Atlantic Rainforest In Southeastern Brazil Research Articles

Neea bradeana (Nyctaginaceae: Pisonieae), a new species with whorled leaf arrangement from the Atlantic Forest of Southeastern Brazil

Neea bradeana is here described for the Atlantic Rainforest of Southeastern Brazil. This new species had been confused for decades with N. verticillata, the type species of the genus which is described for Peru. N. bradeana is characterized by its unbranched shrubs with whorled sessile or short-petiolate leaves and erect-congested inflorescences. This species is here described and illustrated; remarks on taxonomic and morphologic affinities, distribution map, and conservation assessment are also provided.

A New Species of Brachycephalus (Anura, Brachycephalidae) from a Montane Atlantic Rainforest of Southeastern Brazil, with a Reappraisal of the Species Groups in the Genus

Toadlets of the genus Brachycephalus are endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest, where they inhabit the forest floor leaf litter. These miniaturized frogs are commonly known as flea-toads or pumpkin toadlets depending on their phenotypic characteristics. Herein, we describe a new species of the genus Brachycephalus from montane forests (970–1200 m a.s.l.) in the Serra dos Órgãos mountain range, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. The new species is characterized by having a small body size within the genus (maximum SVL 9.6 mm in males and 10.9 mm in females), a noticeably granular dorsum with an X-shaped mark and a median row of small yellow tubercles, a yellow background color with red blotches on ventral surfaces, a lateral dark brown stripe, and the absence of hyperossification in the skeleton. Morphological features of the new taxon resemble those of both flea-toads and pumpkin toadlets. Based on our molecular phylogenetic hypothesis, the new species is recovered sister to the clade formed by the monophyletic B. ephippium and B. vertebralis species groups (previously considered as lineages of a more inclusive B. ephippium group). We also reinforce the suggestion of not using the name B. didactylus group because it does not represent a monophyletic taxon. The new species probably has an extremely restricted geographic distribution, and its discovery reinforces the importance of the Serra dos Órgãos mountains for the conservation of the Atlantic Rainforest anuran biodiversity.

Three new species of Eugenia (Myrtaceae) from the Atlantic Forest of southeastern Brazil

Three new species of Eugenia from the Atlantic rainforest of southeastern Brazil are here described, illustrated and compared with morphologically similar species. Additionally, a distribution map is provided and preliminary conservation statuses are proposed. Eugenia cabofriana can be recognized by its tomentose young shoots and leaves, fasciculiform inflorescences, tomentose pedicels and ovary, and glabrous calyx. Eugenia longimitra is remarkably distinctive due to its auxotelic and racemiform inflorescences, and flower buds with a rostrate apiculum, which at anthesis opens often through a calyptra or sometimes by irregular longitudinal tearing in two halves. Eugenia pachypoda can be recognized mainly by its leaves with adaxially biconvex midvein, petioles absent or up to 2 mm long, leaf bases obtuse or cordiform, pedicels corky and detaching in thin, longitudinal plates, and flower buds with the calyx visibly less pilose than the ovary.

A stream multimetric fish index in a large-sized city in south-eastern Brazil

Abstract: Aim Our study was carried out to develop a multimetric index suitable for urban wadeable streams in Sorocaba, a large-sized city from the Atlantic rainforest in south-eastern Brazil. Methods Twenty-seven stream stretches were selected for environmental and fish evaluation. Twenty ecological metrics were tested over an environmental gradient between the reference and degraded stretches. Candidate metrics were screened for range, responsiveness, and redundancy. We calculated a multimetric fish index (MFI) subdivided into five quality classes: reference ≥ 0.8, 0.6 ≤ good < 0.8, 0.4 ≤ moderate < 0.6, 0.2 ≤ poor < 0.4, and bad < 0.2. Results Four metrics were adequate for discriminating higher biotic quality from degraded stretches. Five stream stretches (18%) were classified as a reference or good, and 16 (60%) were poor or bad. Three reference stretches could be used for a hydromorphological restoration programme. Conclusion Our results indicated that biological integrity was altered, which was indicative of severe environmental degradation. Our study results may be useful for a management and restoration project of the Sorocaba/Médio Tietê hydrographic basin.

Redescription of the tadpole of rare Giant Torrent Frog Megaelosia boticariana Giaretta amp; Aguiar, 1998 (Anura, Hylodidae) with comments on natural history.

The Hylodidae genus Megaelosia Miranda-Ribeiro comprises seven frog species that inhabit the Atlantic Rainforest in Southeastern Brazil (Da Silva et al. 2018). Larvae and adults of Hylodidae are commonly associated with lotic streams (Giaretta et al. 1993; Silva-Soares et al. 2015). Tadpoles of all Megaelosia species but Megaelosia bocainensis Giaretta, Bokemann Haddad are formally described, even though many of these descriptions are restricted to few lines and several anatomical details were overlooked (e.g., Megaelosia lutzae; Izecksohn Gouvêa 1985). The tadpole of M. boticariana was briefly described by Giaretta Aguiar (1998) based on a single larva with no measurements or figures. Currently, M. boticariana is only known from its type locality and São Francisco Xavier, both in São Paulo state portion of the Serra da Mantiqueira, Brazil (Muscat et al. 2020). The lack of information, coupled with the rarity of the species, reinforces the importance of taxonomic and natural history data to subside works on other fields. In this context, we present a complete redescription of the external anatomy of the tadpoles of M. boticariana and comment on their natural history.

Does landscape context affect pollination-related functional diversity and richness of understory flowers in forest fragments of Atlantic Rainforest in southeastern Brazil?

BackgroundHow landscape modifications affect functional diversity of floral characteristics pertinent to pollinators is poorly known. Flowers possess functional traits that sometimes coevolved with pollinators, crucial for the maintenance of both pollinator and plant communities. We evaluated how richness and functional diversity of available understory flowers respond to forest cover and landscape heterogeneity in a multiscale analysis. Plants in bloom were sampled from 25 landscapes in the understory of Atlantic Forest fragments in Brazil. Species were classified into functional groups regarding flower characteristics relevant to pollination. Landscape heterogeneity and forest cover were measured in buffers ranging from 200 to 2000 m from sampling units and their correlation with plant richness and functional diversity was assessed using generalized linear models and further model selection through Akaike’s second-order information criterion.ResultsPlants’ richness and functional diversity were affected negatively by forest cover. The former responded to forest cover at a regional scale while the latter responded at a local scale. Higher landscape heterogeneity increased richness and functional diversity.ConclusionsOur results showed that forest cover and landscape heterogeneity are important to support biodiversity related to pollination, mostly due to the availability of diversified resources and nesting sites associated to different land-uses for pollinators and flowering plant communities. These findings should highlight, along with forest cover, landscape heterogeneity as an environmental management priority in rural tropical areas for mitigating the loss of plant biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem functioning.

Phylogenetic and morphological analyses of species of Marasmius sect. Marasmius from the Atlantic Rainforest, Brazil

Marasmius is a genus of mushroom-forming fungi known to harbor a large diversity of species and morphological structures. To date, sections Globulares, Leveilleani, Marasmius, Neosessiles, and Sicci (traditional view) are confirmed in Marasmius s.s. This study focused on the taxa of Marasmius sect. Marasmius, with 18 species from the Atlantic Rainforest of Southeastern Brazil herein included in morphological and phylogenetic analyses based on nrITS data, along with species of the section from various tropical and temperate areas of the World. Seven new species are described: Marasmius alienigenus sp. nov., M. avellaneus sp. nov., M. gracilis sp. nov., M. longibasidiatus sp. nov., M. subputtemansii sp. nov., M. subvigintifolius sp. nov., and M. ypyrangensis sp. nov. Additionally, Marasmius sect. Marasmius subsect. Horriduli is herein emended based on evidences from phylogenetic and morphological analyses. Subsection Horriduli circumscribes foliicolous species producing basidiomata containing Chrysochaetes-type elements in the pileipellis and lamellar edge. This prompts the perspective of a pluralistic view in how characterizing structures of the pileipellis and cheilocystidia to replace the paradigmatic dichotomy Rotalis-Siccus in classification.

The tadpole of Physalaemus orophilus from the Atlantic rainforest of southeastern Brazil (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae).

The neotropical genus Physalaemus Fitzinger is currently composed by 48 species (Cardozo Pereyra 2018). Recently, a phylogenetic analysis aiming to investigate the internal relationships of the genus recovered two major clades, the Physalaemus cuvieri and P. signifer clades (Lourenço et al. 2015). The following species groups were retrieved in the first clade: P. biligonigerus, P. cuvieri, P. gracilis, P. henselii, and P. olfersii groups (Lourenço et al. 2015). This proposal redefined the P. olfersii group including P. olfersii (Lichtenstein Martens), P. soaresi Izecksohn, P. maximus Feio, Pombal, Caramaschi, P. feioi Cassini, Cruz, Caramaschi and P. lateristriga (Steindachner). The authors also allocated tentatively P. orophilus Cassini, Cruz, Caramaschi, and P. insperatus Cruz, Cassini, Caramaschi in the P. olfersii group due to their morphological similarity with the other species (Cruz et al. 2008; Cassini et al. 2010). Otherwise, Physalaemus aguirrei Bokermann was not recovered nested within this group, contradicting what was suggested in a previous phenetic analysis (Nascimento et al. 2005). Members of the P. olfersii group inhabit the Atlantic rainforest and most of them have a similar advertisement calls with pulsed notes, without frequency modulation and harmonic structure (Giaretta et al. 2009; Cassini et al. 2010; Lourenço et al. 2015). Regarding their larval stage, only P. soaresi, P. maximus, and P. olfersii have their tadpoles described (Weber et al. 2005; Baêta et al. 2007; Giaretta et al. 2009). Physalaemus orophilus occurs in montane Atlantic Forest sites at the eastern slope of the Espinhaço Range in the State of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil (Cassini et al. 2010). Herein, we describe the tadpole of P. orophilus from Quadrilátero Ferrífero mountain region, southern limit of the Espinhaço Range and compared it to the known tadpoles of the P. olfersii group.

Bird breeding biology and homogenization process in an urban green area at Atlantic rainforest of Southeastern Brazil

Urbanization is a major cause of biotic homogenization, once it modifies species habitat and creates new environments in which only a few species are able to survive. However, many authors propose that planned green areas within the bounds of urban centers work real islands, providing shelter for several animal species. In this study, we verified the reproductive pattern of a community of birds within an urban green area in southeastern Brazil. Also, we compared the composition of breeding sites and reproductive activities of birds in different environments available and provided insights about how homogenization process affects birds in the study site. We recorded 359 reproductive sites of 36 species. Our data represents 48% of bird species recorded by previous reports at this study site. Out of the total reproductive records, 68.5% were found in wooded areas, even though this land cover class represents only 26.8% of the analyzed landscape. The proportion and the uniqueness of species at this study site show its importance to maintenance of the local diversity of birds. Our results indicate that a local bird diversity homogenization is in process and they provide subsidies for better management practices of green areas within urban centers.

First-order effects of fire and prolonged-drought effects on an undescribed semi-aquatic turtle in Atlantic rainforest in southeastern Brazil

Fire usually impose considerable impacts on fauna, including loss of habitats and microhabitats, emigrations, injuries, or death. The general arquitecture of the local environment may play an important role in the extent that fire may act and the resulting burning effects. Understanding the exact extent of the effects of fire on vertebrate populations in natural environments is usually limited by the lack of information on the number of individuals dying during the event. Semi-aquatic turtles which usually move slowly on land, may suffer serious direct effects of fire. The mortality of turtles caused by fire and drought is well documented in the northern hemisphere, but few data are available from Brazil. Here we documented the death of individuals of a semi-aquatic still undescribed turtle species, Rhinoclemmys sp. n. on a coastal plain environment in southeastern Brazil, as result of a fire and a prolonged drought. Our results indicated that fire and drought contributed to the mortality of Rhinoclemmys sp. n. in the study area.

Phylogeny contributes more than site characteristics and traits to the spatial distribution pattern of tropical tree populations

Dispersal mechanism, species height, sexual system, and wood density are potential drivers of the spatial distribution pattern of tropical tree populations. These traits are usually conserved among closely related species, thus populations of these species should have more similar spatial distribution patterns than populations of phylogenetically distant species. Additionally, variation in the abiotic and biotic environment might result in distinct spatial distribution patterns of local populations of the same species. We employed variation partitioning to determine the degree to which traits, shared evolutionary history, site characteristics, and their joint effects govern the degree of overdispersion or aggregation of tree populations at different spatial scales within fourteen 1‐ha plots of the Atlantic Rainforest in southeastern Brazil. We quantified the degree of overdispersion or aggregation with a new standardized index err(r) based on standardized effect sizes of the pair correlation function. Variation in err(r) was mostly explained by phylogenetic relationships among species (70–95%, depending on spatial scale), indicating that traits not included in our analysis are important drivers of the spatial distribution pattern. Site characteristics explained a smaller part of the variation, indicating context‐dependence. Finally, the traits studied here provided the smallest explanation of the variation, suggesting a minor role of seed dispersal. Residual variation in err(r) ranged from 5–29%, indicating that stochasticity and/or variables not included in the models (e.g. direct measures of post‐dispersal processes) also influence the spatial distribution pattern of the populations. Our results suggest that many ecological processes act in concert at the study site and that their importance changes with spatial scale. Additionally, the relative importance of these processes differs from that previously described for other tropical forests. Determining why a given ecological process is more important in some tropical tree communities than in others are promising venues for further research.

ETNOECOLOGIA DO CAMBUCI (Campomanesia phaea (O. Berg) LANDRUM) PELA POPULAÇÃO DE PARANAPIACABA, SUDESTE DO BRASIL

A relação do homem com a natureza é tão antiga quanto a sua própria história. No entanto a biodiversidade tem sido ameaçada pelas atividades humanas. Assim, o presente trabalho se propôs a conhecer a relação de uma população humana urbana com uma espécie arbórea, conhecida como cambuci (Campomanesia phaea (O. Berg) Landrum), bastante utilizada para diferentes fins e de relevante interesse ecológico, próximo a uma área de conservação na Mata Atlântica, Sudeste do Brasil. Para isso, foi analisada a população da vila de Paranapiacaba, cidade de Santo André, SP, a qual mantém relação estreita com o cambuci. Foram realizadas 50 entrevistas com moradores e comerciantes locais que concordaram em participar, utilizando-se do método bola de neve e de conversas informais. Foram levantados na entrevista os diversos usos e aplicações do fruto de cambuci, bem como outros aspectos relacionados à ecologia da planta. Os entrevistados demonstraram conhecimento sobre os visitantes florais da C. phea e prováveis dispersores de seus frutos. Em relação ao plantio de mudas, os dados indicam que a comunidade humana promove o plantio da espécie uma vez que a utiliza como recurso para diversos fins e produz mudas por meio de sementes e brotos retirados da mata. Um dos principais usos do cambuci pelos moradores de Paranapiacaba foi o de alimento, sendo o fruto encontrado em diversas formas como como geleias, licores, cachaça, mousse, sorvete, bolo, além do tradicional suco na região.

Identification key for fishes from coastal streams of the Atlantic forest of southeastern Brazil

Abstract In recent decades, current knowledge about fish from Neotropical streams has greatly increased, but is still deficient. Here we present an identification key for fishes from coastal freshwater streams from a large conservation area of Atlantic rainforest of southeastern Brazil, including 39 species. Considering that most of these species (61.2%) are endemic to the coastal streams, this identification key will be useful not only for the species recognition of the sampled area, but also for the surrounding coastal region.

Simira robusta (Rubiaceae, Condamineeae), a new species from the Atlantic Rainforest of south-eastern Brazil

Simira robusta (Rubiaceae), a new species from the Atlantic Rainforest of the Espírito Santo state, south-eastern Brazil, is here described and illustrated, and compared with similar species. It most resembles S. grazielae, from which it differs by the larger inflorescences, antrorse pubescent flowers and fruits, and by its larger fruits. Its habitat and conservation status are discussed. A key to the species of Simira from Espírito Santo state is provided.

Diet, Diel Activity Pattern, Habitat Use, and Reproductive Effort ofHylodes nasus(Anura: Hylodidae) in One of the World's Largest Urban Parks (Tijuca National Park), Southeastern Brazil

Abstract. Hylodes nasus is a hylodid frog species that inhabits streams in the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest of southeastern Brazil. It is endemic to the Tijuca Massif, which includes one of the largest urban forests in the world, the Tijuca National Park, in Rio de Janeiro. We studied the diet, activity period, habitat use, and reproductive effort of H. nasus during its reproductive period. Our results showed that the species has a wide spectrum of prey items (21 categories) but feeds mainly on five prey categories (Diptera, Formicidae, Coleoptera, larvae, and other Hymenoptera). The species is diurnal and tends to present a slight decrease in activity near midday. We noted a change in microhabitat use between active (diurnal) and inactive (nocturnal) periods: active individuals mainly occupied stones, whereas inactive individuals mainly occupied low vegetation. The ovarian complement comprises a median of 88 oocytes with a mean diameter of 2.2 mm. The gathered information consists in a first approximati...

Two new species of Myrcia (Myrtaceae) from Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Two new species of Myrcia from the Atlantic rainforest in southeastern Brazil, Myrcia congestiflora and Myrcia longipaniculata are here described and illustrated. Myrcia congestiflora occurs in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro states and is similar to Myrcia cerqueiria, differing by having densely sericeous indumentum (versus sparse and shorter trichomes), larger flowers and flower buds (flower buds with 3–4 mm versus 1.1 mm long) and by acute or obtuse calyx lobes rather than rounded. Myrcia longipaniculata is known for one collection from the boundary of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro differing from Myrcia spectabilis mainly by the longer inflorescence size (29 cm versus 3.5–21.5 cm long.) as well as for presenting a strong reddish or ferruginous indumentum (versus brown to yellowish).

ELEVATIONAL RANGES AND LOCAL EXTINCTION RISK OF BEETLES OCCURRING IN THE “CAMPOS DE ALTITUDE” IN SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL

The mountaintops of the Atlantic Rainforest in Southeastern Brazil are dominated by high altitude grasslands, named Campos de Altitude (CA). Considering the location and the smaller habitat areas of communities on the mountaintops and the high frequency of endemic species, the assemblages in these habitats are particularly threatened by climate change, and the vulnerability of a species should then be higher if its elevational range is narrow. In this study we aim to describe the elevational range of beetle species occurring in the CA and discuss their vulnerability to local extinction in the context of climate change, also considering their trophic group. We selected beetles in five taxa from three trophic groups in the CA of Serra dos Orgaos National Park (SONP) and Itatiaia National Park (INP): detritivores (Scarabaeidae - INP), herbivores (Chrysomelidae - SONP and INP, and Curculionidae - SONP) and predators (Coccinellidae - SONP, and Lampyridae - SONP). We found different elevational ranges among the studied taxa and among species within each taxon. Herbivores tended to have narrower ranges than the detritivores, and predators were the trophic group with the broadest species range. The relatively high frequency of species with narrow elevational range, particularly within the herbivores, suggests that this entomofauna is particularly endangered due to predicted climate warming and an expected range shift upwards. Considering that many endemic species are expected in the CA and that many undescribed species of insects have been found in this habitat, we may lose many yet unknown species.

Ultrastructure and pollen morphology of Bromeliaceae species from the Atlantic Rainforest in Southeastern Brazil.

Pollen grain morphology of Bromeliaceae species collected in areas of the Atlantic Rainforest of southeastern Brazil was studied. The following species were analyzed: Aechmea bambusoides L.B.Sm. & Reitz, A. nudicaulis (L.) Griseb., A. ramosa Mart. ex Schult.f., Ananas bracteatus (Lindl.) Schult.f., Billbergia distachia (Vell.) Mez, B. euphemiae E. Morren, B. horrida Regel, B. zebrina (Herb.) Lindl., Portea petropolitana (Wawra) Mez, Pitcairnia flammea Lindl., Quesnelia indecora Mez, Tillandsia polystachia (L.) L., T. stricta Sol., T. gardneri Lindl., T. geminiflora Brongn. and Vriesea grandiflora Leme. Light and scanning electron microscopy were used and the species were grouped into three pollen types, organized according to aperture characteristics: Type I - pantoporate pollen grains observed in P. petropolitana, Type II - 2-porate pollen grains, observed in the genera Ananas, Aechmea and Quesnelia, and Type III - 1-colpate pollen grains, observed in the genera Billbergia, Pitcairnia, Tillandsia and Vriesea. Pollen data led to the construction of an identification key. The results showed that the species analyzed can be distinguished using mainly aperture features and exine ornamentation, and that these characteristics may assist in taxonomic studies of the family.

Dioscorea flabellispina (Dioscoreaceae), a new endangered species from the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest

Dioscorea flabellispina is endemic to small, low elevation fragments of the Atlantic Rainforest in southeastern Brazil, occurring on rocky outcrops in the states of Rio de Janeiro and Espirito Santo. Based on the number and form of thorns present on the stem (5–8 thorns with a fan-like form at the node), this new species is easily recognizable morphologically and possesses characteristics unique to the Neotropical Dioscorea. Presenting only a few individuals in each population, this rare and endangered species is only known from three sites surrounded by a vegetation matrix degraded by human impact and overrun by invasive alien species. Dioscorea flabellispina does not occur in any officially protected area in Brazil, placing the species at increased risk. Herein we present the morphological description of this species, including a discussion of its ecology, distribution, and conservation status.

New species and records of Otiothopinae from the Southern Atlantic Rainforest, with notes on the claw tufts in Fernandezina Birabén (Araneae: Palpimanidae).

Two new species of Otiothops MacLeay, 1839 (O. atalaia sp. n. and O. goytacaz sp. n.), a new species of Fernandezina Birabén, 1951 (F. jurubatiba sp. n.) as well as the female of F. tijuca Ramírez & Grismado, 1996 are described from the Atlantic Rainforest of southeastern Brazil, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. Scanning electron microscope images of the tarsi of F. jurubatiba sp. n. and F. dasilvai Platnick, Grismado & Ramírez, 1999 show that this genus has claw tufts on the posterior legs, composed of setae of variable structure.