Vocalizações de Duas Espécies de Anuros do Sul do Brasil (Amphibia, Hylidae)

Vocalizations of two species of anurans occurring in southern Brazil are described: the advertisement calls of Hyla semilineata Spix, 1824 and Hyla werneri Cochran, 1952, and an encounter call of Hyla semilineata.Vocalizações de duas espécies de anuros ocorrentes no sul do Brasil são descritas: os cantos de anúncio de Hyla semilineata Spix, 1824 e de Hyla werneri Cochran, 1952 e um canto de encontro de Hyla semilineata

Crise ambiental, ensino de biologia e educação ambiental: uma abordagem crítica

Amid the scenario outlined by the environmental problem, which manifests itself through the unprecedented destruction of natural resources, the high levels of pollution which has caused great harm to human health, food shortages, increased social inequalities, among many other effects catastrophic environmental problems; the natural sciences have played an important role in raising awareness of the ill effects of ending human behaviors related to the environment . This article aims to discuss the environmental crisis and its impact on this way through a critical approach to understand the biology role in promoting environmental education. Thus, beyond the mere teaching of the components conservation practices of flora and fauna, biology education needs to present a character criticality when faced with problems enabling students to understand the complexity of environmental problems and their extent and their global effects.Em meio o cenário delineado pela problemática ambiental, que se manifesta através da destruição sem precedentes dos recursos naturais, dos altos indices de poluição que vem causando grandes males à saúde humana,  a escassez de alimentos, o aumento das desigualdades sociais, entre tantos outros efeitos catastróficos da problemática ambiental; as ciências sociais têm desempenhado um papel importante na coscientização dos efeitos maléficos de determinados comportamentos humanos relacionados ao meio ambiente. Esse artigo objetiva discutir a crise ambiental e seus desdobramentos para desse modo através de uma abordagem crítica compreender o papel da Biologia na promoção da Educação Ambiental. Sendo assim, para além do mero ensino de práticas de preservação dos elementos constituintes da flora e da fauna, o ensino de biologia necessita apresentar um caráter de criticidade frente à problemática ambiental possibilitando aos alunos compreender a complexidade da problemática ambiental bem como sua amplitude e seus efeitos globais

Evaluation of environmental quality of Vitório Piassa State Park through the use of bioindicator beetles

The objective of the present study was to analyze the environmental quality of a forest fragment of the Atlantic Forest close to an urban area. The study was carried out in Vitório Piassa State Park, located in the municipality of Pato Branco, Paraná, Brazil. Beetles from the subfamily Scarabaeinae were collected with pitfall traps in three different areas in the park, between February and March 2015. A total of 945 individuals and 22 species were collected, of which 366 individuals and 18 species were found in the densest vegetation area, 291 individuals and 18 species in the secondary vegetation area, and 288 individuals and 16 species in the most anthropized area. The most abundant species were Dichotomius mormon and Eurysternus parallelus, accounting for more than 50% of the total captured individuals. Diversity indices (Shannon and Simpson) and equitability (Pielou) were higher in the area with secondary vegetation, probably because it is an intermediate area, both in spatial and temporal terms. Similarity analysis based on the Bray-Curtis index showed the formation of two groups: one consisting of the assemblages of regenerating areas and the other only of the densest vegetation area, mainly due to the great abundance of beetles in this area. Thus, it was possible to observe that the Park maintains a habitat quality that allows the sheltering of a great abundance of many dung beetle species, mainly in the most conserved areas

Vocalizações de Hyla werneri (Anura, Hylidae) no sul do Brasil

Herein, we describe the vocal repertoire of Hyla werneri. We found four distinct vocalizations: advertisement call, aggressive call, distress call, and a mixed call. The advertisement call was the most frequent vocalization, with one to 23 notes. Aggressive calls had only one note, but with longer duration than notes of advertisement calls. One individual emitted four distress calls, and these showed a great variation. The mixed calls are formed by the emission of an aggressive call followed by five to 23 notes similar to the advertisement call, probably a strategy to partition the attractive and aggressive functions in different notes on the same call. We suggest that the mixed calls of H. werneri could be a graded aggressive call system, already found in other anurans, which allows males to gradually reduce the number of attractive elements while increasing the aggressiveness of the call

Indicadores propostos na literatura nacional para avaliação de sustentabilidade na agricultura familiar

The environmental crisis currently experiencing elevate the discussion on sustainability worldwide. Although the issue is present in speeches, lack of effective measures leading to sustainable development. In this sense, considering the relationship identified in the literature between family farming and sustainable rural development and the importance of using a set of indicators for the evaluation and management of sustainability, this research aims to identify the indicators proposed in national scientific articles for evaluation of sustainability in the context of family farming. To achieve the proposed objective it was necessary to (i) selected using a structured portfolio of national scientific articles by issuing sustainability assessment process in family farming; and (ii) identify and organize the proposed indicators for the evaluation of sustainability in the analyzed literature. The main results were obtained: (i) a literature portfolio of 21 scientific articles in national literature; (Ii) a list of 103 indicators proposed in the national literature to assess the sustainability of family farming, which encompasses economic, environmental and social aspects. Therefore, we conclude that the indicators identified in this paper presents an overview of the main concerns of the authors and the national sustainability in family farming.A crise ambiental vivenciada na atualidade suscita a discussão sobre a sustentabilidade em nível mundial. Apesar de o tema estar presente nos discursos, faltam medidas efetivas que levem ao desenvolvimento sustentável. Nesse sentido, considerando a relação identificada na literatura entre a agricultura familiar e o desenvolvimento rural sustentável e a importância da utilização de um conjunto de indicadores para a avaliação e gerenciamento da sustentabilidade, esta pesquisa tem por objetivo identificar os indicadores propostos em artigos científicos nacionais para avaliação de sustentabilidade no contexto da agricultura familiar. Para atingir o objetivo proposto foi necessário (i) selecionar por meio de processo estruturado um portfólio de artigos científicos nacionais com tema da avaliação de sustentabilidade na agricultura familiar; e (ii) extrair e organizar os indicadores propostos para avaliação de sustentabilidade na literatura analisada. Como principais resultados obteve-se: (i) um portfólio bibliográfico composto por 21 artigos científicos da literatura nacional; (ii) uma lista de 103 indicadores propostos na literatura nacional para avaliação de sustentabilidade na agricultura familiar, que englobam aspectos econômicos, ambientais e sociais. Desta forma, conclui-se que os indicadores identificados neste trabalho apresentam um panorama das principais preocupações dos autores nacionais quanto a sustentabilidade na agricultura familiar

Amphibia, Anura, Limnomedusa macroglossa, Dendropsophus anceps, D. berthalutzae, D. seniculus, Scinax littoralis: new state records, distribution extension and filling gaps

Non

Widespread occurrence of the American Bullfrog, Lithobates catesbeianus\ud (Shaw, 1802) (Anura: Ranidae), in Brazil

We report new records of Lithobates catesbeianus feral populations in Brazil. Data were based on fieldwork, natural \ud history collection records, and literature and electronic database searches. Lithobates catesbeianus occurs in 130 municipalities of \ud Brazil, including 55 presented for the first time in this work. Most records are from south and southeastern Brazil in the Atlantic\ud Forest biome with climatic conditions that are favorable to the establishment of bullfrog populations. The wide and possibly \ud expanding distribution of feral L. catesbeianus populations in Brazil poses a major conservation challenge and demands research \ud on the invasion patterns.We are grateful to all the curators and researchers who provided bullfrog records: A. Camargo, A. A. Gedoz, A. F. Sabbag, A. J. S. Argôlo, B. M. Souza, C. Zank, C. E. Conte, C. F. B. Haddad, D. C. Rossa-Feres, F. Dallacorte, F. Faraco, L. F. Toledo, G. Athayde, G. Pacelli, G. M. F. Pontes, L. C. L. Lot, M. Borges-Martins, M. Napoli, M. A. Carvalho, N. Zanella, P. S. Bernarde, P. Colombo, P. V. Marinho, R. P. Bastos, R. N. Feio, R. R. Santos, S. P. Carvalho-e-Silva, S. Z. Cechin. We also thank M. Crossland for comments on the manuscript, the PARNA Itajaí staff for logistical support, as well all rural owners who authorized the samplings. IBAMA granted a collection permit for this study (Proc. 23009-1). This study was supported by IGRE Associação Sócio Ambientalista and received grants from: Fundação o Boticário de Proteção a Natureza (0835_20092), FAPESP (Proc. 2008/50928-1) and Rufford Small Grants Foundation. CB received a CNPq student fellowship and TG a CNPq grant (Proc. 476789/2009-5) and fellowship (Proc. 305473/2008-5)

High Levels of Diversity Uncovered in a Widespread Nominal Taxon: Continental Phylogeography of the Neotropical Tree Frog

Species distributed across vast continental areas and across major biomes provide unique model systems for studies of biotic diversification, yet also constitute daunting financial, logistic and political challenges for data collection across such regions. The tree frog Dendropsophus minutus (Anura: Hylidae) is a nominal species, continentally distributed in South America, that may represent a complex of multiple species, each with a more limited distribution. To understand the spatial pattern of molecular diversity throughout the range of this species complex, we obtained DNA sequence data from two mitochondrial genes, cytochrome oxidase I (COI) and the 16S rhibosomal gene (16S) for 407 samples of D. minutus and closely related species distributed across eleven countries, effectively comprising the entire range of the group. We performed phylogenetic and spatially explicit phylogeographic analyses to assess the genetic structure of lineages and infer ancestral areas. We found 43 statistically supported, deep mitochondrial lineages, several of which may represent currently unrecognized distinct species. One major clade, containing 25 divergent lineages, includes samples from the type locality of D. minutus. We defined that clade as the D. minutus complex. The remaining lineages together with the D. minutus complex constitute the D. minutus species group. Historical analyses support an Amazonian origin for the D. minutus species group with a subsequent dispersal to eastern Brazil where the D. minutus complex originated. According to our dataset, a total of eight mtDNA lineages have ranges >100,000 km2. One of them occupies an area of almost one million km2 encompassing multiple biomes. Our results, at a spatial scale and resolution unprecedented for a Neotropical vertebrate, confirm that widespread amphibian species occur in lowland South America, yet at the same time a large proportion of cryptic diversity still remains to be discovered