Brazilian Amazon Rainforest Research Articles

XGBOOST and Multitemporal DETER Data for Deforestation Forecasting

Abstract. This paper reports research that is part of a project to combat deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest by developing an online system designed to forecast deforestation risk over the short term, spanning 2 to 4 weeks. This online platform aims to empower stakeholders with timely data, facilitating proactive conservation and intervention strategies to safeguard the Amazon rainforest. We built a multitemporal database that compiles weekly deforestation alerts from the DETER project, forming our analysis’s backbone. Utilizing the XGBOOST regression algorithm, we have crafted a predictive model that identifies areas within the Amazon at imminent risk of more intensive deforestation. Preliminary results reveal an RMSE of 0.29 for predicting areas under deforestation risk, as validated against early alert data from 2020 to 2023. Our work advances environmental monitoring by focusing on a spatial resolution of 25 km × 25 km, providing accessible, near real-time information on deforestation risks.

Barks of Dacryodes Kukachkana presents antiinflammatory effect in rat cutaneous wounds

Background: Dacryodes kukachkana (Burseraceae) is found in the Amazon rainforest of Brazil, being the genera widely used in folk medicine for several inflammatory conditions. Objective: In this study, it was investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of the Hydroethanolic Extract of D. kukachkana (HEDk) barks in the rat model of excisional skin wounds. Methods: The wounds were induced on the dorsal region of Wistar rats and treated daily by topical application of HEDk (500 mg/100 μL), compared to the control Saline (0.9% NaCl). Clinical parameters (edema, hyperemia, exudate, hypernociception), histopathological (leukocyte infiltrate, fibroblasts, blood vessels) and oxidative stress markers were evaluated from the 2nd to the 6th day post-ulceration. Results: HEDk reduced the following parameters at the 2nd day: inflammatory exudate (0 [0-0] vs. saline: 2 [1 – 3]); wound area (36%), healing index (48.56% ± 1.886 vs. saline: 27.99% ± 2.460) and malondialdehyde (27%). HEDk also reduced leukocyte infiltrate (49 – 34%) from the 4th to the 6th days post-ulceration. HEDk increased the parameters: nociceptive threshold (31 – 73%) from the 2nd to the 4th days; blood vessels (1.9x) and reduced glutathione (32%) at the 4th day; and the number of fibroblasts (91 – 44%) at the 2nd and 6th days. Conclusion: HEDk accelerates the healing process in the rat model of excisional cutaneous wounds via attenuation of inflammatory parameters and stimulation of fibroplasia and angiogenesis.

Climate change and environmental degradation in Yanomami People’s Land: Intersectional threats and the need for improved policy-making

The Yanomami are an Amazonian Indigenous people in northern Brazil and southern Venezuela. The Yanomami are considered a ‘recent contact Indigenous People’, with the first contacts with non-indigenous recorded between 1910 and 1940 and with some groups in voluntary isolation. They are one of the resilient peoples that practise their traditional way of life, which involves a strong connection to the land and the environment. Following an expert-driven literature review based on a set of available documentation on the Brazilian Indigenous Peoples, focusing on the overlapping threats that affect Indigenous Lands and triangulating the information collected with data produced on Brazilian Amazon Rainforest Monitoring Program by Satellite (PRODES) within the Space Research National Institute (INPE), this communication presents a case analysis of the main pressures and threats Yanomami People faces. The overlapped threats manifest in structural and cyclical issues, linked to the environmental crisis arising from extractives’ illegal activities, such as logging, and mining invasions, the recurrent attacks, mercury contamination of the river water, malnutrition caused by contaminated fish, scarcity of hunting, and violence committed against the people, especially women and children. Added to these multiple social, political, and environmental threats are the impacts of climate change, which disproportionately affect forest peoples. Deforestation, fires, drought, and other extreme events that are linked to climate change effects are analysed, leading to reflections on Brazilian government policies' influence and on the urgency to implement policies in defence of Indigenous Lands, the Amazon Forest, and its guardians.

How much biodiversity do we lose in planted forests? A case study with dung beetles in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest

How much biodiversity do we lose in planted forests? A case study with dung beetles in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest

Oecanthus buxixu sp. nov. (Orthoptera: Grylloidea: Oecanthidae): A new species of tree cricket from Brazilian Amazon rainforest

The Tree Crickets of the genus Oecanthus Serville, 1831 are distributed across tropical and temperate regions, where they can be found in all strata of vegetation. In this work, we describe a new species of tree cricket from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, where only one species was known until the date of this publication. This new species differs from the other 79 species in this genus by the absence of marks on the scape and pedicel of the antennae, as well as by its calling song composed of 3 to 5 chirps/s, 6 to 20 pulses per chirp, and peak frequency 3 to 3.3 kHz, at 26ºC. Photos in vivo of the individuals, as well as images of the metanotal glands and phallic sclerites, are provided.

Species identity crisis among New World members of the genus Heliothrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae: Panchaetothripinae)

Until mid-1990s, Heliothrips was considered a genus without major identification problems, with only H. haemorrhoidalis spread worldwide. More recently, concerns have arisen regarding misidentifications of this pest species around the world, particularly with the description of H. longisensibilis from China and the subsequent records from Argentina and Brazil. Here we consider that species as a new synonym of H. angustior stat. rev., and records of this species under the name H. haemorrhoidalis from the Neotropics (and also India and Thailand) are rectified, whereas in the Nearctic region only H. haemorrhoidalis is present. Both species are widespread, and morphological variations suggest other cryptic species may occur. Heliothrips flamengo sp. n. is described from the Brazilian and Peruvian Amazon Rainforest, and an updated key to the five species of Heliothrips is provided.

Bactrodesmium amazonicum sp. nov. from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest with an emendation of the genus

Bactrodesmium amazonicum sp. nov. from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest with an emendation of the genus

Natural genetic diversity of the DBL domain of a novel member of the Plasmodium vivax erythrocyte binding-like proteins (EBP2) in the Amazon rainforest

In malaria parasites, the erythrocyte binding-like proteins (EBL) are a family of invasion proteins that are attractive vaccine targets. In the case of Plasmodium vivax, the widespread malaria parasite, blood-stage vaccines have been largely focused on a single EBL candidate, the Duffy binding-like domain (DBL) of the Duffy binding protein (DBPII), due to its well-characterized role in the reticulocyte invasion. A novel P. vivax EBL family member, the Erythrocyte binding protein (EBP2, also named EBP or DBP2), binds preferentially to reticulocytes and may mediate an alternative P. vivax invasion pathway. To gain insight into the natural genetic diversity of the DBL domain of EBP2 (region II; EBP2-II), we analyzed ebp2-II gene sequences of 71 P. vivax isolates collected in different endemic settings of the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, where P. vivax is the predominant malaria-associated species. Although most of the substitutions in the ebp2-II gene were non-synonymous and suggested positive selection, the results showed that the DBL domain of the EBP2 was much less polymorphic than that of DBPII. The predominant EBP2 haplotype in the Amazon region corresponded to the C127 reference sequence first described in Cambodia (25% C127-like haplotype). An overview of ebp2-II gene sequences available at GenBank (n = 352) from seven countries (Cambodia, Madagascar, Myanmar, PNG, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam) confirmed the C127-like haplotype as highly prevalent worldwide. Two out of 43 haplotypes (5 to 20 inferred per country) showed a global frequency of 60%. The results presented here open new avenues of research pursuit while suggesting that a vaccine based on the DBL domain of EBP2 should target a few haplotypes for broad coverage.

New species and records of Zebragryllus Desutter-Grandcolas & Cadena-Castañeda, 2014 (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Gryllinae) from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest

Zebragryllus Desutter-Grandcolas & Cadena-Castañeda, 2014 is a Neotropical genus of field crickets that inhabits the leaf litter of the Amazon rainforest. The genus has six species and is characterized by the distinct ‘zebra’ pattern displayed by some of them. The species are recorded in French Guiana, Peru, and Colombia. Here, we describe two new species of the genus from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, the first record of the genus for Brazil. We expand the records of Z. guianensis Desutter-Grandcolas, 2014 and Z. nouragui Desutter-Grandcolas, 2014 to Brazil. We also describe but do not name two females corresponding to two new species, provide an up-to-date key for species of Zebragryllus, and discuss the potential distribution for the genus.

Contributions to Odontogryllini (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Landrevinae) with comments on its taxonomic status and description of a new species of Xulavuna de Mello & Campos, 2014.

Odontogryllini is a tribe of ground-dwelling crickets exclusive to America. After several taxonomic rearrangements, this tribe has five genera and 23 species now placed in the subfamily Landrevinae. These crickets have dorsoventrally depressed bodies and are moderately to densely covered with bristles. The males may bear tegminal, metanotal, or tergal glands. In this contribution, we discuss the taxonomic status and the morphological features of Odontogryllini and the other two tribes of Landrevinae: Landrevini and Prolandrevini. The presence of dorsal spines between the outer spurs of the hind tibia distinguishes Odontogryllini from Prolandrevini, and the straight or slightly arcuate but never S-shaped stridulum from Landrevini. We also propose the enlarged and plate-like rami as a diagnostic characteristic to distinguish Odontogryllini from Landrevini. Additionally, we describe a new species of the genus Xulavuna de Mello & Campos from the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest, named Xulavuna krenakore sp. nov..

Tupadesmus (Polydesmida, Chelodesmidae) and T. muyrakyta, a New Millipede Genus and Species from the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil, with a Checklist of the Chelodesmidae of Pará State

Tupadesmus (Polydesmida, Chelodesmidae) and T. muyrakyta, a New Millipede Genus and Species from the Amazon Rainforest of Brazil, with a Checklist of the Chelodesmidae of Pará State

Accessing the specialized metabolome of actinobacteria from the bulk soil of Paullinia cupana Mart. on the Brazilian Amazon: a promising source of bioactive compounds against soybean phytopathogens.

The Amazon rainforest, an incredibly biodiverse ecosystem, has been increasingly vulnerable to deforestation. Despite its undeniable importance and potential, the Amazonian microbiome has historically received limited study, particularly in relation to its unique arsenal of specialized metabolites. Therefore, in this study our aim was to assess the metabolic diversity and the antifungal activity of actinobacterial strains isolated from the bulk soil of Paullinia cupana, a native crop, in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest. Extracts from 24 strains were subjected to UPLC-MS/MS analysis using an integrative approach that relied on the Chemical Structural and Compositional Similarity (CSCS) metric, GNPS molecular networking, and in silico dereplication tools. This procedure allowed the comprehensive understanding of the chemical space encompassed by these actinobacteria, which consists of features belonging to known bioactive metabolite classes and several unannotated molecular families. Among the evaluated strains, five isolates exhibited bioactivity against a panel of soybean fungal phytopathogens (Rhizoctonia solani, Macrophomina phaseolina, and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum). A focused inspection led to the annotation of pepstatins, oligomycins, hydroxamate siderophores and dorrigocins as metabolites produced by these bioactive strains, with potentially unknown compounds also comprising their metabolomes. This study introduces a pragmatic protocol grounded in established and readily available tools for the annotation of metabolites and the prioritization of strains to optimize further isolation of specialized metabolites. Conclusively, we demonstrate the relevance of the Amazonian actinobacteria as sources for bioactive metabolites useful for agriculture. We also emphasize the importance of preserving this biome and conducting more in-depth studies on its microbiota.

Could private land reserves in Brazil’s Amazon be a viable conservation strategy for forest protection? An overview of the challenges and opportunities

This paper identifies Reservas Particulares do Patrimônio Natural, a Brazilian legal land use distinction, as an enabling framework for investment and sustainable development. Brazilian Amazon rainforest contains private land but is a threatened and undervalued public good which humanity needs for climate stability, human health, and cultural and natural heritage. Amazon land use strategy over the last 50 years has divided between strict conservation on public lands that allows nearly no economic activity, and rapid forest conversion on private lands to produce commodities. A third path for private lands promoting biodiversity-based value chains could better incentivize preservation over conversion.

The impacts of political activity on fires and deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest: An analysis of social media and satellite data

Social media has become a one-stop shop for consuming news and expressing political views. Politics has become increasingly emotional, and the ensuing polarization has created echo chambers that favor narratives and stories that repeat only one point of view. In this article, we investigated the role of political activity through Twitter (now ‘X’) engagement as a predictor of destructive fires and deforestation in the Brazilian Legal Amazon (BLA). We used a machine learning approach based on sentiment analysis and satellite data. To test the consistency of the sentiment analysis, we compared the timing of messages related to fire and deforestation events with daily fire data from satellites. When comparing positive and negative comments about fires in the BLA, the results showed that the best model for predicting fire outbreaks is the decision tree regressor. We found evidence that positive comments about agriculture, industry, and the Amazon rainforest in response to speeches and statements by high-ranking Brazilian politicians tend to induce positive comments about fire outbreaks and deforestation. These comments then become good predictors of fire outbreaks with a 6-day lag. These results support the view that high-ranking politicians have enormous power to influence damaging events that can have severe impacts on communities, the environment, and the economy. Brazil has seen an unprecedented increase in deforestation and fires in the Amazon rainforest in recent years. Our findings contribute to the growing literature on the role of social media in real-world events and how machine learning approaches can be used to address this class of problems.

Mercury and CO2 emissions from artisanal gold mining in Brazilian Amazon rainforest

AbstractThe Tapajós River basin in Brazil is one of the world’s regions most affected by artisanal gold mining (ASGM), which is responsible for the release of mercury and high energy consumption. Mercury, mixed with gold-containing materials and then released through heating to extract the gold, can be recovered using a simple distillation device called a retort. Use of these tools has now become standard. In a comprehensive study, we investigated the use of mercury and energy at 47 mining sites in the Tapajós River basin. These included numerous mines that were operated informally or in some cases even illegally and are therefore not accessible to outsiders. Our survey shows that 1.7 kg of mercury are used per kg of gold extracted, of which only about 0.19 kg of mercury is released into the environment when retorts are used. Overall, this means an annual release of at least ≈2.5 tonnes of mercury in the region, even when retorts are used. We also find that ASGM contributes to climate change through energy consumption responsible for the release of about 16,000 kg of CO2 equivalent per kilogram of gold. This means that even artisanal gold mining, which uses retorts, has a major environmental impact.

Characterization and cytotoxity analysis of acuthy chestnut (Couepia edulis Prance) for use in herbal therapy

The Brazilian Amazon rainforest is rich in natural resources, which are widely used in areas such as food and health, especially for local populations. Couepia edulis Prance is a tree from the Amazon, consisting of fruits called agouti nut, which its use as a herbal medicine is widespread in the Amazon region. That said, the aim of this article was to verify the cytotoxicity of Agouti nut oil. For this, the nutritional characteristics, physical-chemical and bioactive properties of agouti nut oil were verified, for subsequent cytotoxicity bioassay. In the centesimal composition it was identified: Caloric Value 658.84± 0.02; Proteins 10.01 ± 0.03; Ash 2.34 ± 0.04; Lipids 61.20 ± 0.15; Carbohydrates 17.00 ± 0.20; Fibers 29.74 ± 0.64. In the fatty acid profile: arachidic (0.42%), palmitoleic (1.02%), stearic (7.11%), linoleic (14%), palmitic (29.20%), oleic (35.01%). In the cytotoxicity assay at different extract concentrations (100; 50; 6.25 and 1.56 µg.mL-1) cell viability of 78.60 to 90.20% was identified. We conclude that the almond and the oil of the Agouti nut at the nutritional and physical-chemical level were within the food standards for consumption, with a high content of total fibers.

Description of a new genus and species of Euptychiina (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) from the Brazilian Amazon rainforest

AbstractA new monotypic genus in the ‘Archeuptychia clade’ Xikrin Barbosa, Freitas, Siewert & Marín gen. nov. (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae: Euptychiina) is described to accommodate a new species, Xikrin ueharapradoi Freitas & Barbosa gen. et sp. nov., in the highly diverse Satyrinae subtribe Euptychiina, based mainly on molecular data. To date, this species is known only from the region of Carajás, in the eastern Amazon rainforest. The phylogenetic relationship and taxonomy of this new taxon are discussed.

Tucumã of Pará oil: chemical profile, biological activities, and methods of extraction

The present work research involves a systematic review of the chemical profile and biological activities of vegetable oil from the Astrocaryum species identified in Brazilian amazon rainforest. Astrocaryum consists of a important group of botanical species that have economic value in the national and international fruit market. Furthermore, the species has application in several areas such as pharmacology, biotechnology, and medicine. In folk medicine, species such as Astrocaryum aculeatum M. and Astrocaryum vulgare M. are used in prevention of diabetes and inflammatory diseases. The species of Astrocaryum are natural source of vegetable oil and are rich in bioactive compounds belonging to the classes of carotenoids, of these compounds β-carotene is the most abundant. The cytoprotective, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of vegetable oils from the Astrocaryum species in Brazilian amazon rainforest have been described in previous research.

New species of Tyrannoraptor Mendes, Oliveira, Chamorro-Rengifo & Rafael, 2018 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae: Phlugidini) with asymmetrical jaws from the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest.

Tyrannoraptor Mendes, Oliveira, Chamorro-Rengifo & Rafael, 2018 (Tettigoniidae: Meconematinae: Phlugidini) is currently a monotypic genus. The type-species Tyrannoraptor arboreus (Nickle, 2003) is recorded to Peru (Loreto) and Brazil (Amazonas). In this work, we describe the second species of the genus, Tyrannoraptor venator sp. nov., recorded to the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. The new species is described based on a male and three female specimens. A key to species of Tyrannoraptor and a distribution map of the genus are provided as well as comments on the natural history of the new species.

Unraveling the Enigma of Androcalymma (Fabaceae: Dialioideae): The Rediscovery of a Critically Endangered Legume Genus in the Heart of the Amazon

Androcalymma Dwyer, a monospecific and morphologically unique genus on the legume subfamily Dialioideae, stands out as one of the less known genera of Fabaceae, not being molecularly sampled in phylogenetic studies of the family until now, which led to an uncertain position among other taxa in its clade. Androcalymma glabrifolium, endemic to a small and hardly accessible area in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, was collected once in 1936 and never seen after that, even being conjectured as possibly extinct. Here we describe a recent expedition searching for this enigmatic and rare tree that brought to light an extant population of the species in an indigenous area where it still thrives. The fruits of Androcalymma are here described and illustrated for the first time, as also its flowers’ colors and several other new characters. Here we present its first photographic register, and its DNA is compared to other Dialioideae bringing a solid relationship with the also Amazonian genus Dicorynia, a grouping sustained here by many known and newly discovered morphological characteristics. SEM analyses of flowers and fruits, conservation assessments indicating the critically endangered situation of the genus, taxonomic descriptions, and geographic, systematic, and ecological comments are made.