Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia

Understanding changes in species composition due to human‐induced habitat modification and environmental filtering is essential for formulating effective conservation strategies. Species turnover resulting from reduced‐impact logging (RIL) is expected in the short term, generally with species adapted to open areas replacing those dependent on old‐growth forest. However, little is known about how RIL activities influence assemblages after the perturbation ceased. We sampled lizards across an edaphic and vegetation‐structure gradient in 64 plots in the Brazilian Amazon to test the hypothesis that changes in assemblage composition and proportion of heliothermic species are due to canopy openness resulting from ceased RIL activities and individual tree falls or to other environmental gradients. Contrary to expectations, canopy openness did not significantly affect the overall composition of lizard assemblages, but nearby unforested areas influenced assemblage composition, resulting in a higher proportion of heliothermic species. The composition of lizard assemblages was also significantly influenced by the distance to the nearest water body, vegetation height, and soil sand content. However, leaf litter height did not have a detectable impact on the composition of lizard assemblages. We conclude that short‐term changes in species composition due to habitat modification by RIL do not persist in the long term after the perturbation ceases, and the assemblages may recover as vegetation regenerates. Although lizard species respond to spatial and temporal variation in environmental characteristics, we found evidence that lizard assemblages recover as reduced‐impact logging (RIL) activities cease and vegetation regenerates. Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.

The two main extensions of rain forest in South America are the Amazon (Amazônia) and the Atlantic rain forest (Mata Atlântica), which are separated by a wide ‘dry diagonal’ of seasonal vegetation. We used the species-rich tree genus Inga to test if Amazônia—Mata Atlântica dispersals have been clustered during specific time periods corresponding to past, humid climates. We performed hybrid capture DNA sequencing of 810 nuclear loci for 453 accessions representing 164 species that included 62% of Mata Atlântica species and estimated a dated phylogeny for all accessions using maximum likelihood, and a species-level tree using coalescent methods. There have been 16–20 dispersal events to the Mata Atlântica from Amazônia with only one or two dispersals in the reverse direction. These events have occurred over the evolutionary history of Inga, with no evidence for temporal clustering, and model comparisons of alternative biogeographic histories and null simulations showing the timing of dispersal events matches a random expectation. Time-specific biogeographic corridors are not required to explain dispersal between Amazônia and the Mata Atlântica for rain forest trees such as Inga, which are likely to have used a dendritic net of gallery forests to cross the dry diagonal.

Pathogenic strains of Escherichia coli can cause gastrointestinal infections, urinary tract infections (UTIs), bacteremia, and other severe infections. Some isolates of this species are capable of producing extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) enzymes, which mediate resistance against penicillin derivates and cephalosporins. Fungi of the Ascomycota phylum are known to produce antibiotics from different classes with activity against various bacterial agents. Among them, the genera Penicillium, Cephalosporium, Acremonium and Fusidium are known for the production of antimicrobial substances such as penicillin derivates, cephalosporins and fusidic acid. Currently, the search for new antimicrobials produced by species of the Ascomycota phylum includes the assessment of less explored habitats including aquatic environments, extreme environments, and the interior of plants/animals. The genus Penicillium remains promising for the discovery of new antimicrobial substances against resistant bacteria. In addition, those fungi have also been investigated regarding their usefulness for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles with antimicrobial activity. This narrative review introduces clinically relevant Escherichia coli pathovars, the historical contributions of the phylum Ascomycota to the production of antimicrobials, aspects of bioprocesses in the production of antimicrobial metabolites and different approaches of research targeting new antimicrobials such as screenings for fungi in environments not yet studied and the green synthesis mediated by fungi with antimicrobial activity.

BACKGROUND With the growing human awareness of the environmental and animal stress caused by the meat industry, the consumption of plant‐based products has expanded. Plant proteins have gained market prominence due to their sustainable origin, economic value and health benefits. Well‐established plant proteins in the market, such as those of soy and pea, have various applications as ingredients in the food industry. However, given the wide variety of protein sources, it is necessary to conduct studies on the chemical and techno‐functional characterization of other raw materials to further diversify their properties. In this context, the present study introduces jack bean protein concentrate (JBPC) as a potential alternative to proteins already established in the market. Techno‐functional properties such as surface hydrophobicity, solubility, zeta potential, water‐ and oil‐holding capacity, foam capacity and stability, emulsion stability and gel formation and rheology were analyzed. RESULTS The protein content obtained from the extraction of the JBPC was 73 g (100 g)⁻¹ on a dry weight basis, with an extraction yield of approximately 10% (w/w). Least gelation concentration for JBPC was 20%. JBPC exhibited a predominantly hydrophobic nature, with good oil retention capacity and emulsion and foam stabilization properties. The structure of JBPC was more linear, stable and rigid, which primarily influenced gel stiffness. CONCLUSION Based on the study of techno‐functional properties, JBPC proved to be an excellent alternative to soy protein isolate and pea protein concentrate in various applications, with potential for becoming an innovative ingredient in the food industry. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

Societal Impact Statement The physiological effects of increased atmospheric CO2 (CO2 fertilization) on intact forests are generally seen as a process that might buffer them against the impacts of climate change. However, CO2 fertilization can also cause adverse changes in forest conditions, such as alterations in species composition and reduced ecosystem moisture availability. Because of this, we argue that the effect of CO2 fertilization is a disturbance that leads to changes in the functioning of worldwide forests and causes low‐intensity degradation of these ecosystems. This demonstrates that even the most remote forests in the world have been altered by human action via CO2 fertilization, and the responsibility for their integrity must be shared globally.

Pentaclethra macroloba is a hyperdominant species with multiple uses in the Amazon. This species tolerates varying flood amplitudes, however the effect of flood topographic gradient on its ecophysiology remains unclear. We want to know if individuals from the high (10 trees) and low (20 trees) várzea show distinct phenological patterns as a function of the flood gradient, as well as their colonization strategies and their seed predators. From February 2018 to December 2019, we monitored the phenology of P. macroloba. There was no difference in phenological patterns between the two environments, but flooding caused different phenological responses. The increase in temperature favored the production of flower buds and increased precipitation reduced the proportion of flowering trees in both environments. The increase in rainfall and river flood level favored the ripe fruit only in the low várzea where individuals were most exposed to flooding. When the flood level increased, there was a greater proportion of trees losing leaves in both environments. The species produces high variability in seed size (length: H = 49.2, p > 0.001; width: H = 62.5, p > 0.001; weight: H = 70.4, p > 0.001). The seed predation rate was 5%, mainly caused by Carmenta surinamensis moth larva. The flood gradient established different phenological responses in the species, directing trees to have a better reproductive performance. The low predation rate and the variability in seed size are factors that contribute to the formation of large population densities in the Amazon River estuary.

Campinarana is a fragile white‐sand rainforest ecosystem in Amazonia, where mining activities have been an important driver of landscape transformation, threatening biodiversity. Despite its importance for biodiversity, few studies have investigated insects' response to environmental disturbance in campinaranas . Here, we assess the differences between the dung beetle assemblages of undisturbed and disturbed campinaranas . The studied campinaranas differ substantially in their vegetation structure, the disturbed one strongly affected by mining activities. Dung beetle taxonomic diversity, abundance, biomass, and assemblage structure (species' distribution and relative abundances) from total and functional group perspective and indicator species were recorded in undisturbed and disturbed campinaranas . A total of 1592 beetles belonging to 42 species were collected in undisturbed campinaranas and 459 beetles from 11 species in disturbed campinaranas . Undisturbed campinaranas encompassed higher diversity, abundance, number of indicator species, and biomass, and their assemblages' structure were distinct from disturbed campinaranas . The abundance of roller dung beetles was the only parameter that was not affected by habitat type. Our results suggest that undisturbed campinaranas host sensitive ecological communities, with most of the species unable to cope with the changes brought by mining activities. In addition, dung beetle species can be a useful indicator for monitoring environmental disturbance in campinaranas . Considering the extension of the latter across the Amazon, this study provides information to support public policies to mitigate losses caused by deforestation in this hyperdiverse area.

Physiological condition plays a pivotal role on the interaction between individuals and the environment, consequently being related to the ecological functions that organisms provide. Body dry mass, fat and muscle mass have been proved to affect the way in which organisms behave, as the depletion of nutrients in their body affect the strategies that they present. In this study, we used two dung beetle species as a model to test the effects of individual traits and physiological condition on the ecosystem services provided by them (e.g., dung removal and soil excavation). To attain this goal, we used Dichotomius nisus and D. bos , which are widespread species that inhabit South American pasturelands and are considered important for the ecosystem functioning of these regions. The beetles were collected from introduced pastures ( Urochloa spp.) in the Brazilian Cerrado biome, and the functions performed by the individuals were evaluated in the laboratory, with females and males in buckets filled with soil. Our results show that individuals with higher amounts of fat mass performed less ecosystem functions. Furthermore, dung beetles with more muscle removed more dung and soil during their activities. Lastly, these patterns were sex and species dependent. Our study provides evidence that individual physiological condition affects ecological functions provided by dung beetles. Thus, the integration of animal condition may allow a deeper understanding of the physiological basis of the ecosystem services provided by dung beetles, as well as an individual perspective on the contribution of their ecological services.

The growth of cities is one of the main direct and indirect factors responsible for the loss of native vegetation cover. Urbanization directly affects the biological communities inhabiting forest remnants inserted in cities, compromising the maintenance of urban and natural ecosystems. By understanding the effects of landscape transformation due to urbanization, we can have insights regarding the distribution of land uses that allow a proper maintenance of the urban ecosystems. This work assessed the effects of landscape structure variables (forest cover, agricultural area, edge density, and number of forest patches) on dung beetle assemblages and functional groups (i.e., diet and resource removal strategy) sampled in 38 sites located along an urban–rural gradient of six cities belonging to the metropolitan area of Manaus in Central Amazonia. Losses of forest cover were the most determining factor, negatively affecting species richness, abundance, and body size. The increases in agriculture cover negatively affected dung beetle abundance, while edge density positively affected their abundance. The number of forest patches positively affected dung beetle abundances—except for dweller species—and negatively affected the body size of diet‐generalist species. These results demonstrate that changes in ecological diversity caused by urbanization are driven mostly by forest cover loss, although forest configuration is important for dung beetle abundance. This study contributes to the understanding of how changes in the amount and distribution of forest cover in tropical cities affect the taxonomic diversity of dung beetle assemblages.

Sylviocarcinus pictus is a freshwater crab widely distributed across the Amazon basin and coastal basins of northern South America. In the Xingu River basin, Pará, Brazil, the species is found from its middle portion up to the confluence with the Amazon River. This extensive distribution led to questions about the influence of the Volta Grande do Xingu rapids on genetic diversification between populations above and below this area. To explore this hypothesis, 39 mitochondrial gene sequences (COI and 16S rRNA) from 22 samples collected from both areas were analysed in a phylogeographic context. Bayesian Inference and haplotype networks revealed at least two genetically distinct lineages of S. pictus in the Xingu River. The resulting genetic structure found within these populations raised questions about the taxonomic cohesion of the taxon and the potential existence of cryptic species that warrant further investigation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first molecular study on the genetic structure of a Sylviocarcinus species from the Amazon basin. Given the novelty and the underestimated diversity in this region, we advocate for additional studies on morphological and taxonomic approaches about this taxon to contribute to a future understanding of the evolutionary history of the genus.

Land use change threatens global biodiversity and compromises ecosystem functions, including pollination and food production. Reduced taxonomic α‐diversity is often reported under land use change, yet the impacts could be different at larger spatial scales (i.e., γ‐diversity), either due to reduced β‐diversity amplifying diversity loss or increased β‐diversity dampening diversity loss. Additionally, studies often focus on taxonomic diversity, while other important biodiversity components, including phylogenetic diversity, can exhibit differential responses. Here, we evaluated how agricultural and urban land use alters the taxonomic and phylogenetic α‐, β‐, and γ‐diversity of an important pollinator taxon—bees. Using a multicontinental dataset of 3117 bee assemblages from 157 studies, we found that taxonomic α‐diversity was reduced by 16%–18% in both agricultural and urban habitats relative to natural habitats. Phylogenetic α‐diversity was decreased by 11%–12% in agricultural and urban habitats. Compared with natural habitats, taxonomic and phylogenetic β‐diversity increased by 11% and 6% in urban habitats, respectively, but exhibited no systematic change in agricultural habitats. We detected a 22% decline in taxonomic γ‐diversity and a 17% decline in phylogenetic γ‐diversity in agricultural habitats, but γ‐diversity of urban habitats was not significantly different from natural habitats. These findings highlight the threat of agricultural expansions to large‐scale bee diversity due to systematic γ‐diversity decline. In addition, while both urbanization and agriculture lead to consistent declines in α‐diversity, their impacts on β‐ or γ‐diversity vary, highlighting the need to study the effects of land use change at multiple scales.

Trace elements play diverse roles in animal physiology ranging from essential micronutrients to potent toxicants. Despite animals accumulating many trace elements through their diets, relationships between trophic positions and biological concentrations of most trace elements remain poorly described. We report trophic transfer rates of Al, As, Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, Sr, Ti, Tl, U, V, and Zn from 31 freshwaters located in distinct biogeographic regions. Elemental concentrations and stable nitrogen isotope ratios (proxies for trophic position) were determined in zooplankton, molluscs, insects, and fishes from all sites. Trophic magnification factors (TMFs) were calculated as the mean fraction of each element that transferred from prey to predators at each site. TMFs >1 indicate biomagnification and TMFs <1 indicate biodilution. Mercury was the only biomagnifying element (median TMF = 3.77), and selenium neither biomagnified nor biodiluted (median TMF = 1.01). All 16 remaining elements biodiluted, with median TMFs ranging from 0.07 (uranium) to 0.60 (thallium). We used a model selection procedure to determine whether intrinsic physical and chemical elemental properties explained differences in TMFs among elements. Elements with high covalent bonding indices (Q) had marginally greater TMFs than elements with low Q values. Based on their high Q values, we recommend investigation into the trophic transfer rates of ten additional trace elements, some of which may biomagnify through some aquatic food webs. The high variability in TMFs within elements suggests that ecological factors are likely more important than intrinsic elemental properties at determining elemental TMFs.

The Amazon basin comprehends several aquatic environments and a great diversity of ichthyofauna, with a high rate of endemism. The number of species found in the region, combined with its extension, makes the identification and monitoring of biodiversity a problem, which might be solved with the application of the environmental nucleic acid technique, such as eDNA and eRNA. The eDNA technique uses aquatic or terrestrial environmental samples, where there are genetic traces of the organisms that frequent the local. This method can be used for the identification of target species, for the study of diversity of several taxa, and for the identification of invasive species, minimizing the stress of the organisms once it is not an invasive technique. In addition, environmental genetic analyses can still use other tools, such as the analysis of environmental mRNA and microRNA, where, through the expression of specific genes, it is possible to identify genes already known to respond to different stresses, such as pollution, thermal stress, and natural variation in dissolved oxygen levels, generally determining the possible pressures that organisms are exposed in their environment. As it is a technique under development, its application in the Amazon water basin still faces problems, such as the physical-chemical conditions of the aquatic environments and the lack of a genetic database for the species of such a diverse environment. Despite this, there are prospects of development applications in biodiversity monitoring, in addition to the identification of environmental genetic parameters related to human and animal health. In this chapter, we will discuss the applications of the environmental DNA technique for the Amazon region, the main results found with the technique, so far, and a comparison with studies that used traditional approaches to assess diversity. Finally, we will list the several perspectives for its future applications, both those concerning the monitoring of environmental and those concerning human health.

Extreme temperature events brought on by climate change are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity, which has an impact on all economic activities, including aquaculture. The chapter brings insights into the effect of climate change on the aquaculture industry as well as future research on the topic, exploring specific questions: What possible repercussions can climate change have on the parasite–host dynamic in aquaculture? How is the relationship between the host, biological agents, and environment? Climate change induces alterations in the physical–chemical parameters of the water, impacting all current ecological interactions and maybe limiting fish physiology and development throughout the whole aquaculture process. Through hosts and/or biological agents, fish health is predicted to be more impacted by climate change.

Background Native to the Amazon region, Copaifera multijuga Hayne is a large tree (≈ 36 m in height) that is heavily exploited for extraction of its oleoresin. Many studies have addressed the phytochemical properties and applications of this raw material; however, there are few initiatives that have focused on the genetic characterization of native populations of this species. To this end, our objective was to develop microsatellite markers for C. multijuga, which were previously unavailable, and apply them to the characterization of a native population located in the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve (Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil). Methods and results Using next-generation sequencing technology on the Ion Torrent PGM™ platform, 19 pairs of microsatellite primers were designed and developed. For the characterization and validation, we used a group of 47 C. multijuga trees. After preliminary tests, amplification conditions were standardized for 14 loci. The CmH05 locus was excluded from the analyses for being monomorphic, and the remaining loci were used to estimate key genetic parameters for the species, such as observed (Ho) and expected heterozygosity (He), total number of alleles (A), fixation index (f), and polymorphic information content (PIC), among others. The population showed levels of genetic diversity that were higher than 0.63 (Ho: 0.67; He: 0.64) and an average number of 5.4 alleles. According to the PIC estimates, all loci were considered highly (9) or moderately informative (3), except for CmH11, which had a value that was below 0.2. Conclusions The 13 developed microsatellites were efficient in characterizing the genetic diversity of C. multijuga and may be advantageous in future investigations aimed at defining effective conservation strategies for the species.

Resource attractiveness and preference is determinant to assess how biodiversity is structured in different ecosystems. Necrophagy is the alternative or complementary dietary habit of dung beetles, but a few studies have focused on evaluating how different carrion types attract different species. The goal of this study was to assess the effect of carrion type on attractiveness and preference of dung beetle taxonomic diversity in a region of Central Amazon. Pitfall traps baited with bovine spleen, chicken liver, and fish (freshwater sardine) were installed. Bait attractiveness was estimated through a sampling design that kept exclusively one food type in the field, while bait preference comprised a sampling design with more than one food type offered simultaneously in a concentrated area. We collected 3151 individuals from 24 dung beetle species. Bovine spleen was the most attractive bait in both food preference and food attractiveness experiments, being the only carrion type in which species demonstrated preference. Each carrion type attracted distinct dung beetle assemblages. This study demonstrates that Amazonian dung beetles prefer specific carrion types, which serves as a basis for future studies related to dung beetle diet.

Cerrado is the largest and most biodiverse savannah worldwide. However, only a reduced amount of this ecosystem is conserved, and in the last decades, the vast agricultural expansion resulted in the substitution of native vegetation for exotic pasturelands. Insects are key components for both native and exotic ecosystems in Cerrado, performing critical functions for ecosystem maintenance. Our goal was to evaluate how the transformation of natural Cerrado into cattle pastures (exotic pastures) affects the insect communities in this biome. We conducted a meta‐analysis using data on species richness and abundance data of insect assemblages from conserved Cerrado and exotic pastures. The analysis was based on a set of 23 scientific articles. Fourteen studies focused on Coleoptera and nine on Hymenoptera. Conserved Cerrado encompassed a higher species richness of insects than exotic pastures, but their abundance did not differ between these two habitats. However, dung beetle abundance increases significantly in disturbed Cerrado over time. Synanthropic species that thrive in altered environments could be masking the actual decline in abundance of species sensitive to environmental disturbances provoked by exotic pastures. Our results highlight the consequences of the structural homogenisation of the Cerrado into cattle pastures. That is, despite having a similar open‐canopy vegetation structure, this land‐use change leads to a significant loss of insect species, resulting in a drastic simplification of insect communities. This study reinforces the importance of maintaining native Cerrado patches in order to maintain diverse and functional ecosystems in this region.