Small mammal distribution, abundance and habitat selection in managed riparian habitats of Bear Valley, eastern Oregon

Riparian zones are critical habitats for management because of their importance for both cattle production and wildlife, and a high potential for resource conflicts. Riparian management should address habitat and microhabitat features that sustain both livestock production and wildlife diversity. I conducted a study to determine how small mammal distributions and abundance differ among 3 structurally different riparian habitats in eastern Oregon. The 3 habitat types, herbaceous, discontinuous willow, and continuous willow, represent a range of habitats typical of riparian zones in central and eastern Oregon. I estimated small mammal population sizes in 9 trap grids placed in riparian zones using capture-recapture techniques. Four species of small mammals were captured during 7 trapping periods from August 1994 to September 1995. Small mammal distributions and population sizes of each species varied both within and among riparian pastures. Montane voles (Microtus montanus) were the most abundant species in all grids. Deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) had high population sizes in grids with low montane vole populations and moderate to high willow cover. Competition with voles appeared to occur in riparian habitats of Bear Valley, and influenced the distribution and numbers of deer mice. Western jumping mice (Zapus princeps) were captured at relatively low numbers and almost exclusively in continuous willow habitats. Vagrant shrews (Sorex vagrans) were captured on all grids, and population sizes were small. Haying negatively affected survival rates of voles. Biomass, vegetation height, and percent ground cover were the habitat variables most frequently associated with occurrence of montane voles in Bear Valley. The probability of occurrence of this species was positively correlated with these habitat variables. Deer mice probability of occurrence was positively correlated with percent ground cover, plant biomass, and soil moisture. Most deer mice captures occurred in continuous willow habitats, and the number of captures increased with willow basal cover (R²=0.7579, P<0.001). Western jumping mice occurrence was positively correlated with plant biomass and soil moisture, and negatively correlated with distance from willow and percent ground cover. Western jumping mice also were more frequently captured in willow than nonwillow vegetation associations (P=0.054) within continuous willow habitats. Vagrant shrews were positively associated with plant biomass, vegetation height, and soil moisture. Small mammal habitat associations from my study sites in Bear Valley are in agreement with the literature, suggesting relatively consistent patterns in species-habitat associations. Distribution of small mammal species differed among pastures probably as a result of historical management practices. Alterations of riparian zone structure from historical management practices were evident in the study area, including elimination or decreased willow density, channel entrenchment, and invasion of riparian areas by xeric vegetation. Western jumping mice are apparently the most sensitive species in this area, requiring dense willow stands, suggesting that jumping mice could serve as an indicator species for riparian habitat condition

Effect of the isolation of Sterculia apetala trees on the emergence of seedlings in Pantanal

Árvores de Sterculia apetala não são derrubadas durante a conversão de florestas em pastagens devido à consciência dos proprietários rurais de que essas árvores abrigam 95% dos ninhos de arara-azul no Pantanal. Nosso objetivo foi comparar a porcentagem de emergência de plântulas em casa de vegetação de sementes de árvores em floresta conservada daquelas mantidas isoladas em pastagens cultivadas. As sementes foram coletadas diretamente sobre o solo, sob 10 árvores de S. apetala em cada área, no Pantanal, em Corumbá, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. A emergência de plântulas de árvores isoladas foi 14% inferior ao obtido para árvores do interior da floresta. É necessário que estudos futuros sobre a ecologia dessa espécie no Pantanal enfoquem o sistema reprodutivo, a identificação do agente polinizador e a avaliação do efeito do isolamento sobre a viabilidade populacional da espécie, a qual pode impactar o sucesso reprodutivo da arara-azul. _________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTEffect of the isolation of Sterculia apetala trees on the emergence of seedlings in Pantanal. Sterculia apetala trees aren’t removed during the conversion of forests into pastures due to rural landowners’ awareness that these trees are home to 95% of the nests of Hyacinth Macaw in Pantanal. Our aim was to compare the greenhouse emergence rate of seedlings from seeds of trees at conserved forest and those left isolated in a cultivated pastures. The seeds were collected directly from the ground, under 10 S. apetala trees in each area, at the Pantanal Wetland, Corumba, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The emergence of seedlings from isolated trees was 14% lower than that obtained from trees located in the inner part of the forest. There’s a need for further studies on the ecology of this species in Pantanal focused on the mating system, the identification of the pollination agent and the evaluation of the effects of isolation on the viability of species population, which may impact the Hyacinth Macaw reproduction success

Analysis of the influence of drainage channels in environmental degradation in the flooded plain of Paraná river, Brazil

Artigo extraído de dissertação de Mestrado em Ciências Florestais do Departamento de Engenharia Florestal – UnB.Agradecimentos ao CNPq, CAPES, EMBRAPA Pantanal, CESP, Fundação Giacometti e EMBRAPA-CENARGEN.A pesquisa teve como objetivo analisar a influência dos canais de drenagem artificiais construídos para ampliar a área agrícola e de pastagem nas áreas úmidas na planície de inundação do rioParaná, utilizando um Sistema de Informação Geográfica (SIG). Foram selecionadas imagens de satélite nas épocas da seca e da chuva. A partir de transectos obtidos nos sobrevôos na área, foram coletados 50 pontos com canal e sem canal, com o auxílio de um GPS. Esses pontos foram plotados nas imagens classificadas. Em seguida foram gerados “buffers” de 1 km de raio.A partir destes “buffers” foi analisada a disponibilidade das áreas de várzea (campo alagado e úmido) nas épocas seca e chuvosa. O campo alagado na época da cheia não foi influenciadopela presença de canais de drenagem, enquanto que na seca os canais de drenagem influenciaram a disponibilidade destas áreas. O mesmo não aconteceu com o campo úmido que sofreu influência dos canais de drenagem tanto na época seca quanto na época da chuva. A redução de campo alagado na seca, em áreas com canal, foi de 56,2% e em áreas sem canal foi de 9%. ______________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACTThe main aim of this study was to analyse the influence of the artificial drainage channelsconstructed to enlarge pasture at the plain humid areas of the Paraná river, using the GIS system.To achieve it were collected satellite images during the dry and wet seasons. Through over flytransects of the area were collected 50 spots with and without channels, with the aid of a GPS system. These spots were plotted at the satellite images that were processed generating buffers of 1 km range. From these buffers were analysed the availability of varzea area (flooded andhumid fields) during both periods. The flooded fields during the high waters season were notaffected by the presence of drainage channels, while during the dry season the drainage channelsaffected these areas. The same did not happen with the humid fields, that during both seasons suffered the influence of the drainage channels. The flooded area during the dry season reduced56.2% in the areas with drainage channels, and 9% in the areas without channel

Understanding Brazil’s catastrophic fires : causes, consequences and policy needed to prevent future tragedies

Brazil has experienced unprecedented wildfires in the last decade. Images ofimmense burnt areas or dead animals that failed to escape the 2020 wildfires have shocked the world. To prevent or minimize further similardisasters wemustunderstandthe factors thathave ledto these catastrophic events. The causes and consequences of wildfires entail complex interactions between the biophysical and sociocultural spheres, and suitable management decisions require a sound scientific base. We present the recent panorama of increasing fire outbreaks in the Brazilian biomes, and discuss the causes that have contributed to such fires, their impacts on the environment and overall consequences for human well-being, based on reviewing the extensive specialist literature, on authors’ expert knowledge and information provided by environmental managers, researchers and politicians during a workshop organized to debate the wildfire issue in Brazil. Our up-to-date review is aimed at the academic public, environmental managers and decision- and policy-makers. First, we present evidence on the contrasting effects of fire on different ecosystems. Second, we outline the historic perceptions and policies related to fire use and management in Brazil since its colonization to the present date. Third, we propose means to advance fire prevention and develop successful management strategies. Finally, we answer frequently asked questions to clarify and/or demystify some fire-related issues not always properly addressed in the media

Meio século da proibição da caça no Brasil: consequências de uma política inadequada de gestão de vida selvagem

A caça foi proibida no Brasil em 1967, pela lei que ficou conhecida como “Lei de Proteção à Fauna”. Desde então, nenhuma política efetiva de gestão de fauna foi estabelecida no país. As consequências são graves, uma vez que a caça nunca foi plenamente controlada, e continua sendo comumente praticada em todas as regiões do Brasil. Além disso, o país falhou em educar a população para entender a fauna como recurso importante e valioso, e também em proporcionar seu uso sustentável. As universidades nunca estabeleceram um currículo acadêmico de gestores de fauna capacitados a manejar populações, já que, com a proibição, esse perfil profissional nunca foi considerado uma demanda relevante. O resultado é que a lista de espécies ameaça as de extinção aumenta a cada nova versão, sendo a caça ilegal uma das principais causas desse processo. O maior país tropical do mundo carece da implantação de uma política abrangente e moderna de gestão de fauna e que seja governada por decisões de cunho técnico-científico e estratégico, ao invés da lógica “tudo é proibido”, que prevalece até hoje. O objetivo deste artigo de opinião é estimular uma reflexão sobre a situação da caça no Brasil, e apontar a necessidade de um sistema de gestão de fauna mais efetivo

Birds of the Pantanal floodplains, Brazil: historical data, diversity, and conservation

The Pantanal floodplains of Brazil are a region of rich biodiversity. To date, the true richness of the Pantanal avifauna has not been explored satisfactorily caused by a lack of studies in the region and, especially, by the divergence of opinion among the works published by various authors on the many species found in the region. This is due to the lack of criteria in examining records, both with regard to the reliability of the identifications and in the precise geographical allocation. Therefore, in the study, we collage findings from various studies and records created by us in the last few decades from 199 distinct locations to produce a list of birds in the Pantanal floodplains. We grouped the results into three lists: primary, secondary, and tertiary. We found that the avifauna of the Pantanal floodplain is composed of a total of 617 species, of which 571 (92%) have supporting records of occurrence (primary list) and 46 still lack documentation (secondary list). The number of species listed here for the Pantanal floodplain represents 32% of all avifauna known to the Brazilian territory. This reflects the importance of the biome, as part of the national territory, for the maintenance of a meaningful avifaunistic richness. Migratory birds (n = 183), notably northern ones (n = 43), are among the main players involved in ecological processes of nutrient cycling and dispersion of important pathogens between the two continents. With regard to conservation, 25 species are included in some category of threat in the lists of threatened species with global extinction. We hope that our list will help future researchers a more definitive approach when researching the avian fauna in this bountiful region

Effects of Brazil's political crisis on the science needed for biodiversity conservation

The effects of Brazil’s political crisis on science funding necessary for biodiversity conservation are likely to be global. Brazil is not only the world’s most biodiverse nation, it is responsible for the greater part of the Amazon forest, which regulates the climate and provides rain to much of southern South America. Brazil was a world leader in satellite monitoring of land-use change, in-situ biodiversity monitoring, reduction in tropical-forest deforestation, protection of indigenous lands, and a model for other developing nations. Coordinated public responses will be necessary to prevent special-interest groups from using the political crisis to weaken science funding, environmental legislation and law enforcement. Keywords: Brazil, biodiversity, climate change, governance, fundin

Checklist of the birds of Mato Grosso do Sul state, Brazil: diversity and conservation

Several phytogeographic regions (Cerrado, Pantanal, Atlantic Forest, Gran Chaco, and Chiquitano Dry Forests) converge in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, and influence regional biodiversity. Despite a list of birds in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul being published by Nunes et al. (2017), it is necessary to update and critically review avifauna records. In this study, we gathered the results of several records obtained from species lists and online data platforms of the 336 sites in this state over the last decades and grouped them into Main (Primary and Secondary) and Tertiary Lists. The avifauna of Mato Grosso do Sul is composed of 678 species, of which 643 (95%) have records proving their occurrence (Primary List), whereas 34 still lack documentation (Secondary List). The number of related species for Mato Grosso do Sul represents 34% of the Brazilian avifauna. Some species stand out for their unique occurrence in Mato Grosso do Sul, such as Melanerpes cactorum, Celeus lugubris, Phaethornis subochraceus, and Cantorchilus guarayanus, reflecting the influence of different phytogeographic regions of the Chaco and Chiquitano Dry Forests. Migrants represent 20% of the bird community occurring in the state, of which 93 species correspond to migrants from various regions of South America (south and west) and 40 to boreal migrants. Thirty-three species perform nomadic movements across the Pantanal Plain and other regions of the state. Thirty-one species are included in some conservation-threatened categories of global and/or national endangered species lists. Other 30 species are included in the near-threatened category at the global level and 23 at the national level. In addition, species typical of dry forests (in Serra da Bodoquena and Maciço do Urucum) and those from the Atlantic Forest in the south of the state deserve attention due to their restricted distribution and the high anthropogenic pressure on their habitat