Conservation Of Forest Remnants Research Articles

Co-Creating Strategies to Optimize Traditional Silvopastoral Systems through the Management of Native Trees in Caívas in Southern Brazil

The conservation of forest remnants in southern Brazil is closely related to historical land use, for example in systems such as caívas that occur within remnants of the Araucaria Forest and include livestock production and the extraction of yerba mate. Over the last decade, technologies adapted for these systems have been developed that promote a significant increase in animal productivity, without harming forest regeneration or the maintenance of the tree layer. However, the fertilization of pastures proposed in the technology has also promoted greater growth of native trees, with a consequent increase in shade levels. This, in turn, has affected the maintenance of pasture and yerba mate in the understory. Thus, this study sought to develop a methodology to adjust shade levels based on forest management that adheres to the limits permitted by current legislation. The objective was to evaluate the effect of tree management to maintain 50% shade levels on environmental indicators in a caíva that has been implementing pasture improvement technology since 2013. Native tree management occurred in 2020 and 2022 and the results were compared with data from the floristic survey of the area carried out in 2013. The results indicate that although the adoption of forest management to adjust shade levels reduced the density of individuals, it did not affect forest diversity, nor the basal area of the caíva tree layer. As such, it is possible to maintain pasture and yerba mate production in the area. Strategies like this are fundamental so that the forest landscape can continue to offer a source of production while also supporting environmental conservation.

Urban bee functional groups response to landscape context in the Southeastern US

We investigated the influence of landscape cover on urban bee community functional groups. We observed a diversity of functional groups across primarily forested and primarily urban sites, however particular species were favored by forest/urban spaces. Results point to the importance of further investigating the nuance of land use impacts on pollinator communities, and in particular demonstrates the merit of investigating landscape heterogeneity. Conservation of forest remnants in urban environments can positively impact wild bees across multiple functional groups.

Modeling of Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) Change Based on Artificial Neural Networks for the Chapecó River Ecological Corridor, Santa Catarina/Brazil

The simulation and analysis of future land use and land cover—LULC scenarios using artificial neural networks (ANN)—has been applied in the last 25 years, producing information for environmental and territorial policy making and implementation. LULC changes have impacts on many levels, e.g., climate change, biodiversity and ecosystem services, soil quality, which, in turn, have implications for the landscape. Therefore, it is fundamental that planning is informed by scientific evidence. The objective of this work was to develop a geographic model to identify the main patterns of LULC transitions between the years 2000 and 2018, to simulate a baseline scenario for the year 2036, and to assess the effectiveness of the Chapecó River ecological corridor (an area created by State Decree No. 2.957/2010), regarding the recovery and conservation of forest remnants and natural fields. The results indicate that the forest remnants have tended to recover their area, systematically replacing silviculture areas. However, natural fields (grassland) are expected to disappear in the near future if proper measures are not taken to protect this ecosystem. If the current agricultural advance pattern is maintained, only 0.5% of natural fields will remain in the ecological corridor by 2036. This LULC trend exposes the low effectiveness of the ecological corridor (EC) in protecting and restoring this vital ecosystem.

Priority areas for restoration in permanent preservation areas of rural properties in the Brazilian Amazon

Environmental degradation, over the years, has drastically changed landscapes in the Amazon. At the same time, discussion, knowledge, and actions on the conservation of forest remnants and restoration of degraded environments have increased worldwide. The present study, carried out in Paragominas (Brazilian Amazon), aimed: (1) to evaluate the process of landscape change over the last 36 years (1984–2020); (2) to identify degraded environments within legally established permanent preservation areas (PPAs); and (3) to map environmental liabilities in degraded rural properties which, according to environmental regulations, must be recovered. The priority areas for restoration were defined considering (a) the environmental liabilities of each rural property; (b) the remnant forest in each rural property; (c) the rural properties’ boundaries; and (d) the degraded PPAs in each rural property. Deforestation followed by land use change in Paragominas’ territory increased from 12% (2336 km2) in 1984–45% (8783 km2) in 2020. The municipality presented 4416 km of rivers and c.a 6157 springs under pressure (i.e. agriculture, pasture, urban areas and deforested areas). The environmental liabilities identified summed 638.85 km2, which, according to environmental regulations, must be recovered. It is important to consider that when producers protect PPAs in their properties, they also conserve soil and water resources as well as contribute to biodiversity maintenance.

Different land use types influence Red-browed Amazon (Amazona rhodocorytha) ccurrence in Southeastern Brazil.

The habitat loss is the main threat for many parrot species worldwide. However, the disturbed environments can influence the occurrence of the species positively or negatively, depending on its structure and potential use as an alternative environment. Therefore, this work aims to determine the relationship between land use types and the occurrence of the threatened Red-browed Amazon, identifying the land use types related to species' occurrence and the direction of these relationships. Seven land use types were significantly associated with the species' occurrence: Primary/Secondary Advanced/Medium Natural Forest, Secondary Natural Vegetation, Pasture, Outcrop/Bare Soil, Mangroves, Rivers and Urban Areas. We found that some land use types that are structurally different from the original environments (Pasture, Outcrop/Bare Soil and Urban Areas) positively affected the occurrence of the species. The relationship between intensity of occurrence and highly anthropized land use types, suggests a plasticity of the species in habitat use that may be contributing to the maintenance of Red-browed Amazon populations in highly disturbed habitats. Therefore, we proposed that the management of disturbed areas, along with usual conservation strategies (e.g., conservation of forest remnants, restoration of degraded areas), could contribute to Red-browed Amazon conservation.

The response of plant functional traits to aridity in a tropical dry forest

Drylands are experiencing an overall increase in aridity that is predicted to intensify in the future due to climate change. This may cause changes in the structure and functioning of dryland ecosystems, affecting ecosystem services and human well-being. Therefore, detecting early signs of ecosystem change before irreversible damage takes place is important. Thus, here we used a space-for-time substitution approach to study the response of the plant community to aridity in a Tropical dry forest (Caatinga, Brazil), and infer potential consequences of climate change. We assessed plant functional structure using the community weighted mean (CWM) and functional diversity, measured through functional dispersion (FDis), along a 700 km climatic gradient. We studied 13 functional traits, reflecting strategies associated with establishment, defense, regeneration, and dispersal of the most abundant 48 plant species in 113 sampling sites. Spearman correlations were used to test the relation between aridity and single-trait functional metrics. Aridity was a major environmental filter of the plant community functional structure. We found a higher abundance of species with deciduous leaves, zoochorous dispersal, fleshy fruits, chemical defense exudation and spinescence, and crassulacean acid metabolism towards more arid sites, at the expense of species with evergreen and thicker leaves, autochory dispersal, and shrub growth-form. The FDis of leaf type and thickness decreased with aridity, whereas FDis of fruit type, photosynthetic pathway, and defense strategies increased. Our findings provide functional indicators to early detect climate change impacts on Caatinga structure and functioning, to timely adopt preventive measures (e.g. conservation of forest remnants) and restoration actions (e.g. introduction of species with specific functional traits) in this threatened and unique ecosystem.

Abelhas sem ferrão (Apidae: Meliponini) em um sistema agroflorestal no sul da Bahia

Embora a polinização seja um serviço ecossistêmico facilmente associado à produção de alimentos, os modos de produção nem sempre favorecem os polinizadores. Entretanto, a produção em sistemas agroflorestais permite associar o manejo produtivo com a conservação de remanescentes florestais. Com isso, o presente trabalho realizou um levantamento das abelhas sem ferrão em um sistema agroflorestal no sul da Bahia, por meio da busca ativa por ninhos em quatro parcelas ao longo da Fazenda Bom Sossego e, também, por entrevistas semiestruturadas com os colaboradores desta fazenda. Foram localizados cinco ninhos, sendo três do gênero Plebeia Schwarz, (1938) e dois do gênero Partamona Schwarz, (1939). As entrevistas mostraram o conhecimento sobre a importância e a redução das populações de abelhas sem ferrão na região. Entretanto, práticas predatórias também foram relatadas. A diversidade observada indica o declínio populacional desse grupo.

Landsat-Based Land Use Change Assessment in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest: Forest Transition and Sugarcane Expansion

In this study, we examine the hypothesis of a forest transition in an area of early expansion of the agricultural frontier over the Brazilian Atlantic Forest in the south-central part of the State of São Paulo. Large scale land use/cover changes were assessed by integrating Landsat imagery, census data, and landscape metrics. Two Landsat multi-temporal datasets were assembled for two consecutive periods—1995–2006 and 2006–2013—to assess changes in forest cover according to four classes: (i) transition from non-forest cover to planted forest (NF-PF); (ii) transition from non-forest to secondary (successional) forest (NF-SF); (iii) conservation of planted forest (PF) and (iv) conservation of forest remnants (REM). Data from the two most recent, 1995/96 and 2006 agricultural censuses were analyzed to single out major changes in agricultural production. The total area of forest cover, including primary, secondary, and planted forest, increased 30% from 1995 to 2013, whereas forest planted in non-forest areas (NF-PF) and conservation of planted forest (PF) accounted for 14.1% and 19.6%, respectively, of the total forest area by 2013. Such results showed a relatively important forest transition that would be explained mostly by forest plantations though. Analysis of the landscape metrics indicated an increase in connectivity among forest fragments during the period of study, and revealed that nearly half of the forest fragments were located within 50 m from riverbeds, possibly suggesting some level of compliance with environmental laws. Census data showed an increase in both the area and productivity of sugarcane plantations, while pasture and citrus area decreased by a relatively important level, suggesting that sugarcane production has expanded at the expense of these land uses. Both satellite and census data helped to delineate the establishment of two major production systems, the first one dominated by sugarcane plantations approximately located in the NE part of the study area, and a second one concentrating most of the forest plantations in the SW portion of the study area, where most of the forest transition could be observed.

Diversidad y recambio de especies de anfibios y reptiles entre coberturas vegetales en una localidad del valle del Magdalena medio, departamento de Antioquia, Colombia

From December 2012 and January 2013 a survey of the herpetofauna diversity was made in forest remnants, farms, open areas, and vegetation around wetlands at a locality in the middle Magdalena River valley, department of Antioquia, Colombia. We recorded 27 amphibian and 36 reptile species. Three of the amphibian species are endemic to Colombia and one is considered threatened; one of the reptile species is endemic to Colombia, and three are categorized as threatened. The species diversity of amphibians and reptiles did not differ significantly between forest and farming areas, but it was higher than in open areas and vegetation associated with wetlands. The species turnover between these two groups of vegetation coverages was higher in amphibians than in reptiles. This differential species turnover level suggests that forest amphibians are more susceptible than the reptiles to deforestation, possibly due to their high dependence of moist microhabitats. Since most forests in the Middle Magdalena River valley of Colombia have been deforested, the conservation of forest remnants that still persist is a priority.

Colonization and production modes in Northeastern Atlantic Forest from the perspective of historical materialism

The process of colonization in the Northeast Atlantic Forest (NAF) has generated the most serious consequences for the conservation of its natural heritage. In order to generate data for the definition of policies and guidelines for management and conservation of forest remnants in NAF, the article seeks to elucidate the effects of production modes and colonization process on the man-nature relationship. Therefore, it tries to explain the relationships and motivations of the social structure and commercial of the colony in the NAF, based on a combination of elements of capitalism, feudalism and slavery, from the historical materialism point of view.

Conservação de remanescentes florestais no Brasil: considerações sobre os principais instrumentos de gestão ambiental

A perda de biodiversidade é um problema que atinge diversos ecossistemas naturais no mundo, ocorrendo com taxas alarmantes e crescentes. A redução dessas taxas consiste no principal compromisso assumido entre os países que compõem a Convenção sobre Diversidade Biológica. Este artigo se propõe a examinar alguns dos instrumentos de gestão ambiental (de regulação direta ou comando e controle e econômicos) existentes no Brasil para alcançar este compromisso, em especial com referência à conservação de remanescentes florestais. Para tanto, apresentam-se os principais instrumentos de comando e controle adotados e instituídos por meio do Código Florestal Brasileiro (1934; 1965; 2012a) e do Sistema Nacional de Unidades de Conservação (2000), entre outros dispositivos regulatórios. São considerados também alguns instrumentos econômicos, como o Imposto sobre Circulação de Mercadorias e Prestação de Serviços (ICMS) Ecológico e os incentivos associados à criação de Reservas Particulares do Patrimônio Natural (RPPNs). Analisa-se o conjunto destes instrumentos sob a luz de sua eficácia para a manutenção da cobertura florestal em áreas públicas e privadas. Discutem-se as limitações e potencialidades das normas governamentais, observando-se a predominância de instrumentos de comando e controle em relação aos instrumentos econômicos. Por fim, conclui-se que é necessário o aprimoramento da estratégia governamental relativa à conservação de remanescentes por meio de ações de fortalecimento do desempenho dos instrumentos regulatórios disponíveis e sua complementação por novos instrumentos econômicos.

DYNAMICS AND PREDICTION OF DIAMETRIC STRUCTURE IN TWO ATLANTIC FOREST FRAGMENTS IN NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL

ABSTRACT Monitoring analyses aim to understand the processes that drive changes in forest structure and, along with prediction studies, may assist in the management planning and conservation of forest remnants. The objective of this study was to analyze the forest dynamics in two Atlantic rainforest fragments in Pernambuco, Brazil, and to predict their future forest diameter structure using the Markov chain model. We used continuous forest inventory data from three surveys in two forest fragments of 87 ha (F1) and 388 ha (F2). We calculated the annual rates of mortality and recruitment, the mean annual increment, and the basal area for each of the 3-year periods. Data from the first and second surveys were used to project the third inventory measurements, which were compared to the observed values in the permanent plots using chi-squared tests (a = 0.05). In F1, a decrease in the number of individuals was observed due to mortality rates being higher than recruitment rates; however, there was an increase in the basal area. In this fragment, the fit to the Markov model was adequate. In F2, there was an increase in both the basal area and the number of individuals during the 6-year period due to the recruitment rate exceeding the mortality rate. For this fragment, the fit of the model was unacceptable. Hence, for the studied fragments, the demographic rates influenced the stem density more than the floristic composition. Yet, even with these intense dynamics, both fragments showed active growth.

Avaliação de duas técnicas de translocação de serrapilheira sobre as assembleias de aranhas (Arachnida: Araneae) e formigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Due to the current rhythm of ecosystem destruction, the development of new techniques aiming at the conservation of forest remnants and their biota is urgent. Our objective was to compare two techniques of leaf-litter translocation (with and without withdrawing the pre-extent litter layer), through observations on spider and ant richness and assemblage composition, in order to define the best way to perform translocation. The study was carried out in two Brazilian Atlantic rain forest remnants (called releaser and receptor fragments) in Salvador, State of Bahia, Brazil. A comparison between the faunas of both fragments was performed before translocation and a significant difference was found both in their richness and composition, which is an essential condition to carry out the experiment. A small scale environmental characterization] was made in order to choose similar units capable of minimizing the stress on leaf-litter organisms living there. Both for spiders and ants, the species richness increased in units that received leaf-litter and it was higherfor spiders in units where the pre-extent litter had not been removed. For the ants, the two forms of translocation seem to be efficient. Nevertheless, taking into account the two groups of organisms, it is suggested that the translocation must be done maintaining the pre-extent leaf-litter.Key words: conservation, litter, fauna manipulation, spiders, ants.

Within and surrounding the Morro do Diabo State Park: biological value, conflicts, mitigation and sustainable development alternatives

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest in the State of São Paulo is one of the world most threatened ecosystems, as only 1.8% of its original coverage is left. With a biodiversity that includes endemic species, such as the black lion tamarin (Leontopithecus chrysopygus) a seriously endangered primate, the conservation of forest remnants has become a priority. The non-profit organization Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas (Institute for Ecological Research (IPÊ)) has studied the forest in Pontal do Paranapanema and undertaken conservation initiatives such as environmental education, community involvement, habitat restoration and the promotion of policies that protect natural areas while simultaneously empowering people to improve their conditions of living. Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST) a movement of the landless, has pressed local landowners and the government to distribute land for landless families, creating conflicts and diminishing the priority of nature conservation. Through transparent and participatory approaches IPÊ has succeeded in bringing the conservationists and the landless to work together in the planting of trees. Trees protect water, improve the soil and shield the settlers from environmental damages, while they form corridors for wildlife, buffer zones to protect forest fragments and “stepping stones” to propitiate seed dispersal. This innovative approach to conservation is already seen as an example to be followed in other contexts.