Semideciduous Seasonal Forest Fragment Research Articles

Occurrence and infestation rates of Streblidae (Diptera, Hippoboscoidea) on bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera) in a semideciduous seasonal forest fragment in western Paraná, Brazil

ABSTRACT The objective of this work was to evaluate the occurrence and infestation rates of Streblidae species on bats in a semideciduous seasonal forest fragment in western Paraná, South of Brazil. A total of 289 specimens of eight Streblidae species were collected from six species of bats belonging to the family Phyllostomidae. The most frequent Streblidae species were Megistopoda proxima (Séguy, 1926), Aspidoptera falcata Wenzel, 1976 and Paratrichobius longicrus (Miranda Ribeiro, 1907). The highest prevalence found was Megistopoda aranea (Coquillet, 1899) on Artibeus planirostris (Spinx, 1823). The highest intensity found was M. aranea on Artibeus lituratus (Olfers, 1818). The highest abundance found was M. proxima on Sturnira lilium (E. Geoffroy, 1810). All recorded species were highly specific to their hosts, except M. aranea. Two infracommunities were recorded: M. aranea and Metelasmus pseudopterus (Coquillett, 1907) on A. planirostris, and M. proxima and A. falcata on S. lilium. The results showed a trend of occurrence of ectoparasites on females, considering the most frequently captured bats, the seasons had no pattern in the prevalence and intensity factors in this sampling area to them. Studies evaluating the life cycle of these parasites, and the behavior and morpho-physiology of these hosts are necessary since the parasitism rate can be affected by other factors that were not evaluated in this study.

Orchid bees (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossini) are seasonal in Seasonal Semideciduous Forest fragments, southern Brazil

Seasonal fluctuations in the abundance of orchid bees have already been reported. The variations in population dynamics may be expected to occur in more predictable and pronounced manners in environments with a clear distinction between rainy and dry seasons, where climatic variables are regarded to be good predictors of populational patterns. The main goal of this paper is to investigate the seasonality of males of orchid bees in fragments of Seasonal Semideciduous Forest in southern Brazil. Data comprise bait samples from five one-year periods on four forest fragments. The seasonality of species abundance was tested with circular statistics. Results suggest two phenological patterns, one for Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard), Eulaema nigrita Lepeletier and Euglossa cordata (Linnaeus), whose abundances are concentrated in late spring and early-middle summer and another for Euglossa fimbriata Moure with a tendency to be collected in middle-late summer and early autumn. These patterns are discussed, as well the possible driven factors, (i) the species life cycle and nesting behavior, (ii) synchrony with resource, and (iii) climate. We can postulate an important impact of climate change in local euglossine assemblage due to the small populations and marked seasonality.

Medium and large-sized mammals in an Atlantic Forest fragment of Brazil: recording of threatened species

Deforestation and habitat fragmentation affect to a great extent larger wild mammals, which require large areas to establish their populations. These mammals can have important functions in the structure and dynamics of tropical forests, acting as seed dispersers, herbivory regulators, and umbrella species. In the present paper, we characterize the community of medium and large wild mammals in a semi-deciduous seasonal forest fragment, a denominated IB Forest (Institute of Biosciences) in Edgardia Experimental Farm, UNESP, Botucatu, São Paulo State, Brazil. By adopting sand plots on three trails as the main method, we identified the occurrence of nine species, besides the occurrence of one species by direct visualization. Some of these are in national red lists — Leopardus pardalis and Puma concolor are listed as threatened and Sapajus cf. nigritus as Near Threatened in São Paulo State; Puma concolor is also listed as Vulnerable at the national level. Thus, we emphasize the importance of this forest remnant as a wildlife refuge, which makes it necessary to monitor the occurrence of these animals in the area and conserve similar remnants in the region.

Soil Microbial Biomass as an Edge Effect Indicator in Semi-Deciduous Seasonal Forest Fragments

ABSTRACT This work had the objective to evaluate the activity and microbial biomass of the soil as an indicator of edge effect in Semi-Deciduous Seasonal Forest fragments. Three fragments of different sizes (small, medium and large) located in the Southwest region of Bahia state were evaluated, in which three sampling ranges were defined in each, and soil samples were collected. The carbon and nitrogen contents of the microbial biomass were determined by the fumigation-extraction method and soil respiration. The microbial biomass carbon (MBC), metabolic carbon quotient (qCO2) and the microbial C:N and MBC:C ratios were discriminating indicators of the edge effect on the soil quality of the studied forest fragments. The integrated analysis of soil microbiological attributes is adequate to evaluate the edge effect in forest fragments. The size of the fragments and their isolation influence the MBC contents, showing greater vulnerability of the smaller fragments in relation to the actions of the external environment.

Competition Indexes to Evaluate Tree Growth in a Semi-Deciduous Seasonal Forest

ABSTRACT Most of the studies that analyze the behavior of tree competition approach even-aged plantations. Therefore, it is possible to notice a lack of this kind of information regarding natural forests with high biodiversity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the competition in a fragment of Semi-Deciduous Seasonal Forest, according to the ecologic group, light depending and non-depending groups for all species sampled in the fragment. The Distance Independent Competition Index and Semi-Distance Independent Competition Index were applied in this study. The basal area in larger trees index, without the radius of influence, was the most efficient to analyze how the competition affects the growth of the specimens in the studied fragment. It was stated that evaluating the competition per ecologic group is more efficient. The results confirm that the forest competition cannot be determined by considering only a fixed radius of influence that embraces the neighbors and the subject tree.

News from the west: the orchid bees from Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, Paraná, Brazil (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossina)

Abstract: Orchid bees were surveyed at Parque Nacional do Iguaçu, the largest remnant of Seasonal Semideciduous Forest in Brazil. Seven species were collected, and Eufriesea violacea (Blanchard) was the most common species, followed by Euglossa annectans Dressler. The observed species richness and species composition agree with what is known for the local euglossine faunas in fragments of Seasonal Semideciduous Forest of southern and southeastern Brazil. On the other hand, the abundance of individuals was remarkably low. The occurrence of a severe winter in 2013 and the collection of several males in other fragments suggest that this noteworthy low abundance can be fortuitous.

EDGE EFFECT ON CHEMICAL ATTRIBUTES OF SOIL IN A SEASONAL FOREST

ABSTRACT The magnitude of changes in soil attributes can be used to identify the effects of natural or anthropogenic interference on forest fragments. The objective of this work was to evaluate the chemical attributes of the soil as indicators of the edge effect at a Seasonal Semi-deciduous Forest fragment in the Southwest of Bahia, Brazil. Four sampling ranges were defined in the forest fragment (Range 1: 0-10m; Range 2: 40-50 m; Range 3: 80-90 m; and Range 4: 400-410 m from the edge). A degraded native pasture area was used as the reference. Soil samples were collected at depths of 0-5, 5-10 and 10-20 cm. The samples were analyzed for pH and organic matter, P, K, Ca, Mg and Al. The superficial layer of the soil was sensitive to the changes imposed by the fragmentation, reflecting modifications in some of its chemical attributes up to a distance of 90 m from the edge towards the interior of the fragment, with more severe effects in the first 10 meters. Soil organic matter, potential acidity, CEC and pH were the most affected attributes, evidencing a gradient of variation in the edge-interior direction.

Anthropic disturbances as the main driver of a semideciduous seasonal forest fragment in Minas Gerais

Abstract The new environmental conditions imposed by disturbance events often create a mosaic of spots in different successional stages. Our objective was to describe the temporal variation of a semideciduous seasonal forest based on its anthropic disturbance history, verifying possible changes in forest dynamics and structure. We sampled the arboreal vegetation with a diameter at breast height (1.3 m above the ground; DBH) ≥ 5 cm in 15 permanent plots of 20 × 20 m where we performed four inventories (2003, 2005, 2007 and 2015). We observed a density decrease and a basal area increase, which indicates the late successional stage of the analyzed tree community. The phytosociological structure, richness and species diversity of the tree community did not show changes throughout the monitoring. However, the Protium spruceanum predominance may be a response to the environmental changes caused by the mining occurred in the area 250 years ago. The anthropic disturbances enduring influences make this type of work indispensable because it allows the ecological processes understanding, allowing a factual management of the forests by the its effective management and conservation.

Edge Effect on the Litter Production of a Semi-Deciduous Seasonal Forest Fragment

ABSTRACT The edge effect makes forest communities more susceptible to changes and may cause changes in different ecosystem characteristics such as litter production. The objective of this work was to evaluate the edge effect on the contribution of litter and its temporal variation in a Semi-Deciduous Seasonal Forest fragment located in Vitoria da Conquista, BA, Brazil. Four sampling ranges were delimited in the forest fragment: edge (0-10 m from the edge), transition 1 (40-50 m from the edge), transition 2 (80-90 m from the edge) and interior (400-410 m from the edge). The produced litter was collected monthly. The main litter components were leaves and branches in all sampling ranges. The contribution of the other fractions obeyed different orders at the edges (bark > reproductive structures) and interior (reproductive structures > bark). The edge effect did not influence the contribution of total litter and its temporal variation, only manifesting in the production of reproductive structures.

CARBON STOCK GROWTH IN A SECONDARY ATLANTIC FOREST

ABSTRACT The secondary Atlantic forests play an important role in the context of climate change, acting as a carbon sink for the atmosphere. However, these forests can become a carbon source in case of increased tree mortality. Knowing this change is possible through continuous forest inventories that provide information on the dynamics of tree growth. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the carbon growth dynamics of a Seasonal Semideciduous Forest fragment, with 44.11 ha, located in the Parque Tecnológico de Viçosa - MG. The forest inventories were carried out in twenty plots of 10 m x 50 m, in the years of 2010 and 2015, where all stems with dbh ≥ 5 cm were measured, botanically identified and classified in ecological groups. The stem volume was obtained through volumetric equation. Biomass and carbon stock were quantified for compartments located above the ground (stem, branches and leaves) and below ground (roots). The dynamics of carbon growth were evaluated by Gross Increment (GI) and Periodic Annual Increment in carbon of the species (PAI). The GI was 12.72 MgC ha-1, including the carbon from the stems that were recruited and died during the monitoring period. The carbon stock increased 10.01 MgC ha-1, resulting in an PAI of 2.00 MgC ha-1 year-1. Thus, it is concluded that the forest fragment present positive carbon stock growth due to successional progression, ratifying the importance of secondary forest of the Atlantic forest in the mitigation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Anthurium narae—A new species of Araceae from a small forest fragment in southeastern Brazil

Anthurium narae is described from the state of Minas Gerais, in southeastern Brazil. It occurs in a small forest fragment of semideciduous seasonal montane forest, a component of Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Descriptions, illustrations, photographs and comparison with other similar species of Anthurium sect. Urospadix are provided together with comments about geographical distribution, ecology, phenology, and conservation status.

Anthurium narae—A new species of Araceae from a small forest fragment in southeastern Brazil

Anthurium narae is described from the state of Minas Gerais, in southeastern Brazil. It occurs in a small forest fragment of semideciduous seasonal montane forest, a component of Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Descriptions, illustrations, photographs and comparison with other similar species of Anthurium sect. Urospadix are provided together with comments about geographical distribution, ecology, phenology, and conservation status.

Seasonal variation in gas exchange by plants of Erythroxylum simonis Plowman

ABSTRACT Erythroxylum simonisis an understory species found in Northeast Brazil. Due to its shaded habitat,E. simonisis subjected to seasonal oscillations of the environment, to which it must respond ecophysiologically. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of seasonality on the ecophysiology ofE. simonis in a fragment of Seasonal Semideciduous Forest. Leaf area index, visible sky fraction and photosynthetically active radiation were measured for 10 individuals during the dry and rainy seasons. Soil moisture, temperature and monthly precipitation were measured, as well as photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, internal CO2concentration, transpiration, instantaneous water use efficiency, instantaneous carboxylation efficiency and chlorophyll content. Ecophysiological variables were correlated with environmental variables, with a greater association of rainfall and soil moisture with stomatal conductance, transpiration and photosynthetic rate, indicating that water availability has an effect on the ecophysiology ofE. simonis. With the exception of instantaneous carboxylation efficiency, gas exchange exhibited significant differences among the months studied, with the highest values being for months with greater water availability, thus showing that the ecophysiology of the species responds to seasonal changes throughout the year.

Identification of Wood Deteriorating Fungi in a Semi-Deciduous Seasonal Forest Fragment

Identification of Wood Deteriorating Fungi in a Semi-Deciduous Seasonal Forest Fragment

SPATIAL DYNAMICS OF SEMIDECIDUOUS SEASONAL FORESTS: CASE STUDY IN THE TURVO SUJO RIVER BASIN IN SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL, BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 2003 AND 2016

ABSTRACT The Agência Nacional das Águas (ANA) states that Brazil faces a water shortage problem since 2012, and it is linked with the conservation of the country’s watersheds directly. It is possible to track the landscape changes and its conservation state through satellite images. This study aims to analyze the spatial dynamics of Semideciduous Seasonal Forest (FES) fragments in the basin of the river Turvo Sujo, in Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, between the years of 2013 and 2016, and how this dynamic relates to the terrain aspect. In order to accomplish that, we used images of the Landsat series with geometric, radiometric and atmospheric corrections. For processing those images, samples of five categories of land cover and use were collected from RGB compositions. Maximum Likelihood was used to classify the images, and the overall accuracy, the confusion matrix, and the User’s and Producer’s accuracies per category were later obtained during the validation process. In 2003 the SSE occupied an area of 6.956 hectares, with highly fragmented disposition. Between 2003 and 2016 the native forest increased 42% (about 3.053 hectares of regrowth within 13 years), resulting in a total of 10.009 hectares in 2016. The fragments of Semideciduous Seasonal Forest are more frequently present in the South, Southeast, Southwest and West aspects in both years, 2003 and 2016. However, the forest regrowth a long those years did not follow that evidence, with the regrowth occurring equally in all the exposition faces, except in the plain terrains, that represents only 0,03% of the studied watershed. That is an evidence relevant and positive, which must be monitored, once it is necessary to conserve all terrain aspects for water availability and quality maintenance within watersheds.

CARACTERIZAÇÃO DA PRODUÇÃO DE SERAPILHEIRA E DA CHUVA DE SEMENTES EM UMA RESERVA DE FLORESTA ESTACIONAL SEMIDECIDUAL, PARANÁ

O objetivo do estudo foi analisar a produção de serapilheira e a chuva de sementes em um fragmento de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual do oeste do Paraná com 242 ha, que é conhecido como Reserva Particular de Patrimônio Natural Fazenda Santa Maria. O material foi coletado mensalmente de junho/2011 a maio/2012, em nove parcelas de 20 x 20 m, com o uso quatro coletores de 0,5 x 0,5 m em cada parcela. A serapilheira foi triada e pesada, e a chuva de sementes foi avaliada quanto à riqueza, forma de vida, categoria sucessional e síndrome de dispersão das espécies encontradas. A produção anual de serapilheira foi de 11.886 kg ha-1, sendo agosto e setembro os meses de maiores produções. A fração foliar foi a mais representativa com 58,52% do total. Na chuva de sementes foram coletadas 18.300 sementes, distribuídas em 79 morfoespécies, das quais 51 foram identificadas em nível de espécie, oito em nível de gênero e seis em nível de família. Mikania sp., Cecropia pachystachya, Pisonia aculeata, Gouania ulmifolia e Dendropanax cuneatus foram as espécies com maiores densidades relativas. Os meses com maior abundância de sementes foram setembro (19%), outubro (20%), novembro (27%) e março (15%). A forma de vida predominante foi arbórea com 76,27% das espécies, seguida de lianas com 20,34% e herbáceas com apenas 3,39%. Entre as espécies arbóreas, 37% foram representadas pela categoria sucessional de pioneiras, enquanto as categorias secundárias iniciais e tardias representaram 22% cada e as climácicas 20%. A zoocoria predominou entre as síndromes de dispersão (52,54%), enquanto a anemocoria e a autocoria ocorreram em 38,98 e 8,47%, respectivamente. Os resultados foram semelhantes aos encontrados em outros trabalhos realizados em Florestas Estacionais Semideciduais tardias. Assim, por meio deste estudo sobre deposição da serapilheira e chuva de sementes, o fragmento florestal pode ser considerado uma área de floresta tardia e com elevado potencial de regeneração.

Spatial and temporal distribution of species diversity in semideciduous seasonal forests with occurrence of fire

The spatial and temporal distributions of vegetation can be influenced by edaphic and environmental factors as well as disturbances. The present study was undertaken to characterize the distribution and spatial dependence of species diversity in a fragment of semideciduous seasonal forest after a disturbance event by fire and to identify changes during natural regeneration. The fire, occurred in 1999, and surveys were undertaken in 2000, 2005 and 2014 in 26 geo-referenced plots (400 m²) distributed along two transects. The Fire Damage Index (FDI) in each plot was based on a scale from 0 to 5, and all of the arboreal individuals with diameters at breast height (DBH) ≥ 5 cm were identified in each plot. Species diversity was calculated using the Shannon index (H'), and species richness (S) was estimated using species accumulation curves; variations between the surveys compared based on the means and standard errors. The S, H’ and FDI data were submitted to non-spatial exploratory and geostatistical analyses. After adjusting the semivariograms, the levels of spatial dependence were classified, and interpolation of the variables values were performed using ordinary kriging to characterize their spatial distributions in the form of maps. Spatial analysis was used to identify and characterize differences between the post-fire surveys in terms of the configurations of the arboreal community. The fire event influenced the spatial and temporal structures of the variables S and H’. These variables showed spatial dependence and aggregated distributions, with reduction in the distance under spatial influences and a uniformity of individuals distribution in the forest fragment at the different surveys. This research characterized the distribution and spatial dependence of the variables S and H’ in a forest fragment after a fire event, and the alterations in the arboreal community structure during natural regeneration.

Diversity, vertical structure and floristic relationships of vascular epiphytes in an urban remnant of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

ABSTRACT This study was conducted in a fragment of montane seasonal semi-deciduous forest (Minas Gerais State) with a history of anthropogenic disturbance. Our goals were to characterise the composition, structure and floristic diversity of vascular epiphytes and to investigate the floristic similarities of the community with other areas of urban seasonal forests in Brazil. We sampled 61 phorophytes with 47 epiphytic species. The richest families were Bromeliaceae (seven) and Polypodiaceae (seven). The most common ecological category was accidental holoepiphytes with 21 species - an unprecedented result for the Neotropical region. The Shannon index was 2.95 and the Pielou evenness index 0.77, showing a relatively high diversity with a few dominant species and numerous rare species. Similarity analyses showed a longitudinal gradient and strong influence of the distance from the ocean on floristic relationships as well as influence of dense ombrophilous forests on the composition of the vascular epiphytes of the surveyed area.

Vascular epiphytes in seasonal semideciduous forest in the Espírito Santo State and similarity with other seasonal forests in Eastern Brazil

In this study, we evaluated the floristic composition of vascular epiphytes in seasonal semideciduous forest fragments of the Itapemirim River basin, Southern State of Espírito Santo, in order to verify its similarity to other semideciduous forests studied in Brazil. Excursions were conducted every fortnight between June 2008 and May 2009, and epiphytes were collected and recorded (55 species, 34 genera and six families). Orchidaceae (21 species) was the richest family, whereas the genera presenting the greatest richness were Tillandsia (seven), Rhipsalis (four), Aechmea, Epidendrum and Peperomia (three species each). The category the most representative was characteristics holoepiphytes (84%). The riparian forests were the most important environments for the epiphytic flora. Similarity analysis and PCA supported four groups, where the study area appears disjointed from the others, supporting the hypothesis that geographical proximity, elevation and climate have a strong effect on the floristic composition, conditioning the formation of distinct floras. Detailed surveys on the floristic composition and structure of this community are important for the elaboration of studies on coherent environmental impacts, since epiphytes are typical in tropical rainforests, and they are an important floristic, structural and functional component of these ecosystems.

Three psychophilous Asteraceae species with distinct reproductive mechanisms in southeastern Brazil

ABSTRACTThe Asteraceae have a high diversity of reproductive mechanisms, as shown by studies conducted mainly with species from temperate regions. Aiming to contribute knowledge on the reproduction of tropical species, we compared the floral biology and breeding systems of the co-occurring species Adenostemma brasilianum, Bidens segetum and Grazielia intermedia, and additionally identified their pollinators. The study was conducted in a seasonal semideciduous forest fragment in southeastern Brazil. Florets opened in early morning and were protandrous. In the first day of anthesis, secondary pollen presentation occurred during the staminate phase, mainly in the morning. In the same day, the pistillate phase began, being long in A. brasilianum and B. segetum (up to 4 days) and short in G. intermedia (1 day). Pollen viability was high in all three species, except for two G. intermedia individuals which showed male sterility, thus characterising a gynodioecious population. Self-compatibility was observed in A. brasilianum and self-incompatibility in B. segetum. In G. intermedia, besides sexual reproduction, apomixis was also observed. This is the first report of apomixis in the genus Grazielia. Although the studied species show distinct reproductive mechanisms, all of them benefitted from cross-pollination, which was mostly done by butterflies.