Cerrado Remnants Research Articles

Pollen inventory in urban remnants of Cerrado in midwest Brazil

Studies focusing on plant-pollinator interactions in urban environments aim to understand how the anthropized landscape affects interactions and, consequently, the reproductive success of plants. In these studies, the identification of plant species visited can be performed through focal observations and the analysis of pollen loads carried by vectors. Therefore, pollen inventories are essential for assisting in studies focused on the analysis of pollen grains carried by pollinators and palynological studies, favoring the scientific interpretation of the biodiversity in each area. Data was collected over 12 months in 14 remnants of different physiognomies of the Cerrado domain within the urban perimeter of Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul. In these places, the 118 plant species distributed in 39 families that received visits from pollinating insects had their pollen grains photographed and characterized. The families with the highest number of species were Asteraceae, with 19 species (22.42%); Fabaceae, with 15 species (17.7%), and Malvaceae, with nine species (10.62%). The high representation of Asteraceae can be explained as its being the largest botanical family among Angiosperms, being adapted to various types of environments, and being very common in anthropized areas. This pollen guide can support future studies focused on plant-pollinator interactions, mostly in urban remnants of the Cerrado.

Feeding ecology of the Red-and-green Macaw (Ara chloropterus; Gray 1859) in a habitat mosaic from Cerrado.

In the Brazilian Cerrado, the Red-and-green Macaw (Ara chloropterus) populations are facing an accelerated rate of habitat loss. Despite this, their feeding areas and primary food sources remain poorly understood. In this study, I assessed the relationship between the diet of the Red-and-green Macaw and available food resources in a habitat mosaic from the fragmented Cerrado in Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. Red-and-green Macaws fed on 20 native and five exotic species, mainly in dry habitats (Cerrado, dry forest, and an urban area along the Maracaju Cliffs) during the dry season, while year-round foraging in the riparian vegetation (Aquidauana River and streams). Then, the number of feeding macaws paralleled variations in food abundance and diversity, besides the number of food species. On the other hand, by using a wide variety of abundant foods, macaws' diet breadth presented high values throughout the year. The seasonal consumption of large-seeded fruits across the habitat mosaic displayed a gradient ranging from the urban area to dry habitats, along which macaws ate from exotic to Cerrado species. In this respect, Terminalia catappa seeds and Mangifera indica fruit pulp were important for Red-and-green Macaws in the urban area during the wet season, while Caryocar brasiliense seeds comprised the same in the Cerrado. At this site, both Dipteryx alata and Buchenavia tomentosa seeds composed much of the Red-and-green Macaws' diet during the dry season. Between those habitats, in the watercourse vegetation, macaws frequently foraged on palm fruits across seasons. Therefore, throughout the year, the abundance and variety of food resources strongly influenced the number of foraging Red-and-green Macaws across the habitat mosaic. Understanding the effect of varying seed availability on the spatial and temporal abundance patterns of Red-and-green Macaws, which primarily feed on large-seeded species, is central to developing effective conservation strategies. Due to the accelerated habitat loss, the Maracaju Cliffs emerge as crucial for the Red-and-green Macaw among the Cerrado remnants of Mato Grosso do Sul.

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.

Landscape changes in the Cerrado: Challenges of land clearing, fragmentation and land tenure for biological conservation

Land clearing, low levels of protection, and high biodiversity make the Brazilian Cerrado a hotspot for biological conservation. However, one of the most active agricultural frontiers in Brazil is located in this region. We thus aimed to evaluate the current trends of deforestation and fragmentation of the Cerrado, from 1986 to 2019; and the contribution of land tenure and farm size to the Cerrado conservation. We divided the Cerrado (∼2 Mkm2) into three sub-regions and calculated the distribution and size of the fragments; core areas and edge distance; isolation and importance of the smallest fragments for reducing isolation; and connectivity for the years 1986, 1997, 2008, and 2019. We then evaluated vegetation cover and landscape metrics for public lands and private farms. Since 1986, 22 % of the Cerrado's remnant vegetation was cleared and the number of fragments increased by 20 %. Currently, 10 % of the Cerrado vegetation is under the effect of a 30 m edge. Isolation increased in all the sub-regions and smaller fragments (>100 ha) are important for landscape configuration. 10.82 % of the vegetation is preserved in public lands and 57.9 % in private farms, where 377,901.5 km2 could be legally cleared. Compared to other Brazilian regions, the northern Cerrado is relatively well connected and less fragmented but land clearing still threatens biodiversity. Public lands are important for connectivity and habitat amount but play a minor role when compared to private lands. Our results highlight that avoiding further land clearing of the Cerrado is a challenge that requires the engagement of different stakeholders at different levels.

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.

Filling the gap: medium and large mammals from a Cerrado remnant in Central Brazil

Filling the gap: medium and large mammals from a Cerrado remnant in Central Brazil

Effects of severe fires on the survival and body condition of Gracilinanus agilis in a Cerrado remnant

Effects of severe fires on the survival and body condition of Gracilinanus agilis in a Cerrado remnant

Seasonal Semideciduous Forest and Cerrado Floristic composition of fragments in Serra das Flores, Ibiapaba Plateau, Ceará, Brazil

Abstract The state of Ceará is located in the Northeast region of Brazil, which has a varied climatic condition, being predominantly formed by Caatinga vegetation, and there may also be remnants of Cerrado and other Semideciduous Seasonal Forest. The objective of this work was to carry out a floristic survey in vegetation fragments of Semideciduous Seasonal Forest and Cerrado found in the part of Serra das Flores located in the municipality of Viçosa do Ceará. Para tal, foram realizadas 12 coletas na área ao longo do ano de 2019. 220 species were recorded, belonging to 154 genera and 62 families. The most representative families in this area were Fabaceae (38 spp.), Rubiaceae (15 spp.) and Myrtaceae (nine spp.). The predominant habit were herbs and shrubs. The richest fragment was the Cerrado with 171 species, with the Typical Cerrado (104 spp.) phytophysiognomy being the most representative. Of the total species, most are native, 16 are new records for Ceará, 12 are endemic to the Caatinga domain and seven are endemic to the Cerrado. Thus, the present site presents a high heterogeneity of species, in addition to varied habits, new records and endemic species of Cerrado and Caatinga.

Pteridaceae in remnants of Cerrado in Maranhão state, Brazil

Abstract. The Pteridaceae is one of the most diverse families of ferns, with representatives adapted to diverse habitats ranging from aquatic to dry environments. It is the most species-rich family of ferns in the Brazilian Cerrado, although it is still poorly known in some areas of this domain in Maranhão state. Our objective was to investigate the diversity of Pteridaceae in Cerrado remnants in Maranhão. We based our study on the morphological analyses of specimens deposited in the herbaria, as well as additional new collections made by us and collaborators. Five genera comprising 15 species were recorded. Illustrations, an identification key, taxonomic comments, habitat, and geographic distribution are provided.

FEEDING ECOLOGY OF A PARROT ASSEMBLAGE IN THE BRAZILIAN CERRADO

In this study, during two years, I documented the feeding habits of a parrot assemblage in response to food resources offer (abundance, nº of food species, and diversity), across a habitat mosaic in the Brazilian Cerrado. In addition, to each parrot species, I compared variations in those parameters across seasons, as well as in the feeding niche breadth. The feeding activity of every parrot species paralleled both food abundance and the number of food species available. In fact, despite fluctuations, food abundance, the number of food species, and diversity exhibited similar values through seasons, suggesting a trend for adequate food supply across the three major habitat types (palm swamp, gallery forest, and the dominant Cerrado vegetation). Excepting Orthopsittaca manilata (foraged only on Mauritia flexuosa fruit pulp), all other five species (Ara ararauna, Amazona aestiva, Alipiopsitta xanthops, Eupsittula aurea, and Diopsittaca nobilis) showed wide feeding niche breadth. Their broad diets resulted from the opportunist use of a rich collection of seasonal food species. Moreover, they presented diet association according to plant part eaten, in which parrot’s diet displayed a gradient that had an increasingly greater dominance of seeds (A. ararauna, A. aestiva, and A. aurea), to a diet composed mainly by fruit pulp and flowers (A. xanthops, and D. nobilis). The accelerated fragmentation process of the Brazilian Cerrado has been suppressing habitat types in which unpredictable and scattered food patches might be available to parrots. Thus, conservation plans should prioritize the inclusion of habitat mosaics, at least, in the form documented here. As a concern, in the smaller Cerrado remnants, food resources available may be scarce, mainly in terms of the variety and abundance year-round required by parrots.

Final instar larva of Neocordulia volxemi (Selys, 1874) (Odonata, Libelluloidea) from southeastern Brazil

Neocordulia is a Neotropical genus with 16 species distributed in the South and Central Americas. To date, only seven larvae of this genus have been described. Here we describe the final instar larva of Neocordulia volxemi (Selys, 1874), collected in the Environmental Protection Area of the Uberaba River Basin in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. The metallic–green adults were found flying in a forested area in a Conservation Unit, while the larvae were found in a waterfall and surrounding rocky walls. The Cerrado remnant area is currently threatened by degraded pastures and increasing areas of monoculture agriculture.

Tão perto, no entanto distante: a menor Estação Ecológica de Cerrado do Brasil e os moradores do seu entorno

The Cerrado biome occupies approximately 22% of the Brazilian territory and is present in the state of Paraná in seven municipalities, among them Campo Mourão. Currently the Cerrado remnants in the municipality are concentrated in the urban area, mainly in the Estação Ecológica do Cerrado Prof.ª Diva Aparecida Camargo - EEC (the smallest Cerrado ecological station in Brazil with 13,330 m2) and plot 7H (~22,000 m²). In this work, we interviewed 25 residents about their perception of the EEC’s surroundings through a map of social representation having as central core the elements ‘Good/Good’ and peripheral elements as ‘important, trees, taste, preservation, fresh and abandoned’. It was observed a predominantly positive evaluation of the residents, however, there is little understanding of the importance of the Cerrado vegetation and the EEC.

Habitat fragmentation rather than habitat amount or habitat split reduces the diversity and abundance of ground-dwelling anurans within forest remnants of the Brazilian Cerrado

Rampant deforestation has caused the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats, which has precipitated a global biodiversity crisis. Research on how land-use change contributes to a loss of biodiversity is urgently needed, especially in ecosystems that have undergone rapid anthropogenic changes. We sought to investigate the extent to which habitat loss, fragmentation, and habitat split (the separation of forest and aquatic habitats) negatively influenced taxonomic diversity, functional diversity, total abundance, and the individual abundances of five anuran species in the Brazilian Cerrado. We sampled anurans between December 2017 and March 2018 using pitfall traps at sites distributed along a gradient of habitat fragmentation/habitat split: unfragmented forest, forest fragments without habitat split, and forest fragments with habitat split. Forest cover was measured within a 1-km radius of each site. Sites within unfragmented forests had higher taxonomic and functional diversities than either fragment type. Taxonomic diversity was highly correlated with functional diversity, but we did not find a pattern to the loss of functional traits. Total anuran abundance and the abundances of Chiasmocleis albopunctata, Physalaemus cuvieri, and Rhinella diptycha were higher in unfragmented forests compared to forest fragments. No species was more abundant in fragments than in unfragmented forests. Our results indicate that the fragmentation of forests by agricultural land use is directly and indirectly responsible for the loss of taxonomic and functional diversity, as well as for reducing population sizes of ground-dwelling anurans. Although we did not find a distinct effect of habitat split on ground-dwelling anurans, our study underscores the importance of preserving continuous forest habitats for the maintenance of anuran diversity in the Cerrado.

A Expansion of the geographic distribution and conservation status of Paullinia cearensis Somner & Ferrucci (Sapindaceae)

Paullinia cearensis Somner & Ferrucci (Sapindaceae) is an endemic species of Northeastern Brazil, hitherto known from the states of Ceará and Piauí, in areas of Caatinga and Atlantic Forest. The species is being recorded for the first time in the state of Maranhão and in the Brazilian Cerrado. It was collected in Morro do Alecrim, a remnant of Cerrado, in Caxias-Maranhão, during a botanical expedition in January 2021, where the species was found with fruits. A morphological description, taxonomic comments, data on geographic distribution, detailed images of the species, and an assessment of its conservation status, categorized as endangered, are presented. This data will contribute to the knowledge and conservation of this species for the northeastern flora.

Fungos corticioides e poroides (Basidiomycota) que habitam madeira da Reserva Ecológica da Universidade Estadual de Goiás, um remanescente do Cerrado Brasileiro

Abstract Corticioid and poroid fungi are traditional morphological groups composed of ligninolytic species. Due to their efficiency in wood decomposition process, many species have great ecological importance, especially in nutrient cycling, as well as for their biotechnological properties. Nevertheless, knowledge about these fungi is scarce in many phytogeographic regions of Brazil, as is the case of the Cerrado, since mycodiversity studies in this biome are mainly focused on areas of the São Paulo state. Here we present the taxonomic inventory of corticioid and poroid fungi from the Reserva Ecológica da Universidade Estadual de Goiás (REC-UEG), a Cerrado remnant in Anápolis, Goiás, Brazil. The area is covered by three typical Cerrado landscapes (cerrado stricto sensu, mesophilic forest, and gallery forest), widely explored for scientific and educational purposes by the academic and regional community which seeks to learn about and preserve its biodiversity. Exsiccates deposited in the fungarium of the Universidade Estadual de Goiás (HUEG-Fungi) were analyzed. They are the result of collections made over 20 years, in approximately 103 ha of the reserve. Samples were characterized macro and microscopically and identified based on specialized literature. 51 species were recognized, which are distributed in 33 genera, 15 families, and five orders. Species were most frequent in forested areas and among them, six are new occurrence records for the Cerrado, nine for the Midwest region, and nine for the Goiás state. These results contribute to increase the knowledge of these fungi in the Cerrado, as well as geographic distribution, and show the relevance of preserving the reserve for the regional Funga representativity.

Composição florística, modos de polinização e dispersão de sementes de uma área de cerrado relevante para conservação

Abstract: Cerrado remnants can hold an important diversity of plant species of environmental and ecological relevance. We presented a checklist of vascular plants based on 12 years of inventory carried out in 36 plots (10 m x 2 m; 0.18 ha in total) and during unsystematic walks in a remnant area of cerrado sensu stricto located at Itirapina municipality, state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil. The list comprised 195 plant species, corresponding to 54 families and 131 genera. The richest families were Fabaceae (25 species), Asteraceae (16), Myrtaceae (16), Rubiaceae (11), Bignoniaceae and Malpighiaceae (10 each), Melastomataceae (9), and Erythroxylaceae, Sapindaceae and Annonaceae (6). Predominant life forms included shrubs and trees, with 68% of the species, followed by lianas with 12%, sub-shrub and herbs with 10% each. Bees were the dominant pollinators (67,5%) and the majority of species had seeds dispersed by animals (56.8%), mostly by birds, followed by wind (33.3%) and self-dispersed (11.2%). More than 60% of the total species were classified as “typical” Cerrado species. Bowdichia virgilioides was the only species classified as Near Threatened (NT) and 157 were regarded as Data Deficient (DD). Our dataset provides floristic, structural, and ecological information for one of the targeted areas for Cerrado survey at São Paulo state, contributing to the understanding of diversity patterns and future conservation and restoration actions in this threatened hotspot.

Effects of Deforestation over the Cerrado Landscape: A Study in the Bahia Frontier

The losses in the Brazilian Cerrado raise the need to understand the border regions between human activities and Cerrado remnants. This work aims to answer the questions: How does the landscape change in a deforestation area in the Brazilian Cerrado, and where do the losses of native Cerrado occur in the landscape context? We chose the Cerrado of Bahia, an area of the agricultural frontier, and used landscape metrics, and land use and land cover data from 2013 and 2020, to quantify the changes in the landscape. We built a typology of landscape patterns to classify and characterize the Cerrado landscapes, based on the landscape metrics, and land use and land cover data from TerraClass Cerrado 2013. From these parameters, a decision tree classifier enabled the classification of the landscape types. Then, we used the yearly deforestation data from PRODES Cerrado to obtain the native cover and the landscape metrics for 2020. The predominant landscape in 2013 was the Intermediate Stage of Fragmentation (32.53%), followed by the Initial Stage of Fragmentation (31.26%), Consolidated Pasture (16.4%), Consolidated Agriculture (9.78%), Mixed Landscapes (5.59%) and Native Cerrado (4.70%). The continuous Cerrado borders on areas in an initial and intermediate stage of fragmentation, putting pressure on the native area. The losses in native cover do not occur in consolidated landscapes or inside the continuous Cerrado. Instead, there is a process of vegetation conversion over the landscapes in the initial and intermediate stages of fragmentation, and landscapes where the matrix is heterogeneous. These factors signal the need to preserve the contiguous fragments of Cerrado.

Cerrado vegetation conversion into exotic pastures negatively impacts flower chafer beetle assemblages in the west-Central Brazil

The native vegetation conversion into exotic pastures has been some of the most common land changes in the Brazilian Cerrado, causing biodiversity declines. However, our understanding of how biodiversity communities are responding to this activity is still limited for many biological groups. In this study, we evaluated the effects of Cerrado vegetation conversion into exotic pastures on flower chafer beetle assemblages. We sampled flower chafer beetles using aerial fruit baited-traps, every two weeks from October to December 2013, in five sites of Brazilian Cerrado (sensu stricto) and in five sites of exotic pastures (Urochloa spp.) in Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. A total 311 individuals from three genera and seven species were sampled. The species richness and abundance of flower chafer beetles were higher in Cerrado remnants. Species composition was similar between Cerrado remnants and exotic pastures in position, but was different in dispersion. Our results demonstrate that Cerrado conversion into exotic pastures reduces the abundance and species richness of flower chafer beetles, causing the alteration in species composition in terms of dispersion. Although these beetles can be ‘guests’ in exotic pasture sites, using them as ecological corridors, exotic pastures establishment negatively impacts flower chafer beetle assemblages in the Brazilian Cerrado.

Ferns and lycophytes of the Cerrado State Park, Paraná, Brazil

Abstract We present a checklist of the ferns and lycophytes from the Cerrado State Park, Jaguariaíva, Paraná, Brazil. This region represents the southernmost limit of Cerrado vegetation in Brazil. The park is located along the Devonian Escarpment, one of the most iconic geological formations in southern Brazil. The remnants of Cerrado in Paraná are relics of a colder and drier climate that occurred during the Last Glacial Maximum, about 5,600 years ago. They are now surrounded by natural grasslands and Araucaria Forest, which is typical of southern Brazil. We recorded 112 species (102 ferns and ten lycophytes), from 51 genera and 16 families. Ten species were first recorded in the Devonian Escarpment, and Ctenitis bigarellae and Tryonia areniticola are rare. None of the species are endemic to the Cerrado and most are typical of the humid forests of Eastern Brazil. We provide notes and illustrations for all species.

Impacts of Exotic Pasture Establishment on Dung Beetle Assemblages (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) in the Brazilian Cerrado.

The Brazilian Cerrado is the second largest Neotropical biome and an important hotspot of biodiversity. However, land use change in this ecosystem is producing landscapes with modified natural environments and anthropogenic environments, such as exotic pastures. In this study, we evaluated how conversion of native Cerrado vegetation to exotic pastures affects the dung beetle assemblages (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae). We sampled dung beetles in four areas of Cerrado (sensu stricto) and in four areas of exotic pastures (Urochloa spp.) in Aquidauana, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. In all, 7,544 individuals from 43 species of dung beetles were collected, and 19 species were found in both the Cerrado and exotic pastures. The abundance and species richness of dung beetles were higher in Cerrado remnants. Species composition differed between Cerrado and exotic pastures, where 11 species were classified as specialists of Cerrado, 10 species were considered specialists of exotic pastures, and 6 species were habitat generalists. Roller beetles were most negatively affected by exotic pasture establishment. We demonstrated that exotic pasture establishment has a negative impact on dung beetle assemblages in Brazilian Cerrado. The decline in abundance and richness of roller beetles has important implications for the understanding of ecosystem functioning because it can reduce the ecological functions performed by dung beetle assemblages in exotic pastures. Finally, the high number of dung beetle species shared between Cerrado and exotic pastures suggests that the Cerrado remnants is a fundamental requirement for the conservation of biodiversity of dung beetles in exotic pastures in the Brazilian Cerrado.