The inventory of geological heritage of the state of São Paulo, Brazil: Methodological basis, results and perspectives

An inventory of geological sites based on solid and clear criteria is a first step for any geoconservation strategy. This paper describes the method used in the geoheritage inventory of the State of São Paulo, Brazil, and presents its main results. This inventory developed by the geoscientific community aimed to identify geosites with scientific value in the whole state, using a systematic approach. All 142 geosites representative of 11 geological frameworks were characterised and quantitatively evaluated according to their scientific value and risk of degradation, in order to establish priorities for their future management. An online database of the inventory is under construction, which will be available to be easily consulted and updated by the geoscientific community. All data were made available to the State Geological Institute as the backbone for the implementation of a future state geoconservation strategy.The authors acknowledge the Science Without Borders Programme, Process 075/2012, which supported this study and the São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP), Process 2011/17261-6. We also thanks C. Mazoca for his help with maps and figures.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Diversity and Conservation of the Amphibians of Bolivia

Accepted: July 1, 2014Amphibian Biology, Volume 9: Status of Decline of Amphibians: Western Hemisphere. Chapter 13, Part 4: Diversity and conservation of amphibians of BoliviaIn the past decades, herpetologists have studied intensively the amphibians of Bolivia, increasing dramatically the number of species known for the country. There are currently 266 species recorded, but this number will increase with the addition of many new country records and the description of species new to science, especially within Andean Craugastoridae. Deforestation, habitat destruction (mostly due to agriculture), water pollution, and chytridiomycosis are the main causes of amphibian declines in Bolivia. Andean frogs are much more affected than lowland species. Infection by the chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is widespread. Forest species of the Andean genus Telmatobius have disappeared from known sites and some other Andean taxa have declined severely. Here, we revise the International Union for Conservation of Nature conservation status categories for some species of anurans. Public awareness is increasing thanks to different local initiatives addressing projects to protect Bolivian amphibians.Peer reviewe

Meridionella gen. nov., a New Genus of Cystocloniaceae (Gigartinales, Rhodophyta) from the Southern Hemisphere, Including M. obtusangula comb. nov. and M. antarctica sp. nov.

The classification of Cystoclonium obtusangulum has been questioned since the species was first described by Hooker and Harvey as Gracilaria? obtusangula. The objective of this study was to provide the first comprehensive taxonomic analysis of Cystoclonium obtusangulum, based on DNA sequences coupled with morphological observations made on syntype specimens and new collections. Sequence divergences of rbcL, UPA, and COI-5P, and maximum-likelihood phylogenies for rbcL and 18S demonstrated that specimens identified as Cystoclonium obtusangulum represent a clade of two distinct species that are distantly related to the generitype Cystoclonium purpureum. A new genus, Meridionella gen. nov., is proposed for this clade. The two species placed in this new genus were morphologically indistinguishable cryptic species, but have disjunct distributions, with Meridionella obtusangula comb. nov. found from temperate to cold coasts of South America and the Falkland Islands and Meridionella antarctica sp. nov., occurring in Antarctic waters. Vegetative and reproductive characters of Meridionella gen. nov. are described, and implications of our results for the biogeography of the family Cystocloniaceae are discussed.Postprint2,23