Zelinda Maria Braga Hirano

Universidade Regional de Blumenau | FURB · Departamento de Ciências Naturais

Zoonotic malaria is a challenge for malaria elimination. Autochthonous cases of human malaria in Atlantic Forest of Brazil have recently been attributed to Plasmodium simium, a parasite that commonly infects non-human primates, thereby making Brazil the site of a second global focus of zoonotic malaria. Plasmodium simium, a parasite of various species of Platyrrhini monkeys whose range is restricted to the Atlantic Forest of Brazil, is genetically, immunologically and morphologically similar to P. vivax. Despite the importance of these parasites due to your zoonotic potential we know relatively little about the prevalence of infection, evolutionary history, how they adapted to the hosts and their potential for causing disease in humans. In addition, the prevalence of these parasites among the various species of PNHs and in different regions of the Atlantic forest remains unknown, making unclear the real threat posed by these parasites to human health. So, we know relatively little about the hosts of these parasites, these adaptations have suffered to allow be able to parasitize hosts and vectors or its own specific effect of the infection to the health of the host. The goal of this project is to answer all these questions through genomic analysis of parasites isolated from naturally infected humans and NHPs.

Forest remnants now occupy only 15% of the former extent of the Atlantic Forest in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. Deforestation is continuing and has increased, in time periods of five years, from 5.12% (1985-1990) to 7.26% (1990-1995). This fact indicates a high risk of species extinction, widespread disruption of metapopulations, and a severe decrease in the capacity of isolated populations to maintain genetic variability. The extent of forest fragmentation is extreme, and as the total forest area occupies less than 30% of the landscape matrix overall, the spatial configuration of the fragments is considered to be more important than their size. To understand this complex process, this study focuses on the Rio Doce basin in Minas Gerais, which occupies an area of 71,437.47 km² and is home to 11 primate species. The goals were: a) to estimate structural habitat characteristics, primate species richness and group density in a sample of unprotected forest fragments and in protected areas, as well as the geographic distribution and the degree of threat to the primate communities in the basin; b) to produce a map of vegetation cover and land use; c) to analyze the habitat fragmentation process at the primate community level and estimate the forest deficit in the Areas of Permanent Preservation (APPs – areas where, by law, the natural vegetation should be preserved); and d) to select priority areas for primate conservation and indicate actions to be implemented. Twenty-eight forest fragments were sampled, nine in protected areas and 19 in unprotected forests. In each fragment, the habitat characteristics were sampled along a transect on points spaced 300 m one from another and with an area of 113.1 m2, where 36 structural variables were measured. The statistical analysis was done using multivariate techniques. The vegetation cover and land use maps were drawn up from the interpretation of eight satellite images from Landsat 5 TM and 7 ETM+ with 30 m resolution, by using ERDAS Imagine and a supervised classification algorithm based on the Maximum Likelihood Method. The habitat fragmentation analysis considered 13 fragments and landscape class metrics using FRAGSTATS. The forest deficit for APPs was calculated using ArcGIS. This software was also used to develop a spatial model to select priority conservation areas for primates (MESAP). Twelve layers were considered, six with negative contributions to the status of a particular area (soil erosion, roads and railways, urbanization, human population density, economic activities and land use) and six with positive contributions (topography, rivers, forest cover, forest fragments, protected areas and the presence of threatened primates). The results showed that primate species richness was positively related to the size of the forest in protected areas, but not in unprotected forest patches. Primate group density was negatively related to area, a correlation which was stronger in the protected areas. The highest densities found were in the unprotected fragments. Habitat analysis with PCA indicated 14 variables which explained 70.86% of the variance. A cluster analysis ordered all areas sampled in a habitat quality gradient expressed by the above 14 variables, patch size, primate species richness and primate group density. All primate species which potentially occur in the Rio Doce basin were confirmed in the field. Eight primate communities were identified, each with different combinations of five taxa from a total pool of ten. Callithrix penicillata was found in a number of localities in the basin, despite its natural range being restricted to the Cerrado. The threatened status of each primate community was quantified by summing weighted values of the threat categories of the individual species (Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable and Low Risk). This resulted in two communities with values of 8, five with 10 and one with 12. Overall, in the 25 distinct primate communities throughout Minas Gerais, the highest threat rating found was 19, in the Jequitinhonha Valley. In terms of vegetation cover and land use, 21 classes were identified, with an overall accuracy equal or higher than 90%. Forest covers less than 14% of the basin, the majority having been converted to pasture, agriculture, and bare soil. A total of 34,229 forest fragments were mapped. The average size was 30.7 ha, and 28,240 were larger than 1 ha. Counting only the fragments greater than 1 ha, the average size was 37.1 ha. After applying an edge effect zone of 200 m to each fragment, only 15% of the fragments greater than 10 ha had what could be considered an intact core area. Analyzing their shape, fragments greater than 100 ha showed a deviation from the ideal perimeter of c. 500%. The most important metrics in the characterization of the primate community fragmentation pattern were related to four essential aspects: the area, the shape, the core area and the degree of isolation from other fragments. Considering the APPs, a forest deficit higher than 70% was evident, except for the APPs above 1,800 m. The MESAP resulted in 113 forest priority fragments grouped in 47 priority areas and ordered in four priority groups. The similarity between the priority areas selected here using MESAP and the existing protected area system was only 25.7%. Two existing reserves were not selected: the RPPN Belgo-Mineira and the State Ecological Station of Tripuí. Regarding recommendations for conservation action, the majority includes the creation of 28 new protected areas: one Environmental Protection Area (APA), seven State APAs (APAEs), four State Parks (PEs) and 16 Private Reserves (RPPNs). Also two protected areas require actions for the recovery of their natural vegetation, and three need changes to their boundaries. The other recommendations relate to promoting connectivity between the priority areas, the effective control and elimination of illegal activities in the protected areas, and scientific research in most of the selected priority areas. Satellite image interpretation and GIS techniques were efficient tools for the analysis of habitat fragmentation and in providing a detailed map of priority areas. This map showed a coincidence of 39.8% with the “Atlantic Forest Priority Areas” map (Conservation International do Brasil et al., 2000), and 69.9% with the final map of the “Biodiversity Atlas of Minas Gerais” (Costa et al., 1998). This study focused on the conservation of primates in the Rio Doce Basin but, based as it is on forest fragmentation, serves perfectly well for biodiversity conservation in general in the Atlantic Forest remnants of Minas Gerais.