Cerrado Habitats Research Articles

Syagrus flexuosa (Mart.) Becc. (Arecaceae) seedling recruitment at the edge and interior of Cerrado remnants.

The edge effect has impacts on seed and seedling survival due to modifications in biotic and abiotic factors. Often, large-seeded tree species lost seed vectors in the forest edge due to the rarity or absence of large frugivores at this habitat type. In this study, I compared the seedling abundance and distribution of the palm Syagrus flexuosa between edges and interiors of three large Cerrado remnants. In every remnant, the number of seedlings around parent palms in the edge was smaller than around palm individuals located in the Cerrado interior. Moreover, the distribution of seedlings around parent palms differed between edges and interiors. In the edges, most seedlings were found under parent crowns, while in the interiors, the contrary occurred. The high concentration of seedlings under parent palms suggests a decrease of seed dispersal at the edges. Because S. flexuosa is a widely distributed palm that serves as an important resource for several animals along Cerrado habitats, changes on the regeneration process of this palm due to edge effects can further impact frugivore populations. Therefore, the decline of seedling establishment along forest edges implies changes in the Cerrado regeneration dynamics, which may compromise the persistence of ecological processes and animal communities.

First record of Microspingus cinereus (Bonaparte, 1850), Cinereous Warbling Finch (Passeriformes, Thraupidae), from the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

We document from the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the first record of Microspingus cinereus (Bonaparte, 1850), which was observed in the municipality of Barra Mansa in October 2020. The species was originally documented in central Brazil, potentially linked to Cerrado habitats. However, recent observations from eBird and WikiAves databases indicate that M. cinereus has been spreading towards the southeast for several years. It has been considered Vulnerable for almost two decades due to the loss of grassland habitats. Our discovery expands the known geographic range of M. cinereus to eastern Brazil and may have importance for future biogeographic studies and the conservation of this species.

A new foraging habitat for Chironius vine snakes and a new prey for Chironius brazili in open rocky Cerrado habitats in Central Brazil

ABSTRACT Chironius snakes are typically arboreal or scansorial, usually foraging in trees or forest ground. Herein we report the foraging behavior of the vine snake Chironius brazili while hunting on the large hylid frog Bokermannohyla pseudopseudis on rocky surfaces in open habitats at the Chapada dos Veadeiros, Central Brazil. Snakes were able to locate frogs when they were basking over rock surfaces close to rivers or searching for them on rock crevices even in areas with strong water flux, close to waterfalls. We suggest that scansorial habits and the swimming abilities of Chironius species occurring in rocky montane habitats enable these snakes to feed on these large hylids.

Male-biased effective sex ratio across populations of the threatened Zamia boliviana (Zamiaceae)

Populations of dioecious plants commonly exhibit dissimilarities to the equilibrium expectation of a 1:1 sex ratio. Differential expenditure for reproduction between genders is cited as the primary mechanism responsible for a male-biased sex ratio, with increased effects on long-living species, but these mechanisms are still poorly understood. We explore the sex ratio in the endemic gymnosperm Zamia boliviana (Zamiaceae) populations from the Brazilian savanna (the Cerrado). We aim to investigate what the Z. boliviana sex ratio is, and whether population density and ecological correlates lead to variation in the sex proportion among Cerrado habitats. The study was conducted on ten in situ populations of Z. boliviana at sexual maturity (tertiary sex ratio). We estimated the populations’ sex ratio and performed a redundancy analysis to assess the relationship between biotic traits, such as sex ratio, and associated environmental features. Soil texture classes were used to classify the cycad habitats and were expressed in a ternary phase diagram. The results show a significant male-biased sex ratio in seven of the ten populations surveyed. Environmental factors did not explain the redundancy in the reproductive characteristics. However, the cycad occurs in different habitats in their endemic zone. Our study provides new biological data for Z. boliviana, suggesting that the differential reproductive expenditure of sexes in reproduction is governing the mechanisms of sex ratio variation, compared to local environmental factors in this cycad. The pattern of effective sex ratio found here improves our understanding of mechanisms causing biased sex ratios in cycads and other dioecious species from tropical ecosystems.

<p><strong><em>Myrcia</em></strong><em> </em><strong>sect. <em>Calyptranthes</em> (Myrtaceae) from the Atlantic Forest, Brazil</strong></p>

Myrcia sect. Calyptranthes is a section of the Neotropical genus Myrcia ranging from Mexico and the Caribbean to northern Argentina with ca. 260 known species. In Brazil ca. 78 species are known, of which ca. 53 are endemic, occurring mainly in the Atlantic and Amazon domains, with few species in the Caatinga and Cerrado. This paper is a taxonomic revision of 38 species from the Atlantic Forest including one newly described species Myrcia botryophylla. The treatment provides an identification key, taxonomic descriptions, phenology and geographic distribution information, nomenclatural updates, synonymy, and illustrations of the main morphological characters. The main character used for differentiating species is inflorescence pattern, but observation of several further characters including leaf size and shape, flower buds and indument assists in species determination. Of the 38 species recognized 29 are endemic to the Atlantic Forest domain and 9 occur in the Amazon, Cerrado and/or other habitats in South and Central America. Twenty-two new synonyms are proposed, two new combinations are made and 29 lectotypes are designated. One new species is described.

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.

Protecting the Cerrado: where should we direct efforts for the conservation of bat-plant interactions?

Cerrado is a biodiversity hotspot composed of a vegetation mosaic landscape ranging from grasslands to forests. It holds a high endemicity of plants and vertebrate species suffering from high habitat destruction rates. We aimed at characterizing the mutualistic interactions between bats and the plant species present in their diet in the different habitats of the Cerrado to determine which habitats should be prioritized for the conservation of most bat-plant interactions. In order to do that, we assessed two datasets, one covering all interactions between bats and plants in Latin America and the other with the distribution of plant species across the 13 different Cerrado habitats and the Cerrado as a whole. Forests played the major role in the structure of the interactions as they hold the highest number of interactions, with a big percentage being unique to these habitats. The removal of forests in our simulations led to a high dissimilarity of the original structure of the interactions and the extinction of 1/3 of all bat species. Special attention must be given to key habitats such as gallery forests as they not only help connecting the landscape, but also hold a large proportion of the interactions between bats and plants in the Cerrado and play an important role on the network structure between bats and plants in the heterogeneous Cerrado landscapes.

Phylogenetic community structure as an ecological indicator of anthropogenic disturbance for endemic lizards in a biodiversity hotspot

The expansion of human-altered landscapes affects biodiversity on every continent. In the Cerrado biodiversity hotspot of central Brazil, Eucalyptus plantations increasingly claim large tracts of native habitats thanks to favorable soils, climate and booming pulp firm profits. Yet, the highs and lows of the economy including government incentives over the years riddled the landscape with abandoned plantations, which are not subject to active restoration. Despite the well-documented pattern anthropogenic disturbances negatively affect Cerrado biodiversity, little is known about the processes driving species co-existence within these abandoned plantations.Herein, we use phylogenetic community structure indices to test if potential processes assembling lizard communities differ between undisturbed Cerrado habitats and disturbed abandoned Eucalyptus plantations; and if so, are these processes predictable. In addition, we explore the applicability of phylogenetic community structure indices as ecological indicators of anthropogenic disturbance in the Cerrado biodiversity hotspot.We address these questions at a local scale, recording lizard species richness and abundance along transects of undisturbed Cerrado and adjacent disturbed abandoned Eucalyptus plantations. Morphological measurements were collected from captured lizards to test for trait conservatism. We investigated if phylogenetic community structure is altered in a predictable manner by comparing (i) phylogenetic species variability, (ii) phylogenetic species richness and (iii) phylogenetic species evenness. To test for significant differences between undisturbed and disturbed communities, we performed two-tailed paired t-tests for each phylogenetic community index. We also test for phylogenetic clustering and overdispersion to determine if potential processes assembling lizard communities differ between undisturbed and disturbed communities. Furthermore, we compare phylogenetic community structure indices to other commonly used diversity indices (taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity) to evaluate their applicability as ecological indicators of anthropogenic disturbance in the Cerrado.We demonstrated phylogenetic clustering in two out of three of the undisturbed Cerrado lizard communities supporting habitat filtering as the potential dominant assembly process; whereas 67% of the disturbed Eucalyptus communities showed phylogenetic overdispersion supporting competition as the potential predominate assembly process. This indicates anthropogenic disturbance, in the form of abandoned Eucalyptus plantations, may alter phylogenetic community structure in a predictable manner, leading to the loss of closely related species in the disturbed plantation forests. The highly endemic biota of the Cerrado is composed of closely related species that share similar traits for survival, most likely a consequence of frequent episodic fires during the dry season. Interestingly, phylogenetic community structure indices and diversity indices did not converge on the same disturbed site to prioritize for active restoration; thereby, providing a cautionary tale on the applicability of the indices as ecological indicators for the Cerrado biodiversity.

Protecting forests at the expense of native grasslands: Land-use policy encourages open-habitat loss in the Brazilian cerrado biome

The agricultural conversion of natural habitats is one of the main drivers of biodiversity loss worldwide. In the ∼2million km2 Brazilian cerrado biome, a global biodiversity hotspot, vast areas have been converted into croplands and cattle pastures. Because the cerrado biome is overwhelmingly contained within private lands, Brazil's environmental legislation should serve as a decisive instrument in protecting these natural ecosystems. We assessed the role of Legal Reserves (LRs), legally defined as the minimum proportion of private landholdings set aside to protect natural vegetation, in the conservation of the cerrado biome. We assume that the property-scale allocation of LRs is primarily based on economic decision-making, creating a bias against cerrado protection. We therefore assessed the area ratio between forest vegetation (FV) and grassland vegetation (GV) areas across LRs within 48,762 landholdings, 9 formal protected areas (PAs) and 34 Indigenous Lands (ILs) within the cerrado (sensu lato) of the 903,357-km2 state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. We show that there are 7.26ha of forest lands for each hectare of native grasslands within private RLs of the cerrado biome within Mato Grosso, a ratio almost three-fold larger than that found in formal PAs and ILs. ILs protect in absolute values (hectares) six-fold more native grassland vegetation than PAs. We discuss the policy relevance of this severe land-use bias in maintaining the heterogeneity of cerrado habitats for biodiversity conservation within private properties, which account for 90% of the entire cerrado biome.

Two new species of Aegopsis Burmeister, 1847 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae) from the central Brazilian Cerrado.

Two new species of Aegopsis Burmeister, 1847 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Dynastinae: Agaocephalini), Aegopsis diceratops Sobral Grossi new species and Aegopsis vazdemelloi Sobral Grossi new species, are described and illustrated based on specimens collected in Cerrado habitat in the Brazilian states of Minas Gerais and Mato Grosso. The new species are similar to A. bolboceridus (Thomson, 1860). A redescription of A. bolboceridus is provided along with remarks comparing characters among these three species. A distribution map and a male and female key to the species in the genus are provided.

Fire affects the occurrence of small mammals at distinct spatial scales in a neotropical savanna

Fire is a major disturbance event that affects biomes worldwide, altering vegetation structure and flora and fauna assemblages. Here, we investigated the effects of an extensive wildfire (~ 6240 ha) on small mammal assemblages in savanna woodland (cerradao) at two spatial scales (meso- and macrohabitat) in a neotropical savanna (Brazilian Cerrado). At each spatial scale, we assessed relationships between habitat structure and small mammal species composition and abundance before and after the fire in four natural patches (one burned, three unburned) using partial redundancy analysis. From July 2009 to October 2013, we captured 1319 individuals belonging to 14 species. Our results showed that the fire had consequences for small mammal assemblage at both scales. After the fire, the burned patch differed from the other patches in vegetation attributes and species composition. At a fine scale, fire increased the herbaceous layer and decreased the litter layer and understory obstruction. On a larger scale, the main consequences of fire on vegetation structure were increased variation in litter depth, tree diameter, and distance to the nearest tree. We observed a relationship between mesohabitat structure and the abundance of species with different habitat requirements during the post-fire succession. Fire favored the invasion of generalist species from open Cerrado habitats (rodents Calomys tener, Calomys expulsus, Cerradomys scotti, and Necromys lasiurus) at the expense of more specialized forest species. Our results reinforce the relevance of incorporating multi-scale habitat heterogeneity in future studies assessing the effects of fire on wildlife.

Revised typification of Gomphrena argentina (Amaranthaceae s. str.)

Gomphrena Linnaeus (1753: 224) (Gomphrenoideae Schinz, Amaranthaceae Juss.) is a genus including about 120 species, with center of diversity in the New World, and higher species richness in Central Andes, in argentinean and bolivian Puna, and Caatinga, and Cerrado habitats in Brazil (see e.g., Muller & Borsch 2005; Sánchez del Pino et al. 2009).

A molecular phylogeny of the genus Diplusodon (Lythraceae), endemic to the campos rupestres and cerrados of South America

AbstractDiplusodon is the second–largest genus of the Lythraceae with 103 species of shrubs or subshrubs endemic to the Cerrado Domain. Many species are narrow endemics, restricted to campos rupestres on quartzite rocks, while others are found in cerrado and, more rarely, in gallery, or dry forest margins. Phylogenetic relationships inferred from nuclear ITS and ETS sequences strongly support the monophyly of Diplusodon. We found four major clades, three of which are strongly correlated with endemism and are centered in the Espinhaço Range (CEP), the Plateau Goiano (PG) and the Chapada Diamantina (CD). The fourth clade was designated the Cerrado clade (C), containing species from all three centers of diversity as well as widely distributed species and several species of lower–elevation cerrado. Species with the most plesiomorphic features occur in the clades east of the São Francisco River (C, CEP, CD), while the greatest morphological diversity is found in the PG. The crown node of the genus is estimated to date to the late Pliocene, likely diversifying in the campos rupestres, where most of the later Pleistocene speciation bursts also appear to have occurred. These patterns of diversification in Diplusodon appear to agree with old stable landscapes (OSL) theory, where high levels of in situ speciation in islands of campo rupestre, possibly isolated by more intense fire regimes of the surrounding cerrado vegetation, resulted in accumulation of high numbers of microendemic species. However, the adaptability of the genus is evidenced by multiple dispersal events to lower elevation cerrado, several long–distance dispersals, notably in the C clade, and the presence, in several clades, of species found both in campo rupestre and cerrado habitats.

The anurofauna of a vanishing savanna: the case of the Brazilian Cerrado

The second largest biome in Brazil, the Cerrado has been transformed into a highly mechanized and intensive agricultural area, with little public opposition. The native anurofauna is rich in species number and endemisms, but has long been regarded as a generalist community originated from neighboring biomes. The accelerated degradation of Cerrado habitats caused by agriculture is bound to affect local anuran communities. This review aims to investigate the effects of anthropogenic activities on local amphibians. Despite a clear paucity, the existing studies indicate that, while this community may be more resilient to some anthropogenic activities (e.g. fire) than their forest counterparts, agricultural environments are strongly dominated by generalist species. Susceptibility to agro-cattle land-uses appears to be determined by specializations, especially regarding habitat and breeding strategies. Natural vegetation fragments are important for maintaining diverse anuran communities in agroecosystems. Agrochemicals cause histopathologic alterations and potential decreased fitness. Chytridiomycosis has been recorded in species extant in the biome, including endemics. The anurofauna appears to be especially sensitive to hydroelectric dams, as even previously common, widespread and generalist species declined or disappeared after dam flooding. Latest predictions indicate the occupation of the Cerrado will proceed northward, which, coupled with climate change, will cause great loss of biodiversity. Only a small portion of suitable natural habitats will remain in northern Cerrado, with amphibian richness being reduced to less than half. We conclude that less popular biomes may benefit from trait-oriented reviews to assess and guide future scientific and conservation projects.

Flight-call as species-specific signal in South American parrots and the effect of species relatedness in call similarity

Vocal communication is fundamental to regulate the social interactions in most gregarious species especially after dispersal movements for foraging or predator escape. A species common acoustic signal may be beneficial to group members and is especially critical in species that disperse large distances like parrots. In this study, we investigated whether parrots flight-calls carry species-specific characteristics and tested its variability within and across species. We also assessed the hypothesis of relationship between similarity in species flight-calls and phylogeny. We studied the flight-calls of 10 parrot species all occurring in Cerrado habitat in central Brazil. Our results show that, spectrum wise, there is not a discrete spectral partition between species flight-calls. Flight-calls are conservative within most of the species. Both spectral and temporal dimensions contribute to the difference between species. The species specificity of the calls was confirmed by cross correlation approach. Nevertheless, we found a difference in the call variability with some species exhibiting stereotyped calls (e.g. Amazona aestiva) while others exhibited variable calls (Brotogeris chiriri), suggesting that the function of the flight-call may differ between species, from conveying species signatures to more specific information like group or individual signature. As expected, closely related species have more similar calls. These results show that parrots flight-calls have species-specific characteristics. In some species, these calls can potentially be used in the maintenance of the group or could code other type of information, suggesting that flight-calls may play different roles depending of the species life history.

The Taxonomic Status ofOligoryzomys mattogrossae(Allen 1916) (Rodentia: Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae), Reservoir of Anajatuba Hantavirus

Species of the cricetid genus Oligoryzomys are found across most Neotropical biomes, and several of them play important roles as natural reservoirs of hantaviruses and arenaviruses. Here we demonstrate that O. mattogrossae, previously considered a junior synonym of O. microtis, is a valid species, and that it is the oldest available name for specimens previously identified as O. fornesi from Brazil and northern Paraguay. Comparative morphology and phylogenetic analyses based on mitochondrial (cytochrome b) and nuclear (intron 7 of beta-fibrinogen) genes show that O. mattogrossae differs from its sister species O. microtis and from other forms of the genus, corroborating previously published karyological data. Oligoryzomys mattogrossae occurs in Cerrado and Caatinga habitats throughout central and northeastern Brazil and Paraguay, whereas distribution of O. fornesi is apparently restricted to southern Paraguay and northernmost Argentina. Specimens of O. mattogrossae were found to be the natural reservoir of the Anajatuba genotype of hantavirus in northeastern Brazil. Therefore, continuing efforts to delimit Oligoryzomys species and facilitate their identification are important for zoonotic monitoring.

Adaptive and diagnostic significance of the bark of Stryphnodendron polyphyllum (Leguminosae) from the Cerrado

Bark comprises structurally and functionally complex plant tissues, providing a rich source of traits for taxonomic, phylogenetic, evolutionary and ecological studies. We compared bark traits of Stryphnodendron polyphyllum Mart. (Leguminosae) specimens growing in two Cerrado habitats (cerrado sensu stricto and gallery forest, being fire-prone and non-fire-prone habitats respectively), to determine which bark traits could be considered diagnostic and adaptively informative. We analysed the anatomy and thickness of the periderm, cortex, primary and secondary phloem, and also the bark histochemistry. Stryphnodendron polyphyllum is distinctive from other Stryphnodendron species reported in the literature, by the presence of a rhytidome, stratified lenticels and the non-collapsed parenchyma cells in the non-conducting phloem, which are, therefore, diagnostic traits for this species. Bark of S. polyphyllum showed a trade-off in resource allocation between the periderm and secondary phloem, whereas the thicker rhytidome seemed to be associated with fire protection in specimens from the fire-prone habitat, the wider sieve tubes in the thicker conducting secondary phloem indicated efficiency of photosynthate transport in the specimens from non-fire-prone habitat.

Effects of glyphosate acid and the glyphosate-commercial formulation (Roundup) on Dimorphandra wilsonii seed germination: Interference of seed respiratory metabolism

Glyphosate-formulations are widely used in the Brazilian Cerrado (neotropical savanna) with little or no control, threatening population of the endangered species Dimorphandra wilsonii. We investigated the toxicity of different concentrations (0, 5, 25 and 50 mg l−1) of glyphosate acid and one of its formulations (Roundup®) on seed germination in D. wilsonii. Glyphosate acid and Roundup drastically decreased seed germination by decreasing seed respiration rates. The activation of antioxidant enzymes, ascorbate peroxidase and catalase assure no hydrogen peroxide accumulation in exposed seeds. Glyphosate acid and the Roundup-formulation negatively affected the activities of enzymes associated with the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC), with Complex III as its precise target. The toxicity of Roundup-formulation was greater than that of glyphosate acid due to its greater effects on respiration. The herbicide glyphosate must impair D. wilsonii seed germination by disrupting the mitochondrial ETC, resulting in decreased energy (ATP) production. Our results therefore indicate the importance of avoiding (or closely regulating) the use of glyphosate-based herbicides in natural Cerrado habitats of D. wilsonni as they are toxic to seed germination and therefore threaten conservation efforts. It will likewise be important to investigate the effects of glyphosate on the seeds of other species and to investigate the impacts of these pesticides elsewhere in the world.

Effects of vegetation structure on the diversity of bats in remnants of Brazilian Cerrado savanna

The Brazilian Cerrado savanna has a considerable diversity of bat species. Given current trends in the loss and fragmentation of habitat, understanding the structure of bat communities will contribute to the preservation of the group. We investigated the effects of spacing and temporal variation in vegetation structure on the structure of bat communities. We inventoried the bat communities of nine Cerrado fragments and analyzed alterations in the vegetation over a 5-year period using a time series of Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) values, with spatial filters to evaluate spatial autocorrelation. We found that the temporal variation in vegetation structure and the spatial autocorrelation had a negative effect on total beta diversity and its turnover fraction. The species composition was most similar in the fragments closest together where the vegetation was densest in the past. Given the influence of the environment and spacing on local bat communities, we concluded that the metacommunity is structured according to the mass-effect model, with the bat species being substituted along an environmental gradient, although this pattern is diluted by dispersal. As the bat communities respond to temporal alterations in the vegetation, we conclude that it will be necessary to monitor this variation systematically to guarantee the long-term diversity of chiropterans in the Cerrado. This finding is especially relevant given the progressive and ongoing anthropogenic degradation of Cerrado habitats observed in recent decades.

Nesting habits of Centris (Hemisiella) dichrootricha (Hymenoptera: Apidae) in the Northern Cerrado of Brazil.

The Neotropical bee Centris (Hemisiella) dichrootricha is a solitary bee that nests in pre-existing cavities that occur in the rain forest. This study describes the nesting biology of C. dichrootricha and its preference for nesting in Cerrado and gallery forest habitats. The study was conducted from January 2012 and December 2013, in Mirador State Park in the municipality of Formosa da Serra Negra, Maranhão State, Brazil. For this, wooden trap-nests of 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 mm in diameter were used; a total of 300 trap-nests were placed in the gallery forest and Cerrado areas, respectively. Traps were monitored monthly and all completed nests were collected and replaced with empty ones. The nests were then taken to the laboratory to analyze bee development and emergence, nests characteristics and parasites presence. The species used 29 of the trap-nests, which had diameters of 8, 10, 12 and 14 mm. A total of 87 C. dichrootricha specimens emerged. The nests were parasitized by two bee species, Mesocheira bicolor (Apinae) and Coelioxys sp. (Megachilinae), and one fly species, Antrax sp. (Diptera). The highest nesting incidence of 72.4 % was observed in the gallery forest, whereas only 27.6 % in the Cerrado; this difference in habitat use was significant (χ² = 5.56; p < 0.05; DF = 1). For the nests that were built in the gallery forest, 80.9% of the soil originated from the Cerrado. The females were significantly larger than the males (F1, 76 = 595.19; p < 0.001). There were 11 pollen types that belonged to six families. Pollen of the family Malpighiaceae was most frequently used, with four species represented (Byrsonima crassifolia, B. rotunda, B. spicata and Heteropterys sp.). C. dichrootricha showed a preference for nesting in cavities of various diameters in gallery forest sites. The present study provides a novel description of the nesting habits and biology of C. dichrootricha in habitats of Central/Southern Maranhão. C. dichrootricha primarily used resources from the Cerrado, including soil to build their nests, pollen and floral oils; we concluded that gallery forest and Cerrado areas are intrinsically related to the maintenance of local populations of this species.