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Ecoregion Conservation
In recent years the conservation community has been promoting the design and implementation of biodiversity conservation actions at larger scales. WWF has embraced this approach, focusing conservation planning and action on ecoregions — relatively large units of land or water that contain a distinct assemblage of natural comm...
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... This ecoregion is a closed tropical jungle as the amount of light reaching the surface is quite low due to a continuous multi-layered canopy, ranging from 10 to 40 m in height, plus three successive layers of shrubs and moss on the ground. The rainfall ranges from 1700 to 2400 mm annually (Cabrera, 1976;Di Bitetti et al., 2003;Martínez Crovetto, 1963;Moscovich et al., 2010;Rodríguez et al., 2005). Many edible plants grow in this environment, including several species of palm trees and wild forms of plants with starchy tubers such as Dioscorea spp. ...
South American lithic cleavers are heavy curved artifacts distributed throughout the tropical Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest in the southeastern lowlands of the subcontinent. The most reliable stratigraphic data and associated radiocarbon dates show that they were produced from the early-middle Holocene to the late-middle Holocene boundary. The cleavers were shaped by bifacial flaking and secondarily by pressure using pebbles, and to a lesser extent, thick flakes. The most used rock for its manufacture was silicified sandstone. The classic design of these tools features a thick, bi-concave neck with expanded shoulder, and a long, triangular and tapered blade with a rounded tip, which has undergone a rejuvenation process throughout its life cycle. Although they have some morphometric variations along their distribution range, they have the same bauplan. Indeed, the geometric morphometry analysis does not show significant differences between the designs of the cleavers from the Upper Paraná River in Argentina, and the Upper Uruguay in Brazil, reflecting the existence of a shared learning lineage in both valleys. Cleavers are recognized at sites that appear to have been residential camps, but quite often they are recovered isolated and distributed in the landscape, suggesting their use in obtaining resources. A fraction of them present a gloss on their tips visible to the naked eye. The microwear analysis of cleavers shows intense modifications in the first two to four cm from the tips of their blades, showing polished areas, and systematically orientated striations which are compatible with the processing of soft and semi-hard plant tissues, especially tubers. These results place these artifacts in the discussion about the systematic exploitation and even manipulation of plants in the Atlantic Forest during the early and middle Holocene.
... The Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest (locally referred to as the Bosque Atlántico del Alto Paraná (hereafter BAAPA) [8]) is part of the Paraguay-Paraná Complex aquatic ecoregion [9] and the Paraguay Freshwater Ecoregion [10]. It is estimated that, as recently as 1940, the BAAPA totaled almost 9 million hectares [11]. ...
... Most habitat loss comes from conversion of forest to agricultural land for soybean production, cattle grazing, and subsistence farming [18,19]. BAAPA has been rapidly and extensively fragmented due to changing land use patterns, infrastructure development in the form of roads and dams, and unsustainable exploitation of timber for construction, furniture, and firewood [8]. In addition to fragmenting the terrestrial landscape, these activities can negatively impact stream hydraulics, water quantity, water quality (via soil erosion and agrochemical pollution), and canopy cover (which raises water temperature and decreases leaf litter and woody debris) [20,21]. ...
The upper Jejuí River is a major tributary of the Paraguay River in eastern Paraguay and is the principal drainage for the Mbaracayú Forest Biosphere Reserve. Despite the international significance of the biosphere reserve and detailed documentation of its terrestrial fauna and flora, the fish fauna in its streams remains relatively unknown, with 48 species previously recorded. We sampled 35 sites within the biosphere reserve over five years (2007–2011) to assess the richness of its ichthyofauna. These surveys yielded a new total of 105 known species for the biosphere reserve, including two newly-recorded orders, Gymnotiformes and Cyprinodontiformes, and 14 newly-recorded families. Fish community composition resembled that of previously-reported fish communities from the Paraguay River drainage, with characiforms and siluriforms comprising the majority of the species (57.1% and 31.4%, respectively). Post hoc analyses showed significantly greater ichthyofaunal diversity at sites within the Mbaracayú Forest Nature Reserve, a core protected forest area within the biosphere reserve, compared to areas outside the nature reserve, suggesting a negative impact from deforestation and land conversion on fish assemblages in these headwater streams. Broad regional deforestation places greater emphasis on important management decisions that will protect current biodiversity.
... The Atlantic Forest of South America is a complex of eco-regions that was greatly affected by forest loss and fragmentation, with between 88 and 93% of its original forest cover already lost, making it one of the most threatened regions on the planet (de Gusmão Câmara 2003;Di Bitetti et al. 2003;Ribeiro et al. 2009). It is South America's second-largest forest region after the Amazon Forest and one of the world's top eight "biodiversity hotspots" due to its high diversity (Myers et al. 2000;Mittermeier et al. 2005), hence being among the priority regions targeted for conservation efforts (WWF 2001;Olson and Dinerstein 2002). ...
... It is South America's second-largest forest region after the Amazon Forest and one of the world's top eight "biodiversity hotspots" due to its high diversity (Myers et al. 2000;Mittermeier et al. 2005), hence being among the priority regions targeted for conservation efforts (WWF 2001;Olson and Dinerstein 2002). The Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest (UPAF) of Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, is the innermost and largest eco-region of the Atlantic Forest, and it has also suffered major habitat loss (Di Bitetti et al. 2003;Holz and Placci 2003;De Angelo 2009). The latest estimates indicate that the remaining forest cover in the UPAF eco-region is 17% (WWF 2017), but this number only represents the total amount of forest without considering its functional availability for keystone species. ...
... The protection of top predators is the basis for the development of many strategies of biodiversity conservation across the world (Sergio et al. 2006;Ripple et al. 2014;Consorte-McCrea et al. 2019). In particular, the jaguar (Panthera onca) has been used as an umbrella species across the American Continent (Thornton et al. 2016), and it was selected as the focal species for designing a biodiversity conservation landscape in the UPAF (Di Bitetti et al. 2003). ...
ContextHabitat loss is a major factor influencing declines in landscape connectivity for many species, but forest patch configuration and changes in matrix permeability can also represent important drivers. An evaluation of which of these factors are predominant is key to guiding landscape planning at a regional scale.Objectives
We aimed to quantify the loss of jaguar (Panthera onca) habitat connectivity and to analyse the drivers behind this process in the Atlantic Forest.Methods
We analysed trends in jaguar habitat connectivity between 1973 and 2015 in the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest and the three countries that comprise the eco-region (Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay). We used graph-based indices and jaguar movement data to evaluate changes in forest area, forest patch configuration and matrix permeability.ResultsJaguar habitat connectivity decreased throughout the entire period, with a loss of up to 93% of connectivity. Changes in forest patch configuration and forest area loss were the main drivers of this trend, but the effect of decreased matrix permeability was also significant. These processes together largely increased the negative effect of forest area declines on jaguar habitat connectivity. Connectivity trends for the three countries in the study area were negative, with the highest forest decline in Paraguay and Brazil compared to Argentina.Conclusions
Analysing landscape dynamics using metrics that go beyond measuring net forest area is key when assessing landscape connectivity for jaguars. Future studies evaluating landscape connectivity should incorporate habitat patch configuration and matrix permeability in addition to forest loss, aspects that should also be considered when undertaking habitat restoration measures.
... The Alto Paraná Atlantic forest ecoregion is a semi-deciduous subtropical forest with marked seasonality in day length, temperature, and primary productivity [20]. Mean annual temperature ranges from 16 to 22 • C, and rainfall ranges from 1000 to 2200 mm per year [21]. The Araucaria moist forest ecoregion occupies relatively higher altitudes (550-800 m a.s.l.) and resembles the Alto Paraná Atlantic forest but with the presence of the gymnosperm Araucaria angustifolia [21]. ...
... Mean annual temperature ranges from 16 to 22 • C, and rainfall ranges from 1000 to 2200 mm per year [21]. The Araucaria moist forest ecoregion occupies relatively higher altitudes (550-800 m a.s.l.) and resembles the Alto Paraná Atlantic forest but with the presence of the gymnosperm Araucaria angustifolia [21]. Although Misiones province hosts the highest number of protected areas in Argentina, most of them are quite small, and its biodiversity is still threatened, mainly due to deforestation for agriculture and livestock activities, poaching, and the non-sustainable exploitation of forest remnants [21]. ...
... The Araucaria moist forest ecoregion occupies relatively higher altitudes (550-800 m a.s.l.) and resembles the Alto Paraná Atlantic forest but with the presence of the gymnosperm Araucaria angustifolia [21]. Although Misiones province hosts the highest number of protected areas in Argentina, most of them are quite small, and its biodiversity is still threatened, mainly due to deforestation for agriculture and livestock activities, poaching, and the non-sustainable exploitation of forest remnants [21]. ...
Argentina lies within the southernmost distributional range of five neotropical primates, the brown howler monkey Alouatta guariba, the black-and-gold howler monkey Alouatta caraya, the black-horned capuchin Sapajus nigritus, the Azara’s capuchin Sapajus cay, and the Azara’s owl monkey Aotus azarae; the first three of which are globally threatened. These species occupy different ecoregions: the Alto Paraná Atlantic forest, the Araucaria moist forest, the humid Chaco, the Southern Cone Mesopotamian savanna, the Paraná Ffooded savanna, and the Southern Andean Yungas. The recently approved National Primate Conservation Plan of Argentina calls for identifying priority areas to focus conservation actions for these species. We used species distribution models to estimate species ranges and then used the Zonation software to perform a spatial conservation prioritization analysis based on primate habitat quality and connectivity to identify potential areas of importance at national and ecoregional levels. Only 7.2% (19,500 km2) of the area inhabited by primates in Argentina is under protection. Outside the current protected areas, the top-ranked 1% and 5% priority areas identified in our analysis covered 1894 and 7574 km2, respectively. The top 1% areas were in the Atlantic forest of Misiones province, where S. nigritus, A. guariba, and A. caraya are distributed, and in the humid portion of eastern Chaco and Formosa provinces, where A. azarae and A. caraya are present. The top 5% areas included portions of the Yungas, where S. cay is the only primate present. Priority areas in Chaco and Formosa provinces are particularly relevant because of the paucity of protected areas and the high deforestation rate. The endangered A. guariba population will benefit from the better protection of the priority areas of Misiones. The potential priority areas proposed herein, considered within a context of a broad participatory process involving relevant stakeholders and local people, will help guide new and innovative conservation policies and practices while supporting management objectives.
... Os sítios arqueológicos analisados se localizam na porção final da Depressão Central Gaúcha e no início da borda sul do Planalto das Araucárias, no centro-leste do estado do Rio Grande do Sul, onde se desenvolve a Mata Atlântica do Alto Paraná, uma das 15 ecorregiões em que a Mata Atlântica foi subdividida (Di Bitetti et al., 2003;Figura 1). Esta ecorregião se distribui abaixo dos 600/700 m.s.n.m, apresenta vegetação predominante de floresta subtropical semidecidual, selva chuvosa (1700-2400 mm anuais) e um dossel arbóreo que se desenvolve em diferentes estratos (entre 10 e 40 m de altura) e diminui sensivelmente a quantidade de luz que chega à superfície. ...
... Esta ecorregião se distribui abaixo dos 600/700 m.s.n.m, apresenta vegetação predominante de floresta subtropical semidecidual, selva chuvosa (1700-2400 mm anuais) e um dossel arbóreo que se desenvolve em diferentes estratos (entre 10 e 40 m de altura) e diminui sensivelmente a quantidade de luz que chega à superfície. A vegetação que está abaixo das árvores é composta por três camadas sucessivas de plantas e arbustos, enquanto que o solo é coberto por uma camada quase contínua de musgos (Di Bitetti et al., 2003;Martínez Crovetto, 1963;Moscovich et al., 2010;Rodríguez et al., 2005). Os sítios em que foram recuperadas as amostras se localizam na porção sul da bacia do rio Taquari-Antas, cujas nascentes se encontram no extremo leste do Planalto das Araucárias, dentro da ecorregião da Mata de Araucárias. ...
... Argentina's northeastern province of Misiones currently hosts one of the largest continuous remnants of Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest containing the whole original assemblage of regional terrestrial mammals (Di Bitetti et al. 2003), although a lower number of arboreal and semi-arboreal species compared to other regions of the Atlantic Forest (SAyDS-SAREM 2019). Here, ecological camera-trap studies were initially focused on big cat species of the Atlantic Forest (Di Bitetti et al. 2006;Paviolo et al. 2009) and have been implemented since the early 2000s, having covered most of the Misiones province. ...
Canopy camera trapping is being increasingly used to characterize assemblages of arboreal mammals. In this study we compared, for the first time, the assemblage of arboreal mammals of the Atlantic Forest, surveyed using canopy camera trapping at two protected areas of Mis-iones, Argentina: Piñalito (11 camera-trap stations) and Cruce Caballero (9 stations), with the assemblage recorded at ground-level with a camera-trapping survey conducted at another protected area, the nearby private reserve Valle del Alegría (18 stations). We calculated the number of independent photo-events for each species and site, and we built species rank abundance curves to compare the recorded species diversity among sites. We recorded six mammal species at Piñalito and Cruce Caballero, and 23 at Valle del Alegría. Canopy-survey sites showed lower diversity but a different and non-nested species composition when compared to the ground-level survey. One of the most frequently recorded species in the canopy, the brown-eared woolly opossum, Caluromys lanatus, categorized as Vulnerable in Argentina, has not been photographed in ground-level camera-trap surveys in Misiones before. Our results suggest that canopy camera trapping represents a robust method to sample arboreal species that are missed in ground-level camera-trap surveys, thus improving forest species inventories.
... We conducted fieldwork in the Atlantic forest of Argentina, one of the most threatened and biologically diverse forests of the world (DiBitetti et al., 2003;Myers et al., 2000;Ribeiro et al., 2009). The climate is warm, with annual temperatures between 17 and 22 C and an average annual rainfall of 2000 mm, with no dry season (Oliveira-Filho & Fontes, 2000). ...
Functional diversity has been defined as the value, range, distribution, and relative abundance of the functional traits of individuals that belong to an ecosystem. Thus, the functional response of organisms to environmental disturbances depends largely on their functional traits. Here, we evaluated dung beetle functional diversity associated to the Atlantic Forest replacement using a matrix with 25 functional traits (10 morphological, four ethological, and 11 physiological). We compared functional diversity among native and disturbed habitats with a multi and single trait approach. Contrary to previous studies, habitats with higher disturbance (open pasture) exhibited higher functional diversity compared to native forests, which could be explained by the incorporation of physiological response traits. Species of open disturbed habitats showed extreme values of such traits, explaining the observed pattern. The inclusion of several traits that represent both species ecology and morphology, and their physiology, generates different results to those observed in previous functional studies. This highlights the importance of including a large variety of functional traits in future functional diversity studies. We propose that functional traits must (1) be carefully chosen according to their biological and functional basis; (2) represent species ecology and physiology; and (3) include both effect and response traits. In addition, we consider it is extremely relevant to include a multi and single trait approach in functional diversity studies. A combination of all these considerations will provide a more realistic and complete overview of functional diversity patterns and the potential consequences of human disturbance on ecosystem functioning. We explored changes in dung beetle functional diversity among native forests and disturbed habitats using a matrix with 25 functional traits (10 morphological, four ethological, 11 physiological). Contrary to previous studies, the habitat with the highest environmental disturbance (open pastures) had the highest functional diversity, and the found pattern was mainly explained by physiological response traits. The results highlight the importance of including a large variety of functional traits (morphological, ethological, physiological), and the use of multi and single trait approaches in future functional diversity studies.
... We conducted fieldwork in the Atlantic forest of Argentina, one of the most threatened and biologically diverse forests of the world (DiBitetti et al., 2003;Myers et al., 2000;Ribeiro et al., 2009). The climate is warm, with annual temperatures between 17 and 22 C and an average annual rainfall of 2000 mm, with no dry season (Oliveira-Filho & Fontes, 2000). ...
1. Functional diversity has been defined as the value, range, distribution, and relative
abundance of the functional traits of individuals that belong to an ecosystem. Thus,
the functional response of organisms to environmental disturbances depends
largely on their functional traits.
2. Here, we evaluated dung beetle functional diversity associated to the Atlantic
Forest replacement using a matrix with 25 functional traits (10 morphological, four
ethological, and 11 physiological). We compared functional diversity among native
and disturbed habitats with a multi and single trait approach.
3. Contrary to previous studies, habitats with higher disturbance (open pasture) exhibited
higher functional diversity compared to native forests, which could be explained by the
incorporation of physiological response traits. Species of open disturbed habitats
showed extreme values of such traits, explaining the observed pattern.
4. The inclusion of several traits that represent both species ecology and morphology,
and their physiology, generates different results to those observed in previous
functional studies. This highlights the importance of including a large variety of
functional traits in future functional diversity studies.
5. We propose that functional traits must (1) be carefully chosen according to their biological
and functional basis; (2) represent species ecology and physiology; and (3) include both
effect and response traits. In addition, we consider it is extremely relevant to include a
multi and single trait approach in functional diversity studies. A combination of all these
considerations will provide a more realistic and complete overview of functional diversity
patterns and the potential consequences of human disturbance on ecosystem functioning.
... Therefore, the agronomic quality of this first unit in regional terms is less productive. To this must be added the fact that the removal of the forest cover for agricultural activities (such as slash and burn) means the soil undergoes extreme erosion due to the action of meteoric water flowing down the steep slopes, decreasing its thickness and productive yield (Fernández et al., 2000;Ligier, 2000;Di Bitetti et al., 2003). Below the flanks of the mountain range, both to the west and to the east, the second topographic unit appears below 300 -250 masl, making up the plains of the Paraná and Uruguay Rivers, respectively. ...
... On the left, the slope index (taken and modified byDi Bitetti et al., 2003). To the right, a general distribution of the hill ranges and plains of the Paraná and Uruguay Rivers (taken and modified from the Ministry of Ecology, Misiones province, consulted in 2017). ...
In this paper we present the known distribution of the archaeological record generated by
Amazonian horticulturalists, included within the Guaraní archaeological unit, in the
province of Misiones, Argentina. Its distribution is evaluated according to the
environmental risk conditions and the ecological niche construction. It is observed that,
although there are Guaraní materials throughout the provincial territory, the greatest
densities of finds and the identification of great archaeological sites from this unit occur in
the ecological stratum of the Paranaense jungle below 300 masl, and are associated with
the areas closest to the Paraná and Uruguay rivers. This distribution seems to be the
result of the selection of landscapes where stable and predictable agronomic conditions
are articulated, including soils more suitable for slash and burn agriculture, as well as
greater richness, predictability and fauna density, and convenience for cargo
transportation and fluvial communication. This population distribution may also have been influenced concurrently by the presence of other horticultural groups, who were absolute
competitors for the resources to be found in the central highlands and steep slope areas.
The colonization process of Misiones by these groups copies a similar pattern carried out
by this metapopulation throughout southeastern South America.
Keywords: Guaraní, Misiones, colonization, constructed niche, social reproduction
... El área protegida por el PPM se encuentra muy próxima al Parque Provincial Esmeralda y adyacente al Parque Estadual do Turvo (Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil), y constituye, junto con estos, un amplio y complejo espacio con una gran importancia para la conservación de la selva subtropical (Kelly et al., 2019). El parque se incluye dentro de la ecorregión denominada como Selva Paranaense (Rodríguez & Silva, 2012), donde el tipo de vegetación predominante corresponde al bosque húmedo subtropical semideciduo (Di Bitetti et al., 2003) y donde se encuentran mamíferos muy característicos como el yaguareté (Panthera onca), el ocelote (Leopardus pardalis), el tapir (Tapirus terrestris), las corzuelas (Mazama sp.) y los pecaríes (Tayassu sp.), junto a una elevada diversidad de aves, reptiles, anfibios y peces. Figura 1. Localización del Parque Provincial Moconá en la provincia de Misiones (Argentina). ...
La arqueología prehispánica de gran parte de la provincia de Misiones ha presentado un carácter discontinuo y con un desarrollo muy dispar a lo largo del territorio. En este espacio existen aún grandes áreas inexploradas, donde la escasez de información arqueológica ha sido suplida mediante la extrapolación de datos de otras áreas, o bien, trasladando acríticamente datos etnohistóricos al pasado. Con el objetivo de comenzar a
revertir esta tendencia, se presentan en este trabajo los primeros resultados de las prospecciones arqueológicas desarrolladas en un área de conservación de importancia regional que no posee antecedentes de estudios sistemáticos previos, el Parque Provincial Moconá. Las prospecciones se realizaron siguiendo los principales
ambientes geomorfológicos con el objetivo de obtener información sistemática sobre la distribución y variabilidad del registro arqueológico. Se detectaron tres nuevos sitios arqueológicos que representan diferentes momentos de la ocupación humana en el área y en los que fue posible recuperar una importante cantidad de restos líticos y de alfarería junto a restos de carbones. El estudio de estos materiales provee nueva información
para la discusión de problemas clásicos de la arqueología misionera, como la antigüedad y las trayectorias tecnológicas de los artefactos bifaciales comúnmente conocidos como “hachas y clavas curvas” o el desarrollo de suelos antrópicos por parte de grupos guaraníes.
