Brazilian Forest Research Articles

Arachnandra, a new monotypic genus in Tillandsioideae (Bromeliaceae) from the Atlantic Forest in Brazil

Arachnandra, a new monotypic genus of Bromeliaceae subtribe Vrieseinae, is described to accommodate a single intriguing species, Arachnandra drepanocarpa, formerly placed in either Tillandsia or Vriesea. This new genus is ecologically and morphologically distinct from the remaining genera of subfamily Tillandsioideae in its unique combination of characters including the lanceolate-acuminate sepals, petals distinctly appendaged, corolla with an open, fan blade-like shape, stamens prostrate on the corolla, pollen sulcus broad, smooth, without prominent ornamental elements, margins moderately distinct, stigma of the conduplicate-patent type, and seeds with a distinctly long basal appendaged and an inconspicuous apical one. Phylogenetic DNA sequence analyses indicate that the individuals of A. drepanocarpa form a highly supported monophyletic group in sister position to Vriesea s.str., with Vriesea and Arachnandra being sister to Stigmatodon, and all three being sister to the clade containing Alcantarea and Waltillia.

Eutrophic soils and weathering levels influence the distribution of seasonally dry forests in Brazil

Eutrophic soils and weathering levels influence the distribution of seasonally dry forests in Brazil

Cattle effects on seed dispersal, germination, and seedling recruitment of a threatened brazilian dry forest palm tree (Syagrus coronata)

Cattle effects on seed dispersal, germination, and seedling recruitment of a threatened brazilian dry forest palm tree (Syagrus coronata)

Effects of Vegetation on Bird Communities and Bird–Plant Interactions in Urban Green Areas of Riparian Forests in Brazil That Have Undergone Ecological Restoration

Urbanization replaces natural vegetation for city expansion, impacting environmental and climatic variables that affect the health of the human population and fauna. These changes affect important groups such as birds, given their greater sensitivity to anthropogenic alterations, especially when we understand these effects on a large scale, considering countries such as Brazil, which represents the third country with the greatest diversity of bird species in the world. Conversely, green spaces like urban parks, tree-lined avenues, and riparian forests seem to foster biodiversity conservation. Here, we analyze the effects of vegetation on bird communities and bird–plant interactions in urban riparian areas that have undergone ecological restoration. The study was carried out between January and October 2019 in two restored urban areas of Uberlândia, Brazil. Results showed that the richness of birds observed between the two areas was Praia Clube (n = 86) and Parque Linear Rio Uberabinha (n = 80). The most representative trophic guilds in the areas, with the highest proportion in their relative abundances during both seasons, were granivores, omnivores, insectivores, and frugivores. Composition varied significantly between areas as a function of the plant community, particularly when considering the interaction between season and area (ANOSIM: R = 0.19; Stress = 0.10; p = 0.008). In environments dominated by generalist and synanthropic species (Eared Dove, Picazuro Pigeon), effective planning and management of green areas are crucial. It is important to acknowledge that certain bird species depend on specific habitats, such as riparian forests, and that specific plant species within these areas are vital for specialized bird species, such as species endemic to the Brazilian Savanna or Cerrado and restricted to Brazil (White-striped Warbler) and species in vulnerable categories globally (Bare-faced Curassow). Therefore, restoration efforts in degraded areas should be carefully planned to restore interactions and conserve biodiversity effectively.

Variation in mammal ecological patterns in response to seasonality in a Brazilian tropical dry forest

Abstract The scientific question addressed in this study is how mammals in the Caatinga dry forest of northeast Brazil adapt to seasonal variations, specifically regarding their activity and occupancy patterns and species richness and composition. To investigate, we deployed camera traps across Furna Feia National Park during both wet and dry seasons in 2018. We utilized methods such as rarefaction curves, circular statistics, and occupancy models to analyze data collected from 44 and 40 sampling points during the wet and dry seasons, respectively. We obtained 485 records of 11 mammal species from six orders and nine families, including endangered species like Leopardus tigrinus and Herpailurus yagouaroundi. Notably, we captured the first photographic evidence of a free-living Dicotyles tajacu in Rio Grande do Norte state. Results indicate that some mammals adjust their activity to avoid peak heat, particularly during the dry season, with no significant change in species richness but with important changes in occupancy and relative abundance between seasons. Our research expects to shed light on mammalian ecology in seasonally dry environments, contributing to species management and conservation efforts.

An assessment of plant growth and physiological responses in annual crops grown in P deficient soils inoculated with indigenous arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

The influence of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) inoculation on the growth and physiology of Phaseolus vulgaris L. and Zea mays L. in the Brazilian tropical seasonal dry forest is not well known. We examined the effects of indigenous AMF species inoculation on these two annual crops at phosphorus-deficient soils under glasshouse conditions. The AMF species used as inoculum were collected from the root zone of Mimosa tenuiflora, a native plant of the Caatinga ecoregion. The inoculum was propagated in plastic pots with Trifolium sp. as the host plant. We investigated the effect of four treatments: (1) Control- non-inoculated; (2) Acaulospora inoculum- inoculation with A. tuberculata; (3) Gigaspora inoculum- inoculation with G. gigantea; and (4) Mixed inoculum- inoculation with both Acaulospora and Gigaspora species. We found that inoculation with the indigenous AMF community enhanced plant dry biomass, plant P concentration, root colonization, and physiological responses for both model plants. This study highlighted the importance of exploring the P molecule as an integral element in plant development and presents the AMF inoculation as an efficient alternative to overcome low-P conditions, leading to improved nutrient acquisition in low-fertility soils, better growth conditions through enhanced physiological responses, and ultimately increased plant dry biomass.

With Great Ecosystem Services Comes Great Responsibility: Benefits Provided by Urban Vegetation in Brazilian Cities.

Ecosystem services (ESs) are extremely important, specifically in urban areas. Urban forests, even representing a pivotal role in global sustainability, have been converted into different human-modified landscapes. This paper aims to analyze the ES provided by the urban areas of 25 cities of the Atlantic Forest in Brazil. We used i-Tree Canopy v.7.1 to classify the land use. We quantified the monetary benefits of the urban vegetation and used socioeconomic variables (i.e., total population, population density, Human Development Index (HDI), and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita) to analyze if the ecosystem services or the land uses are associated with this. Our data reveal that together, the cities studied sequester a significant total of 235.3 kilotonnes of carbon and a substantial 864.82 kilotonnes of CO2 Equivalent (CO2 Equiv.) annually. Furthermore, together, they also store a total of 4861.19 kilotonnes of carbon and 17,824.32 kilotonnes of CO2 Equiv. We found out that the average monetary estimate of annual carbon sequestration was USD 3.57 million, while the average stored estimate was USD 73.76 million. Spearman's correlogram showed a strong positive correlation between density and the percentage of impervious cover non-plantable no trees (IN) in urban areas (p < 0.001). IN was also positively correlated with HDI (p = 0.01), indicating that urban areas with higher HDI tend to have larger impervious areas. Our data suggest essential insights about the ecosystem services provided by urban areas and can serve as significant findings to drive policymakers' attention to whether they want to provide more ecosystem services in cities.

Distribution and habitat of the painted tree rat (Callistomys pictus): Evaluating areas for future surveys and conservation efforts.

Knowledge of the potential distribution and locations of poorly known threatened species is crucial for guiding conservation strategies and new field surveys. The painted tree-rat (Callistomys pictus) is a monospecific, rare, and endangered echimyid rodent endemic to the southern Bahia Atlantic Forest in Brazil. There have been no records of the species published in the last 20 years, and the region has experienced significant forest loss and degradation. According to the IUCN, only 13 specimens had been previously reported, with 12 found in the north of Ilhéus and adjacent municipalities, and one recorded approximately 200 km away from this region, suggesting that its distribution might be wider. We aimed to search for unpublished and more recent records of the C. pictus, by consulting the gray literature (including Environmental Impact Study (EIA) reports, Brazilian Red Lists, and management plans of protected areas), scientific collections, online databases, and mastozoologists working in the region. We estimated the species' potential distribution using Ecological Niche Modeling to identify regions, municipalities, and protected areas most likely to support this species, based on factors such as climate suitability and forest cover. We reported three new sightings of the species, including the first within a protected area. We estimated suitable climate conditions across 23,151 km2, of which 9,225 km2 has a high potential for harboring the species. The area between Itacaré and Valença needs more extensive survey efforts as it has high habitat suitability and only one record has been confirmed there so far. Meanwhile, the region between Una and Ilhéus urgently requires habitat conservation initiatives. While the species may have a broader distribution than previously thought, its known occurrences are limited to a few locations, and suitable habitats are underrepresented in protected areas. Additionally, the rarity of sightings continues to indicate a concerning conservation status.

Pollen morphology of Meliaceae from Brazilian forest fragments of Cerrado, Brazil

Meliaceae, a pantropical family of Sapindales, have genera and species distributed in subtropical regions of the globe, with native representatives in the Brazilian Cerrado. In this study, we analyzed the pollen grains of 11 Brazilian species of Meliaceae, all native to remaining forest fragments of Cerrado, in São Paulo state of Brazil. This study aimed to characterize and describe the morphology of the pollen grains of these species, identifying characteristics that can support future taxonomic studies. Pollen materials were obtained from collections from forest fragments, which are deposited as herbarium exsiccates. The pollen grains were acetolyzed, measured, described, and photographed using light microscopy; pollen grains of selected species were also analyzed under scanning electron microscopy to obtain details of exine ornamentation. The pollen grains of these species are monads, isopolar, medium size, circular amb, occasionally subquadrangular, with small to large polar area; prolate spheroidal, oblate spheroidal, subprolate or suboblate; (3)4-colporate, 4-colporate, (3)4-5-colporate, (3)4(5)-colporate, 4-5(6)-colporate, circulaperturate or fossaperturate, long to short colpi, narrow and wide, with margo; with rounded and rarely tapered ends; lalongate or circular endoaperture; exine is semitectate, microreticulate; or tectate, granulate, psilate-verrucate, or psilate and rarely perforated in the apocolpium. Exine is thin, and sexine is thicker than nexine. Although the pollen characters in Meliaceae are very similar, there is data on the apertures and ornamentation of pollen grains that allow the distinction of species. Furthermore, the ectoapertures and endoapertures measurements can help distinguish pollen from genera and species of the family, as evidenced in the multivariate analysis.

Large-sized trees and altitude drive aboveground carbon stock in Brazilian Atlantic Cloud Forests: An approach based on carbon hyperdominant taxa.

Large-sized trees and altitude drive aboveground carbon stock in Brazilian Atlantic Cloud Forests: An approach based on carbon hyperdominant taxa.

Free Pasture of Exotic Goats Reduces Diversity and Negatively Affects Body Condition in Scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) Assemblage From Brazilian Seasonal Dry Tropical Forest.

Extensive grazing carried out freely by exotic goats represents an important source of anthropogenic degradation in seasonally dry tropical forests of Brazil. The presence of these herbivores may negatively impact the local fauna through the reduction of habitat complexity. In this study, we investigate the effect of goat farming in scorpion assemblage from Brazilian seasonally dry tropical forest. Scorpions were sampled in 36 areas (18 disturbed and 18 undisturbed) distributed in three sites in the seasonally dry tropical forest of Brazil. At each location, we recorded a set of local variables such as litter depth, diameter at breast height of trees, vegetation density (trees and shrubs), and detritus (stones and fallen logs). In total, 396 scorpions were collected, distributed across six species and two families. Our results showed that scorpion diversity was negatively affected, with species richness and abundance reduced in areas influenced by goats. Furthermore, in these sites, the composition of the species was also affected, with habitat-generalist species favoring habitat-specialist species. Finally, sites with free pasture of goats presented scorpions with reduced body condition (body mass and size) than sites without goats. Furthermore, habitat degradation caused by free pasture of goats negatively affects the assemblage of scorpions in terms of their diversity and body condition the seasonally dry tropical forest of Brazil.

Increased temperatures could heighten vulnerability of an ant-plant mutualism.

Mutualisms may be more or less sensitive to environmental conditions depending on the diversity and responses of the species involved. Ants frequently form mutualistic associations with plants bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs): the ants protect the plants from herbivores and receive food resources (i.e., nectar) in return. As ectotherms, ants are strongly influenced by temperature, and temperature shifts can affect ant-plant interactions in ways that often depend on species functional traits. In this study, we explored the influence of EFN size and leaf surface temperature on ant-plant interactions in a Caatinga dry forest in Brazil. We observed the ants visiting 14 EFN-bearing plant species at different times of day over 12 sampling months; we also measured leaf surface temperatures during these periods. We next quantified EFN size for 68 individuals from the 14 plant species. The observational data were used to characterize the heat tolerance of the attendant ant species (i.e., based on levels of foraging activity). We then evaluated the mutualism's degree of functional resilience using two indices: functional redundancy (i.e., the number of ant species interacting with a given plant species) and thermal response diversity (i.e., variability in the heat tolerance of the ant species interacting with a given plant species). We found that leaf surface temperature, but not EFN size, had an influence on mutualism functional resilience. As temperatures increased, both functional redundancy and thermal response diversity decreased. This result implies that warmer global temperatures could heighten the vulnerability of facultative ant-plant mutualisms, regardless of plant traits.

The analysis of climate change and human activities in the Brazilian Amazon forest

In recent years, global warming has significantly altered weather patterns in many countries. Brazil, home to the biggest tropical rainforest on Earth the Amazon Forest, has experienced an uptick in extreme climate events, which has increasingly captured global attention. Human activities may contribute to phenomena such as the greenhouse effect, acid rain, and the depletion of the ozone layer. Additionally, the increasing frequency of extreme weather events has led to issues related to agricultural yield, infectious diseases, and other related problems. This article primarily explores the changes in climatic conditions of the Amazon Forest in Brazil and the measures the government ought to take. Through a review of the literature, this report examined the changes in temperature, precipitation, vegetation coverage, and fire in the Amazon Forest in Brazil in recent years, as well as the interconnections among these factors. Besides, this article also offers recommendations for addressing the more severe drought and frequent fires in the Brazilian Amazon Forest.

Floristic and structural changes in a neotropical urban novel forest over 13 years

The ecological importance of non-native species is the main characteristic of novel ecosystems. Pinus elliottii species is highly invasive in tropical forests and is commonly found in secondary forests in Brazil. We investigated the floristic and structural changes in an urban novel forest dominated by P. elliottii over a 13-year period (2011–2023). Based on the knowledge about novel forests ecology, we hypothesised that the community will remain stable without significant changes in tree structure and composition over the study period. We studied a small urban forest fragment (2 ha) in Juiz de Fora municipality, south-eastern Brazil. We measured all trees with diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 50 mm in a sample of 15 permanent plots (20 × 20 m) in 2011, 2016 and 2023, and calculated the changes in phytosociological and species diversity parameters for each period. As hypothesised, we did not observe significant changes in community structure and composition. Species richness increased from 63 to 80 over the period, but without changes in the phytosociological hierarchy. The non-native species P. elliottii remained as the most important species (importance value, IV) in 2011 (15.1%), 2016 (14.9%) and 2023 (14.2%). The following 12 hyperdominant species in the phytosociological hierarchy, which accounted for more than 70% of IV over the periods, remained dominant with no or small changes in the species hierarchy. The species diversity indices (H’) and multivariate analysis (ANOSIM) did not show significant differences over the periods. We concluded that the community is likely to remain with no significant changes in the coming decades due of the self-regenerating structure of the main populations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first dynamic analysis of an urban novel forest in the neotropics, providing valuable insights for a better understanding of its ecology and functioning.

How Habitat Simplification Shapes the Morphological Characteristics of Ant Assemblages (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Different Biogeographical Contexts.

Human-driven changes in land cover and use can significantly impact species ants community structures, often leading to a decline in taxonomic diversity or species homogenization. Ant morphology, used as a proxy for ecological function, offers a valuable framework for understanding the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on ant diversity. This study explored the morphological diversity of ant assemblages in agricultural ecosystems and secondary forests in Italy and the Brazilian Amazon, analyzing how these communities are structured and adapted to different environments. The research aims to understand the ecological interactions and the role of ants in maintaining biodiversity in these contexts. The study was conducted in the Ticino River Natural Park, Italy, and the Paragominas mosaic in Pará, Brazil. The ants were sampled using epigean pitfall traps at 15 agricultural and 13 forest sites. In the secondary forests, the species richness was significantly higher in both countries compared to agricultural areas. In general, the Community Weighted Mean (CWM) of the selected traits (head length, head width, interocular distance, mandible length, eye width, Weber's length, and tibia length) of Brazilian ants was higher than those of Italian. However, the CWM of agricultural areas of the two countries was more similar. We noticed the convex hull (i.e., the volume of an assemblage in the morphological space) of Brazilian secondary forests was still larger than Italian secondary forests when both assemblages have the same number of species. Morphological homogenization was more pronounced in agricultural settings, whereas secondary forests showed more variability, highlighting the role of environmental filtering in shaping ant communities across land use types.

Exploring intermediate richness peak: Contrasting local and regional patterns of vascular epiphytes in the Brazilian tropical montane cloud forests

AbstractAltitudinal gradients can provide valuable insights into the distribution patterns of species richness at both local and regional scales. Typically, species richness peaks at intermediate elevations. This pattern can be attributed to factors such as climatic conditions, the mid‐domain effect, and historical‐evolutionary processes. Our research aimed to investigate the distribution patterns of vascular epiphytes along the regional elevation gradient in dwarf cloud forests of Serra da Mantiqueira (SM), Brazil. We hypothesised that species richness would peak at intermediate elevations correlating with the availability of water. To test this hypothesis, we sampled 18 plots, each measuring 20 × 20 m, in seven protected areas with varying elevation gradients. The lowest plot was at 1270 m, and the highest was at 2350 m. In each plot, we surveyed trees (phorophytes) with a circumference at breast height of 30 cm. Rarefaction analysis was conducted to compare species richness among plots, while beta diversity analysis was used to assess species composition changes along the elevation gradient and across the SM range. We employed a generalised linear model (GLM) with a Poisson distribution to examine the relationships between environmental variables and plant richness. Our findings suggest that there is no intermediate peak in species richness in any of the localities. However, regionally, the elevation range of 1500‐1700 m exhibited the highest richness, particularly when compared to the higher plots, which are subject to low temperatures that act as environmental filters, limiting species richness despite higher precipitation. Furthermore, plots above 1980 m showed low turnover, indicating that these filters contribute to a more homogeneous composition. Species composition across the SM was influenced by climatic differences, and overall, geographical distance was not significant, as within the same locality exhibited low turnover. This study provides a foundation for understanding patterns of species richness and composition along altitudinal gradients in the context of global climate change.

First Record of Zygothrica Wiedemann, 1830 (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Species Infesting Shiitake Mushrooms (Lentinula edodes (Berk.) Pegler) on a Log Farm in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

ABSTRACTWe document the first observation of a severe shiitake mushroom infestation by several native Neotropical Zygothrica species (Drosophilidae, Diptera) under natural conditions. This infestation occurred in an agroforestry model, a medium‐scale, log‐based shiitake mushroom production culture. The mushroom farm is located in the Campo Largo municipality in the state of Paraná, Brazil, within the Atlantic Forest Biome. Adult flies, both males and females, were collected in December 2023. This study represents the first collection of Zygothrica parapoeyi Burla, 1956, Z. hypandriata Burla, 1956, Z. ptilialis Burla, 1956 and Z. paraptilialis Burla, 1956 from shiitake log culture. This record underscores the importance of field studies on macroscopic fungal infestations in Brazilian forests, particularly those within agroforestry systems, and their potential economic impacts. In this context, we also propose some preliminary preventive management actions.

Incorporating Forest Mapping-Related Uncertainty into the Error Propagation of Wall-to-Wall Biomass Maps: A General Approach for Large and Small Areas

The sources of uncertainty in wall-to-wall AGB maps propagate from the tree to pixel, but uncertainty due to forest cover mapping is rarely incorporated into the error propagation process. This study aimed to (1) elaborate an analytical procedure to incorporate forest-mapping-related uncertainty into the error propagation from plot and pixel predictions; (2) develop a stratified estimator with a model-assisted estimator for small and large areas; and (3) estimate the effect of ignoring the mapping uncertainty on the confidence intervals (CIs) for totals. Data consist of a subset of the Brazilian national forest inventory (NFI) database, comprising 75 counties that, once aggregated, served as strata for the stratified estimator. On-ground data were gathered from 152 clusters (plots) and remotely sensed data from Landsat-8 scenes. Four major contributions are highlighted. First, we describe how to incorporate forest-mapping-related uncertainty into the CIs of any forest attribute and spatial resolution. Second, stratified estimators perform better than non-stratified estimators for forest area estimation when the response variable is forest/non-forest. Comparing our stratified estimators, this study indicated greater precision for the stratified estimator than for the regression estimator. Third, using the ratio estimator, we found evidence that the simple field plot information provided by the NFI clusters is sufficient to estimate the proportion forest for large regions as accurately as remote-sensing-based methods, albeit with less precision. Fourth, ignoring forest-mapping-related uncertainty erroneously narrows the CI width as the estimate of proportion forest area decreases. At the small-area level, forest-mapping-related uncertainty led to CIs for total AGB as much as 63% wider in extreme cases. At the large-area level, the CI was 5–7% wider.

Understanding vegetative ecophysiological responses of herbaceous species from a Brazilian dry forest by simulating 60‐year precipitation extremes

AbstractIn the Caatinga, a Brazilian dry forest, low water availability is a limiting factor that affects the growth and survival of herbaceous plants. Thus, we hypothesize that simulated extreme changes in precipitation modify aboveground and belowground vegetative responses differently between annual and perennial herbaceous species. Seedlings of the species were obtained through seed germination. During 1 year, they were submitted to three rainfall simulation (RS) treatments, defined from a 60‐year sequence: Twet‐RS of rainy years; Tcontrol‐RS of years close to the historical average; Tdry‐RS of dry years; and with 30 repetitions per treatment. The daily water administration corresponded to the daily average of rainfall in the past. In the simulation of dry years, the annual species reduced the growth drastically, while the perennials showed a moderate reduction. All species reduced biomass and production and expansion of their leaves in dry years but invested in water storage and leaf longevity. Below ground, annuals explored surface water resources and perennials invested in root growth, accessing underground layers. If reductions in rainfall are confirmed, the allocation of herbaceous biomass may follow an “optimal partitioning” strategy, along with maintaining higher water content in the organs, which is an efficient survival strategy.

Palynotaxonomy of Neotropical species of Paullinia L. (Sapindaceae)

Paullinia is the second-largest genus within the Sapindaceae, with approximately 200 species. It predominantly comprises lianas that inhabit humid forests, mainly the Amazon and Atlantic forests in Brazil. This study aimed to characterize the pollen morphology of 60 species of Paullinia, examining the potential of pollen characters as morphological markers to support the systematics of the genus. The pollen material was obtained from exsiccatae of flower buds from major herbaria. Pollen grains were acetolyzed, measured, described, and illustrated using light microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy was used for accurate descriptions of surface features. The analyzed characters included pollen shape, size, aperture type and number, and exine ornamentation. The similarity of pollen characters between species was analyzed using hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis. The results showed that pollen grains of Paullinia species are shed in monads, heteropolar in most species and isopolar in some others, medium or large in size, oblate or suboblate, and 3- or 3-4-porate, with perforate sexine ornamentation in most species and microreticulate in some others. Multivariate analyses revealed that pollen morphology is informative and holds taxonomic potential, enabling grouping based on the similarity of the unique pollen characters of the genus. Species dispersion on the PCA biplot showed that the five clusters formed by HCA were robust, suggesting that quantitative and qualitative pollen characters exhibit consistency with regard to the similarity species. The palynological findings presented here contribute to enhancing our understanding of the morphological characters, aiding in the taxonomy and systematics of the genus.