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The Cerrado Vegetation of Brazil
... These topographical and edaphic conditions generate a complex mosaic of habitats, 131 with grassland and savannas crossed by palm marshes and gallery forests along drainages 132 (Eiten, 1972;Ratter et al., 1997), a pattern observed both at local and continental scales, 133 forming complex, horizontally stratified landscapes, whose character and evolution are 134 strongly tied to the geomorphology of major plateaus and depressions of central portions 135 of South America (Colli et al., 2020;Silva & Bates, 2002). As a result, Cerrado faunas are 136 rich and complex assemblages both at the local and regional scales, dominated by habi-137 tat specialist species segregated according to horizontally stratified and widely divergent 138 major habitat types (Carmignotto et al., 2022;Nogueira et al., 2009;Silva, 1997;Silva 139 & Bates, 2002). ...
... The Cerrado vege-694 tation is dominated by upland savannas and grasslands, along extensive ancient plateaus, 695 intermingled by peripheral, mostly forested depressions, associated with upper portions of 696 major drainages of South America (Tocantins-Araguaia, Paraná, Paraguay, Guaporé, and 697 São Francisco, Ab'Sáber (1998)). These topographical and edaphic conditions generate a 698 complex landscape mosaic of grassland and savanna, crossed by palm marshes and gallery 699forests along drainages(Eiten, 1972;Ratter et al., 1997), a pattern observed both at local 700 and continental scales, forming complex, horizontally stratified landscapes(Colli et al., 701 2020;Silva & Bates, 2002).702Despite being considered a global biodiversity hotspot(Myers et al., 2000) the re-703 gion is still poorly protected and remains under strong pressure from the expansion of 704 agricultural activities (Grande, Aguiar, & Machado, 2020; P. Pacheco et al., 2021; Stras-705 sburg et al., 2017). ...
... Our broad 1061 regionalization patterns may serve as a template for the discovery of new species (and 1062 biogeographical patterns) in less studied groups such as fishes and invertebrates. We may Eiten, 1972;Ratter et al., 1997). However, the Cerrado has been intensively modified 1182 by the conversion of its natural vegetation into croplands and planted pastures, which 1183 implies deforestation rates higher than the Amazon, coupled with less legal protection of 1184 its outstanding endemic biodiversity (Strassburg et al., 2017). ...
Note: Despite the title in Portuguese, the chapters were written in English. Moreover, all chapters are currently published in peer-reviewed journals and can be found and requested in my Research Gate account.
ABSTRACT: Biogeography is the study of the distribution of species and higher taxa within geographical space. The distribution of species can be affected by historical factors, such as the Earth‘s history and environmental dynamics within their habitats, as well as ecological factors, such as intrinsic characteristics of the species and their interactions with other species. Detecting patterns of diversity distribution can shed light on the roles of historical and geological factors in generating biotas and aid in decision-making for conservation efforts. However, local scale distribution patterns are often limited and primarily focused on well-studied groups, such as birds and mammals. The Cerrado, the largest and most diverse neotropical savanna, comprises a variety of physiognomies that provide high environmental heterogeneity, ranging from grasslands to forest formations. This environmental diversity has led to faunal diversification and specialization in the various predominant physiognomies, resulting in a high level of endemism for both plant and vertebrate species. Unfortunately, over 50% of the Cerrado’s territorial extent has been converted to anthropic uses, forming potentially uninhabitable mosaics for many species, particularly those with more restricted geographical distributions or higher habitat quality requirements. The Cerrado is therefore designated a “biodiversity conservation hotspot”, reflecting its high number of unique species and vulnerability due to habitat loss. Despite this, less than 11% of the Cerrado’s territorial extent is currently under legal protection which less than 3% being strict protection reserves. Moreover, besides the poor extension coverage, existing protected areas are not evenly distributed throughout its territory. This thesis compiles and evaluates 13,800 unique records related to the geographical distribu- tion of 340 endemic terrestrial vertebrate species in the Cerrado from the perspectives of historical biogeography and conservation biogeography. The first chapter explores the increase in the number of endemic Cerrado species in recent years (2000-2020) and biogeographic patterns typically associated with species of restricted distribution in the face of accelerated land use changes on natural habitats. The chapter emphasizes that the accelerated pace of describing new endemic terrestrial vertebrate species in the Cerrado is not accompanied by conservation efforts, particularly for recently described species with restricted distribution. The second chapter proposes a regionalization approach to identify 29 regions with groups of co-distributed species forming the basis for discussions on the origin and evolution of the unique biotas of the Cerrado. The results are compared with patterns previously detected with distribution data of amphibians and Squamata reptiles, revealing potential generalization of the detected pattern for different groups of terrestrial vertebrates. Lastly, the third chapter proposes priority areas for the conservation of the analyzed species and discusses the effect of changes in land use between 1985 and 2020 on the detection of priority areas for the conservation of the endemic vertebrate fauna of this savanna, which is the richest and most threatened on the planet.
... GF is distinguished by dense arboreal vegetation, with heights ranging from 15 to 30 m, that grows along rivers and streams ( Fig. 2B-C) (Eiten, 1972). In these areas, the tree cover ranges from 70 to 95%, and the conditions of high humidity and water availability, combined with the average to the low incidence of solar radiation, favor the colonization by bryophytes on various substrates such as rocks, soil, trunks of living trees, decaying trunks, lianas and leaves. ...
... The SV is characterized by discontinuous layers of treeshrub vegetation, with heights ranging from 8 to 10 m, in addition to an herbaceous-gramineous layer ( Fig. 2E) (Eiten, 1972). In these areas, the incidence of solar radiation is high and the availability of water is low, which results in the occasional occurrence of bryophytes on rocks, soil and, rarely, on tree trunks. ...
... This can be due to the ecological amplitude of some species, as well as to the phytogeographic characteristics of the Brazilian Cerrado itself. The floristic affinity between the Cerrado and other domains is considered a phenomenon that is often related to climatic events of the past that resulted in repeated expansions and contractions of vegetation that occurred during climatic alternations between dry and wet periods (Eiten, 1972;Sarmiento, 1983;Simon et al., 2009;Werneck et al., 2012;Teixeira et al., 2016). ...
... The scientific literature has differentiated the Amazonian savannas from the Cerrado vegetation since at least 1978, with key differences noted in their evolutionary history, biotic composition, and ecological interactions with other habitats and ecosystems (e.g., [7,9,[14][15][16][17][18][19]). While the Cerrado vegetation and the Amazonian savannas do share many plant species, this likely reflects historical connections between these habitats (see [12,[20][21][22][23][24]). The fact that the Amazonian savannas fall geographically within the Amazon biome also contributes to the distinction between them and the savannas of the Cerrado biome. ...
... cerrado stricto sensu, dense cerrado, cerradão) with the Cerrado biome (e.g., [30][31][32][33][34][35][36]), and this only fuels confusion and misconceptions in the application of legislation and public policy in the Legal Amazon. The confusion between these vegetation types had already been discussed by Eiten in 1972 [14], but this problem remains to this day. Indeed, these differences have never been reflected in political actions to support or prioritize the conservation of the Amazonian savannas, which are now highly threatened due to the continuing expansion of the agricultural frontier in Brazil and the associated clearing of native vegetation [7,33,37,38], as well as increases in infrastructure, and uncontrolled fires [7]. ...
Conservation policies in Brazil differ between the "biomes" into which the country has divided its territory since 2004. The Amazon biome is predominantly tropical forest but also includes unique savanna ecosystems, while the Cerrado biome is composed of various types of savanna but also includes islands and corridors of forest. Confusion, both inadvertent and deliberate, between the terms Cerrado and "savanna" has resulted in reducing the protection of Amazonian savannas by allowing less-demanding requirements applicable to the Cerrado biome to be applied. Threats to Amazonian savannas are also increased by legal provisions that allow required "legal reserves" in private properties to be compensated by reserves elsewhere in the same biome without requiring them to be of the same ecosystem type. We suggest needed clarifications and changes in Brazil's regulations to guarantee the protection of the country's unique Amazonian savanna ecosystems.
... mm of the bristle's length, antrorsely scabridulous medially to distally, exceeding the nutlet and the style base. (Eiten 1972), where according to Goodland (1971), the predominantly herbaceous vegetation is called 'sedge meadow', which occurs on the margins of palm marshes. ...
... Due to the unclear location of the collections, it is not possible to be certain about where the sample was collected (São Paulo or Minas Gerais State), but it is likely that it was collected by Regnell during his travels on horseback in the vicinity of the city where he lived (Santos 2016). Additionally, in São Paulo, there are disjunct areas of Cerrado (Eiten 1972), and at the beginning of the twentieth century, 14% of the current São Paulo State was covered by Cerrado vegetation (Durigan et al. 2003). It is possible, therefore, that the species' original distribution was between the Cerrados of São Paulo State and the "Triângulo Mineiro" region in Minas Gerais State, Southeast Brazil. ...
During an ongoing taxonomic revision, a new species of Rhynchospora section Pauciflorae subsect. Pauciflorae subsect. Plumososetosae Kükenthal was found in the savannas (Cerrados) of Minas Gerais, Southeast Brazil. The new taxon is also the first record of amphi-basicarpy for the genus Rhynchospora. The new species is compared to Rhynchospora armerioides J. Presl & C. Presl, R. barbata (Vahl) Kunth and R. hirta (Nees) Boeckeler, and differs from them by the presence of amphi-basicarpic spikelets, upper spikelet length, number of glumes and male flowers per upper spikelet, nutlet surface texture, style base margins, and perianth bristle length. Here we provide a new species description, taxonomic comments, distribution map, habitat, and illustrations.
... The grassland site presented very low shrub and palm cover compared to open savannas and is characterised by the dominance of forbs and graminoids species, interspersed with evergreen sclerophyllous shrubs (Silveira et al. 2016). All sites are subjected to two marked seasons, a dry and a rainy season, with > 70% of the total amount of annual precipitation occurring in the rainy season (Eiten 1972, Appendix S1). Soils are acidic and nutrient-poor in all sites (Ribeiro and Walter 2008;Silveira et al. 2016;Le Stradic et al. 2021). ...
... Precipitations are equivalent across Guimarães, Brasília and Cipó (~1550 mm mean annual precipitation, Appendix S1) but are higher at Tombador (~1770 mm mean annual precipitation) and at Campos Amazônicos (~2400 mm annual precipitation) (Fick and Hijmans 2017). The dry season lasts between 5 to 7 months (Oliveira and Marquis 2002), with July and August as the driest months (Eiten 1972) with low levels of precipitation (~250 to 470 mm dry season average precipitation). The Campos Amazônico site presents a period that is considered a dry season (5 months, from May to September), characterised by a decrease in precipitation (~289 mm average precipitation decrease) (Marengo et al. 2001;Fick and Hijmans 2017). ...
Aim
Belowground biomass, including roots and belowground bud‐bearing organs, is crucial in tropical open ecosystems, particularly during post‐fire regeneration. However, we still do not understand how variation in fire regime modulates the allocation of biomass in these belowground parts. In two distinct fire regimes, we investigated aboveground and belowground biomass, as well as the distribution of biomass and the composition of bud‐bearing belowground organs in open tropical ecosystems.
Location
Five tropical open ecosystems in Brazil (from northern to southeast Brazil).
Methods
We assessed above‐ and belowground plant biomass across 100 plots (10 plots for each of the two treatment conditions i.e. frequently burnt and fire excluded, and at five sites in total). We sorted out biomass as live aboveground, belowground bud‐bearing organs, coarse (> 2 mm) and fine roots (< 2 mm). Bud‐bearing belowground organs were classified into morphological categories (e.g., xylopodia, woody rhizome and fleshy rhizome).
Results
Fire‐excluded areas had a lower root‐to‐shoot ratio and lower total belowground‐to‐aboveground biomass allocation than areas frequently burnt. The total belowground biomass, as well as fine and coarse root biomass and belowground bud‐bearing organ biomass, remained unchanged with fire exclusion. The composition of belowground bud‐bearing organs changed towards organs with lateral spread, such as woody and fleshy rhizomes, when fire was excluded.
Conclusions
More than 10 years of fire exclusion did not affect the total belowground biomass but changed the composition of bud‐bearing belowground organs in tropical open ecosystems. Even after 12 years of fire exclusion, bud‐bearing belowground organs were still present in the community, ensuring resilience to fire even if they were not burned regularly.
... Brazilian savanna (Cerrado) is a "hotspot" for plant species diversity, with an estimated 10,000 plant species, approximately 45% of which are endemic to the Cerrado biome, but rapid deforestation has led to the destruction of nearly 45% of the original Cerrado vegetation (Alencar et al., 2020;Colli et al., 2020). The high biodiversity of Cerrado is thought to be due to a variety of factors, including spatial variation in climate, topography, water availability, soil type and fertility, and disturbance (Eiten, 1972;Lopes and Cox, 1977;Furley and Ratter, 1988;Ruggiero et al., 2002;Felfili et al., 2004;Vourlitis et al., 2013Vourlitis et al., , 2019. These same environmental factors also introduce a high level of structural diversity, for example, Cerrado can consist of grasslands (campos), woodlands (stricto sensu), or forests (matas) (Eiten, 1972;Lopes and Cox, 1977;Furley and Ratter, 1988;Ribeiro and Walter, 2008), and high beta-diversity due to species turnover that occurs across these climatic, edaphic, or disturbance gradients (Pellegrini et al., 2016;Silva-Souza et al., 2023). ...
... The high biodiversity of Cerrado is thought to be due to a variety of factors, including spatial variation in climate, topography, water availability, soil type and fertility, and disturbance (Eiten, 1972;Lopes and Cox, 1977;Furley and Ratter, 1988;Ruggiero et al., 2002;Felfili et al., 2004;Vourlitis et al., 2013Vourlitis et al., , 2019. These same environmental factors also introduce a high level of structural diversity, for example, Cerrado can consist of grasslands (campos), woodlands (stricto sensu), or forests (matas) (Eiten, 1972;Lopes and Cox, 1977;Furley and Ratter, 1988;Ribeiro and Walter, 2008), and high beta-diversity due to species turnover that occurs across these climatic, edaphic, or disturbance gradients (Pellegrini et al., 2016;Silva-Souza et al., 2023). ...
Productivity and ecosystem carbon (C) storage are often positively associated with species and/or structural diversity; however, positive relationships in tropical forests and woodlands are not universal and the strength of this relationship may be affected by climate. Diversity-productivity relationships were evaluated in upland and seasonally flooded savanna (Cerrado) of the Cuiaba Basin and Northern Pantanal in southern Mato Grosso, Brazil. Data on wood C increment, tree species composition, and alpha diversity were measured over a 10-year period in nine communities located in the Cerrado-Pantanal transition zone. Communities were composed of a wide spectrum of tropical savanna physiognomies, including mixed grassland (campo sujo), typical wooded savanna (stricto sensu), dense wooded savanna (cerrado denso), seasonal forest (mata seca and mata ciliar), and riparian forest (mata de galeria). We hypothesized that tree species richness and diversity would increase from grassland to forest. We further hypothesized that there would be a positive relationship between woody C storage and diversity, but the strength of this relationship would be higher in wet years and wetter environments, such as the Pantanal, due to an increase in water availability. We found that tree species richness and diversity did not increase from mixed grasslands to forests, as mixed grasslands and riparian forests had similarly low levels of tree species richness and diversity compared to the other physiognomies. However, the rate of annual aboveground wood C increment was positively related to species richness and alpha diversity, and the positive relationship was primarily observed during wet years when the annual precipitation was at, or above, the long-term average for the region. Presumably, the impact of structural and species diversity on productivity declines during dry years when water availability becomes a more important control on stem C increment for tree species in the Cerrado-Pantanal transition. These data suggest that maintenance of diversity in these Cerrado woodlands and forests is important for maximizing aboveground C gain. However, climate change, which is causing warming and drying for the region, may limit the importance of diversity on wood C storage. CITATION Vourlitis GL, Pinto OB Jr, Dalmagro HJ, Arruda PH and de Almeida Lobo F (2024) Diversity-productivity relationships of savanna ecosystems in the Cerrado-Pantanal transition of southern Mato Grosso, Brazil.
... The Cerrado is a biodiversity hotspot characterized by a rich, endemic, and threatened biota (Myers et al. 2000;Klink and Machado 2005). With characteristic savanna vegetation, most of its natural areas are composed of open fields (Eiten 1972;Eiten 1978;Eiten 1982), which, physiognomically, are not forests. But why do studies focus more on woody trees and their endophytic fungi? ...
... The climate in this region is tropical (Aw), with two distinct seasons, a dry (April-September) and a rainy (October-March) (Cardoso et al. 2014). The vegetation in the studied area is characterized by the presence of grasses along with tree and shrub strata (Cavararo 2004;Eiten 1972). Five healthy individuals of Peltaea polymorpha were collected at an approximate distance of 250 m from each other. ...
The diversity of cultivable endophytic fungi in native subshrubs of the Brazilian Cerrado is largely unknown. This study investigated the cultivable endophytic mycobiome of stems, leaves, and flowers of Peltaea polymorpha (Malvaceae). In total, 208 endophytic fungi were isolated, 95 from stems, 65 from leaves, and 48 from flowers. The isolates were classified as ascomycetes belonging to three classes, eight orders, ten families, 12 genera, and 31 species. Diaporthe, Nigrospora, and Colletotrichum were the dominant genera in the three analyzed organs. The richness estimators suggested that the number of species might be slightly higher than observed. The highest values for the Shannon and Simpson diversity indices were observed in stems. Beta diversity showed overlapping of fungal communities in different organs, with a high rate of sharing of taxa. Furthermore, the dominant primary fungal lifestyles were plant pathogens and saprobes. Our findings show that the cultivable endophytic fungal community of P. polymorpha is species-rich and that communities in different organs share genera and species.
... The new genus Podocalea Pruski--typified by P. cuneifolia--(Compositae tribe Neurolaeneae) from southern South American is established for a series of former Caleas that are usually few-stemmed low xylopodial herbs with proximally disposed opposite leaves and large, often scapose monocephalous capitula 74,(78)(79)(80)(81)(82). In most species of Podocalea, one or more stems arise from a superficial caudex or subterranean xylopodium ( Fig. 69; viz also Rawitscher and Rachid 1946;Eiten 1972;Vilhalva and Appezzato-da-Glória 2006;Appezzato-da-Glória et al. 2008), and the plants are usually less that waist-high (Fig. 70). The species of Podocalea are indeed mostly radiate and relatively large-capitulate (Figs. ...
... In Compositae the underground storage organs of crop species are known to respond to artificial selection (Dempewolf et al. 2008), so similarly the xylopodia of Podocalea may principally be a response to environment and only secondarily an indicator or relationships. Presence of xylopodia in Podocalea (Fig. 69) recalls similar ecological adaptations found in plants of dry or fire-prone cerrados and savannas (Eiten 1972;Vilhalva and Appezzato-da-Glória 2006;Appezzato-da-Glória et al. 2008), albeit P. abbreviata sometimes, for example, seems ecologically adapted to waterlogged soils. The xylopodia in Podocalea mostly enlarge asymmetrically after stems die back to ground level. ...
From among genera long-time synonymous with typical and/or non-typical sections of Calea (Neurolaeneae), Mexican Tonalanthus Brandegee and the Brazil-centered genera Lemmatium DC. and Meyeria DC. are resurrected. Laceanthos Pruski, gen. nov. and Podocalea Pruski, gen. nov. are described as new genera and house 26 species formerly recognized in synonymous Brazil-centered Calea sect. Haplocalea and Calea sect. Monanthocalea, respectively. Laceanthos contains eight species, has fleshy fibrous roots, is often whorled leaved, has cymose-umbelliform capitulescences, short broad conduplicate paleae, disk corollas with reddish-orange to orange resin within ducts, and cypselar twin trichome terminal cell apices slightly divergent. Lemmatium houses 16 species and has stipitate cypselae with multicellular irregularly knotted twin trichomes. Meyeria contains 18 species, has short-pappose quadrangular cypselae with weakly asymmetric carpopodia, and x = 18 as a base chromosome number. Podocalea is newly described and includes 18 species that are most often relatively large-capitulate monocephalous scapose xylopodial plants with x = 16 as a base chromosome number, have clinanthia with linear non-conduplicate paleae, disk corolla throats with orangish resin within the single throat duct along each vein, and cypselar twin trichome terminal cell apices noticeably divergent. Tonalanthus is monotypic, has biconvex-compressed cypselae with unevenly developed short broad twin trichomes, and slender ascending style branches. Laceanthos, Lemmatium, and Podocalea each contain both radiate-capitulate and discoid-capitulate species, whereas Meyeria and Tonalanthus are strictly radiate-capitulate. Each of these five newly recognized genera are treated at least provisionally as members of tribe Neurolaeneae, but each differs in critical features from Calea. Tepuipappus Pruski, gen. nov. is newly described, placed in Heliantheae subtr. Verbesininae, and houses six species from the Duida Supergroup of tepui summits in the Lost World of the Guayana Highland. Tepuipappus is treated within the present paper in an internal paper titled "Compositae of the Guayana Highland-XV. The new genus Tepuipappus (Heliantheae subtr. Verbesininae) from Venezuela." The species of Tepuipappus are characterized by radiate capitula, quadrangular cypselae, weakly asymmetric carpopodia, and typically a pappus of 4 longer pappus scales on the edges of the cypselae with occasional intermediate scales or squamellae. Sixty three new combinations are proposed for the 67 species recognized in the three newly described and three newly resurrected genera treated here. The eight new combinations in Laceanthos, 15 new combinations in Lemmatium, 15 new combinations in Meyeria, 18 new combinations in Podocalea, six new combinations in Tepuipappus, and that in monotypic Tonalanthus are: Laceanthos acaulis (Baker) Pruski, comb. nov.
... Tropical savannas are characterized by a discontinuous stratum of woody species and a continuous C 4 herbaceous layer adapted to disturbance (e.g., herbivory and fire) under a seasonal climate (Lloyd et al. 2008;Ratnam et al. 2011). Cerrado is the second most extensive ecosystem in South America (Eiten 1972). It encompasses a mosaic of grasslands, savannas, closed or open forests (Coutinho 1978), and is considered the richest savanna in terms of plant species, and a hotspot of biodiversity (Myers et al. 2000). ...
... Individuals of each species were collected in an open savanna area (campo sujo), characterized by a species-rich herbaceous layer, composed of a C 4 grass layer with different species of forbs, shrubs, and few dwarf trees (Eiten 1972;Coutinho 1978). ...
Post‐fire regeneration characterizes woody vegetation of the Cerrado. Several species (e.g., from the Fabaceae) can resprout after fire due to the presence of storage bud‐bearing belowground structures, such as xylopodia, having the capacity to rapidly allocate resources for the formation of new aboveground shoots, an advantage in fire‐prone ecosystems. Therefore, we evaluated the morphoanatomical structure of the belowground organs, buds and their storage to elucidate fire‐related functional traits in relation to regeneration. Besides the strong capacity of plants with xylopodia to resprout and/or their associated root suckers to propagate laterally, they also provide protection against pathogens, through the presence of defence compounds.
We evaluated the morphoanatomy and performed histochemical tests with the belowground organs of eight legume species collected in open savannas in Central Brazil.
Two species presented a taproot tuber and the six remaining species had a xylopodium as belowground organ. All xylopodia had buds on their upper portion. These organs were basically composed of lignified tissue, containing defence (phenolic compounds and lipidic substances), and storage (starch) substances. All xylopodia were associated to tuberous roots, and in two species these roots were also root suckers.
Thus, the presence of belowground storage organs, in combination with stored defence compounds, likely facilitates the persistence of the investigated legumes in fire‐prone ecosystems.
... This biome constitutes a complex vegetation system with ecological, physiognomic, historical, and geological relationships with other territories in the same latitude, such as the tropical zone of the Americas, the African continent, and Australia. Consequently, it presents physiognomies that include forest, savanna, and grassland formations (Beard 1953, Cole 1958, Eiten 1972, 1994, Allem and Valls 1987, Ribeiro and Walter 2008. According to International Conservation, the Cerrado is considered a global hotspot and occupies one of the 36 priority regions for conservation, concentrating elevated levels of biodiversity and endemism (Myers et al. 2000, Strassburg et al. 2017, Gomes et al. 2018. ...
... The average annual precipitation in the regions is 1,500 mm, with well-defined rainy The vegetation cover is typical of the Cerrado stricto sensu; however, the presence of gallery forests, humid fields, and "veredas" can also be observed, in addition to areas with transition between the Cerrado and Caatinga biomes (Mazzeto-Silva 2009). This vegetation type is characterized by the presence of shrubs, subshrubs, and small trees with a sloping, tortuous, and branched appearance (Eiten 1994, Eiten 1972, Ribeiro and Walter 2008. Due to the warm and dry climate of the region, the species are xeromorphic, featuring rigid, leathery, and hairy leaves, in addition to a thick bark and the presence of xylopodia (Ribeiro and Walter 2008). ...
This study aimed to assess the richness and diversity of aquatic hyphomycetes in the Brazilian Cerrado areas located in the extreme western region of Bahia and in the state of Tocantins, where, to date, no studies involving these organisms have been published. Submerged substrates (leaves and twigs) were collected in six bodies of water: the Azuis River (belonging to the Tocantins River basin), recognized as the smallest river in Latin America and the third smallest worldwide; and in the Grande River, Ondas River, João Rodrigues River, Ouro River, and Janeiro River (part of the São Francisco River basin). The substrates underwent the moist chamber method for subsequent taxonomic study and ecological analysis of the taxa found. Twenty-three aquatic hyphomycetes were found, distributed across three classes, 13 orders, and 20 genera, within the phylum Ascomycota. Among these, 19 are facultative aquatic, three are aero-aquatic, and one is ingoldian. The Azuis (10) and Ondas (9) Rivers exhibited the highest richness and diversity of taxa, whereas the Grande River showed the lowest richness. Concerning the substrate, nine taxa were identified on leaves, 10 on twigs, and four on both. Subulispora procurvata Tubaki was the most abundant species throughout the study, and Delortia palmicola Pat. is the first record of this species for Brazil and for the Cerrado biome. The identification of these fungal species in previously unexplored aquatic ecosystems emphasizes the necessity for additional inventory studies of hyphomycetes in these areas to attain a comprehensive understanding of the funga present in these aquatic environments.
... An interesting region in which to study the effects of interand intra-regional speciation events on modern biota is the South American Cerrado, the world's largest and most biodiverse tropical savanna (Eiten, 1972;Oliveira & Marquis, 2002;Silva & Bates, 2002). ...
... Savanna-like vegetation dominates the landscape , but several vegetation physiognomies, ranging from pure grasslands to evergreen forests, are also found across the region . There is considerable disagreement among authors regarding the limits of the Cerrado (Marques et al., 2020;Mereles, 2013;Villarroel et al., 2016), what is not surprising, given that limits between adjacent biogeographical regions are not sharp, often existing complex transitions and interdigitations between them at a local level (Ab'Saber, 1977;Eiten, 1972;Lopes, 2008). Here, we adopted the Cerrado's boundaries proposed by IBGE (2019), for Brazil, and by Dinerstein et al. (2017), for Bolivia and Paraguay. ...
Aim
Endemicity is one of the main indicators to describe and compare regional biotas. Endemic species can originate from inter‐ or intra‐regional speciation, but few studies have measured the relative contribution of these two mechanisms in the assembly of regional biotas. We investigated the relative contributions of inter‐ and intra‐regional speciation in assembling the endemic avifauna of the Cerrado, the largest South American savanna region. We also tested hypotheses about the relationships between habitat preferences with range size and evolutionary age, as well as whether the biogeographical relationships between the Cerrado and neighbouring regions are randomly distributed around the region.
Location
Cerrado, central South America.
Taxon
Birds.
Methods
We used distributional and phylogenetic data of Cerrado endemic birds.
Results
The proportion of endemic species in the Cerrado region is relatively low, when compared to other organisms living in the same region. Furthermore, we found that inter‐regional speciation is the primary factor promoting bird endemism in the Cerrado and that sister species of Cerrado endemics are concentrated in northwestern (forest species) and southwestern (nonforest species) South America. We also found that nonforest endemic bird species do not necessarily have larger geographical ranges than forest endemic species; however, nonforest endemic species are evolutionarily older than forest species.
Main conclusions
The assembly of the Cerrado endemic avifauna is complex and idiosyncratic. The intricate history of the Cerrado endemic avifauna suggests that it is constantly exchanging species with its neighbouring regions. Due to its high ecological heterogeneity, the Cerrado ecosystems are capable of harbouring populations of both endemic and non‐endemic species acquired during periods of significant biotic exchange.
... O termo "savana" fica aquém da representação da abrangência vegetativa do Cerrado e, portanto, seu uso não expressa a diversidade das paisagens que conformam esse ecossistema. Na verdade, a utilização do conceito de savana tropical é frequentemente questionada e alguns especialistas consideram-no um termo extremamente mal utilizado (EITEN, 1972). O Cerrado é também o segundo maior bioma brasileiro e sua localização no planalto central da América do Sul o coloca em contato com a maioria dos outros biomas brasileiros, como a Amazônia, a Caatinga, o Pantanal e a Mata Atlântica. ...
... O estado de Goiás encontra-se quase totalmente dentro do bioma Cerrado, que conforme apresentado anteriormente, é identificado como um tipo de savana tropical, sendo a mais biodiversa do planeta (Eiten, 1972;Oliveira;Marquis, 2002; Dutra e Silva, 2020). Com uma sazonalidade climática fortemente marcada por períodos muito úmidos (outubro à março) e muito secos (abril à setembro), a área historicamente foi confundida com uma região semiárida. ...
O artigo analisa as ansiedades em relação às queimadas e as especulações sobre um provável processo de desertificação na região do Brasil Central, nas primeiras décadas do século XX, com base no conto “Gente da Gleba”, do escritor goiano Hugo de Carvalho Ramos (1895-1921). Essa análise é realizada confrontando as percepções de Ramos, dos habitantes locais, de cientistas e viajantes da época sobre uma possível mudança no regime de chuvas no Brasil Central no início do século XX, provocada pelas queimadas na estação seca e consequente destruição das matas. Trata-se de um estudo possível por meio de uma abordagem que congrega a História Ambiental e a Ecocrítica ao investigar como os não-humanos impactam em uma obra literária em determinado período histórico. As preocupações esboçadas na obra “Gente da Gleba” guardam relação com diferentes perspectivas sobre o bioma Cerrado e o manejo do fogo nessa área, no início do século XX, mas também com as teorias de dessecamento, que eram um conjunto de ideias científicas forjava uma associação direta entre desmatamento e mudanças climáticas em nível local.
... However, this is a strong oversimplification. Cerrados in a broad sense cover 20 % of the whole country of Brazil and 40 % of the non-Amazonian part (Eiten 1972). There are various subtypes of cerrado ( Table 2) that are characterized by a variable tree cover on a relatively continuous herbaceous layer that shifts over time in response to localized variation in disturbance brought by fires and across topographical gradients that mostly reflect changes in soil depth or in groundwater level. ...
... There was the new sofar unexplained phenomenon of a substantial drop of intrinsic photosynthetic capacity in the afternoon without any evidence of photoinhibition during earlier times of the day. Eiten (1972Eiten ( , 1986 Rock outcrops can be found in cerrados, rupestrian fields, or as large solitary inselbergs emerging from other vegetation, such as in the Atlantic forest. Two major stress factors are high solar irradiation and the supply of water, due to exposure and run-off, respectively. ...
For about 25 years the photosynthetic performance of plants has been measured at a variety of different types of vegetation physiognomies of the cerrados and Atlantic forests of Brazil. The results of all these 28 publications, at the great majority of which Eduardo Arcoverde de Mattos has actively and most inspiringly participated, are overviewed here. A plea is made for an approach of physiological synecology with comparisons between different habitats, between species within given habitats and between given species across different habitats. This is exemplified for habitats within the geographical coordinates of 15°44’ and 23°08’S and 47°53’ and 41°15’ W. The sites, their environmental characteristics and typical vegetation physiognomy, are described. The observations and results of the ecophysiological field work with respect to performance of photosynthetic gas exchange and other traits, including morphotypic adaptations, viz. plant morphotypes, and water relations, are summarized. The, both facilitating and competing, performances of plants with C3-photosynthesis, and different levels of expression of crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) are evaluated. Diversity and plasticity of niches and species is considered. The consequences for a “post-modern-synthesis” of evolution theory are assessed.
... The understanding of the distribution patterns of biological species has been the subject of studies in different biomes (Eiten 1972;Felfili et al. 2011;Bueno et al. 2013;Pellegrini et al. 2016) because there is a perception that comprehending these patterns will enable better natural resource management and conservation, providing support for biodiversity preservation (Cox & Moore 2014). ...
... For Cerrado areas, factors such as soil depth, drainage, water table depth, soil fertility (Eiten 1972;Scariot et al. 2005), precipitation, occurrence of fire, and anthropogenic disturbances (Hoffmann et al. 2009) are the most relevant. In the Amazon Rainforest, precipitation, water availability, litter production, and nutrient cycling are the determining factors for the abundance and distribution of plant species, becoming selective factors in these environments where water and nutrient availability are low (Farquhar & Sharkey 1982;Hoffmann & Franco 2008). ...
In ecotonal Cerrado areas, the addition of Amazonian and Atlantic Forest species mainly occurs through connections between forest areas and forest physiognomies. In this context, the biome is a unique region for research on the influence of geographical and historical factors on its biota. In tropical ecotonal regions, integrated communities can exist on soils that present variations in fertility, physical properties and depth, which results in heterogeneity of physiognomies. It was tested the hypothesis that edaphic conditions related to calcium availability are significantly related to species composition and structural parameters in two physiognomies. The study was conducted in the Cerrado of the Chapada das Mesas National Park (CMNP) in the city of Carolina, Northeast Brazil, and the sample universe consisted of 18 areas in two physiognomies. The initial hypothesis was confirmed. The results and inferences about the vegetation structure and physical-chemical parameters of the soil, suggest that the management for conservation of the CMNP must consider the particularities of the Cerrado physiognomies and the vegetation responses to environmental filters, such as edaphic conditions and associations with other organisms.
Keywords:
Cerrado; environmental filters; gallery forest; herbaceous; physiognomies; shrubs
... O termo "savana" fica aquém da representação da abrangência vegetativa do Cerrado e, portanto, seu uso não expressa a diversidade das paisagens que conformam esse ecossistema. Na verdade, a utilização do conceito de savana tropical é frequentemente questionada e alguns especialistas consideram-no um termo extremamente mal utilizado (EITEN, 1972). O Cerrado é também o segundo maior bioma brasileiro e sua localização no planalto central da América do Sul o coloca em contato com a maioria dos outros biomas brasileiros, como a Amazônia, a Caatinga, o Pantanal e a Mata Atlântica. ...
... O estado de Goiás encontra-se quase totalmente dentro do bioma Cerrado, que conforme apresentado anteriormente, é identificado como um tipo de savana tropical, sendo a mais biodiversa do planeta (Eiten, 1972;Oliveira;Marquis, 2002; Dutra e Silva, 2020). Com uma sazonalidade climática fortemente marcada por períodos muito úmidos (outubro à março) e muito secos (abril à setembro), a área historicamente foi confundida com uma região semiárida. ...
O artigo analisa as ansiedades em relação às queimadas e as especulações sobre um provável processo de desertificação na região do Brasil Central, nas primeiras décadas do século XX, com base no conto “Gente da Gleba”, do escritor goiano Hugo de Carvalho Ramos (1895-1921). Essa análise é realizada confrontando as percepções de Ramos, dos habitantes locais, de cientistas e viajantes da época sobre uma possível mudança no regime de chuvas no Brasil Central no início do século XX, provocada pelas queimadas na estação seca e consequente destruição das matas. Trata-se de um estudo possível por meio de uma abordagem que congrega a História Ambiental e a Ecocrítica ao investigar como os não-humanos impactam em uma obra literária em determinado período histórico. As preocupações esboçadas na obra “Gente da Gleba” guardam relação com diferentes perspectivas sobre o bioma Cerrado e o manejo do fogo nessa área, no início do século XX, mas também com as teorias de dessecamento, que eram um conjunto de ideias científicas forjava uma associação direta entre desmatamento e mudanças climáticas em nível local.
... (Vochysiaceae), a woody native species, is capable of accumulating more than 3.9 g of Al/kg of DM in its leaves and is therefore considered an Al accumulator (Andrade et al., 2011;Chenery, 1948;Haridasan, 2008). It is considered a key tree species and is the most widespread and frequent woody plant in the Cerrado (Eiten, 1972;Buzatti et al., 2019;Da Ponte et al., 2020). Transcriptomic and proteomic studies indicate that Q. grandiflora could be metabolically dependent on Al (Cury et al., 2019(Cury et al., , 2020Silva, 2017). ...
... It is noteworthy that Q. grandiflora is one of the most representative and successful species of the Cerrado (Buzatti et al., 2019;Da Ponte et al., 2020;Eiten, 1972;Ratter et al., 2003), which is the richest neotropical savannah in the world and is among the world's 25 hotspots for conservation priorities (Colli et al., 2020;Myers et al., 2000). Moreover, the Cerrado has not been prioritized for conservation and, therefore, has been rapidly devastated, and its soils have been dramatically modified due to liming for agriculture. ...
Qualea grandiflora Mart. is an aluminum (Al)‐accumulating Cerrado species with a metabolic dependency on Al. This study aimed to determine the presence and concentration of Al and other reserve components in Q. grandiflora seeds, as well as their respective distribution patterns, mobilization, and usage during germination and seedling growth. Thus, the concentration of Al and other minerals in seeds, seedlings, and soils was measured. Also, histochemical and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDS) analyses were performed to observe the distribution of Al, proteins, and lipids in Q. grandiflora seeds and seedlings. Additionally, the concentration of proteins and lipids was assessed as well. Hence, even in soils with low exchangeable Al ³⁺ , Q. grandiflora seeds accumulated about 6.43 g of Al/kg of dry matter (DM) together with considerable concentrations of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg. Exogenous Al had no effect on the germination properties of Q. grandiflora seeds. Furthermore, approximately 60% of the seed Al was translocated to seedling leaves. Proteins and lipids were the main organic reserves in Q. grandiflora seeds. The histochemical analysis revealed that the bulk of Al in seeds was in the cotyledons, which were also the location sites of proteins and lipids. Proteins and lipids were the primary source of energy and carbon for seedling growth. Therefore, fatty acids, proteins, and Al could play a central role during seed germination and seedling establishment, which could help to explain why this species is one of the most widespread plants in the Cerrado.
... The great biodiversity of the Cerrado may be related to its environmental heterogeneity, represented by its different vegetation types, from predominantly open (e.g., campo limpo, campo sujo, campo cerrado) to closed formations (e.g., cerradão, gallery forest), with the cerrado sensu stricto between these extremes (Eiten 1972;Furley and Ratter 1988;Ribeiro and Walter 1998). Such structural differences determine diverse microclimates (e.g., Gianotti et al. 2013) and microhabitats (e.g., Vitt 1991;Nogueira et al. 2009;Furtado et al. 2021). ...
The Cerrado is a highly threatened biome that harbors a great portion of Brazilian biodiversity, including many endemic species. Such richness may reflect its environmental heterogeneity, which includes different vegetation types (from grasslands to forests). Several endemic species in the Cerrado are strongly associated with open vegetation types. Recent studies have shown that woody encroachment can negatively impact several components of biodiversity. In the present study, we provide information on variation in lizard diversity across different vegetation types in a protected area located in the southern portion of the Cerrado and evaluated the effect of vegetation density on lizard taxonomic, functional, and phylogenetic diversity. We predicted that the three aspects of lizard diversity would be negatively affected by vegetation density and that Beta diversity would vary significantly across the vegetation gradient. We confirmed nearly all of our predictions, except for functional diversity, which, contrary to our expectations, was positively influenced by vegetation density. We also found that Beta diversity indices based on both species composition/abundance and phylogenetic features of communities experience a significant turnover across the vegetation density gradient. This study greatly strengthens previous studies that suggest a negative impact of vegetation density (and, consequently, woody encroachment) on lizard diversity. Therefore, managers of protected areas in the Cerrado should consider the use of strategies to avoid woody encroachment, like fire management with prescribed fires.
... The Brazilian savannas (Cerrado) comprise the second largest ecoregion in South America with more than 2,000,000 km 2 of geographical area and possess a highly heterogenous environment shaped by complex interactions between vegetation, terrain, soil, and fire (Eiten 1972;Françoso et al. 2019;Furley 1999). The Cerrado is one of the most diverse savannas in the world and has high endemism levels (Furley 1999;Klink and Machado 2005). ...
Humanity is experiencing an environmental crisis, threatening biodiversity and itself. Knowing the environmental perception of social actors in threatened ecosystems can be critical for making decisions and planning more effective conservation actions. We investigated the positive and negative environmental perceptions of the Cerrado, a biodiversity hotspot, from 48 rural residents and 49 environmental specialists (n = 97). We used semiautomated content analysis methods to explore differences in word and topic associations used by each group. As expected, we found differences in the vocabulary used by rural residents and specialists' environmental perceptions of the Cerrado. However, only positive perceptions of the Cerrado presented different topics between groups. Rural residents tend to have a more utilitarian and anthropocentric perception of the Cerrado, emphasizing edible fruits and scenic beauties. In contrast, specialists stressed the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem services in the region, such as water supply and tourism, in regional, national, and global contexts. Public policies and environmental education activities are essential to demystify misperceptions about the Cerrado and to increase society's awareness of the conservation of this highly threatened region.
... The vegetation types present at the RNST consist of "campo limpo", "campo sujo", "cerrado rupestre", "cerrado sensu stricto", "veredas", and some forest areas. The "campo sujo" is characterized by having dense herbaceous cover, predominantly grass, also presenting low but visible and dispersed shrubby individuals (Eiten, 1972;Ribeiro and Walter, 2008) and small arboreal individuals that account for <2 % of the cover (Furley, 1999). This campo sujo has more frequent fires with an average fire return interval of 3 years (Daldegan et al., 2014). ...
Bulbostylis paradoxa (Cyperaceae) is found in a range of environments experiencing distinct abiotic disturbances. The species shows a support organ common in Cyperaceae, called the caudex, whose morphoanatomical study may contribute to a deeper understanding of the species structural characteristics and their relationship to the environment. Therefore, here, we aimed to describe the anatomy and morphology of the vegetative organs of B. paradoxa to identify its distinctive structural characteristics. Plants were collected in the Cerrado tropical-savanna region of Central Brazil. Samples were fixed in FAA 70 %, dehydrated in an ethyl alcohol series, and embedded in historesin. Slides were stained with toluidine blue prior to histochemical and Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis. The presence of lignified cell walls in the epidermis and accessory cells was a major feature. Additionally, lignified cell walls were found in the sheaths of the vascular bundles, strongly indicating the presence of tissues that confer resistance and protection. Histochemical tests revealed the presence of starch grains and pectic substances in all vegetative organs, whereas phenolic compounds were found only in caudex cells. Fires are a frequent occurrence in the sampling area, and we observed that fires consume the leaves but do not damage the roots or caudex tissues. Further, tector trichomes present in the leaf sheaths of the caudex apex also contribute to the protection of the stem structure during a fire event. These results show that B. paradoxa has adaptive anatomical and morphological characteristics intrinsically related to the surrounding.
... Our study area spans the paved road verge areas within the states of Minas Gerais (MG) and Goiás (GO) (including the Federal District -FD) (MMA, 2023; Fig. 1). The Cerrado vegetation in this region ranges from open grasslands to dense woodlands and shrublands (Eiten, 1972). The mean annual temperature in the study region varies from around 22 • C-26 • C and with an average annual rainfall ranging from 1000 to 1600 millimeters, with more than 70% of the rains occurring between November and March (Ab'Sáber, 2003; Alvares et al., 2013). ...
Although vegetation along road verges might appear as marginal spaces, they can help mitigate the impact of roads and make a significant contribution to biodiversity conservation. Therefore, it is critical to ensure that these areas provide and maximize as many ecosystem services as possible. We analyzed the potential of road verges for preserving the biodiversity and ecological functions of the Cerrado ecosystems. We used a supervised land use classification to determine the current extent of native vegetation cover and habitat types along paved roads within the states of Minas Gerais and Goiás, including the Federal District, and the extent of vegetation cover change from 2017 to 2023. Additionally, we also estimated the current potential of these areas in terms of aboveground carbon stock. We found that approximately 32% of the road verges are covered with Cerrado native vegetation, storing more than 600,000 tons of carbon. However, 150,000 hectares have already been cleared before 2023, resulting in the release of nearly 3.8 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere. We also found that the amount of native vegetation cover along road verges remained relatively stable over the seven-year study period. Our study highlights the vital role of Cerrado road verges in maintaining native vegetation and storing carbon. Despite the challenges, conservation efforts must prioritize law enforcement to prevent occupation or modification of these areas, ensure the preservation of native vegetation, and implement strategic planning to maximize the ecological potential of Cerrado road verges.
... Both ecosystems are formed by vegetation mosaics where grassland, woody and forest formations are interspersed (Eiten, 1972), however the biggest difference between the Cerrado and the Pantanal is mainly due to soil moisture (Tomas et al., 2019). The Cerrado and Pantanal experience seasonal variations in soil water availability, however, this variation is even greater in the Pantanal due to seasonal floods caused by river overflows (Girard et al., 2010). ...
The Cerrado and the Pantanal are important ecosystems in the central region of Brazil. Cerrado vegetation has varying physiognomies that differ in height, cover and tree density, ranging from thick forests to pastures without woody vegetation. The Pantanal landscape consists of a mosaic of floodplain grasslands, open forests and temporary or permanent aquatic habitats. The present work aims to evaluate the energy balance and carbon (C) flows in an area of Cerrado (Campo Sujo) in the Baixada Cuiabana and forest areas in the Pantanal. Carbon flows in both areas were measured from micrometeorological towers equipped with eddy covariance sensors to measure energy and CO 2 flows. The annual net flow of carbon (NEE) depended on the availability of water in both areas, where, depending on the climate regime, the ecosystem behaved as a net emitter of C to the atmosphere or a sink for atmospheric CO 2. The Campo Sujo Cerrado became an emitter of NEE to the atmosphere (314 g C m-2) during the study years, especially under dry soil conditions, while in the Pantanal, NEE emissions increased during the dry season and absorption increased during the rainy season. The mean annual NEE in the Pantanal biome was-262 g C m-2 , which proved to be a strong NEE sink. Therefore, it should be noted that the change in vegetation cover, mainly in the Pantanal, can have a significant impact on the NEE balance. Resumo Na região central do Brasil, encontram-se dois dos mais importantes ecossistemas brasileiros: o Cerrado e o Pantanal. A vegetação do Cerrado tem uma fisionomia específica, variando em altura, cobertura e densidade de árvores, desde matas cerradas até pastagens sem vegetação lenhosa. A paisagem do Pantanal consiste em um mosaico de pastagens inundáveis, florestas abertas e habitats aquáticos temporários ou permanentes. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo avaliar o balanço de energia e os fluxos de carbono em uma área do Cerrado de Campo Sujo na baixada cuiabana e áreas de floresta no Pantanal. Nas áreas de estudo, foram instaladas torres micrometeorológicas equipadas com sensores para medir os fluxos de energia e CO 2. Em ambos os biomas, o fluxo líquido anual de carbono (NEE) depende da disponibilidade de água no sistema, onde, dependendo do regime de precipitação, o ecossistema pode se comportar como emissor ou sumidouro de NEE. O bioma Cerrado de Campo Sujo tornou-se um potencial emissor de NEE para a atmosfera (314 g C m-2 ano-1) durante os anos de estudo, especialmente sob condições de solo seco. No bioma Pantanal, as emissões de NEE aumentaram durante a estação seca e a absorção cresceu durante a estação chuvosa. O NEE médio anual no bioma Pantanal foi de-262 g C m-2 , o que provou ser um forte sumidouro de NEE. Diante disso, observa-se que a mudança na cobertura vegetal, principalmente no Pantanal, pode ter um impacto significativo no balanço do NEE. Palavras-chave: Cerrado. Pantanal. NEE. Fluxo de Carbono. Eddy-Covariance. Flooded Pantanal Forests Absorb CO 2 , While Grass-Dominated Savannas are Sources for the Atmosphere in South-Central Brazil
... This ecoregion harbors a rich snake fauna, many of which are endemic (Nogueira et al., 2011). The Cerrado exhibits a remarkable variety of vegetation types, encompassing environments ranging from open grasslands and rocky outcrops to shrublands, and even forested areas like Cerradão and Gallery forests (Eiten, 1972). The ecological and physiognomic variation within the Cerrado has played a significant role in the evolution of its diverse snake fauna (Azevedo, Valdujo & Nogueira, 2016;Bueno et al., 2018). ...
We describe a new species of Leptophis (parrot snake) from the Cerrado ecoregion of Brazil. The new species, L . mystacinus sp. nov., differs from all other congeners in the following unique character combination: two Spectrum Green (129) to Light Parrot Green (133) dorsolateral stripes separated by a Buff (5) vertebral stripe, usually continuous onto the tail; loreal scale absent; postocular stripe Jet Black (300), wide and long (up 11 scales long onto nuchal region); maxillary teeth 21–25; ventrals 158–173; subcaudals 141–164; black spots on head absent; supracephalic plates of head not edged with black pigment; adult color pattern lacking dark oblique bands; keels absent on first dorsal scale rows; hemipenis unilobed, noncapitate, with undivided sulcus spermaticus, and first row of hemipenial body with four spines. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S mtDNA sequences indicate the new species is the sister taxon of L. dibernardoi , a species occurring in the neighboring Caatinga ecoregion.
... Assim, fica claro que tentei aproveitar ao máximo todas as informações coletadas, com intuito de responder as questões aqui levantadas.área está inserida no bioma Cerrado que é caracterizado por um mosaico de formações vegetais distribuídas de forma heterogênea, variando desde formações savânicas abertas (campo limpo e campo sujo) a formações florestais com formação de dossel (mata de galeria)(Eiten 1972;Ribeiro & Walter 2008). O bioma é considerado um hotspot de biodiversidade global(Myers et al. 2000), que vem sofrendo um alto impacto nos últimos anos devido a conversão das áreas naturais em lavouras e pastagens(Azevedo et al. 2023; Klink & Machado 2005).Utilizei os dois eixos PCA para gerar uma superfície raster que representa nosso índice de urbanização. ...
Paisagens urbanas são cada vez mais dominantes ao redor do mundo criando uma nova interface para a fauna silvestre. Apesar de ter sido ignorado por muito tempo pelos ecólogos, o entendimento dos processos em áreas urbanas recebe crescente atenção para a construção de um arcabouço atual de desenvolvimento sustentável e conservação da biodiversidade. Assim, é preciso explorar de forma detalhada como as diferentes características de áreas urbanas filtram espécies e selecionam
características da fauna silvestre. Neste sentido, esta tese se propôs, utilizando espécies de aves silvestres no Distrito Federal (DF) como um modelo, a estudar a relação da expansão e intensificação urbana. O objetivo geral foi investigar as assembleias de aves urbanas e sua relação com o processo de urbanização. Pretendo entender como a urbanização afeta os indivíduos que nela persistem, avaliando sua morfologia, saúde e o uso dos recursos alimentares. Também discorro sobre adaptações metodológicas realizadas em decorrência das dificuldades da amostragem de aves nos ambientes urbanos. A tese está estruturada em oito capítulos interligados pelo tipo de ambiente explorado durante o estudo: ambientes urbanos. Esses capítulos utilizam diferentes abordagens e tem distintos objetivos. Apesar disso, todo o direcionamento do trabalho está focado nos impactos que a urbanização provoca na fauna em seus diferentes aspectos (em nível de comunidade ou de população) e os determinantes ambientais relevantes para os animais que nela vivem. Além disso, em alguns capítulos abordo questões metodológicas, tendo em vista as dificuldades de amostragem de aves nos ambientes urbanos. Por último, apresento um capítulo compilando o conhecimento atual sobre os ambientes urbanos em forma de um texto de divulgação científica para a população, que incorpora meus achados nos ambientes urbanos de Brasília. Meus resultados mostram que as áreas urbanas impactam de forma direta as aves, tanto em nível de comunidade como em nível das populações. Em nível de comunidades, observei clara redução da diversidade (taxonômica, filogenética e funcional) e mudança da estrutura da comunidade em área com maior intensidade urbana. Em nível d populações, observei um aumento da proliferação de doenças (lesões nas patas), aumento do estresse crônico (razão H/L), e mudanças morfológicas e alimentares. Esses achados confirmam minha hipótese inicial de que as áreas urbanas promovem pressões significativas sobre as espécies, afetando
os animais que nela persistem. Meus achados são relevantes pois o entendimento de como as espécies lidam com as pressões ambientais causadas pelas modificações urbanas podem ajudar gestores a tornar as cidades mais amigáveis à fauna, principalmente quando pensamos nos desafios globais de manutenção das populações nativas que estão em declínio.
... We studied eight lesser anteaters captured by the Fauna Rescue Operation at the hydroelectric reservoir of Serra da Mesa, Minaçu, Goiás, Brazil (13 o 49'49"S, 48 o 19'18"W) (Rodrigues et al., 2001), formed by the Rios Bagagem, Tocantinzinho and Maranhão, first-order tributaries of the Rio Tocantins. e vegetation of the region is typical of the Cerrado, a Neotropical savanna (Eiten, 1972). e lake was full in late 1998, flooding an area of 178,000 ha in seven municipalities. ...
... Our study was carried out in Brasília (the capital of Brazil), Federal District, Brazil (15°47' Lat S 47°56′ Long W). The city, built in the late 1950s, is inserted in the Cerrado biome (Eiten 1972;Ribeiro and Walter 2008), a region with high biodiversity identified as a world biodiversity hotspot (Myers et al. 2000). The city, which is located in the center of Brazil, has grown exponentially and is now the third largest city in the country, with a population of 2,817,068 inhabitants (IBGE 2023). ...
Among the many changes associated with the urbanization process, changes in resource availability can directly impact local wildlife populations. Urban areas suppress native vegetation and convert natural environments into impervious surfaces, modifying the composition and quantity of available food resources. Understanding the food requirements of species is crucial, mainly because it is one of the main elements that characterize their ecological niche and structure local communities. Our aim in this study was to assess the impact of urbanization intensity on the isotopic niche space of birds commonly found in urban areas of Brasília, the capital of Brazil, a big city in central Brazil with approximately 3 million inhabitants. By analyzing the δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N isotopic metrics of feathers from bird species found along a gradient of urbanization intensity, we evidenced a simplification but not a displacement of the bird assembly isotopic space due to urban intensification. Bird assemblage access similar food resources in the higher urban intensification areas, although less diversified than in lower urban intensification areas. In most cases, the response to urban intensification is more specific than convergent among guild members. The studied species maintain themselves in highly intensified urban areas by restricting, changing, and expanding their access to resources. The trophic dimension is one of the key components of the species' ecological niche, and understanding the urban intensification impacts on this dimension is essential for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services in cities.
... The region was originally covered by the Cerrado type of vegetation (Eiten, 1972). However, during the last decades, land use in the region was progressively changed to pasture and agriculture (Lima et al., 2022;Andrade et al., 2021;Serviço Geológico do Brasil, 2019). ...
The Urucuia Aquifer System (UAS) is an important groundwater source in Brazil, where declining river flows and groundwater table levels were observed in the past years. Changes in actual evapotranspiration due to an increase in atmospheric water demand was among many driving causes that were pointed out to explain lowering observed flows. To assess evaporative demand across the Urucuia Aquifer System, in this study we evaluated possible trends in reference evapotranspiration with the FAO Penman-Monteith method, using the ERA5 atmospheric reanalysis data for the period of 1960-2020 after a comparison with ground-based observed data. Our findings revealed a generally good agreement between ERA5 data and ground-based measurements and significant increasing trends of reference evapotranspiration. This increase seems to be caused by increases in air temperature, surface radiation and wind speed. Within the 1960 to 2020 analyzed period, the last two decades from 2000 onward had the highest evaporative demand across the UAS.
Keywords:
Urucuia Aquifer System; Reference evapotranspiration; ERA5
... The term "Cerrado" refers to a variety of phytophysiognomies, encompassing savanna, grassland, and forest formations (Eiten, 1972;Eiten, 1984;Ribeiro & Walter, 2008;Oliveira-Filho, 2009). The vegetation mosaic of the Cerrado is influenced by climatic variations, soil properties, seasonal water availability, and natural fire frequency, among other factors (Furley & Ratter, 1988;Coutinho, 1990;Ribeiro & Walter, 2008;Durigan & Ratter, 2016). ...
The Parque Ecológico Sucupira (SEP) is a Sustainable Use Conservation Unit covering 31.09 hectares, located in the Planaltina Administrative Region, Distrito Federal its flora is typical of the cerrado sensu stricto. The study aimed to make available knowledge of the native species and the conservation status of SEP to support management and conservation programs. Collections were made over a period of 12 months through random walking. Two to three samples of each woody plant individual with floral buds, flowers, and/or fruits were collected, as well as 3-4 individuals of herbaceous or small-sized plants. The collected specimens were deposited at Herbarium CEN and UB. Up to the present, 258 species have been sampled, represented by 180 genera and 63 families. The five most representative families were Fabaceae, Poaceae, Asteraceae, Malpighiaceae, and Myrtaceae. The proportion of species from herbaceous-shrub habit compared to arboreal was 6:1 highlighting greater floristic richness in the herbaceous-shrub stratum. Furthermore, it was found that only one species occurring in SEP, Anemopaegma arvense, is classified as endangered. Approximately 40% of SEP's flora is endemic to the country. However, several factors threaten the integrity and compromise the biodiversity of the Park, such as land tenure, pressure from surrounding occupation, and invasion by exotic species.
... As ants are expected to be physiologically adapted to the conditions in which they forage (Angilletta, 2009;Kaspari et al., 2015;Kaspari et al., 2016) one would also expect that species foraging preferentially at the warmest periods would be more heat tolerant than those foraging at the coldest periods. (Eiten, 1972). The mean temperature in the study region is 22 C and the mean precipitation is 1650 mm (Embrapa, 1982). ...
Niche partitioning is a key mechanism for explaining species coexistence, including the coexistence of ants in trees of the Brazilian savanna ( cerrado ). However, we have limited information on the extent to which arboreal ant species exploit different food resources and/or have different daily foraging schedules.
We tested these ideas through a baiting experiment, and by measuring the isotopic signature (δ ¹⁵ N) and the critical thermal maximum (CT max ) of the 14 most common species found in a typical cerrado tree species. Although most species foraged on all bait types offered, species‐specific preferences were noted for about one‐third of the species. We also found a wide variation in mean δ ¹⁵ N between species, reflecting interspecific differences in trophic position.
Most (71.4%) species foraged predominantly on a given period of the day, ranging from strictly nocturnal species to those that foraged mainly in the afternoon. Species with a higher heat tolerance (higher CT max ) often foraged at warmer periods of the day than those with a lower tolerance.
Despite the evidence of trophic and temporal niche partitioning, other mechanisms, such as nesting site specialization and behavioural trade‐offs, are required to explain species coexistence in this arboreal ant assemblage, as several species pairs largely overlapped both in their diet and time of foraging. Importantly, our results provide additional support for the idea that physiological restriction to high temperatures is important for understanding interspecific differences in foraging activity schedules.
... (5) da cobertura superficial ou uso/manejo (Fator C -adimensional); e (6) das práticas conservacionistas (Fator P -adimensional), conforme a Equação 1: (EITEN, 1972;FURLEY, 1999, SPERA et al., 2005GOMES et al., 2004). Desta forma, a vegetação pode estar associada especificamente ao tipo de solo em algumas áreas do Bioma Cerrado (SPERA et al., 2005). ...
A intensificação do uso do solo provoca um aumento nas taxas de erosão, causando diferentes impactos, tanto no ambiente quanto nos agroecossistemas. A Equação Universal de Perda de Solos (EUPS) é o método mais utilizado para descrever e predizer a ocorrência de erosão laminar. O presente trabalho possui como objetivo comparar a taxa de erosão laminar das condições atuais em relação a um cenário sem atividade antrópica. A área de estudo é a bacia do rio Jardim localizada no Distrito Federal. A metodologia adotada realiza uma comparação entre o cenário natural com o uso da terra atual, com a finalidade de avaliar os ambientes mais impactados dentro da bacia. Os resultados indicaram que houve um aumento de seis vezes da taxa de erosão com o uso e ocupação do solo.
... No entanto, no propósito de descrever a drenagem do solo o sensoriamento remoto tem sido amplamente utilizado (LEE et al. 1988a, b, CIALELLA et al., 1997, MORAN et al., 1997CAMPLING et al., 2002, LOBELL & ASNER, 2002. Nos ambientes de vegetação natural, a relação solo-vegetação reflete uma diferenciação na acumulação de biomassa que pode ser explorada para o mapeamento da drenagem do solo a partir de sensoriamento remoto (LOZANO-GARCIA et al., 1991;KOROLYUK & SHCHERBENKO, 1994;LEVINE et al., 1994 (EITEN, 1972;SARMIENTO, 1984;WALKER, 1987;COUTINHO, 1990;DIAS, 1992). Integração de Atributos Morfométricos e Sensoriamento Remoto ...
Os levantamentos convencionais de solos requerem investimentos elevados em tempo e recursos. No entanto, o mapeamento do solo pode ser obtido por correlação com outros fatores ambientais, especialmente com o material de origem, o relevo e a vegetação. O presente artigo possui como objetivo desenvolver uma metodologia de mapeamento pedológico no Parque Nacional de Brasília, utilizando técnicas de sensoriamento remoto e sistema de informação geográfica. O mapa de solos foi obtido pela integração dos atributos de terreno e das classes de vegetação. A classificação das unidades de relevo foi feita pelo método de árvore de decisão, a partir dos atributos de terreno. A vegetação do Cerrado demonstrou uma alta correlação com os tipos de solo e são fundamentais para descrever zonas saturadas da paisagem e de seus solos correspondentes. A integração dos atributos do relevo e da vegetação obteve uma alta correlação com o mapa de solos existente. A metodologia utilizada permitiu um aprimoramento dos limites das unidades de solo.
... (Vochysiaceae; also known as pau-terra, pau-terrado-campo, pau-terra-do-cerrado, pau-terra-da-folha-larga, ariavá, among others) is a deciduous anemochoric, heliophyte pioneer tree species of up to 15 m tall, with a tortuous trunk with dark, rough, not very thick bark (Silva Júnior, 2005;Buzatti et al., 2019). This tree species is native and widely distributed in the Brazilian cerrado, being the main woody species in this biome and found both in savannic and forest phytophysiognomies (Eiten, 1972;Shimizu et al., 2024). Qualea grandiflora has recently been listed as one of the ten most common species in legal reserve areas in the Cerrado biome (Aquino et al., 2007;Almeida et al., 2021). ...
Tree architecture and leaf morphometry of Qualea grandiflora Mart. (Vochysiaceae) in a fragment of dry forest and pasture in the State of Goiás, Brazil Arquitetura arbórea e morfometria foliar de Qualea grandiflora Mart. (Vochysiaceae) em um fragmento de mata seca e pastagem no estado de Goiás, Brasil ABSTRACT Investigating the functional traits of plant communities is extremely important for conserving habitats and plant species. This study aimed to evaluate the tree architecture and leaf morphometry of Qualea grandiflora (Vochysiaceae) in a fragment of semideciduous dry forest and pasture in the Boa Esperança settlement, municipality of Piracanjuba, State of Goiás, Brazil. Environmental, tree architecture, and foliar morphometry data were collected for seven trees in the semideciduous dry forest and five in the pasture area. We used the Shapiro-Wilk test to assess the normality of the collected data. The student t-test was used to compare the means of the functional traits between the two environments (forest and pasture). The average value of canopy cover was 85% for the semideciduous dry forest and 0% for the pasture. The mean values for leaf length and width were lower in the pasture. There was no significant difference in the petiole length in the two evaluated environments and for none of the functional traits related to the tree architecture. However, individuals of Qualea grandiflora grow better in the seasonal semideciduous dry forest, probably as a response to less stressful environmental conditions for this species. Thus, for sustainable exploitation by the local community, it is recommended that the tree matrices be chosen within the semideciduous dry forest area.
... que possui cerca de cinco a vinte metros de altura, e de acordo com Silva et al. (2000), contribuem com 2% das fisionomias do Pantanal, ocorrendo próximo às bordas do Pantanal de Barão de Melgaço, Paiaguás, Nhecolândia e Aquidauana. Eiten (1972) denominou os buritizais de "palm woodland", separando-os das demais fitofisionomias do cerrado. Tais macrohabitat têm um papel importante na cadeia alimentar, devido ao fornecimento de frutos, que são muito procurados por animais. ...
A área úmida do Pantanal tem sido objeto constante de pesquisas devido ao seu ecossistema complexo, com grande quantidade e diversidade de paisagens. Conhecer os macrohabitat encontrados nas áreas que integram o Pantanal proporciona um arcabouço considerável de informações, que possibilitam auxiliar nos processos de tomada de decisão para a sua manutenção e conservação, a exemplo do Projeto de Lei Federal do Pantanal n. 750/2011. A finalidade desta pesquisa foi identificar e classificar as unidades funcionais, subclasses e macrohabitat que compõem o Pantanal nas regiões mato-grossenses e sul-mato-grossenses. Quanto à s unidades funcionais, foram apontadas as áreas permanentemente aquáticas; áreas periodicamente aquáticas, com predominância da fase aquática; áreas periodicamente terrestres; áreas pantanosas permanentemente inundadas; áreas permanentemente terrestres e áreas antropogênicas. Também foram identificadas dezesseis subclasses e setenta e quatro macrohabitat, ampliando as informações das por Nunes de Cunha e Junk (2014). Os macrohabitat, que representam o bioma Pantanal, foram melhor descritos com o objetivo precípuo de dar suporte científico, visando a efetiva perpetuidade das áreas úmidas pantaneiras com pouca regulamentação específica, bem como o desenvolvimento de ações sociais, políticas e públicas que promovam a proteção e o manejo sustentável das áreas úmidas.
... However, the adoption of burning, combined or not with grazing, as a management tool for conservation is still little discussed and rarely adopted in public policies. Despite this, the occurrence or necessity of fire to maintain savanna and grassland environments has been discussed for many decades (Eiten, 1972;Coutinho, 1977Coutinho, , 1978aCoutinho, , 1979Pivello & Coutinho, 1992;Moreira, 2000;Durigan & Ratter, 2006;Miranda et al., 2010), continuing up to nowadays (Rissi et al., 2017;Garda, 2018;Pivello et al., 2021;Rodrigues & Fidelis, 2022). It should be noted that the absence of rules and, consequently, the eventual suppression or misuse of burning and grazing may be even more negative than adopting the best possible strategy, locally, even if it is not the most suitable from a technical-scientific point of view. ...
Abstract-Legal reserve areas (LRAs) are a fundamental part of the Brazilian conservation strategy, together with permanent preservation areas. The LRAs are intended to maintain biodiversity and can be managed sustainably. When these areas are home to ecosystems that depend on fire and grazing, such as native grasslands and savannas, management practices that are suitable for their conservation and for dealing with the effects of global climate change should be adopted. However, this subject is still poorly discussed in Brazil, and public policies are not clear on this matter. This review article describes the grassland and savanna ecosystems in Brazil, the legal aspects related to the management of LRAs, the current and future climate scenarios, and the relationship between climate and fire risk. It also presents a review about the use of fire and grazing in grassland and savanna ecosystems, the legal challenges related to their application in LRAs, and the use of geotechnologies to monitor these practices. The conclusion is that grazing and fire, as management tools, are adequate for LRA functions, as long as they are practiced in accordance with legal and scientifically based standards to avoid the negative effects of their incorrect use.
... Entretanto, a adoção da queima, com ou sem pastejo, como ferramenta de manejo para conservação ainda é pouco discutida e raramente adotada em políticas públicas. Apesar disso, a ocorrência ou a necessidade do fogo para manter ambientes savânicos e campestres vem sendo discutida há muitas décadas (Eiten, 1972;Coutinho, 1977Coutinho, , 1978aCoutinho, , 1979Pivello & Coutinho, 1992;Moreira, 2000;Durigan & Ratter, 2006;Miranda et al., 2010), perdurando até aos dias atuais (Rissi et al., 2017;Garda, 2018;Pivello et al., 2021;Rodrigues & Fidelis, 2022). Cabe ressaltar que a ausência de regras e, consequentemente, a eventual supressão ou uso equivocado das queimas e do pastejo podem ser mais negativos do que a adoção da melhor estratégia possível, em escala local, ainda que não seja a mais adequada sob o ponto de vista técnico-científico. ...
As áreas de reserva legal (ARLs) são parte fundamental da estratégia
brasileira de conservação, juntamente com as áreas de preservação permanente.
As ARLs são destinadas à manutenção da biodiversidade e podem ser manejadas
de forma sustentável. Quando essas áreas abrigam ecossistemas dependentes
de fogo e pastejo, como os campos nativos e as savanas, devem ser adotadas
práticas de manejo adequadas à sua conservação e ao enfrentamento dos efeitos
das mudanças climáticas globais. No entanto, esse assunto ainda é pouco
discutido no Brasil, e as políticas públicas não são claras a esse respeito. Este
artigo de revisão descreve os ecossistemas campestres e savânicos no Brasil, os
aspectos legais relacionados com o manejo das ARLs, os cenários climáticos
atuais e futuros, e a relação entre clima e risco de incêndios. Também apresenta
uma revisão sobre o uso do fogo e do pastejo em ecossistemas campestres e
savânicos, os desafios legais relativos à sua aplicação nas ARLs e o uso de
geotecnologias no monitoramento destas práticas. Conclui-se que o pastejo e
o fogo, como instrumentos de manejo, são adequados às funções das ARLs,
desde que praticados segundo normas legais e cientificamente embasadas para
evitar os efeitos negativos do seu uso equivocado.
... O bioma possui grande importância social e de uso sustentável para populações que sobrevivem de seus recursos naturais, entretanto, a região sofre constantes ameaças de extinção as espécies devido à ocupação humana, a busca excessiva por recursos hídricos e uso desordenado da terra, além de queimadas, monoculturas e extração de madeira (Klink & Moreira, 2002;Brannstrom et al. 2008;Sano et al. 2008;Mazzeto-Silva, 2009 (Beard, 1953;Cole, 1958;Eiten, 1972Eiten, , 1994Allem & Valls, 1987 (Löfgren, 1898;Dansereau, 1948;Aubréville, 1961;Magnanini, 1961;Eiten, 1968Eiten, , 1983Ferri, 1974Ferri, , 1980Rizzini, 1979;Kuhlmann & Correia, 1982;Fernandes & Bezerra,1990). Outra gama de autores buscou compreender os diferentes tipos fisionômicos e as diferentes formas de vegetação do Cerrado (Veloso, 1948;Kuhlmann, 1956;Goodland & Polard, 1973;Azevedo, 1962Azevedo, , 1966Eiten, 1976Eiten, , 1977Oliveira Filho & Martins, 1986 (bacuri) (Eiten, 1976;Walter & Ribeiro, 1996). ...
Gasteroid fungi are mainly characterized by angiocarpic development (in a closed hymenophore) with the absence of a hilar appendix, necessitating the passive dispersion of their basidiospores during the maturation stage. These organisms represent a polyphyletic category within the Phylum Basidiomycota and share homoplastic morphological adaptations. As a non-monophyletic group, species cataloging data is diluted in publications by genera, or at best, by families. In Brazil, approximately 232 species have been recorded, with around 50 of these in the Northeast region, mostly in the Atlantic Forest. The present study aimed to evaluate and expand knowledge of the taxonomic diversity of gasteroid fungi in Cerrado areas in Western Bahia, a region that is still unexplored and lacks species records, in order to obtain biodiversity data for the maintenance and preservation of the studied conservation units. Collections were carried out in two municipalities within the Intermediate Geographic Region of Barreiras, Western Bahia: São Desidério and Barreiras. Three large areas with distinct phytophysiognomies were chosen for the Cerrado in Western Bahia: the Rio de Janeiro Basin Environmental Protection Area, São Desidério Environmental Protection Area, and the Rio de Ondas Hydrographic Basin. The collection expeditions, herborization process and conservation of the specimens were carried out based on specialized literature for each group, as was the morphological identification of the specimens. Depending on the genus and the rarity of the species, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) analyses were also carried out, as well as DNA extraction, amplification, purification and sequencing to support the data through phylogenetic analyses. A total of 30 species were described, distributed in 10 genera and five families. For the Cerrado biome, 23 taxa are recorded for the first time, an increase of approximately 33% for the local funga, six new records of second occurrence and one new record of fourth occurrence. The study revealed 11 species new to science, all confirmed by morphological data, three of which were also confirmed with molecular data, which corresponds to a third, or around 33.3% of taxonomic novelties in the total number of species identified. The new records and newly described species for the Cerrado biome in this work highlight, above all, the importance of taxonomic studies of gasteroides fungi, broadening the understanding of biodiversity knowledge and conservation, and also highlighting the critical need to protect these organisms in their natural habitat.
... Our study was carried out in the Cerrado, the second largest Brazilian biome, occupying 20% of the Brazilian territory (IBGE 2022). It has two well-defined rainy and dry seasons, from October to March and from April to September, respectively (Silva et al. 2008;IBGE 2022) and it is characterized by a mosaic of phytophysiognomies that includes forests, savannas, and grassland landscapes (Eiten 1972). We performed the study in two areas of Cerrado in the Federal District (DF), Brazil (Fazenda Água Limpa-FAL and Parque Nacional de Brasília-PNB) on three sampling points, on different phytophysiognomies each (in order to encompass a more representative landscape of the biome). ...
Coleopterans constitute the second largest order of insects of forensic importance, after the dipterans, which scavenger species are fundamental participants in the process of cadaveric decomposition in terrestrial ecosystems. This study aims to: (i) investigate whether coleopterans are indeed more attracted to the final stages of decomposition in the Cerrado, as observed in other biomes; (ii) identify which species colonize carcasses; and (iii) compile a list of forensically relevant beetles for the biome. We performed the experiments in two protected areas between June 2017 and January 2019, in months representative of the dry and rainy seasons. We conducted collections of beetles using 72 pig carcasses throughout all stages of decomposition. A total of 3,006 beetles were identified into 66 taxa from 12 families. Beetles were most abundant in the final stages of decomposition, particularly during the skeletonization stage, which accounted for approximately 45% of the collected individuals. Considering the most abundant families, Scarabaeidae showed no preference in attractiveness amongst the stages of decomposition, whilst Staphylinidae, Silphidae, Dermestidae, and Histeridae were more attracted by the two latter stages of the process. Two species, Dermestes maculatus (De Geer, 1774) and Oxelytrum discicolle (Brullé, 1840), were observed colonizing the carcasses. This work is pioneering for the Cerrado, uses a large number of carcasses and therefore contributes to a better understanding of ecological processes in the area by approaching the ecology of decomposition of carcasses and scavenger beetles. A list of the species in the region and their utility to forensic entomology is also discussed.
... Considering that the herbaceous layer has also been neglected for occur over acidic soils with high aluminum concentrations (Furley & Ratter, 1988;Haridasan, 2008) and a notable incidence of natural fires (Conciani et al., 2021;Eiten, 1972). In this context, what factors underlie the remarkable diversity and prevalence of Vellozia species within these ecosystems? ...
During a biodiversity monitoring of woody and herbaceous plants in 2023, we observed the formation of new individuals through cloning in Velloziaceae species. Based on recorded evidence and scientific literature, we discussed the importance of cloning in maintaining the high dominance of these species in seasonal open ecosystems. In addition, we hope to shed light on the discussion of the importance of asexual reproduction through cloning and resprouting strategies in plants widely widespread in savanna ecosystems.
Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.
... The Brazilian Cerrado is widespread in the states as Goiás and Tocantins; however, it is also present in several other states and regions of the country (Eiten 1972). According to some estimates, the Cerrado used to cover ca. ...
We present a floristic survey of the family Rubiaceae in Juquery State Park, a conservation unit that harbors the largest Cerrado area in the metropolitan region of São Paulo and is a refuge within the Atlantic Forest domain. The work was conducted using conventional methods in plant taxonomy, including fieldwork between 2020 and 2023, a literature survey, visits to herbaria, and requests for specimen loans. Previous articles revealed the high diversity of the family in the park, but no specific treatment had been published. In the present study, 35 species distributed in 15 genera were recorded in different phytophysiognomies, and Borreria (7 spp.), Palicourea (5 spp.), Coccocypselum (4 spp.), Psychotria (4 spp.), and Galianthe (3 spp.) are the richest. Four genera (Cordiera, Hexasepalum, Malanea and Mitracarpus) and 21 species are new records for this conservation unit. A dichotomous identification key and photos of the species are also provided. The diversity of Rubiaceae species in the study area is greater than previously recorded in broader surveys, and the mosaic formed by open and forest phytophysiognomies in the park probably contributes to this high level of diversity.
The yellow-faced parrot (Alipiopsitta xanthops) is a “Near Threatened” species endemic to the Cerrado. This study aimed to examine its diet in the Brazilian Cerrado through citizen science data, and compare our results with a compilation of food items found in the literature. Searches for photographic records of with evidence of feeding activities were done in the WikiAves platform. A total of 172 feeding records were obtained by citizen scientists in 68 municipalities located mainly in central, southeastern and southwestern Cerrado. Most feeding records showed parrots feeding on fruit, floral resources and vegetative parts of native and exotic plant species. Families, genera and species of plants whose fruits were consumed by these parrots were more numerous than those of consumed floral resources. Feeding records involving the consumption of fruit were more numerous than those with floral resources; this was valid for both the native and exotic plant species. The most frequent plant species in the diet of yellow-faced parrots in both seasons were identified. Our study suggests that this parrot has a generalist diet. The information on food items produced by citizen scientists was greater than that obtained by ornithologists. Considering these two sources of information, 94 species of 35 plant families are currently known to be part of its diet. Of this total richness, 52 species (55%) were recorded exclusively by citizen scientists. Therefore, photographic records available in online citizen science databases, such as WikiAves, can improve our knowledge about aspects of the feeding ecology of Neotropical parrots.
Understanding how the urbanization process affects the lives of animals that live in these environments is relevant to conservation and management. In fact, the urbanization process has a direct impact on animals and can influence their health state. Thus, our objective was to investigate the immunological response of birds to the urbanization process. We recorded the H/L ratio of 723 birds of 10 species captured in Brasília (a large city in central Brazil), as a measure of chronic stress in birds. The H/L ratio was positively associated with the intensity of urbanization and negatively associated with body condition. However, body condition was not associated with intensity of urbanization. We confirmed our hypothesis that birds living in areas with greater urban intensity are more stressed. In addition, we demonstrated that the H/L ratio is negatively associated with body condition, and that this variable should be considered in studies that aim to assess the health of animals. These findings are relevant because they confirm that the urbanization process, along with all its environmental changes (increased artificial light, increased noise, suppression of vegetation, increased built-up areas, etc.), has a negative direct impact on wild populations, which have to deal with major urban changes.
Link for free access:
https://kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:%2F%2Fauthors.elsevier.com%2Fa%2F1kluM1R%257EeaOGV/1/0102019592748815-9d4d1b79-e997-4e9b-9e30-a17a1f454f18-000000/ytQofk9ZxbXKTgDllS1xosvOmHE=417
Works up to May 3rd!!!
About 15 years ago, we suggested that the low frequency of archaeological sites dating from the mid-Holocene in several regions of Lowland South America (which was then called the “Archaic Gap”) was due to an increase in the magnitude of dry periods related to the mid-Holocene hypsithermal. Since then, data regarding paleoenvironmental reconstructions for this vast area, coupled with an increase in the archaeological knowledge, allow us to reassess the idea of the “Archaic Gap” and redefine both the spatial extent of the phenomenon and its possible causes. Our present analysis aims to present a broader picture of the relations between humans and the environment in Eastern South America since the Late Pleistocene. The obtained results suggest that the extent of the areas that were somewhat depopulated during the mid-Holocene is larger than previously thought; not only Central Brazil, but parts of the Amazon and the Pantanal (close to the Bolivian border) seem to show the same pattern. However, as expected when larger datasets are available, it is possible to perceive oscillations in the archaeological signal that suggest reoccupation of some areas. Although we maintain that the main reasons underlying these patterns are related to climate, they are most probably related to an increase in climatic variability, and not necessarily to an increase in dryness. These observations are of interest to the current debate about the effects of the global warming on human populations.
Background
This study was conducted in the Prof. Dr. Karl Arens Reserve, Corumbataí, São Paulo. The area is a Cerrado fragment, with no records of fire since 1962 and is characterised by the predominance of Cerradão phytophysiognomy. Although several studies have been conducted in the Reserve, there was no testimony material for some species in the Herbarium Rioclarense (HRCB), nor a list of vouchers for any taxon in the main publications. Thus, the objective of this work was to undertake a floristic survey of the woody species in the Reserve, based on herbarium specimens and fieldwork.
New information
The survey in HRCB recorded 510 exsiccatae belonging to 160 species and 44 families. We also conducted 24 fieldwork expeditions between 2019 and 2021 and recorded 118 species in 39 families. In total, 193 woody species were recorded for the Reserve in Corumbataí. Species such as Copaifera langsdorffii and Myrcia neoclusiifolia had already been cited for the area, but there was no testimony material in the herbarium. Machaerium nyctitans and Alchornea glandulosa are examples of new records for the Reserve. Fabaceae, Asteraceae, Myrtaceae, Melastomataceae and Rubiaceae were the families with the greatest species diversity.
Nos domínios do Cerrado podemos encontrar diferentes fitofisionomias, que incluem formações florestais, savânicas e campestres, com quantidades de biomassa relacionadas às características do ambiente em que se encontram. Grande parte da área que um dia compôs este bioma encontra-se profundamente modificada por ações antrópicas que alteram áreas naturais contínuas dando a forma de um mosaico de ambientes fragmentados e isolados. Encontramos no sensoriamento remoto uma importante ferramenta que nos permite extrair informações referentes a diversas características da vegetação de determinado local, auxiliando assim na identificação de padrões e no monitoramento de mudanças que possam interferir diretamente nos processos ecológicos. Este trabalho busca identificar padrões de vegetação, utilizando técnicas de classificação espectral, aliadas a análise de dados morfométricos e verificar a condição espacial dos fragmentos de formações florestais presentes no município de Cromínia (GO). Neste estudo foram utilizados produtos do sensor ASTER para a identificação dos padrões de vegetação por meio de técnicas de classificação espectral das imagens de satélite e análise de dados morfométricos e, posterior análise dos fragmentos através da utilização do programa Fragstats. A metodologia aplicada neste trabalho constou das seguintes etapas: (1) Pré-Processamento das imagens de satélite; (2) Classificação espectral; (3) Processamento da imagem ASTER DEM para a geração do Modelo Digital de Elevação (MDE); (4) Geração de dados morfométricos; (5) Relacionamento dos padrões de vegetação com os dados morfométricos; (6) Análise espacial de distribuição dos fragmentos de remanescentes florestais por meio do programa Fragstats.
A Savana brasileira, conhecida como Cerrado, é o principal tipo de vegetação no Brasil Central, cobrindo aproximadamente 23% do território nacional. É formado por um mosaico de coberturas como campestres, arbustiva e florestal, e apresenta uma fenologia típica, resultante da variação pluviométrica e alta dependência geobotânica nesta região. Imagens adquiridas na mesma área em tempos diferentes representam uma valiosa fonte de informação para o monitoramento regular da superfície terrestre, permitindo descrever a evolução da cobertura da terra, fenologia da vegetação entre outros. Desta forma, o objetivo deste trabalho é identificar as assinaturas temporais do cerrado na região do Ecomuseu do Cerrado através do processamento de série temporal de imagens MODIS. A metodologia pode ser subdivida nas seguintes etapas: (a) elaboração do cubo das imagens de NDVI, onde o perfil “Z” corresponde à assinatura temporal do NDVI, (b) eliminação do ruído utilizando a transformação Mininum Noise Fraction (MNF), e (c) análise da assinatura temporal do NDVI. O estudo concluiu que o NDVI é útil na diferenciação entre os tipos de vegetação do Cerrado. A formação florestal apresentou os maiores valores de NDVI entre os perfis temporais, além da menor variação entre as estações.
The Black-backed Grosbeak (Pheucticus aureoventris) is common on eastern Andean slopes from Venezuela to Argentina. In Brazil, it is a regular non-breeding visitor in the west, using large rivers of the Paraná basin as movement routes, especially during the austral winter, when most records in the country are concentrated. We present a novel observation of the species from the mid-central region of São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil, approximately 400 km east of its known range. Considering the uncertain migratory routes of the Black-backed Grosbeak to Brazil, we gathered additional rare sightings from the country that, when combined with our own, suggest the species' propensity for extensive dispersal. RESUMEN: El picogrueso dorsinegro (Pheucticus aureoventris) es común en las vertientes andinas orientales, desde Venezuela hasta Argentina. En Brasil es un visitante no reproductor en su territorio occidental, utili-zando como rutas de movimiento grandes cursos de agua de la cuenca del Paraná durante el invierno austral, cuando se concentran la mayoría de los registros en el país. Presentamos una observación novedosa en la re-gión centro-sur del estado de São Paulo, en el sureste de Brasil, aproximadamente a 400 km al este de su rango conocido. Considerando los patrones migratorios inciertos del picogrueso dorsinegro hacia Brasil, recopilamos avistamientos raros adicionales en el país que, combinados con el nuestro, sugieren su propensión a una dis-persión extensa.
1 The sporoderm morphology from the pollen grains of sixteen grains
01 Caryocaraceae has been studied. Nine species belonged to the genus
Caryocar and seven to Anthodiscus. Ali the grains were investigated by
lighlmicroscopy and some of them - as ultrathin sections or réplicas -
by electron-microscopy too.
2 The nomenclature of the different layers from the sporoderms of
the dicotyledons was discussed. A new scheme for the nomenclature of
the pollen grains from the Caryocaraceae has been evaluated.
3 The different stages of the development of the pollen grains from
Caryocar microcarpum were studied by electron-microscopy, and the growth
of the sporoderm has been followed up.
4 The pollen grains from Caryocar have some common characteristics,
althought each species has grains with species-specific properties.
5 The pollen grains from Anthodiscus are very similar. it was not
possible, even by electron-microscopy, to distinguish precisely the species
by the morphology of their sporoderms.
6 The two genera have very different pollen grains.
7 There is a relationship between the ecological appearance of the
species and their pollen morphology. The species from Caryocar appear
eco Ò4aly In different types and possess distinct pollen grains. They may
be morphologicaly grouped, so that the morphological groups correspond
to the ecological distribution of the species that have been studied In
; i 2 , a genus which appears only in the forests, a single pollen
group has been found.
8 The results of the pollen grains study on the Caryocaraceae with
electron-microscopy - have been compared with the results of the similar
studies done by the other authors - when electron-microscopy was used
and other families were examined.
9 By studying the pollen grains from the different samples of the
same' species morphological discrepancies were found. Sometimes the
pollen morphology at some samples would fit better the other pollen group.
Correlations were studied existing between physical characteristics of soil and occurence of "cerrado" vegetation in the state of São Paulo. For this purpose some soil profiles with this kind of plant cover were taken and the most important physical characteristics determined. Considering that plants use to explore volume and not weight of soil, data were given in volume percentage. The variation of texture of these soils was not less than that found in other soils normally under cultivation in the state. A series of soils was observed, from sandy soils with less than 10% of clay up to clayey soils with more than 55% of clay. In regard to the system water-soil-plant, variation of water availability in soils covered with cerrado was comparable with that encountered in the different soils which are used for agriculture. Comparative studies of the data for moisture expressed in volume have confirmed in an evident way the much discussed concept that loamy soils are those presenting more water availability for plants. These are then followed by the clayey and finally by the sandy soils. It was also observed that difference of water availability is more marked between loamy and clayey soils than between clayey and sandy ones. The soils covered with cerrado which were studied did not present any physical characteristics that might be considered responsible for the occurrence of this type of vegetation.
Êste trabalho representa uma primeira contribuição para o estudo da fertilidade dos solos de campos cerrados. Tais solos, que ocupam importante superfície do território nacional, apresentam muitas vezes boas propriedades físicas e regulares disponibilidades de água, que parecem estar em desacôrdo com a pobreza da vegetação nêles desenvolvida. Uma deficiência ou um agudo desequilíbrio de nutrientes deve, pois, estar envolvido. De fato, a cultura em vasos permitiu verificar uma acentuada deficiência em fósforo nas amostras estudadas, assim como um menor crescimento do capim que não recebeu nitrogênio. A produção foi também menor em todos os quatro solos de Goiás, quando se omitiram, num tratamento, enxôfre, cobre, zinco, ferro, boro e molibdênio.
Foi realizado, com base em fotografias aéreas, o levantamento da cobertura vegetal de cerrado no Estado de São Paulo, em 1962. Separaram-se as áreas com o cerrado pròpriamente dito (tipo da savana brasileira), cerradão (tipo de cerrado mais alto e mais denso) e de campo (tipo de vegetação herbácea). Na caracterização dessas coberturas, levaram-se em conta apenas as áreas ainda sem utilização agrícola e com a vegetação pouco alterada pelo homem. A fotointerpretação foi feita com base na caracterização das texturas por amostragem de campo. O trabalho mostrou a situação seguinte: cerradão. 724.900, cerrado 2.668.000, e campo, 458.600 ha, representando, respectivamente, 2,9, 10,8 e 1,7% da área do Estado.
The Llanos Orientales of Colombia are between 3^@? and 7)^@? lat N, extending as a level plain between 600 and 200 m above sea level, east of the Andes Mountains. The hot tropical climate shows a seasonal pattern of rainfall, divided between one rainy season and one dry season. In the survey of a 45,000-square-mile study area within this llanos region, 10 savanna types were recognized and classified on a floristic basis. Three of these types were floristically distinct, but with the homologous factor of all having relict forests. The other seven savanna types intergraded along a gradient of increasing humidity, and for convenience were divided into dry, humid, and inundable savannas. A great number of species were shared by these last seven types, their distinction being based on the relative dominance of species in the different types. The various theories on the origins of tropical savanna are discussed in the light of this new information on vegetation and that found in a concurrent soil survey. No single factor is believed responsible for savanna formation, but deflection from forest development is considered the result of several adverse factors, with savanna formation accelerated once the process has started.
1. The secondary vegetation of a small area of heavily farmed land in the Lowland Rain Forest of Nigeria is described. 2. There is a correlation between soil, topography, land use and vegetation, and three main vegetation units have been recognized: (a) Vegetation complex on clayey soils. Occurs on upper slopes and level summits, and is widely devoted to cacao growing. (b) Vegetation complex on sandy soils. Occurs on valley flanks, and is devoted to food crop cultivation. (c) Vegetation on poorly drained and swampy soils. Occurs in valley bottoms and is planted with cacao. 3. Within these major units three trends of succession may be observed: (a) The normal rotation of cultivation--thicket--secondary forest--recultivation. (b) Degeneration in the nature of the fallow as a result of frequently repeated cultivation. (c) Decline of cacao plantations as the canopy becomes opened by `die-back', and intercultivation commences. 4. The further retrogression of fallow vegetation to grassland is described from a small island of savanna-like vegetation within the forest zone. 5. The invasion of savanna by forest near the edge of a forest reserve is illustrated. 6. The Derived Savanna on the northern boundary of the Lowland Rain Forest zone is compared with areas of grassland isolated within the forest.
1. As a prelude to an account of studies on seasonal changes in the climate, soil and vegetation of the Olokemeji Forest Reserve, the physical features, climate, history and vegetation of the reserve are described. 2. There are two main types of typical vegetation in south-western Nigeria, both of which are present in the reserve: Moist Semi-deciduous forest, which is the climatic climax for the area, and Derived Savanna woodland, which is a biotic fire climax. The Derived Savanna and the secondary nature of the forest are due to previous cultivation. 3. A research site in the typical dry type of Moist Semi-deciduous forest had more or less complete strata at heights of 18-23 m, 10-14 m and 4-9 m and a continuous herb stratum. The floristic composition was very mixed. The site was probably last farmed during the third quarter of the nineteenth century. 4. The canopy on the research site in the Derived Savanna woodland varied from complete to open. There were incomplete strata at heights of 4-8 m and 1.5-4 m and a herb stratum largely composed of grasses. 5. Ninety-five per cent of the forest species and 30% of the savanna species were phanerophytes. Half the savanna plants were hemicryptophytes and many were therophytes. There were many geophytes on the savanna site and some on the forest site. Twenty-seven per cent of the forest species (almost entirely woody plants) and 5% of the savanna species (all herbs) were climbers. The taller forest trees were mainly deciduous and the smaller trees were increasingly evergreen. All the savanna species were deciduous. 6. The bark of the savanna trees was generally over three times as thick as that of the forest trees. 7. Most leaves from both sites had the following characters. They were mesophylls or microphylls (many savanna herb leaves were nanophylls), had a `maximum circle diameter' between 27 and 81 mm, a length/width ratio between 2 and 20, were unlobed and had entire margins. The leaves of savanna monocotyledons were exceptions in that they mostly had a `maximum circle diameter' between 3 and 9 mm and a length/width ratio between 20 and 200. Eighty per cent of the forest species, compared with 15% of the savanna plants, had drip tips and these were about twice the length of the savanna drip tips. 8. Most woody plants on both sites had a deep tap root with subsidiary roots growing horizontally and mainly 10-20 cm below the soil surface. 9. The soil was predominantly loamy, rather sandy on the forest site and rather silty and clayey on the savanna site.