Aspectos ecológicos de stenocercus caducus (squamata:iguanidae) en fragmentos boscosos en el suroeste de mato grosso, brasil

Stenocercus caducus is a Tropidurinae described for Paraguay, Brazil (Mato Grosso, Mao Grosso do Sul and Pará) Bolivia (Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Santa Cruz, Tarija) and Argentina (Jujuy, Salta). It is apparently few demanding in relation to the habitat since it is found in cerrados, cerradões, gallery forests and occasionally in anthropized areas. In this study, we present ecological aspects of S. caducus, sampled in 18 fragments inserted in pastures matrix, in the southwest region of Mato Grosso in the Semideciduous Submontana Seasonal Forest. We collected in the dry and rainy periods between December 2002 to August 2004, through pitfall traps, with sample effort of 9.000 buckets/day. We investigate the population structure, observing the occurrence of adults only in the rainy period and the predominance of young in the dry period. The sexual ratio found was near to 1:1 in both periods, and we don’t found significant differences in the morphometrics patterns between the sexes. When noticed the use of habitat, the specie proved to be general, using both the pasture matrix, inside and edge of the fragment, showing preference for the edge. Regarding to the diet, it was exclusive for arthropods, having ingested a wide range of preys, being the most frequent and numerous the Coleoptera, Hymenoptera (Formicidae) and Isoptera orders. The apparent plasticity of the species in relation to the use of habitat and diet contributes for its success since it extends the foraging territory and the survivability capacity for the constant anthropic impacts that is transforming the Cerrado areas in a mosaic of fragments.Stenocercus caducus es un Tropidurinae descrito para Paraguay, Brasil (Mato Grosso e Pará) Bolivia (Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Santa Cruz, Tarija) y Argentina (Jujuy, Salta). Aparentemente es poco exigente en cuanto al hábitat, ya que es encontrado en áreas de cerrados, cerradones, matas ciliares y eventualmente en áreas antropizadas. En este estudio se presentan aspectos ecológicos de S. caducus, muestreados en 18 fragmentos insertados en una matriz de pradera, en la región sudeste de Mato Grosso en un área de la Floresta Estacional Semidecidua Submontana. Se realizaron las colectas en período seco y lluvioso entre diciembre de 2002 y agosto de 2004, a través de trampas tipo pitfall, con esfuerzo muestreal de 9.000 baldes/día. Fue determinada la estructura poblacional, observando la ocurrencia de solo adultos en el período lluvioso y predominancia de jóvenes en el período seco. La relación sexual encontrada estuvo próxima a 1:1 en ambos períodos, no siendo encontrada diferencias significativas en los patrones morfométricos entre los sexos. En cuanto al uso de hábitat, la especie se mostró generalista, utilizando tanto la matriz de pastos o pradera, orilla e interior de los fragmentos, aparentando preferencia por la orilla. En relación con la dieta, estaba exclusivamente compuesta por artrópodos, detectándose una ingestión que incluye un amplio espectro de presas, siendo más frecuentes y numerosas los insectos de los órdenes Coleóptera, Himenóptera (Formicidae) e Isóptera. La aparente plasticidad de la especie en cuanto al uso de hábitat y dieta contribuye para que sea exitosa, ya que una vez que se amplía el territorio de forrajeo aumenta la capacidad de sobrevivencia, siendo favorecida por la transformación de las áreas de Cerrado en un mosaico de fragmentos, debido a los constantes impactos antrópicos que suceden

Aspectos ecológicos de Stenocercus caducus (Squamata:Iguanidae) em fragmentos de floresta no sudoeste de Mato Grosso

Stenocercus caducus es un Tropidurinae descrito para Paraguay, Brasil (Mato Grosso e Pará) Bolivia (Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Santa Cruz, Tarija) y Argentina (Jujuy, Salta). Aparentemente es poco exigente en cuanto al hábitat, ya que es encontrado en áreas de cerrados, cerradones, matas ciliares y eventualmente en áreas antropizadas. En este estudio se presentan aspectos ecológicos de S. caducus, muestreados en 18 fragmentos insertados en una matriz de pradera, en la región sudeste de Mato Grosso en un área de la Floresta Estacional Semidecidua Submontana. Se realizaron las colectas en período seco y lluvioso entre diciembre de 2002 y agosto de 2004, a través de trampas tipo pitfall, con esfuerzo muestreal de 9.000 baldes/día. Fue determinada la estructura poblacional, observando la ocurrencia de solo adultos en el período lluvioso y predominancia de jóvenes en el período seco. La relación sexual encontrada estuvo próxima a 1:1 en ambos períodos, no siendo encontrada diferencias significativas en los patrones morfométricos entre los sexos. En cuanto al uso de hábitat, la especie se mostró generalista, utilizando tanto la matriz de pastos o pradera, orilla e interior de los fragmentos, aparentando preferencia por la orilla. En relación con la dieta, estaba exclusivamente compuesta por artrópodos, detectándose una ingestión que incluye un amplio espectro de presas, siendo más frecuentes y numerosas los insectos de los órdenes Coleóptera, Himenóptera (Formicidae) e Isóptera. La aparente plasticidad de la especie en cuanto al uso de hábitat y dieta contribuye para que sea exitosa, ya que una vez que se amplía el territorio de forrajeo aumenta la capacidad de sobrevivencia, siendo favorecida por la transformación de las áreas de Cerrado en un mosaico de fragmentos, debido a los constantes impactos antrópicos que suceden.Stenocercus caducus é um Tropidurinae descrito para o Paraguai, Brasil (Mato Grosso e Pará) Bolívia (Beni, Chuquisaca, Cochabamba, La Paz, Santa Cruz, Tarija) e Argentina (Jujuy, Salta). Aparentemente é pouco exigente quanto ao habitat visto que é encontrado em áreas de cerrados, cerradões, matas ciliares e eventualmente em áreas antropizadas. Neste estudo apresentamos aspectos ecológicos de S. caducus, amostrados em 18 fragmentos inseridos em matriz de pastagem, na região sudoeste de Mato Grosso em área de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual Submontana. Realizamos as coletas em período seco e chuvoso entre dezembro de 2002 e agosto de 2004, através de armadilhas pitfall, com esforço amostral de 9.000 baldes/dia. Foi averiguada a estrutura populacional, observando a ocorrência apenas de adultos no período chuvoso e predominância de jovens no período de seca. A razão sexual encontrada foi próximo a 1:1 em ambos os períodos, não sendo encontrada diferenças significativas nos padrões morfométricos entre os sexos. Quando observado o uso de habitat, a espécie mostrou-se generalista, utilizando-se tanto da matriz de pastagem, borda e interior do fragmento, aparentando preferência pela borda. Em relação à dieta, foi exclusiva de artrópodes, tendo ingerido um largo espectro de presas, sendo as mais freqüentes e numerosas as ordens Coleoptera, Hymenoptera (Formicidae) e Isoptera. A aparente plasticidade da espécie quanto ao uso de habitat e dieta contribui para o seu sucesso uma vez que amplia o território de forrageamento e a capacidade de sobrevivência aos constantes impactos antrópicos que vem transformando as áreas de Cerrado em um mosaico de fragmentos

Habitat quality, not patch size, modulates lizard responses to habitat loss and fragmentation in the southwestern Amazon

As deforestation frontiers expand in the tropics, understanding species responses is critical to inform efficient land-use management policies. Here we evaluated lizard responses to changes in landscape, habitat patch, and quality in a deforestation frontier in southwestern Brazilian Amazonia. We first considered overall lizard assemblages and then two species subgroups of contrasting thermoregulation strategies. We sampled lizards at 21 forest patches (42-7,035 ha) subject to moderate habitat disturbance (e.g., cattle intrusion and selective logging). Based on 6,000 pitfall trap-days and 60,000 m of visual surveys, we recorded 215 individuals representing 15 species. Contrary to expectations, species richness and abundance were not explained by any of the variables considered, including matrix quality, proportion of forest cover, forest patch area and shape, age since isolation, arthropod biomass, canopy openness, litter volume, tree density, and fire history. However, the composition of persisting species was determined by the structural complexity of the adjacent matrix. The abundance of species that avoid direct sun exposure to regulate their body temperature increased under more-complex structures of adjacent matrix areas and decreased within patches more intensively affected by past fire events. Disturbance within forest patches likely decreased the patch-matrix contrast, contributing to the absence of forest area effects. Nevertheless, species-specific microhabitat requirements dictated part of the lizard species that were able to persist in the fragmented landscape. Strategies aiming to maximize lizard diversity should embrace retention of the habitat quality within forest patches and forest corridors/high-stature vegetation in at least some sites connecting forest remnants

Strategies for fertilization with pig and cattle slurry in wheat crop

ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate the effect of different managements with pig slurry (PS) and cattle slurry (CS) on wheat dry matter and grain yields, and the potential to estimate this variation with the NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) and NDRE (normalized difference red edge index) vegetation indices. The experiment was conducted in Frederico Westphalen-RS, Brazil, in a randomized block experimental design, in a 2 x 7 factorial scheme with four replicates and seven forms of surface and subsurface application, with and without the use of the dicyandiamide (DCD) nitrification inhibitor, distributed as follows: control without application of slurry and DCD; control without application of slurry and DCD, but scarified only with the injection machine; surface application; surface application with DCD; subsurface injection; subsurface injection with DCD; and application of NPK in mineral form. At flowering of the wheat crop, dry matter was collected and readings of NDVI and NDRE were taken, and finally grain yield was quantified. For PS and CS, best results of dry matter and grain yields were found in managements with subsurface injection and subsurface injection with DCD, respectively. Among the vegetation indices, only NDVI was efficient to estimate variations in the management using CS for wheat dry matter and grain yields

The importance of legal reserve for predator social wasp diversity in an agroecosystem in the Brazilian Cerrado

Social wasps play an important role in controlling agricultural pests. The present study aimed to investigate the differences in abundance, species richness and composition of social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae) between a Cerrado legal reserve, edge and agricultural matrix in an agricultural farm in Mato Grosso, Brazil. We delimited three transects and used Malaise traps which remained active for 48 hours, and were distributed equidistant over five distances from the edge to the legal reserve and agricultural matrix. In total, we collected 618 individuals and 31 species of social wasps. Our results showed that social wasp abundance was similar between the legal reserve and agricultural matrix during three stages and species richness only non-cropping stage. A similar pattern was observed for composition similarity, which presented a lower value between the legal reserve and agricultural matrix during the non-cropping stage. Our results indicate that although monoculture areas can offer food resources and be attractive to social wasps during the active cropping stages, these areas cannot host and conserve the diversity of social wasps. Legal reserve areas, for maintaining the diversity and ecosystem services provided by social wasps.</p