Chapada Das Mesas Research Articles

Cerrado physiognomies in Chapada das Mesas National Park (Maranhão, Brazil) revealed by patterns of floristic similarity and relationships in a transition zone.

The Chapada das Mesas National Park is a federal reserve located in the State of Maranhão, in an ecotonal region of the Brazilian Northeast Cerrado. Aiming to assess the influence of biogeographic patterns and support restoration actions for regions where information is scarce, we analyzed the floristic composition of savanna and forest Cerrado physiognomies, the floristic relationships with other Brazilian Cerrado areas and investigated the floristic relationships between the Cerrado and the Amazon, and the Caatinga and Atlantic Forest biomes. A total of 242 species in 181 genera and 64 families are recorded in our study. Fabaceae was the most representative family. We report 50 new records of species for Maranhão, four new records for the Cerrado biome and one vulnerable species. The separation of the gallery forest from cerradão and typical cerrado by ordination shows the influence of water availability and soil characteristics on floristic composition. In Cerrado ecotonal regions, such as Mato Grosso and Maranhão, the presence of species shared with the Amazon is expressive. In addition to the Amazon, physiognomies had greater floristic connection with the Caatinga flora. Our data demonstrates that the marginal areas of the Brazilian Cerrado may present high species diversity.

Percepção de povos tradicionais do Cerrado sobre a implantação do Parque Nacional da Chapada das Mesas, Maranhão

O Parque Nacional da Chapada das Mesas, foi criado em 2005, com objetivo de proteger a diversidade florística, faunística, espécies endêmicas, atributos naturais, como a presença de 400 nascentes de rios e morrarias esculpidas pelo processo de intemperismo natural presentes na região conhecida como Chapada das Mesas localizada no domínio fitogeográfico de Cerrado, no Sul do Maranhão, Brasil. Alguns aspectos a serem abordados quando se cria uma unidade de conservação são os conflitos gerados pela limitação da exploração dos recursos naturais pelos moradores do lugar, onde se implantará áreas protegidas e a questão fundiária. Neste sentido, a pesquisa teve como objetivo investigar a participação dos moradores no processo de criação do Parque Nacional da Chapada das Mesas. A pesquisa foi descritiva, com aplicação de formulários a 40 moradores. Verificou-se que 77,5% residem no Parque antes de sua criação, 75% não participaram do projeto de implantação da unidade de conservação e 50% foram contra. Com a perspectiva de as famílias ficarem morando dentro do Parque e com a elaboração do Plano de Manejo, espera-se que os moradores compreendam a importância do Parque Nacional para preservação desse ecossistema e passe a apoiar sua implantação.

Acrocarpic mosses (Bryophyta) of Chapada das Mesas National Park, Maranhão, Brazil

Chapada das Mesas National Park is located in southwestern Maranhão state, Brazil and comprises several forest types characteristic of the Brazilian Cerrado. We contribute to the knowledge of the distribution of Brazilian bryoflora and provide a list of moss species of Chapada das Mesas National Park. A total of 38 species of acrocarpic mosses were found, with Fissidentaceae being the richest family with 11 species. Of the species recorded, 22 are new occurrences for the state of Maranhão, and 4 of these are new records for the Northeast Region of Brazil. Most of the species recorded are broadly distributed in Brazil (66%), while restricted species represented just 10%. The most common acrocarpic moss species were Hyophila involuta (Hook.) A. Jaeger and Octoblepharum albidum Hedw.

Two New Species of the Carnivorous Genus Philcoxia (Plantaginaceae) from the Brazilian Cerrado

Abstract The genus Philcoxia (Plantaginaceae) was published less than 20 yr ago, based on three species, and its circumscription has been broadened more recently with the description of two additional species. Here we report the discovery of two new species from the Brazilian Cerrado, bringing the number of currently known species of Philcoxia to seven. We describe and illustrate the new species and provide notes on their taxonomy, morphology, habitat, geographic distribution, phenology, and conservation status, along with a key to all species of the genus. Philcoxia maranhensis is characterized by the non-peltate, cordiform leaves and glandular-pubescent bracts, and is endemic to the Chapada das Mesas, southwestern Maranhao; Philcoxia courensis is characterized by a more developed underground system and is endemic to the Chapada dos Veadeiros, northern Goias. Both species are assessed as Critically Endangered (CR).

A data-based model for predicting wildfires in Chapada das Mesas National Park in the State of Maranhão

Chapada das Mesas National Park extends over an area of 160,046 ha in the municipalities of Carolina, Riachao, Estreito and Imperatriz in the south central region of the state of Maranhao, northeast Brazil, in a savanna-like biome known as the Cerrado. The park has a rich biodiversity, making the need for conservation all the more important. The weather conditions in the region increase the likelihood of wildfires, so that a monitoring and control system for the area is needed to help conservation efforts. This article proposes a methodology that uses data-mining techniques to predict outbreaks of wildfires in the park some hours in advance. Predictive models using wildfire records and a meteorology dataset for 11 months in 2010 were built. Two different classification techniques for predicting wildfires were used: artificial neural networks and classification rules. The two models built with these techniques showed good accuracy when tested with the validation samples and could be used as additional tools for predicting the risk of fires in the area.

Chemical Composition and Larvicidal Activity of Essential Oils Extracted from Brazilian Legal Amazon Plants against Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae).

The mosquito Aedes aegypti L. (Diptera: Culicidae) is the major vector of dengue and chikungunya fever. The lack of effective therapies and vaccines for these diseases highlights the need for alternative strategies to control the spread of virus. Therefore, this study investigated the larvicidal potential of essential oils from common plant species obtained from the Chapada das Mesas National Park, Brazil, against third instar A. aegypti larvae. The chemical composition of these oils was determined by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The essential oils of Eugenia piauhiensis Vellaff., Myrcia erythroxylon O. Berg, Psidium myrsinites DC., and Siparuna camporum (Tul.) A. DC. were observed to be mainly composed of sesquiterpene hydrocarbons. The essential oil of Lippia gracilis Schauer was composed of oxygenated monoterpenes. Four of the five tested oils were effective against the A. aegypti larvae, with the lethal concentration (LC50) ranging from 230 to 292 mg/L after 24 h of exposure. Overall, this work demonstrated the possibility of developing larvicidal products against A. aegypti by using essential oils from the flora of the Brazilian Legal Amazon. This in turn demonstrates the potential of using natural resources for the control of disease vectors.