Floristic composition of vascular plants and tree community structure of Mata do Krambeck State Park: high diversity and conservation value in an urban atlantic forest fragment (Brazil)

Assessing the effect of urbanization on tropical forest dwelling teiid lizards

There are few studies dedicated to the natural history of Neotropical spider wasps (Pompilidae). When it comes to urban areas, the knowledge on these wasps is even scarcer. This study sheds light on the natural history of Auplopus cf. rufipes and A. cf. brasiliensis (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae: Ageniellini) from an urban Atlantic Forest fragment in the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden, Rio de Janeiro City, Brazil. Auplopus cf. rufipes displays a multivoltine pattern and frequently nests in bamboo canes scattered in the open areas, whereas A. cf. brasiliensis is a rare sight, with only a single nest collected from a hose trap-nest. Females of the former species show aggressive behaviour, which suggests a solitary lifestyle. Their nests were partly enveloped in a complex structure, similar to other species that build free-standing, unconcealed nests and display some degree of sociality. Such behaviour could not be observed for A. cf. brasiliensis. Despite that, nests of both species were built using mud pellets, though the brood cells differed regarding arrangement and position in the trap. Two parasites were found attacking the cells: Caenochrysis crotonis (Chrysididae) in a cell of A. cf. rufipes, and Chaenotetrastichus neotropicalis (Eulophidae) in two cells of A. cf. brasiliensis, both recorded for the first time. Auplopus cf. rufipes was found to prey on Frigga cf. quintensis (Salticidae), the first record of this genus as a host of Auplopus.

We conducted a capture-mark-release study of small mammals in an urban forest fragment at the Parque das Mangabeiras, in the city of Belo Horizonte, southeastern Brazil. Four marsupials — Didelphis albiventris Lund, Gracilinanus agilis (Burmeister), Marmosops incanus (Lund), Philander frenatus (Olfers) — and four rodents — Sciurus aestuans Linnaeus, Akodon montensis Thomas, Rhipidomys mastacalis (Lund) and Mus musculus Linnaeus — were found between March 2003 and February 2004. The most abundant species were M. incanus and S. aestuans, representing respectively 50% and 20% of the individuals recorded. Terrestrial habits were detected for A. montensis and D. albiventris, scansorial habits for G. agilis, M. incanus, P. frenatus, and S. aestuans, while R. mastacalis was exclusively arboreal. There was positive correlation between rainfall and population abundance for D. albiventris, and positive correlation between recruitment rates and rainfall for M. incanus. Rapid turnover rates suggested short residence time for most species. Three reproductive patterns were identified: prolonged reproduction during both seasons in R. mastacalis, reproduction during the dry season in G. agilis, and reproduction during the wet season in the remaining species. Only individuals of D. albiventris, M. incanus, R. mastacalis, and S. aestuans were detected across the paved road that runs through the fragment, suggesting that the road may be a barrier to the other species.

Anthropogenic land expansion, particularly urbanization, is pervasive, dramatically modifies the environment and is a major threat to wildlife with its associated environmental stressors. Urban remnant vegetation can help mitigate these impacts and could be vital for species unable to survive in harsh urban environments. Although resembling nonurban habitats, urban vegetation remnants are subject to additional environmental stresses. Here, we evaluate the occurrence and density of the endemic ghost butterfly (Morpho epistrophus nikolajewna) that was once common, in the highly fragmented Atlantic forest of NE Brazil. We tested whether this butterfly would be found at lower densities in urban forest fragments of contrasting sizes as opposed to rural ones, given the number of environmental stressors found in urban areas. We surveyed 14 forest fragments (range 2.8 to over 3,000 ha) of semideciduous Atlantic forest in rural and urban locations using transect based distance sampling. The ghost butterflies showed strong seasonality; flying only from April to June. They were only identified in an urban fragment (515 ha), with an estimate of 720 individuals and a density 1.4 ind/ha. All forest fragments had experienced some level of logging in the past, which might have had an effect in the butterfly population. Nevertheless, rural forest fragments were subject to increased particulate matter concentrations, associated to biomass burning that we suggest might have had a more influential role driving the collapse of rural populations. Our findings show the importance of urban forest remnants to sustain population of this endangered species.

Urban forests are an important component of the landscape, being responsible for the conservation of biodiversity in the cities. This study aimed to analyse the phytosociological structure of regenerating tree species in a small urban (2 ha) semideciduous seasonal forest fragment at Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil. The survey was done on 25 plots of 5 x 5 m, where all the individuals with diameter at breast height (DBH) 1 m were sampled. The number of individuals found was 1066, belonging to 71 species with the predominance of ‘pioneiras’ (47% of species and 69% of individuals). The most representative species were Myrcia splendens, Anadenanthera colubrina, Vismia guianensis, Miconia theizans and the exotic invasive Syzygium jambos, which together amounted 40.5% of the total value of importance. The Shannon diversity index was 3.17 nats. ind-1 and Pielou equability index was 0.74, indicating the existence of an ecological dominance. The detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) detected the presence of strong floristic gradient, associating some shading species (Anadenanthera colubrina and Piptadenia gonoacantha) with exotic Coffea arabica. Even with 70 years of natural regeneration, the results indicated a regenerating community with difficulties of progression to advanced successional stages.

Species richness and forest seasonality of spiders in an urban fragment of Northeastern Brazil were investigated. Mata do Buraquinho is a remnant of Atlantic Rain Forest where no spider inventories have ever been made. Samplings during dry and wet seasons were carried out in order to establish if seasonality influences species richness and complementarily of the spider fauna. Pitfall traps, nocturnal collections, and beating tray samples were used to access a multi-guild spider fauna. Spider species were estimated using first order Jackknife method. Four hundred samples were obtained, resulting in 1681 adult spiders. A total of 166 species were recorded and 211 were estimated. No significant differences for species richness were observed between both periods, and the captured species were the same according to the complementarily coefficients. The fragmentation hypothesis as factor of biota impoverishment was not tested, but future investigations on this topic are suggested in the complex of forest remnants in Joao Pessoa.

We analyzed DNA at 9 microsatellite loci from hair samples of 73 pied tamarins (Saguinus bicolor) located in 3 urban forest fragments and a biological reserve in the city of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. The forest fragments had become isolated from the continuous forest 6-15 years prior to the time of sampling. Tests for reduction in population size showed that all groups from the urban forest fragments had undergone genetic bottlenecks. Pied tamarins in this region historically formed one biological population, and the fragments were connected by high levels of gene flow. These results indicate the need to implement a conservation plan that allows for connectivity between the urban fragments, as well as protection from further constriction. Such connectivity could be achieved via the creation and protection of corridors. In addition to the current population trends explained by anthropogenic actions, the species also shows a trend of long-term demographic decline that has resulted in approximately an order of magnitude decrease and began 13 thousand years ago.

Birds are important hosts for various tick species, playing a significant role in their biological life cycle and dispersion. In this study, we investigated tick infestations on birds trapped in an urban remnant of Atlantic Forest in Pernambuco state, Brazil. From February 2015 to March 2017, 541 birds belonging to 52 species were trapped with mist nets and examined for ectoparasites. Birds trapped in the late successional forest were significantly more infested than birds trapped in the early successional forest. In the same way, ectoparasite infestation varied significantly according to bird weight and collection plot. Overall, 198 birds (36.6%) belonging to 27 species were parasitized by ectoparasites (i.e., ticks, lice and/or mites). Ectoparasites were effectively collected from 111 birds, of which 99 belonging to 20 species were infested by ticks (n = 261), namely, Amblyomma longirostre (13 nymphs), Amblyomma nodosum (21 nymphs), Amblyomma varium (one nymph), and Amblyomma spp. (five nymphs and 221 larvae). Most of the ticks (> 90%) were collected from Passeriformes. This study provides the second record of A. varium in Pernambuco state and confirms that birds, especially Passeriformes, are important hosts for larvae and nymphs of Amblyomma spp. in the Atlantic Forest biome of Pernambuco.

Urbanization is a major threat to wildlife with its cohort of environmental stressors. Urban remnant vegetation can help mitigate these impacts, but such remnants are subject to stressors that might be detrimental for some species. Habitat generalists have flexible diets and broader habitat tolerances that could favour their persistence in these remnants. Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) and sloths (Bradypus variegatus) differ in their ecological and behavioural plasticity and both occur in urban areas. We predict marmosets to be less affected than sloths, a specialist species, by anthropogenic disturbance. We estimated their densities in urban forest fragments of semi-deciduous Atlantic forest in Paraiba, NE Brazil, with contrasting levels of urbanization. Using the distance sampling methodology, we surveyed 12 trails in a larger and less impacted fragment (515 ha) and 13 trails across nine smaller forest patches (2.1–8.0 ha) with a greater level of anthropogenic disturbance. Density of marmoset’s groups was higher in the area with lower anthropogenic disturbance, whereas sloths’ density was significantly higher in the more urbanized fragments. Marmosets seemed to be more impacted by noise than sloths. The density of both species in forest patches with higher level of anthropogenic disturbance was similar or even higher than densities from non-urban and less disturbed areas. Despite the negative impacts on wildlife, urbanization seems to cause a reduction of predators and an increase in availability of food resources that favour some species. Our results show the importance of small urban forest fragment for the persistence of marmosets and sloths in Neotropical cities.

Termites are very abundant in tropical ecosystems and have active roles in nutrient cycling and soil formation, but few studies of their assemblages have been undertaken in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. The present study analyzed the composition of termite assemblages in a fragment of Atlantic Forest embedded within an urban matrix in northeastern Brazil. Five standardized sampling protocols of termites were applied, with a total sampling effort of 1500m2. We encountered 45 species of termites belonging to 25 genera and three families. The soil-feeders group demonstrated the greatest species richness, while wood-feeders species were the most abundant. The species richness of termite in the study area was the greatest yet recorded for an Atlantic forest site in Brazil, indicating the importance of urban fragments for conserving tropical biodiversity.

Urban forest fragments vs residential neighborhoods: Urban habitat preference of migratory birds

Multi-taxa environmental DNA inventories reveal distinct taxonomic and functional diversity in urban tropical forest fragments

Urbanisation results in a marked modification of habitats and influences several ecological processes, some of which give rise to beneficial ecological services. Natural pest control, the effect of predators on prey is one of such services. We quantified changes in the incidence of predation with increasing levels of urbanisation using artificial caterpillars made of green plasticine. Potential predators can be identified by the "attack marks" they leave on these artificial caterpillars. We conducted this study from May to October 2010 around the city of Sorø (Zealand, Denmark), in forests along an urbanisation gradient (rural-suburban-urban). Artificial caterpillars were placed on the ground in order to obtain an estimate of the incidence of predation at ground level. Half (50%) of the 1398 caterpillars were "attacked" and 28.8% of the bites were those of chewing insects. We attributed the majority of these to carabids, the most common group of ground-active arthropods. Chewing insects exerted the greatest predation pressure in the original forest (52.1%), with lower values recorded in the suburban (10.1%) and urban (16.4%) forest fragments. Ants were responsible for only 4.7% of the attacks in forest, 11.3% in suburban and 16.4% in urban forest fragments. Mammals exerted the highest predation pressure in suburban habitats (22.2% vs. 4.9% in forest, and 8.1% in urban forest fragments).

Spatial pattern of the palm Astrocaryum aculeatissimum was investigated in an urban Atlantic Forest fragment (Tijuca National Park, Brazil) where its main seed disperser, the red-rumped agouti Dasyprocta leporina, is locally extinct. A 120 × 130 m plot (1.56 ha) was established in which all A. aculeatissimum individuals were quantified, georeferenced, and classified by ontogenetic stages, namely, seedling, infant, juvenile, immature individual, and adult. Analyses were performed using Ripley's K function. We recorded 376 individuals, most of which were in the juvenile stage (n = 228). The spatial pattern was aggregated as observed for other palm species. Seedlings and infants were not associated with adults, whereas juveniles and immature individuals were observed closer to adults than expected. The distance between each seedling and the nearest adult ranged from 3 to 30 m (mean ± sd = 11.8 ± 7.8), which is similar to the agouti dispersal distances reported in other studies. Despite the importance of agoutis for the seedling recruitment of A. aculeatissimum, their short-term absence does not affect the spatial distribution of this palm in the studied area.

The interaction between native fleshy-fruit plants and introduced fruit consumers contributes to the dynamics of highly fragmented environments. Such interactions can occur through pollination and seed dispersal. Here, we investigated the potential of seed dispersing by a non-native primate, the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus), in an urban Atlantic forest fragment in north-eastern Brazil. Fleshy fruits from non-native plants were preferentially exploited by the squirrel monkeys. We measured 147 seeds (width and length) from 20 of 106 faecal samples. The dispersed seeds were from five plant species (four families). We found a positive correlation between the size of seeds found in faecal samples with their availability in the habitat. Only one seed was found visually damaged after passage through the squirrel monkeys’ guts. The defecated seeds were uniformly distributed (variance to mean ratio index) in the home range of squirrel monkeys, and there was a lack of specific latrines (i.e., habitat preference for defecation). Our data provide evidence that non-native S. sciureus may in be (i) acting as a potential seed disperser of native plants in the Atlantic forest fragment, (ii) contributing to the ecological role of native frugivores, and (iii) potentially contributing to the regeneration process of the highly degraded study site.