Southeastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest Research Articles

Paleovegetation and paleoclimate dynamics during the last 7000 years in the Atlantic forest of Southeastern Brazil based on palynology of a waterlogged sandy soil

Mineral soils are usually considered inappropriate for pollen analysis because of the poor quality of pollen and spore preservation and the disturbed stratigraphy. However, here we present a 57 cm core, collected from a waterlogged sandy soil in the lowland Atlantic Forest of SE Brazil, which shows good stratigraphy and good preservation of pollen and spores since ~7000 cal. BP, both in organic and in mineral horizons. By the other hand, the decomposition of the organic matter and its translocation along the soil profile led to changes of C and N results (TOC, TN, C/N, δ13C and δ15N). Mid-Holocene paleoclimate inferences from this study are in accordance with climate fluctuations presented in previous studies for Central, Southeastern and Southern Brazil, when a change to more humid climate occurred at ~7000 cal BP. The process responsible for the presence of biological proxies along this sandy soil profile involves the continuous deposition of these proxies together with litter and sand, and the subsequent decomposition of the litter. Ultimately, this process led to the vertical accretion of the sand with the more resistant organic structures preserved in stratigraphic sequence. The preservation of pollen and spores along the profile is probably caused by low pH and redoximorphic conditions due to water saturation. This study suggests the potential for retrieving useful paleoecological information from mineral and organic horizons of tropical waterlogged sandy soils, which is especially useful for those regions where traditional pollen archives (lakes and peat bogs) are absent.

Plasticity in the timing of activity in the Red-rumped Agouti, Dasyprocta leporina (Mammalia: Rodentia), in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil

Abstract Timing of activity is a consequence of adaptations to daily and seasonal changes in the environment and examining these patterns is important to better understand the temporal niches of the species. Here we examine temporal activity in the Red-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina) in two fragments of Atlantic Forest and those factors that influence the circadian rhythm in the study areas. Camera traps were used to gather data in two protected areas (one montane and other coastal) in the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. A total of 49 photos were taken in the mountains and 152 in the coastal area. Activity patterns were diurnal and bimodal, and animals were active for 14-15 hours each day. Activity peaked in the morning soon after sunrise and then before and during dusk. Activity patterns were different in the two study areas (W = 6.77, p = 0.034). There was a longer peak in the morning in the coastal area, and a higher peak in the evening in the mountains, where activity starts later and becomes less intense earlier. The difference between activity patterns in the two locations suggests plasticity in agouti behavior. Because the two study areas are at about the same latitude, we suggest that the behavioral plasticity is due to different temperature regimes associated with a local effect of altitude and topography of the terrain on the incidence of solar rays inside the forest. The influence of other factors is also discussed. In addition to a better understanding of the temporal niche of the Red-rumped Agouti, the behavior patterns we describe here can be useful to optimize strategies for D. leporina conservation in southeastern Brazil once the species is more susceptible to poaching at times when animals are most active.

Morphology of bromeliad-associated immature stages of Daiphron bipartitus and its adults confirms the non-monophyly of the genus (Coleoptera: Cantharidae)

Daiphron bipartitus Pic, 1934 is a poorly known species whose systematic position in the subfamily Chaulioganthinae is still controversial. In this paper we describe immature stages of,which were found inhabiting fallen bromeliads,in southeastern Brazilian Atlantic forest. Adults are redescribed, including the first study of male and female genitalia. Larva, pupa and adult are illustrated in detail and compared with other species of,Gorham, 1881 and,Hentz, 1830. We discuss the systematic position of,within Chauliognathinae on the basis of morphological comparison of its immature and adult characters. Both were found to be more similar to species of,than to,Pic, 1949, which supports the hypothesis of polyphyly of,. Aspects of the species biology and occasional association with bromeliads are discussed.

Miscellaneous Additions to Quararibea (Malvaceae) from the Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil

The present study updates the taxonomy of Quararibea in the Atlantic Forest of Southeast Brazil. After 130 yr, Quararibea penduliflora has once again been reported in Rio de Janeiro State. A new combination is proposed, Q. angustifolia, and a new species, Q. similis, is described. Descriptions, species identification keys, illustrations, and a new analysis of the morphology of domatia, aimed at using its diagnostic potential to circumscribe the species studied here, are provided.

How urbanization affects multiple dimensions of biodiversity in tropical butterfly assemblages

We evaluated how the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversities of butterflies and their community-weighted traits are affected by urbanization in the southeastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest. For this purpose, a dataset of Nymphalidae species distributed across 15 urban, semiurban, and rural fragments was analyzed. Urbanization was defined by a set of environmental variables. Furthermore, the total area of each fragment was also considered in the analyses but did not influence the results, in which disturbance level and patch connectivity drove the environmental variation across the urban matrix. Species diversity increased towards the more connected fragments, while phylogenetic and functional diversity did not vary in relation to urbanization. A high forewing:hindwing ratio and the frequency of tiger-like wings were positively related to the urban fragments, while a low forewing:hindwing ratio and iridescent wings were related to the semiurban and rural fragments. The suitability of highly interconnected rural habitats for the maintenance of butterfly diversity was corroborated as expected. Nonetheless, our results also showed that semiurban fragments preserved the ecologically relevant traits of butterflies related to forested habitats, expressed in butterfly groups possibly linked with dispersal capability to avoid predation. Careful management of semiurban fragments and urban landscaping, including highly structured and native vegetation outside urban parks, may increase the functional and taxonomic diversities or at least maintain the current levels of functionality in the urban matrix. Thus, it is possible to preserve the biological diversity of native fauna and flora and recover relevant ecosystem services, ensuring the conservation of Neotropical urban centers.

A new species of Cardioscarta (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Cicadellini) fromthe Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil and key to species of the genus.

The South American genus Cardioscarta Melichar, 1932 includes seven species of colorful sharpshooters. Here we describe and illustrate an additional species, C. aurantia sp. nov., from the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil (state of Rio de Janeiro). The new taxon can be distinguished by the dark brown to black forewing with two large orange areas, one from basal portion of corium to distal portions of discal cells and another covering most of clavus, or with single large orange area on basal two-thirds. A key to species of Cardioscarta is provided and the new species is compared with the other ones of the genus.

The role of climate on floristic composition in a latitudinal gradient in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Background and aims – Latitudinal gradients have an important influence on species distribution reflecting the effects of environmental factors such as temperature, rainfall, soil, and geographical distance. In the southeastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest, the role of climatic variables in the floristic composition is better known for altitudinal gradients of the Serra do Mar Mountains rather than for the latitudinal gradient. Here, we investigated the effects of mean annual temperature and rainfall on tree species distribution and composition in a latitudinal gradient in the Atlantic forest.Methods – We calculated each species frequency of occurrence and the latitudinal range. We used multivariate analyses (direct ordination, Hierarchical Clustering followed by Indicator Species analysis and NMDS) to investigate variation in floristic composition, and regression analyses to evaluate mean annual temperatures and rainfall effects on tree species composition along the latitudinal gradient (21°S to 28°S).Key results – A total of 789 species were registered, of which a majority (646 species) were present in less than 20% of the sampled areas, and only four species (0.5%) were present in more than 80% of the sampled areas. Only ten species (1.3%) reached the maximum latitudinal range (~6°). We found a strong correlation between variation in floristic composition and the spatial position in the latitudinal gradient. The cluster analyses detected two main floristic groups, one composed by the forests from Rio de Janeiro (21°S to 23°S) and the second by the forests from São Paulo, Paraná and Santa Catarina States (23°S to 28°S). The multiple regression analysis revealed a strong effect of the climatic variables on the variation of the floristic composition along the latitudinal gradient (r2 = 0.81, P < 0.001), where 62.82% of the variation were explained by mean annual temperature, 8.27% by annual rainfall and 10.45% by both variables together.Conclusions – The restricted distribution of most species may be explained by variations in mean annual temperature and annual rainfall along the latitudinal gradient. For instance, the decreasing mean annual temperature along the coast and the occurrence of frosts at higher latitudes may limit the southward distribution of some species while the lower annual rainfall (with marked seasonality) in the north of the gradient may limit the northward distribution of other species. Although mean annual temperature explained most of the variation in species composition along the latitudinal gradient, the abrupt variation in annual rainfall may explain the high floristic dissimilarity detected in the north of the gradient.

Paleoenvironmental Characterization of a High-Mountain Environment in the Atlantic Forest in Southeastern Brazil

ABSTRACT: Records of changes in the phytosociological structure of vegetation can be observed more clearly in soils that have more significant accumulation of organic matter, like those occurring in high-mountain environments. The aim of this study was to characterize soils formed in high-mountain environments in the Itatiaia National Park (INP), state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil, and to discuss the potential of preserved phytoliths as markers of vegetative history and environmental factors. Four profiles were selected, which were morphologically described and evaluated for their physical and chemical properties. For phytolith analysis and high-resolution determination of the stable carbon isotopes, samples were collected at 0.10 m intervals. The profiles showed highly similar morphological characteristics, with peat deposits and colluvial sediments as source material, produced in the highest parts of the landscape. High-mountain soils in the INP have properties related to high contents of organic matter, like high acidity, low base saturation, and high CEC values due to high H+ contents. The soils are formed by the addition of plant residues, which accumulate due to the cold and humid climate during most of the year in these environments. The phytolith assemblage had a high frequency of morphotypes characteristic of temperate, cold, and high elevation intertropical regions, especially of Pooideae plants. The phytolith indexes indicated open vegetation environments with a predominance of C3 grasses, suggesting cold climate conditions, and corroborating the δ13C isotopic values. The results of phytolith analysis of the profiles reflected characteristics related to soil genesis. Organism is the main soil formation factor, conditioned by the factors relief (elevation) and climate, which resulted in low temperatures and lead organic matter accumulation.

From the field to the lab: Muriqui endocrinology from a collaborative perspective.

The northern muriqui (Brachyteles hypoxanthus) is a critically endangered species endemic to the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. Long-term observational studies of wild muriquis have provided many insights into the behavioral ecology and life history of this species. However, nearly everything that is currently known about the northern muriqui's behavioral endocrinology has come from combining our respective expertise in noninvasive field and laboratory research. Here, we reflect on the history of our collaboration, focusing on major challenges, key scientific findings, and factors that contributed to its success. Challenges included insuring the reliable collection of frequent fecal samples from a large enough number of known individuals over extended periods of time, preserving the steroids in the field and transporting them, developing and validating the fecal steroid assays, and interpreting the hormonal profiles within the behavioral and ecological contexts of the study subjects. Major findings included our thorough description of the fecal progesterone and estradiol profiles associated with muriqui ovarian cycling and gestation, the seasonal resumption of cycling, its onset during puberty of dispersing females, and the differences between fertile and infertile cycles. We also documented the relationship between fecal cortisol and testosterone in sexually active males across breeding and nonbreeding seasons, and sex differences in cortisol levels across the mating and conception seasons. We attribute the success of our collaboration to a number of factors including our mutual appreciation for one another's high standards for ethics, data quality, and data interpretation.

Seasonal Variation in Bee-Plant Interactions in an Inselberg in the Atlantic Forest in Southeastern Brazil

Studies on bee-plant interactions are relevant to the understanding of temporal patterns in neotropical communities. In isolated habitats such as inselbergs little is yet known about the temporal dynamics in the availability of fl oral resources and interacting bee. In the present study, the objective is to verify the eff ect of seasonality on the bee-plant interaction in an Atlantic Forest inselberg in southeastern Brazil. The bees were sampled monthly in the dry (April/2008-September/2008) and wet seasons (October/2008-March/2009) using an entomological net. A total of 322 bees of 33 species were captured on fl owers of 34 species of plants during the year. Bees richness was similar between seasons (22 species in the wet season and 21 in the dry season), but abundance was higher in the wet season (60% of individuals) and higher diversity occurred in the dry season. Augochloropsis sp1 were the most abundant species and visited the largest number of plant species at each season. In the interaction network, plants with the highest degree were distinct between the seasons. The number of possible interactions was higher in the dry season compared to the wet season and connectance was similar; nestedness however varied between the seasons. The composition of plant and bees species was distinct between the seasons, as well as the interactions between them, mainly due to the alteration in the composition of the plant species and the change in the choice of the bees for the floral resources between the seasons.

<i>Trema micrantha <?I>(L.) Blume. IN PLANTATIONS FOR ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION: EARLY DEVELOPMENT IN THE BRAZILIAN SUBTROPICAL FOREST

The understanding of silviculture of native species in a determined region is fundamental for the selection of more appropriate species for using in ecological restoration. Trema micrantha (Cannabaceae), a pioneer species which is widely distributed, shading and attractive to birds, is intensively planted in restoration projects of the southeastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest. In order to get information regarding to the performance of this species in subtropical forests (subject to the yearly frosts), we analyzed its early growth in a planting carried out with 70 native tree species in 3 x 2 m spacing in four plots of 40 x 54 m. Semianually, we collected data of 72 individuals of Trema micrantha. These data were statistically analyzed using the Statistical Software Assistat-beta submitted to Tukey test (p<0.05) and graphically described by R. Trema micrantha showed excellent performance at 3.5 years of age in root collar diameter (12.01 ± 5.24 cm), total height (5.95 ± 1.44 m), crown projection area (22.56 ± 11.26 m²) and crown volume (61.34 ± 37.46 m³), enduring severe frosts with a yearly survival rate of 78%. Based on the results obtained, and considering that this species has broad natural distribution, we recommend its extensive use also in forestry restoration projects in the subtropical regions of Brazil.

Novel β-glucosidase retrieved from the south-eastern Brazilian Secondary Atlantic Forest soil metagenomic library

Novel β-glucosidase retrieved from the south-eastern Brazilian Secondary Atlantic Forest soil metagenomic library

Bacteria richness and antibiotic-resistance in bats from a protected area in the Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil.

Bats play key ecological roles, also hosting many zoonotic pathogens. Neotropical bat microbiota is still poorly known. We speculate that their dietary habits strongly influence their microbiota richness and antibiotic-resistance patterns, which represent growing and serious public health and environmental issue. Here we describe the aerobic microbiota richness of bats from an Atlantic Forest remnant in Southeastern Brazil, and the antibiotic-resistance patterns of bacteria of clinical importance. Oral and rectal cavities of 113 bats from Carlos Botelho State Park were swabbed. Samples were plated on 5% sheep blood and MacConkey agar and identified by the MALDI-TOF technique. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were performed using Kirby-Bauer’s antibiotic disc diffusion technique.We identified 596 isolates at the genus level and tentatively to the species level. Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum in all the dietary guilds, representing 87% of the total identified samples. The most common bacteria within bat individuals were Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca and Serratia marcescens, and within bat species were Serratia marcescens, Pseudomonas sp. and Staphylococcus sp. Frugivores presented the most diverse microbiota. In general, the antibiogram results indicated a low occurrence of resistance on eigth potentially pathogenic bacteria species. The resistance to antibiotics found on our samples was related mostly to the intrinsic resistance of the tested species.The low occurrence of resistant bacteria in our samples could be related to the well preserved environment where bats were caught. Once the major causes of resistance-acquiring are related to anthropic activites, the controlled access of tourists on certain regions of the Park seems to be effectively protecting the environment.

Potential Effects of Future Climate Changes on Brazilian Cool-Adapted Stoneflies (Insecta: Plecoptera).

The continuous pursuit of welfare and economic development through the exploitation of natural resources by human societies consequently resulted in the ongoing process of climate change. Changes in the distribution of species towards the planet's poles and mountain tops are some of the expected to biological consequences of this process. Here, we assessed the potential effects of future climate change on four cool-adapted Gripopterygidae (Insecta: Plecoptera) species [Gripopteryx garbei Navás 1936, G. cancellata (Pictet 1841), Tupiperla gracilis (Burmeister 1839), and T. tessellata (Brauer 1866)] from Southeastern Brazilian Atlantic forest. As species adapted to cold conditions, in the future scenarios of climate change, we expected these organisms to shrink/change their distributions ranges towards areas with suitable climatic conditions in Southern Brazilian regions, when compared with their predicted distributions in present climatic conditions. We used seven principal components derived from 19 environmental variables from Worldclim database for the present scenario and also seven principal components obtained from 17 different Atmosphere-Ocean Global Circulation Models (AOGCMs), considering the most severe emission scenario for green-house gases to predict the species' distributions. Depending on the climatic scenario considered, there were polewards distribution range changes of the species. Additionally, we also observed an important decrease in the amount of protected modeled range for the species in the future scenarios. Considering that this Brazilian region may become hotter in the future and have its precipitation regime changed, as observed in the severe 2013-2014 drought, we believe these species adapted to high altitudes will be severely threatened in the future.

Two new Ceratobasidium species causing white thread blight on tropical plants in Brazil

White thread blight is one of the most common diseases affecting several tree species that grow in warm and humid regions. The typical symptoms of this disease include blighted leaves hanging by a white thread of fungal hyphae. Leaf samples exhibiting white thread blight symptoms were collected from neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) and Brazilian cherry pitanga (Eugenia uniflora L.) plants in Northeastern Brazil, and from Indian green-tea (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze), coffee (Coffea arabica L.), and persimmon (Diospyros kaki L.) in agricultural areas neighboring the Atlantic forest in Southeastern Brazil. Fungal isolates were obtained indirectly from leaf fragments or directly by transferring mycelia and sclerotia to culture medium. Bright field and scanning electron microscopy images revealed the association of Rhizoctonia-like hyphae and basidiospores with the infected leaves. In pathogenicity tests, Rhizoctonia-like fungal isolates induced leaf necrosis on their hosts, and the pathogens were re-isolated from inoculated plants. Phylogenetic analyses based on sequences of the ITS rRNA region indicated the occurrence of Ceratobasidium lineages distinct from previously reported Ceratobasidium species. Our study leads to the description of two new species of Ceratobasidium: the fungal isolates from A. indica, C. sinensis, and E. uniflora were classified as Ceratobasidium niltonsouzanum sp. nov., and those obtained from C. arabica and D. kaki as Ceratobasidium chavesanum sp. nov.

Temporal dynamics in the effectiveness of seed dispersal by birds visiting a tropical tree

Abstract:Seed dispersal effectiveness (SDE) is related to the role of seed dispersal agents in realizing the reproductive potential of plants through seed dispersal and subsequent plant recruitment. The SDE of a given seed disperser may vary spatially and temporally, with important implications for our understanding of the mutualistic relationships involving plants and frugivores. Here we observed 22 frugivorous bird species visiting an individual tree (Cabralea canjerana) over a 9-y period in a fragment of Atlantic forest in south-eastern Brazil to document the temporal variation in SDE. The quantitative (that takes into account the frequency of feeding visits to the focal plant and the number of fruits removed per visit) and qualitative (that considers the probability of seed deposition on a suitable site for plant recruitment) components of SDE varied in two and one order of magnitude both among bird species and among years within bird species, respectively. As a result, the SDE of bird species fluctuates over the years, especially for a migratory species that is the main seed disperser ofC. canjerana(Chivi vireoVireo chivi) whose quantitative component (i.e. the product of visit and fruit intake rates) varied from 3.0 to 7.1. This study illustrates the dynamic nature of the seed-dispersal environment to which a plant is subjected to over the course of its life, which has important consequences for the plant's individual fitness.

Miconia goldenbergiana (Melastomataceae, Miconieae): a new species from the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

Miconia goldenbergiana, a new species from the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil, is described and illustrated. The new species have been extensively collected since the end of the XIX century but have been confused with M. budlejoides and M. formosa, species that also have discolorous and suprabasal leaves and glomerulate inflorescences. From the first species, it can be distinguished by papyraceous leaves with the abaxial surface covered by lepidote trichomes. From the second species, it can be distinguished also by the texture of leaves, and by its narrower size, crenulate to serrulate margins and acute base, besides the smaller size of the flowers. The new species is known from the states of Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro and eastern São Paulo, and is in danger of extinction.

Isospora sagittulae McQuistion & Capparella, 1992 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from antbirds (Passeriformes: Thamnophilidae) in the Amazon and Atlantic Forest of Brazil: with notes on its distribution and dispersion in the Neotropical region.

In the current study, Isospora sagittulae McQuistion and Capparella, 1992 (Protozoa: Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) is reported from white-shouldered fire-eyes Pyriglena leucoptera (Vieillot, 1818) in the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil. To date, this coccidian species was described from antbirds in Ecuador and Brazilian Amazon. In this sense, oocysts and measurements of the description of I. sagittulae from Amazonian antbirds were required from the deposit for comparison between samples from the Amazon and Atlantic Forest. The morphology was similar in all aspects, despite the polymorphism associated with the oocyst shape. DNA sequences for the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) locus of the oocysts had similarity of 100%. Therefore, these strong morphological, molecular, and ecological equivalences ensure the unique identification of I. sagittulae. Finally, this finding reveals the wide distribution of I. sagittulae in the Neotropical region and indicates that other antbirds in the Brazilian Cerrado should disperse I. sagittulae to the Amazon and Atlantic Forest.

Bird molting and breeding in an area undergoing re-vegetation in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil

Molting and breeding cycles are high-energetic costs events, and usually synchronized and temporally well defined in tropical avian communities. However, in degraded and/or undergoing restoration areas, environmental stresses, such as forest fragmentation and restriction of food resources, could locally change these patterns. This study aims to analyze molting and breeding in a bird assembly in an undergoing re-vegetation area in the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil. By mist netting, we searched for evidence of molting of fight feathers and presence of brood patch in captured birds. We also recorded three environmental variables (temperature, rainfall, and photoperiod) to test whether they affect those events. We sampled 85 individuals from 36 species. The breeding cycle started in July and peaked in November and December. The molting period was between July and April of the next year and peaked in January and February. Molting and breeding events were related to temperature. The overlap between these events was of 11% (n = 9). Our data suggest that molt and breeding times are in accordance to other studies where the climate is more seasonal, yet more studies are necessary to investigate those biological cycles and their possible alterations due to environmental degradation.

Occurrence of phoresy between Ancistrus multispinis (Actinopterygii: Siluriformes) and Ichthyocladius sp. (Diptera: Chironomidae) in Atlantic forest streams, Southeastern Brazil

. Phoretic relationships often bring large advantages to epibionts. By attaching themselves to mobile hosts, epibionts are able to: expand their ranges without spending energy, reduce their risk of being predated, and increase their probability of finding food. We assessed the phoretic relationship between the siluriform fishAncistrusmultispinis(Regan, 1912) and the chironomid larvaIchthyocladiussp. in three streams of the Atlantic forest in southeastern Brazil. We evaluated changes in epibiont distribution throughout the body regions of the host and among three different aquatic systems. We had predicted that certain body regions are more prone to support epibiont attachment, and that epibiont prevalence increases with increased host size and quality of the aquatic system. Three streams (Santana, São Pedro and D’Ouro), tributaries of the Guandu River, were sampled during 2010 and 2011. A total of 102 specimens ofA.multispiniswere collected and analyzed. Epibionts were found in fourteen of fifteen body regions of the host. Observation from scanning electron microscopy revealed that Chironomidae larvae fix themselves to the spicules through the anal prolegs, not at the skin, as previously reported. The amount of epibionts (degree of infestation) was significantly correlated with fish size in the Santana Stream (r = 0.6, p < 0.01), and São Pedro Stream (r = 0.56, p < 0.01), but not in the D’Ouro Stream, the most altered of the three. The presence of epibionts on the body of the fish is directly correlated with the availability of spicules on the fish’s body, the largest numbers of infestations being found in structures associated with swimming (caudal and pectoral fins), since the swimming movement can create favorable conditions (e.g., suspension of organic particles, increasing oxygenation) for the epibiont.