Cerrado Formations Research Articles

A New Species of Zanthoxylum (Rutaceae) from the Brazilian Cerrado

A New Species of Zanthoxylum (Rutaceae) from the Brazilian Cerrado

Temporal and spatial variation of floral resources of woody species in a vereda ecosystem: Uniformity and habitat complementarity

Floral resource distribution, pollinator community structure, and flowering season are essential for maintaining and preserving pollination services in ecosystems. In humid Cerrado areas, veredas are considered hygrophilous communities, marked by the presence of the Mauritia flexuosa palm tree emerging in the wetter zones. Waterlogged portions present dense hygrophilous forests, whereas open areas predominant present herbaceous and shrubby components. We identified the pollination syndromes of woody species in a vereda ecosystem and characterized the pollination resource availability between habitats (hygrophilous forest and open area). The study was conducted on a vereda located in the north of Minas Gerais, Brazil. We characterized pollination syndromes using information on floral attributes, pollinator observations, and a literature survey. We performed phenological monitoring for 24 months and examined the occurrence of flowering using circular statistics. The differences in pollination syndrome occurrence among months and habitats were determined using modularity analysis. We found eight pollination syndromes, with melittophily being the most frequent pollination type among the woody species in the studied vereda. Flowering occurs throughout the year in the community and peaks from September to November during the transition from the dry to the wet season. In hygrophilous forest the species flowered preferentially in November, whereas in open area, preferentially between September and October. The syndromes distribution differed between the habitats, as well as resource availability. This difference between habitats can influence pollinator diversity. Modularity showed complementarity among the habitats, with continuous resource availability throughout the entire ecosystem. Species present in the hygrophilous forest provide their resources mainly during the rainy season, whereas species from the open area, during the dry season. Information on these interactions is necessary to understand the functionality of a vereda ecosystem, through the characterization of the resource's availability, and maintenance of pollination services in the ecosystem. In addition, our results demonstrate the importance of the vereda ecosystem as an important area in the availability of resources for the Cerrado formation. This information can strengthen protection laws and contribute to sustainable practices that boost the conservation of pollinators in the biome.

Mapping Cerrado remnants in an anthropized landscape in southeast Brazil

In the eastern São Paulo state, Brazil, a disjoint tropical savanna (Cerrado) site occurs in Vale do Paraíba Paulista. Considering the degradation of Cerrado in the region and that currently LULC mapping is not accurate enough to properly map Cerrado vegetation in an anthropized landscape, we aimed to locate Cerrado remnants in the region and to evaluate the conservation status of these remnants and its main anthropic pressures. We hypothesized that Cerrado pacthes in Vale do Paraíba Paulista were small, irregular in shape, disconnected from each other, and threatened by agriculture and urban expansion, which we found. We also expected that woody formations of Cerrado would predominate in the region, what we observed. Different Cerrado formations covered an area of 3153.35 ha in Vale do Paraíba Paulista, only about 1.5% of original extension, and remnants located within private properties. This study highlighted Cerrado occurrence in Vale do Paraíba Paulista and the need for conservation public policies for this biome in the region.

Legal provision on the use of exotic species in forest restoration: eucalyptus leaf decomposition in different Brazilian savannah formations

The Brazilian federal law has established norms for vegetation protection in 2012 for the planting of exotic species for the restoration of altered areas. Given the large number of areas to be recovered in the savannah biome in Brazil (e.g., Cerrado), the use of fast-growing species and high biomass production (e.g., Eucalyptus spp.) has been earnestly considered. However, the recommendation of this exotic species must be scientifically supported. This work aimed to evaluate the decomposition process of eucalyptus leaf litter in three different phytophysiognomies in the Cerrado biome (Brazilian Savannah) with three different formation type: Typical Cerrado, Savannah Forest, and Gallery Forest. The leaf decomposition was evaluated by the litter bags that were collected from October 2017 to October 2018. The difference between the initial mass and the masses was evaluated at the different collection periods. After one year, we determined the decomposition rate and the constant k using the exponential equation proposed by Olson. The decomposition rate of eucalyptus leaves was high in the three Cerrado formations. The shortest decomposition time was observed in Gallery Forest. The results showed that the main types of Cerrado formation effectively assimilate the organic material to be deposited in the soil. Thus, the study demonstrated the feasibility and legal provision of using exotic species, e.g., eucalyptus in the arduous mission of recovering degraded forest environments

Edaphic fauna and physico-chemical atributes of soil in different phytophysionomies of Cerrado

ABSTRACT The edaphic community comprises several organisms that perform ecological functions in the environment, such as litter fragmentation, nutrient cycling, and modifications of soil structure, in addition to acting as food chain regulators. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the composition of the edaphic fauna and the physical and chemical attributes of soil in different physiognomies of Cerrado in the Parque Estadual do Mirador (PEM). The study was carried out in two Cerrado formations (Sparse Cerrado and Typical Cerrado) in PEM, where 100 pitfall traps were installed. The edaphic organisms were screened and identified in terms of orders, suborders, subfamilies, families, abundance, richness, Shannon diversity, and Pielou’s equitability. A total of 4,149 individuals were collected from two experimental plots. The plot in the Typical Cerrado showed greater taxonomic richness (25 groups) and greater Shannon diversity (H’ = 1.65), while the plot in Sparse Cerrado presented 19 edaphic groups and Shannon diversity equal to H’ = 1.51. The factorial exploration explained 84.43% of the original data from the Sparse Cerrado and 90.84% from the Typical Cerrado. It is concluded that the plot in the Typical Cerrado showed greater differences in terms of richness and abundance due to the more favorable conditions for soil fauna, such as a high content of organic material and greater vegetation cover.

Search of New Tools for Weed Control Using Piptocarpha rotundifolia, a Dominant Species in the Cerrado.

Piptocarpha rotundifolia (Less.) Baker stands out as one of the species with the highest frequency, density, and relative dominance in the Cerrado formations. However, no phytochemical studies have been carried out with this species to date. The aim of this study was to evaluate the phytotoxic activity of P. rotundifolia leaves in the search of new environmentally friendly tools for weed control. Thus, a wheat coleoptile and phytotoxic bioassay, using relevant agricultural weeds, was used to identify the most active extracts and fractions. The subsequent purification process allowed the isolation of 11 compounds, the phytotoxicity of which was evaluated in terms of wheat coleoptile elongation and with the most sensitive weeds. Piptocarphin A was found to be the major compound and the most active. To confirm its phytotoxic potential, the effect on Ipomea grandifolia grown in a hydroponic culture and on metaxylem cells was studied. The results obtained in this study demonstrate that the inhibitory activity displayed by P. rotundifolia leaf extract is mainly due to the presence of piptocarphin A. The phytotoxicity shown by P. rotundifolia leaf extract, and the isolated compounds, on weeds could provide new tools for weed control in agricultural fields.

Edge Effects Reflect the Impact of the Agricultural Matrix on the Corticolous Lichens Found in Fragments of Cerrado Savanna in Central Brazil

Habitat fragmentation affects lichen communities by inducing edge effects, although the dispersal of pollutants by pesticide drift from commercial crops may also provoke alterations in community structure, due to the varying sensitivity of lichen morphotypes to pollutants. In this context, we tested the hypothesis that lichen morphotype richness and diversity, and the percentage area of the trunks covered by different lichen morphotypes are modified significantly at the edges of fragments of Cerrado vegetation inserted within the agricultural matrix. We evaluated habitat fragments representing different Cerrado formations (Cerradão, Cerrado sensu stricto, and seasonal semi-deciduous forest) as well as the Emas National Park, a prominent Cerrado conservation unit. We used Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs) to test the potential of the models compiled using a mixture of phytosociological and environmental parameters, including the species, the height of the host plant (H), the circumference of its stem at breast height (CBH), total chlorophyll (TC), bark fissuring (BF) and pH, and illuminance (Lum), to explain the observed variation in the lichen morphotype richness and the percentage cover of the trunks by corticolous lichen morphotypes at the center and edge of the fragments. The central areas invariably had a greater diversity of morphotypes in all the fragments. The morphotypes considered highly sensitive to disturbance were not observed in edge areas, confirming a clear edge effect, as well as the influence of pesticide drift from the adjacent farmland matrix, on the structure of the lichen community. At both the edge and center sites, the larger trees (higher CBH) with less fissured bark tended to have the greatest diversity of lichen morphotypes, and more acidic barks had the greatest lichen cover. The models tested indicated that the variable tree species is an important determinant of the observed patterns of lichen morphotype richness and cover, either on its own or in association with pH or CBH + pH. The analyses also indicated that all the variables tested are important in some way for the definition of the percentage cover of the host trunks. The present study contributes to the understanding of the diversity of the corticolous lichen communities in the remaining fragments of Cerrado vegetation and the effects of the agricultural matrix on this community. The lichen may thus play a role as indicators of impact on other species, these organisms may provide important insights for the further investigation of the disturbance caused by the agricultural matrix on the communities of other groups of organisms.

Ensuring future regeneration success of Qualea grandiflora Mart. (Vochysiaceae) in neotropical savanna (cerrado) biomes by reviewing the available information and identifying research gaps

Abstract: Qualea grandiflora Mart. (Vochysiaceae) is one of the most widespread species within the cerrado formation, which counts amongst the most threatened ecosystems worldwide. Understanding the regeneration ecology of Q. grandiflora is a central requirement for the success of conservation measures and silvicultural management strategies. Exhaustive investigation was carried out into each of the development stages, and the connected processes within the regeneration cycle, to provide a better understanding of the main factors influencing the regeneration ecology and the recruitment dynamics of the species. For this purpose, we analysed 92 different sources of information in this review, divided into two groups (n = 41 with “basic species information” and n = 51 with “specific information about regeneration stages and processes”) relevant for regeneration and silviculture. Our literature review showed the high proportion of studies addressing the processes flowering, pollination and fruiting, whereas the subsequent processes like seed dispersal, seed storage, germination and seedling development are almost entirely lacking. This also applies for spatial information about environmental conditions and the related regeneration processes in Q. grandiflora. This knowledge is important for management, for example, knowledge of the critical distances between flowering and seed producing trees to ensure genetically diverse regeneration and the identification of safe sites for seedling establishment. Most of the practical suggestions in relation to increasing densities or growth of Q. grandiflora seedlings and saplings made in the literature are linked to less intensive fire management strategies adopted at certain times. The use of selective herbivory to reduce the increasing competition pressure exerted by invasive grasses and hampering Q. grandiflora seedlings is also cited. In this study we highlight the need for more complex species-specific information following the development stages and processes of the regeneration cycle so as to prepare a continuous strategy with a range of management approaches.

Synergistic impacts of co‐occurring invasive grasses cause persistent effects in the soil‐plant system after selective removal

AbstractHuman influence on the environment is so extensive that virtually all ecosystems on the planet are now affected by biological invasions. And, often, ecosystems are invaded by multiple co‐occurring non‐native species. Hence, it is important to understand the impacts these invasions are producing on biodiversity and ecosystem processes.Here, we present results of a 2‐year long field experiment where we tested the effects of co‐occurring invasive C4African grasses in a Cerrado area in central Brazil. We compared plant and arthropod communities, plant biomass, and soil nitrogen dynamics and soil chemical characteristics across five experimental treatments:Urochloa decumbensremoval;Melinis minutifloraremoval; bothU.decumbensandM.minutifloraremoval;U.decumbensandM.minutiflorainvaded plots; and uninvaded Cerrado. We hypothesized that selective removal of invasive grasses would have distinct effects on the native ecosystem structure and functioning. We expected that each invasive grass would produce a different type of impact on the native ecosystem and that their impacts would be synergistic when co‐occurring.Removal ofM.minutifloradoubled native plant diversity and biomass when compared to invaded plots, whereas removal ofU.decumbensdid not alter these parameters. Cerrado plots had four times more plant species than plots cleared of invasives. Removal of invasive grasses did not affect the species richness or community composition of soil epigeal fauna. Cerrado soils had lower fertility, organic matter content and pH than invaded soils. The effects were generally higher when both invasive grasses were removed, suggesting impacts were synergistic, butM.minutiflorahad greater effects on plants and soils thanU.decumbens. Both invasive species produced negative impacts, but a single species was the main driver. We also detected persistent effects of the invasive grass species on the ecosystem after 2 years of removal.We conclude that invasive species of the same functional group have similar types of effects in native ecosystems, but the magnitude of impact was largely dependent on invasive species biomass and cover. Where multiple invasive species are present, research and management of invaded ecosystems should tackle the interacting effects of co‐occurring invaders.

Diversity and conservation of legumes in the Gran Chaco and biogeograpical inferences.

The Gran Chaco is a wide ecologic-geographic region comprising northern Argentina, western Paraguay, southern Bolivia and the southwestern extreme of Brazil. This region exhibits extreme temperatures, annually regular frosts, and sedimentary soils; it has been dramatically threatened by agriculture expansion in recent decades. Therefore, increasing knowledge of plant diversity is critical for conservation purposes. We present a Legume checklist of the Gran Chaco ecoregion including conservation status of its endemic species. Leguminosae is the third most diverse plant family in the Neotropics. Assuming a rigorous spatial definition of the Gran Chaco, we recorded 98 genera, 362 species, and 404 specific and infraspecific taxa. Endemic/typical taxa were 17%, comparable to adjacent tropical plant formations, and they were found in higher percentages in Caesalpinioideae (24%) and Cercidoideae (33%) than Papilionoideae (11%) subfamily. We also analyzed the plant diversity comparing lineages and subregions. The Gran Chaco Legumes are predominantly widespread generalists, or they belong to either Chaco sensu stricto or Neotropical Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest (SDTF) lineages. Though the Humid Chaco registered the highest species richness, Dry Chaco and Sierra Chaco, the most threatrened subregions, exhibited the highest percentages of exclusive and proper Chaco-lineage species. These results suggest that diversification of Legumes has been most relevant in Dry Chaco and Sierra Chaco, probably by their more demanding and harsh environmental conditions limiting the dispersion of generalists or intrusive-invading species. This study is paramount to reach an improved delimitation of the Gran Chaco ecoregion in transitional areas with the SDTF and Cerrado formations. Conservation status is critical in genera of high economic interest, such as Arachis, Mimosa and Prosopis. At least one third of endemic taxa exhibit a critical status of conservation or are endangered, many of them being relevant to inbreeding program or exhibiting multiple economic uses.

Disentangling the Simaba ferruginea Species Complex (Simaroubaceae), With a New Species from Northern South America

As recognized traditionally and until recently, Simaba ferruginea A.St.-Hil. sensu Engler was a polymorphic taxon with a disjunct distribution on dry formations of central and northeastern Brazil, and the northernmost region of Colombia and adjacent Venezuela. A detailed morphological survey of this complex based on fieldwork and herbarium specimens recovered three closely related but clearly distinct groups of plants, including a new species endemic to La Guajira, Colombia. A recentmolecular phylogenetic study strongly corroborates the relatedness of the three groups and places them in the genus Homalolepis. Each group, herein treated as a distinct species, has distinctive morphological features, specific habitat preferences, and is allopatric from the other groups. Homalolepis ferruginea sensu strictu is endemic to the cerrado formation on the Brazilian Central Plateau. Homalolepis bahiensis, reinstated here as a distinct species, occurs along the sandy coastal plains in northeastern Brazil. Homalolepis guajirensis is described as a new species, and it is endemic to La Guajira peninsula in Colombia. We present a table and a key to distinguish the three species, full descriptions, geographical and ecological data, and assess the conservation status for each, following IUCN criteria.

Forest carbon emissions from cropland expansion in the Brazilian Cerrado biome

Land use, land use change, and forestry accounted for two-thirds of Brazil’s greenhouse gas emissions profile in 2005. Amazon deforestation has declined by more than 80% over the past decade, yet Brazil’s forests extend beyond the Amazon biome. Rapid expansion of cropland in the neighboring Cerrado biome has the potential to undermine climate mitigation efforts if emissions from dry forest and woodland conversion negate some of the benefits of avoided Amazon deforestation. Here, we used satellite data on cropland expansion, forest cover, and vegetation carbon stocks to estimate annual gross forest carbon emissions from cropland expansion in the Cerrado biome. Nearly half of the Cerrado met Brazil’s definition of forest cover in 2000 (≥0.5 ha with ≥10% canopy cover). In areas of established crop production, conversion of both forest and non-forest Cerrado formations for cropland declined during 2003–2013. However, forest carbon emissions from cropland expansion increased over the past decade in Matopiba, a new frontier of agricultural production that includes portions of Maranhão, Tocantins, Piauí, and Bahia states. Gross carbon emissions from cropland expansion in the Cerrado averaged 16.28 Tg C yr−1 between 2003 and 2013, with forest-to-cropland conversion accounting for 29% of emissions. The fraction of forest carbon emissions from Matopiba was much higher; between 2010–2013, large-scale cropland conversion in Matopiba contributed 45% of total Cerrado forest carbon emissions. Carbon emissions from Cerrado-to-cropland transitions offset 5%–7% of the avoided emissions from reduced Amazon deforestation rates during 2011–2013. Comprehensive national estimates of forest carbon fluxes, including all biomes, are critical to detect cross-biome leakage within countries and achieve climate mitigation targets to reduce emissions from land use, land use change, and forestry.

First confirmed records of the rare Short-eared Bat, Cyttarops alecto Thomas, 1913 (Chiroptera: Emballonuridae), from the Orinoco Llanos of Colombia

We confirm the occurrence of the rare bat Cyttarops alecto in piedmont and alluvial plain savannas of the Orinoco Llanos. Our records are the first for the species in Colombia in 22 years. The species was known only from Neotropical rainforests and one locality in the Cerrado formation in Brazil. Our records are supported with voucher specimens that match the diagnosis and variability described for the species. With these records, we reduce the geographical distribution gap between known Trans-Andean and Cis-Andean localities of this species in the northern Neotropics.

Fruits and frugivores of the Brazilian Cerrado: ecological and phylogenetic considerations

Knowing the morphological and phylogenetic patterns of fruits of a plant community may elucidate plant-frugivore interactions, and analysis of dispersal syndromes is a practical approach to understanding these mutualisms. We investigated different zoochorous fruits and frugivorous animals among Cerrado formations (forest, savanna and grassland), mapped dispersal syndromes on a Cerrado angiosperm phylogeny and tested for phylogenetic signal. For a core region in Cerrado, we found that, among almost a thousand fruit species and 258 fruit-eating vertebrates, 60% of the fruits had an ornithochorous syndrome and that 70% of the frugivores were birds. Most fruit and frugivorous species (~80%) inhabit forest formations, but many of them also occurred in more than one Cerrado formation. The zoochorous syndromes were found to have little phylogenetic signal, with many plant families exhibiting more than one fruit syndrome, and with ornithochory being widely distributed throughout the phylogeny. Our results suggest that plant-frugivore interactions tend to be evolutionarily labile in this Neotropical region, although birds have had a prominent role in fruit evolution. Furthermore, we found that all three Cerrado formations seem to be interrelated in maintaining functional stability of the plant-frugivore mutualisms in the Cerrado biome.

Evolution of seed dispersal in the Cerrado biome: ecological and phylogenetic considerations

The investigation of the phylogeny of a group of organisms has the potential to identify ecological and evolutionary processes that have been occurring within a community. Seed dispersal is a key process in the life cycle of vegetation and reflects different reproductive strategies of plants to a set of ecological and evolutionary factors. Knowing the dispersal syndromes and fruits types of a plant community may help elucidate plant-animal interactions and colonization strategies of plants. We investigated dispersal syndromes and fruit types in Cerrado formations as a parameter for understanding the evolution of angiosperm reproductive strategies in this mega-diverse tropical biome. To do this we identified and mapped the distribution of different parameters associated with seed dispersal on a phylogeny of Cerrado angiosperms genera and tested the presence of phylogenetic signal. The results showed that there were strong relationships between fruit types, seed dispersal strategies and vegetation life forms and that these traits were closely related to angiosperms phylogeny and, together, contribute to the evolution of plants in the forest, savanna and grassland formations of the Cerrado biome.

Composição taxonômica e distribuição de anuros no Alto e Médio Paranapanema, estado de São Paulo

A fauna de anuros do estado de São Paulo pode ser considerada a mais conhecida no país. No entanto, ainda existem consideráveis lacunas amostrais no estado, sobretudo em remanescentes de vegetação natural das bacias hidrográficas do rio Paranapanema. Neste sentido, o objetivo deste estudo foi reunir informações sobre a composição taxonômica, distribuição e o status de conservação dos anuros no Alto e Médio Paranapanema, auxiliando na identificação dos municípios que ainda permanecem como vazios amostrais deste táxon nestas bacias hidrográficas. Dos 91 municípios avaliados, apenas 15 (16%) podem ser classificados como relativamente bem amostrados, tendo sido estudados por longos períodos e vários pesquisadores. Registrou-se um total de 124 espécies de anuros, pertencentes a 36 gêneros e 12 famílias (Brachycephalidae, Bufonidae, Centrolenidae, Ceratophryidae, Craugastoridae, Cycloramphidae, Odontophrynidae, Hemiphractidae, Hylidae, Hylodidae, Leptodactylidae e Microhylidae). A riqueza de anuros registrada no Alto Paranapanema é muito superior à encontrada no Médio Paranapanema, existindo uma diminuição gradual na riqueza de espécies partindo da porção sul e sudeste do Alto Paranapanema, onde predominam a floresta ombrófila, em direção ao Médio Paranapanema que apresenta uma dominância das formações de Cerrado e floresta estacional semidecidual. Este estudo é uma importante contribuição para ampliar o conhecimento sobre a diversidade de anuros no Cerrado e Mata Atlântica, os dois hotspots mundiais prioritários para a conservação biológica existentes no país.

Anuros da Estação Ecológica de Santa Bárbara, um remanescente de formações abertas de Cerrado no estado de São Paulo

Apesar de São Paulo ser o estado do país que possui o maior conhecimento sobre sua fauna de anuros, ainda persistem consideráveis vazios amostrais, sobretudo nos remanescentes de Cerrado do estado. Somente 0,5% deste bioma encontram-se protegidos por unidades de conservação no estado e os fragmentos remanescentes sofrem ameaças que incluem o isolamento, risco de incêndios e invasão por espécies vegetais exóticas. Neste contexto, o objetivo deste estudo foi gerar informações sobre as espécies de anuros presentes na Estação Ecológica de Santa Bárbara, um dos poucos remanescentes com formações abertas de Cerrado da bacia hidrográfica do Médio Paranapanema. O levantamento das espécies foi realizado mensalmente entre outubro/2008 a março/2009, totalizando 30 dias de inventário. A amostragem foi realizada por meio de armadilhas de interceptação e queda, encontro ocasional, procura auditiva e procura visual. Registramos 33 espécies pertencentes a 14 gêneros e seis famílias (Bufonidae, Cycloramphidae, Hylidae, Leiuperidae, Leptodactylidae e Microhylidae). Embora a riqueza de espécies não tenha sido diferente entre as formações vegetais abertas e florestais, registrou-se uma maior abundância de anuros nas formações savânicas, refletindo a maior associação dos indivíduos aos corpos d'água presentes nas fitofisionomias abertas durante o período reprodutivo. Este estudo é uma importante contribuição para ampliar o conhecimento sobre a fauna de anuros no Cerrado, um doshotspots mundiais prioritários para a conservação biológica.

Propriedades de solos sob vegetação nativa em Minas Gerais: distribuição por fitofisionomia, hidrografia e variabilidade espacial

A distribuição das formações vegetais nativas depende dos fatores de formação do solo, entre outros aspectos. Dessa forma, solos sob vegetação nativa podem informar muito sobre uma região e sua fertilidade natural, constituindo um testemunho das condições encontradas antes da ocupação agrossilvopastoril. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar propriedades químicas e textura dos solos sob fragmentos de Cerrado e florestas nativas amostrados durante o Inventário Florestal de Minas Gerais, por meio de análises de fertilidade do solo, textura e estatística espacial. Em geral, houve grande variabilidade em todas as propriedades analisadas, exceto em Al trocável. Os solos sob Campo Cerrado apresentaram maiores teores de matéria orgânica, comparados aos sob Cerradão e Cerrado stricto sensu. As Florestas Estacionais ocorreram, em geral, em solos de melhor fertilidade natural do que aqueles sob Cerrado, enquanto as florestas sob clima chuvoso ocorreram nos solos mais ácidos e com maiores teores de matéria orgânica, entre todas as fitofisionomias. Análises de regressão linear indicaram que a importância da matéria orgânica na CTC a pH 7,0 variou entre as diferentes fitofisionomias, sendo não significativa para as Florestas Deciduais. A estratificação por bacias hidrográficas, interpretada em conjunto com a fitofisionomia, permitiu também concluir sobre um provável efeito dos materiais de origem nas propriedades do solo, especialmente a textura. Por meio de análise geoestatística, foi possível construir, por krigagem ordinária, mapas do Estado com a distribuição de teores de carbono orgânico do solo, argila e pH, mas não para CTC a pH 7,0. A análise de solos sob fragmentos de vegetação nativa oferece potencial para uso como referência do padrão de fertilidade natural dos solos e é uma iniciativa que poderia ser empreendida em outras unidades da federação.

Snake assemblage of Estação Ecológica de Santa Bárbara, SP: a Cerrado remnant in Southeastern Brazil

Despite the great extension of the Cerrado and its importance for biodiversity conservation, there are still sampling gaps in this region that has shown conspicuous changes over the years due to the conversion of natural areas into pastures and plantations. Around 88.5% of the Cerrado areas in the State of the São Paulo were cleared in the last four decades and less than 0.81% of the original Cerrado vegetation remains as pristine habitats, although these areas once covered 14% of the state. We present the list of snakes that occur in the Estação Ecológica de Santa Bárbara, a remnant of Cerrado in the State of São Paulo, in addition to information on the abundance and distribution of species in the various habitats found at this location. The survey was conducted between October 2008 and March 2009 during six monthly field trips of five days each, totaling 30 sampling days. Surveys were conducted using incidental encounters (IE) and pitfall traps (PT). We recorded a total of 21 species belonging to 15 genera and six families. All species and individuals captured (18 species; 49 individuals) were found in open Cerrado formations. No individual was observed in the sampled forest habitats (cerradão and dry forest). Forested habitats occupy a relatively small portion of this protected area (12.6%). However, the higher species richness in open habitats may not be a result of limited local coverage of forests. The higher richness in interfluvial open habitats has also been recorded in other Cerrado areas. This survey is an important contribution towards enhancing our knowledge about the snake assemblage in the highly threatened Cerrado of São Paulo State. Hence, these last protected remnants in the state that still house significant areas of open Cerrado formations, such as the Estação Ecológica de Santa Bárbara, although reduced, are extremely important for the conservation of reptiles in the State of São Paulo, in Southeastern Brazil, and in the Cerrado region.

Plant inhabiting mites (Acari) from the Cerrado biome of Mato Grosso State, Brazil

This study reports on the mites associated with plants in two Cerrado formations: Cerradão and Riparian Forest, located in Itiquira, in the southern region of Mato Grosso State, Brazil. A total of 67 mite species was collected, belonging to 20 families in the suborders Gamasida, Actinedida, Acaridida and Oribatida. Phytoseiidae (13 species) and Tarsonemidae (11 species) were the families with the greatest richness. Iphiseiodes zuluagai (Denmark & Muma) (Phytoseiidae), Lamellobates (Lamellobates) sp. (Oribatida, Austrachipteriidae) and Agistemus sp. (Prostigmata, Stigmaeidae) were the most frequent species, collected on eleven, ten and nine plant species, respectively. Among the plants found during the fieldwork, the plant species Bauhinia longifolia (Bong.) Steud. (Caesalpinaceae), collected in the Riparian Forest formation, contained the highest species richness (28 species). The specific identification of approximately 70% of the taxa collected was not possible. For these reasons, surveys of mites in natural areas that include estimates of the ratio of undescribed species are important, because they provide a panorama of the great diversity of unknown mite fauna in these environments.