalence of suitable areas in forested regions of the country, covering 49% of the Brazilian territory. Filtering out small forest fragments (<2050 ha) reduced the suitable area by 5%, with a further reduction of 4% that was caused by deforestation until 2020, therefore until 2020, the species has suffered a reduction of ~60% from its historical range in Brazil. Of the 40% of the Brazilian territory suitable to WLP, only 12% are protected. In the Atlantic Forest, only half of all protected areas have suitable habitat for WLP and even less in Pantanal (44%), Cerrado (14%) and Caatinga (7%). In a second modelling approach, mapping the areas with suitable climate and those with suitable landscapes separately, allowed us to identify four categories of conservation values, and showed that only 17% of the Brazilian territory has both high landscape and climatic suitability for WLP. Our models can help with complementary conservation management strategies and actions that could be essential in slowing down and possibly reversing current trends of population and geographic range reductions for te species, thereby averting a possible future collapse of forest ecosystem functioning in the Neotropical region

Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Hantavirus Cardiopulmonary Syndrome Transmission Risk in Brazil

Background: Hantavirus disease in humans is rare but frequently lethal in the Neotropics. Several abundant and widely distributed Sigmodontinae rodents are the primary hosts of Orthohantavirus and, in combination with other factors, these rodents can shape hantavirus disease. Here, we assessed the influence of host diversity, climate, social vulnerability and land use change on the risk of hantavirus disease in Brazil over 24 years. Methods: Landscape variables (native forest, forestry, sugarcane, maize and pasture), climate (temperature and precipitation), and host biodiversity (derived through niche models) were used in spatiotemporal models, using the 5570 Brazilian municipalities as units of analysis. Results: Amounts of native forest and sugarcane, combined with temperature, were the most important factors influencing the increase of disease risk. Population at risk (rural workers) and rodent host diversity also had a positive effect on disease risk. Conclusions: Land use change—especially the conversion of native areas to sugarcane fields—can have a significant impact on hantavirus disease risk, likely by promoting the interaction between the people and the infected rodents. Our results demonstrate the importance of understanding the interactions between landscape change, rodent diversity, and hantavirus disease incidence, and suggest that land use policy should consider disease risk. Meanwhile, our risk map can be used to help allocate preventive measures to avoid disease.publishedVersio

Identificação e análise das áreas domicilares do boto-cinza, Sotalia guianensis (Van Bénéden, 1864), no estuário de Cananéia, São Paulo

O conceito de área domiciliar, ou home range, foi definido como “a área utilizada por um indivíduo em suas atividades normais de forrageamento, reprodução e cuidado da prole”. O estudo sobre o uso de área pode fornecer informações sobre padrões de reprodução, organização e interações sociais, recursos limitantes e componentes importantes do habitat. É escasso o conhecimento sobre as características relacionadas à forma com que o boto-cinza, Sotalia guianensis (Van Bénéden, 1864) (Cetacea, Delphinidae), usa seu habitat. O objetivo deste estudo foi identificar e analisar as áreas domiciliares de S. guianensis no estuário de Cananéia (~2503‟S; 47o55‟W), litoral sul de São Paulo. Os esforços para coleta de dados foram realizados entre os anos de 2000 e 2010 com o uso da técnica de foto-identificação. A referida técnica permite aos investigadores identificar indivíduos de uma população ao longo do tempo e do espaço. De 135.918 fotografias batidas, 34.086 (25%) foram consideradas úteis para identificações individuais. Duzentos e cinco indivíduos foram catalogados através das marcas identificadas em suas nadadeiras dorsais. Utilizando os pontos de localização dos indivíduos identificados foi possível estimar o tamanho das áreas domiciliares de 31 indivíduos que apresentaram 20 ou mais avistagens em dias distintos. Quatro métodos foram testados com a extensão Home Range Tools para o ArcGIS 9.2 para analisar e comparar as áreas domiciliares estimadas: Mínimo polígono convexo (MPC), kernel adaptativo com validação cruzada de quadrados mínimos (LSCV), kernel fixo com largura de referência (href) e kernel fixo com LSCVThe concept of home range was described elsewhere as “the area traversed by the individual in its normal activities of food gathering, mating and caring of young”. Home range studies provide significant insights on mating patterns, social organization and interactions, limiting resources and important components of the habitat. Knowledge about habitat use by Guiana dolphins, Sotalia guianensis (Van Bénéden, 1864) (Cetacea, Delphinidae), is still scarce. The aim of this study was to identify and analyze homes ranges of Guiana dolphins in the Cananéia estuary (~2503‟S; 47o55‟W), southern São Paulo state. Photo-identification efforts were conducted between 2000 and 2010. This technique allows investigators to identify individuals in a population through time and space. From a total 135,918 pictures taken, 34,086 (25%) were good quality pictures useful for individual identification. Two hundred and five individuals were catalogued based on permanent notches in their dorsal fins. Using the locations of the identified individuals, it was possible to estimate home range sizes of 31 individuals which had 20 or more sightings in distinct days. Four methods were tested with the Home Range Tools extension for ArcGIS 9.2, to analyze and compare the estimated home ranges: minimum convex polygon (MCP), adaptative kernel with least squares crossvalidation (LSCV), fixed kernel with reference bandwidth (href) and fixed kernel with LSCVFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP