Neotropical Savanna Research Articles

A simple graphical model of small mammal succession after fire in the Brazilian cerrado / Un modèle graphique simple de repeuplement par les petits mammifères du cerrado brésilen après brûlis

We studied the succession of small mammal species after fire in the cerrado (Neotropical savanna) of Central Brazil. Populations of small mammals were sampled with live-trapping techniques in a series of nine sites of different successional age, ranging from 1 to 26 years after fire. Ten species of small mammals were captured through all the seral stages of succession. Species richness ranged from two to seven species by seral stage. The species were arranged in different groups with respect to abundance along the succession: the first was composed of early successional species that peaked <2 years after fire (Calomys callosus, C. tener, Thalpomys cerradensis, Mus musculus, Thylamys velutinus); the second occurred or peaked 2–3 years after fire (Necromys lasiurus, Gracilinanus sp., Oryzomys scotti). Gracilinanus agilis peaked in the last seral stage. Species richness of small mammals showed an abrupt decrease from an average of four species immediately after fire to two species 5–26 years after the last fire. We propose a simple graphical model to explain the pattern of species richness of small mammals after fire in the cerrado. This model assumes that the occurrence of species of small mammals is determined by habitat selection behavior by each species along a habitat gradient. The habitat gradient is defined as the ratio of cover of herbaceous to woody vegetation. The replacement of species results from a trade-off in habitat requirements for the two habitat variables.

Polyembryony and Apomixis in Eriotheca pubescens (Malvaceae - Bombacoideae)

Apomixis and adventitious polyembryony have been reported for several species of Bombacoideae, including Eriotheca pubescens, a tree species of the Neotropical savanna (Cerrado) areas in Brazil. However, the origin of polyembryonic seeds and their importance for the reproduction of the species remained to be shown. Here, we analyzed the early embryology of this species to establish the apomictic origin of extranumerary embryos. We also observed the geographic distribution of polyembryony in E. pubescens, and tested if apomixis was related to the source of pollen (self or cross) and population density. Moreover, we tested if polyembryonic apomictic embryos would develop normally into seedlings. In the observed seed primordia, after a relatively long quiescent period, the zygote developed into a sexual embryo concurrently with adventitious apomictic embryos which developed from nucellus cells. Adventitious embryos develop faster than sexual ones and are morphologically similar, so that 44 days after anthesis it was virtually impossible to distinguish and trace the fate of the sexual embryo. Polyembryony is widely distributed in populations some 400 km distant, and only one strictly monoembryonic individual was observed during the study. The number of embryos per seed varied between fruits and individuals but was significantly higher in seeds from cross-pollinations than from selfs, although fruit and seed set after crosses were much lower than after selfs. Embryo development into seedlings depended on their weight at germination, but polyembryonic seeds germinated and produced up to seven seedlings per seed in greenhouse conditions. Adventitious embryony and apomictic seedlings would explain the mostly clonal populations suggested by molecular studies.

Diurnal and seasonal variation in root xylem embolism in neotropical savanna woody species: impact on stomatal control of plant water status

Vulnerability to water-stress-induced embolism and variation in the degree of native embolism were measured in lateral roots of four co-occurring neotropical savanna tree species. Root embolism varied diurnally and seasonally. Late in the dry season, loss of root xylem conductivity reached 80% in the afternoon when root water potential (psi root) was about -2.6 MPa, and recovered to 25-40% loss of conductivity in the morning when psi root was about -1.0 MPa. Daily variation in psi root decreased, and root xylem vulnerability and capacitance increased with rooting depth. However, all species experienced seasonal minimum psi root close to complete hydraulic failure independent of their rooting depth or resistance to embolism. Predawn psi root was lower than psi soil when psi soil was relatively high (> -0.7 MPa) but became less negative than psi soil, later in the dry season, consistent with a transition from a disequilibrium between plant and soil psi induced by nocturnal transpiration to one induced by hydraulic redistribution of water from deeper soil layers. Shallow longitudinal root incisions external to the xylem prevented reversal of embolism overnight, suggesting that root mechanical integrity was necessary for recovery, consistent with the hypothesis that if embolism is a function of tension, refilling may be a function of internal pressure imbalances. All species shared a common relationship in which maximum daily stomatal conductance declined linearly with increasing afternoon loss of root conductivity over the course of the dry season. Daily embolism and refilling in roots is a common occurrence and thus may be an inherent component of a hydraulic signaling mechanism enabling stomata to maintain the integrity of the hydraulic pipeline in long-lived structures such as stems.

Responses of tropical native and invader C4 grasses to water stress, clipping and increased atmospheric CO2 concentration

The invasion of African grasses into Neotropical savannas has altered savanna composition, structure and function. The projected increase in atmospheric CO(2) concentration has the potential to further alter the competitive relationship between native and invader grasses. The objective of this study was to quantify the responses of two populations of a widespread native C(4) grass (Trachypogon plumosus) and two African C(4) grass invaders (Hyparrhenia rufa and Melinis minutiflora) to high CO(2) concentration interacting with two primary savanna stressors: drought and herbivory. Elevated CO(2) increased the competitive potential of invader grasses in several ways. Germination and seedling size was promoted in introduced grasses. Under high CO(2), the relative growth rate of young introduced grasses was twice that of native grass (0.58 g g(-1) week(-1) vs 0.25 g g(-1) week(-1)). This initial growth advantage was maintained throughout the course of the study. Well-watered and unstressed African grasses also responded more to high CO(2) than did the native grass (biomass increases of 21-47% compared with decreases of 13-51%). Observed higher water and nitrogen use efficiency of invader grasses may aid their establishment and competitive strength in unfertile sites, specially if the climate becomes drier. In addition, high CO(2) promoted lower leaf N content more in the invader grasses. The more intensive land use, predicted to occur in this region, may interact with high CO(2) to favor the African grasses, as they generally recovered faster after simulated herbivory. The superiority of invader grasses under high CO(2) suggests further increases in their competitive strength and a potential increased rate of displacement of the native savannas in the future by grasslands dominated by introduced African species.

Growth of tropical savanna grass plants in competition: A shoot population model

The Venezuelan savannas, and in general Neotropical savannas, are composed of herbaceous co-dominant species and less abundant trees and shrubs, conditioned in great measure by the occurrence of annual fire events. We studied the growth dynamics of three grass species representative of the major phenological and architectural types: a precocious, bunch grass, Elyonurus adustus, an early, medium tall grass Leptocoryphium lanatum and a late, tall species Andropogon semiberbis. The experimental design included individuals of all these species growing alone, interacting in species pairs and all three species in competitive interaction. Close inspection of the data showed that the species differ widely in the spatial and temporal patterns of occupation of aboveground space, showing important levels of neighborhood interference among them. Shoot emergence during the time period between fire events (usually 1 year) is not a continuous process but occurs as a set of discrete cohorts. We model plant growth as a population of shoots governed by ordinary differential equations that accounts for the existence of different number of cohorts as a consequence of shoot competition. A comparison of simulated patterns to those observed in the field was assessed by the root mean square (RMS) error between the transient behaviors of both patterns. L. lanatum resulted both the most impaired and the least impairing of the three species and the opposite is valid for A. semiberbis. For the former species, the competition effect when growing together with the other two is stronger that when growing in pairs and close to an additive process. For E. adustus and A. semiberbis the addition of the third species does not substantially modified the effect obtained when competing in pairs. This model can be applied to the analysis of the herbaceous plant growth process on savannas subject to fire. With modifications, the model can be applied to other grass plants and other grassland ecosystems. We suggest that a possible mechanism involved in this process is the growth inhibition of the basal shoots by the older shoots of the same plant.

Long range lateral root activity by neo-tropical savanna trees

The extent of water uptake by lateral roots of savanna trees in the Brazilian highlands was measured by irrigating two 2 by 2 m plots with deuterium-enriched water and assaying for the abundance of deuterium in stem water from trees inside and at several distances from the irrigation plots. Stem water of trees inside the irrigation plots was highly enriched compared to that of control trees, whereas stem water of trees just outside the plot was only slightly enriched compared with that from control trees. Therefore, bulk water uptake in the savanna trees studied occurred in a horizontally restricted area, indicating that their rooting structure was characterized by a dense cluster of short roots associated with the main trunk and a few meandering long range lateral roots. This root architecture was confirmed by extensive excavations of several species. The same deuterium labeling pattern was observed in an Amazonian tropical forest. The savanna ecosystem, however, differed from the tropical forest ecosystem by having a greater proportion of trees outside the irrigation plots having stem water with deuterium levels significantly above background. This leads us to the conclusion that savanna trees have more or longer lateral roots compared to tropical forest trees. The greater lateral root development in savanna trees may be an adaptation for more efficient nutrient absorption.

Mechanisms contributing to seasonal homeostasis of minimum leaf water potential and predawn disequilibrium between soil and plant water potential in Neotropical savanna trees

Seasonal regulation of leaf water potential (ΨL) was studied in eight dominant woody savanna species growing in Brazilian savanna (Cerrado) sites that experience a 5-month dry season. Despite marked seasonal variation in precipitation and air saturation deficit (D), seasonal differences in midday minimum ΨL were small in all of the study species. Water use and water status were regulated by a combination of plant physiological and architectural traits. Despite a nearly 3-fold increase in mean D between the wet and dry season, a sharp decline in stomatal conductance with increasing D constrained seasonal variation in minimum ΨL by limiting transpiration per unit leaf area (E). The leaf surface area per unit of sapwood area (LA/SA), a plant architectural index of potential constraints on water supply in relation to transpirational demand, was about 1.5–8 times greater in the wet season compared to the dry season for most of the species. The changes in LA/SA from the wet to the dry season resulted from a reduction in total leaf surface area per plant, which maintained or increased total leaf-specific hydraulic conductance (Gt) during the dry season. The isohydric behavior of Cerrado tree species with respect to minimum ΨL throughout the year thus was the result of strong stomatal control of evaporative losses, a decrease in total leaf surface area per tree during the dry season, an increase in total leaf-specific hydraulic conductance, and a tight coordination between gas and liquid phase conductance. In contrast with the seasonal isohydric behavior of minimum ΨL, predawn ΨL in all species was substantially lower during the dry season compared to the wet season. During the dry season, predawn ΨL was more negative than bulk soil Ψ estimated by extrapolating plots of E versus ΨL to E=0. Predawn disequilibrium between plant and soil Ψ was attributable largely to nocturnal transpiration, which ranged from 15 to 22% of the daily total. High nocturnal water loss may also have prevented internal water storage compartments from being completely refilled at night before the onset of transpiration early in the day.

Leaf functional traits of Neotropical savanna trees in relation to seasonal water deficit

The seasonal savannas (cerrados) of Central Brazil are characterized by a large diversity of evergreen and deciduous trees, which do not show a clear differentiation in terms of active rooting depth. Irrespective of the depth of the root system, expansion of new foliage in deciduous species occurs at the end of the dry season. In this study, we examined a suite of leaf traits related to C assimilation, water and nutrients (N, P) in five deciduous and six evergreen trees that were among the dominant families of cerrado vegetation. Maximum CO2 assimilation on a mass basis (Amass) was significantly correlated with leaf N and P, and specific leaf area (SLA; leaf area per unit of leaf mass). The highest leaf concentrations of both nutrients were measured in the newly mature leaves of deciduous species at the end of the dry period. The differences in terms of leaf N and P between evergreen and deciduous species decreased during the wet season. Deciduous species also invested less in the production of non-photosynthetic leaf tissues and produced leaves with higher SLA and maintained higher water use efficiency. Thus, deciduous species compensated for their shorter leaf payback period by maintaining higher potential payback capacity (higher values of Amass) and lower leaf construction costs (higher SLA). Their short leafless period and the capacity to flush by the end of the dry season may also contribute to offset the longer payback period of evergreen species, although it may involve the higher cost of maintaining a deep-root system or a tight control of plant water balance in the shallow-rooted ones.

Functional complement of biogenic structures produced by earthworms, termites and ants in the neotropical savannas

Soil-engineering organisms (earthworms, termites and ants) affect the soil and litter environment indirectly by the accumulation of their biogenic structures (casts, pellets, galleries, crop sheetings nests…). An enzymatic typology was conducted on six types of biogenic structures: casts produced by two earthworms ( Andiodrilus sp. and Martiodrilus sp.), a nest built by a soil-feeding termite ( Spinitermes sp.), crop galleries built by another soil-feeding termite ( Ruptitermes sp.) and soil pellets produced by two species of leaf-cutting ant ( Acromyrmex landolti and Atta laevigata) and an control soil from a natural Colombian savanna. A total of 10 enzymes (xylanase, amylase, cellulase, α-glucosidase, β-glucosidase, β-xylosidase, N-acteyl-glucosaminidase, alkaline and acid phosphatases and laccase) were selected to characterize the functional diversity of the biogenic structures. Our results showed that (i) Martiodrilus casts were characterized by a broad enzymatic profile that was different from that of the soil. (ii) A. laevigata pellets and termite structures had a profile broadly similar to the soil only with some enzymes (iii) Andiodrilus casts had an enzyme profile very similar to that of the soil. These results suggest that the functional diversity of these structures is related to differences between species and not to differences between taxonomic groups. For the first time, we evaluated differences in enzyme typology between biogenic structures collected on the same site but produced by different organisms. These differences suggested species dependent pathways for the decomposition of organic matter.

Ant-plant-herbivore interactions in the neotropical cerrado savanna.

The Brazilian cerrado savanna covers nearly 2 million km2 and has a high incidence on foliage of various liquid food sources such as extrafloral nectar and insect exudates. These liquid rewards generate intense ant activity on cerrado foliage, making ant-plant-herbivore interactions especially prevalent in this biome. We present data on the distribution and abundance of extrafloral nectaries in the woody flora of cerrado communities and in the flora of other habitats worldwide, and stress the relevance of liquid food sources (including hemipteran honeydew) for the ant fauna. Consumption by ants of plant and insect exudates significantly affects the activity of the associated herbivores of cerrado plant species, with varying impacts on the reproductive output of the plants. Experiments with an ant-plant-butterfly system unequivocally demonstrate that the behavior of both immature and adult lepidopterans is closely related to the use of a risky host plant, where intensive visitation by ants can have a severe impact on caterpillar survival. We discuss recent evidence suggesting that the occurrence of liquid rewards on leaves plays a key role in mediating the foraging ecology of foliage-dwelling ants, and that facultative ant-plant mutualisms are important in structuring the community of canopy arthropods. Ant-mediated effects on cerrado herbivore communities can be revealed by experiments performed on wide spatial scales, including many environmental factors such as soil fertility and vegetation structure. We also present some research questions that could be rewarding to investigate in this major neotropical savanna.

Processes preventing nocturnal equilibration between leaf and soil water potential in tropical savanna woody species.

The impact of nocturnal water loss and recharge of stem water storage on predawn disequilibrium between leaf (psiL) and soil (psiS) water potentials was studied in three dominant tropical savanna woody species in central Brazil (Cerrado). Sap flow continued throughout the night during the dry season and contributed from 13 to 28% of total daily transpiration. During the dry season, psiL was substantially less negative in covered transpiring leaves, throughout the day and night, than in exposed leaves. Before dawn, differences in psiL between covered and exposed leaves were about 0.4 MPa. When relationships between sap flow and psiL of exposed leaves were extrapolated to zero flow, the resulting values of psiL (a proxy of weighted mean soil water potential) in two of the species were similar to predawn values of covered leaves. Consistent with substantial nocturnal sap flow, stomatal conductance (gs) never dropped below 40 mmol m(-2) s(-1) at night, and in some cases, rose to as much as 100 mmol m(-2) s(-1) before the end of the dark period. Nocturnal gs decreased linearly with increasing air saturation deficit (D), but there were species-specific differences in the slopes of the relationships between nocturnal gs and D. Withdrawal and recharge of water from stem storage compartments were assessed by monitoring diel fluctuations of stem diameter with electronic dendrometers. Stem water storage compartments tended to recharge faster when nocturnal transpiration was reduced by covering the entire plant. Water potential of covered leaves did not stabilize in any of the plants before the end of the dark period, suggesting that, even in covered plants, water storage tissues were not fully rehydrated by dawn. Patterns of sap flow and expansion and contraction of stems reflected the dynamics of water movement during utilization and recharge of stem water storage tissues. This study showed that nighttime transpiration and recharge of internal water storage contribute to predawn disequilibrium in water potential between leaves and soil in neotropical savanna woody plants.

A Holocene record of Neotropical savanna dynamics from El Salvador

The historical ecology of the Ahuachapan savanna is reconstructed from a 4.83-m sediment core from Laguna Llano del Espino, Ahuachapan, western El Salvador. Stable carbon isotopes (δ13C), pollen, and charred grass cuticles indicate Holocene grassland dominance from at least ca. 3300 cal yr B.P. to the present. The role of people in the creation and maintenance of Central American savannas is considered in light of the paleoecological record. The data suggest that pre-Columbian inhabitants of western El Salvador suppressed shrub and tree encroachment via frequent burning from ca. 2500 to 500 cal yr. B.P. A substantial increase in woody taxa (Mimosoideae, Urticales) and a decrease in biomass burning are evident in the pollen and charcoal records beginning around the time of the first European contact (ca 500 cal yr B.P.). Evidence for frequent burning and grassland dominance before the arrival of the Europeans, followed by shrub and tree encroachment amid a near absence of fire after contact, suggests that the openness of the Ahuachapan savanna was maintained by the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Rio Paz Valley throughout the late Holocene.

Functional convergence in hydraulic architecture and water relations of tropical savanna trees: from leaf to whole plant.

Functional convergence in hydraulic architecture and water relations, and potential trade-offs in resource allocation were investigated in six dominant neotropical savanna tree species from central Brazil during the peak of the dry season. Common relationships between wood density and several aspects of plant water relations and hydraulic architecture were observed. All species and individuals shared the same negative exponential relationship between sapwood saturated water content and wood density. Wood density was a good predictor of minimum (midday) leaf water potential and total daily transpiration, both of which decreased linearly with increasing wood density for all individuals and species. With respect to hydraulic architecture, specific and leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity decreased and the leaf:sapwood area ratio increased more than 5-fold as wood density increased from 0.37 to 0.71 g cm(-3) for all individuals and species. Wood density was also a good predictor of the temporal dynamics of water flow in stems, with the time of onset of sap flow in the morning and the maximum sap flow tending to occur progressively earlier in the day as wood density increased. Leaf properties associated with wood density included stomatal conductance, specific leaf area, and osmotic potential at the turgor loss point, which decreased linearly with increasing wood density. Wood density increased linearly with decreasing bulk soil water potential experienced by individual plants during the dry season, suggesting that wood density was greatest in individuals with mostly shallow roots, and therefore limited access to more abundant soil water at greater depths. Despite their taxonomic diversity and large intrapopulation differences in architectural traits, the six co-occurring species and their individuals shared similar functional relationships between all pairs of variables studied. Thus, rather than differing intrinsically in physiological responsiveness, the species and the individuals appeared to have distinct operating ranges along common physiological response curves dictated by plant architectural and structural features. The patterns of water uptake and access to soil water during the dry season appeared to be the main determinant of wood density, which constrained evolutionary options related to plant water economy and hydraulic architecture, leading to functional convergence in the neotropical savanna trees studied.

Effects of genetic variability and habitat of Qualea parviflora (Vochysiaceae) on herbivory by free-feeding and gall-forming insects.

Differences in the chemical and physical traits of plants caused by both genetic and habitat characteristics may influence attack by herbivores. Leaves of Qualea parviflora (Vochysiaceae), a common tree of different habitats in the Brazilian Neotropical savannas (cerrado), are susceptible to severe attack by herbivorous free-living and gall-forming insects. Attack by free-living and gall-forming insects within and between populations of Q. parviflora were examined and it was determined to what extent genetic variability (detected by RAPD markers), phenotypic characteristics of the plants and habit traits influence the number of free-living and gall-forming insect species and individuals attacking the plants, and the intensity of attack. On four occasions in 2000, leaves were sampled from ten individual trees in each of three types of vegetation in the cerrado: campo sujo, cerrado sensu stricto and cerradão at the Ecological Station of Pirapitinga (ESP), in Três Marias, north-western Minas Gerais, Brazil. Genetic variability was detected by RAPD markers, and concentrations of nutrients, phenols and tannins, sclerophylly and pre-dawn water potential of leaves were measured. Water and nutrient contents in the soil below each tree characterized the habitat. The free-living and gall-forming herbivorous insects were determined. Of 69 RAPD markers analysed, 41 were polymorphic and were used for analyses of genetic variability of Q. parviflora. Most of the variability occurred within habitats, accounting for 97.65 % of the genetic variability. Plants in the cerrado sensu stricto and campo sujo were the most similar. There were no significant associations between genetic similarity and the chemical and physical traits of Q. parviflora, or with habitat, nor was there significant correlation between phenotypic and habitat traits. Increasing concentrations of tannins and sulphur, C : N ratio and sclerophylly correlated with increasing percentage of leaf area damaged by herbivores. Decreased sclerophylly, concentration of tannins and C : N ratio, and increased concentration of nutrients in leaves correlated with increased severity of attack by gall-forming insects. Nutrient concentration in the soil had more influence, indirectly, on free-feeding insects than did composition of Q. parviflora leaves. However, gall-forming insects are affected more by leaf quality, attacking fewer sclerophyllous leaves, with larger nutrient but smaller tannin concentrations.

Quantitative trait, genetic, environmental, and geographical distances among populations of the C4 grass Trachypogon plumosus in Neotropical savannas

ABSTRACTVenezuelan savannas are exposed to land‐use changes and biological invasions which compromise their persistence and function. The native C4 grass Trachypogon plumosus is the most important component of the savannas under diverse combinations of climate and soils, suggesting substantial interpopulation variation. We examined quantitative traits and isozyme variation of nine populations of this grass and related these estimates to geographical and environmental features of sampled locations. Isozyme diversity estimates were based on 10 polymorphic enzyme systems whereas 21 quantitative traits, from field and controlled growth conditions, were evaluated. Distance matrices for quantitative traits, isozyme, geographical and environmental data were subjected to clustering analysis. Correspondence between quantitative trait distance and genetic distance, and their association to geographical and environmental distances were analysed with Mantel tests. All quantitative traits differed significantly among populations. The average QST calculated for eight quantitative traits measured in the greenhouse was 0.157. Isozyme diversity differed significantly among populations. About 28% of total isozyme variation occurred among populations. Significant positive associations were detected between environmental, quantitative field traits, and geographical distance as well as between the later and genetic distances. Genetic distances did not correspond significantly with quantitative traits nor did environmental distances. Ecologically meaningful associations were detected between field quantitative traits, environmental, and geographical data using cluster analysis. Our results support the hypothesis that processes of the neutral type are mainly responsible for the variation patterns observed in T. plumosus populations in Venezuelan savannas. Variation observed for quantitative traits among populations seems to be due to the effect of environmental conditions on phenotypically plastic traits, and not the result of directional selection favouring different phenotypes in different populations.

Responses to drought of five Brachiaria species. II. Water relations and leaf gas exchange

Neotropical savannas are exposed to recurrent dry periods of varied duration, and forage grasses must be able to cope with such temporal stresses to maintain productive pastures. This study compared leaf water relations and net photosynthesis under drought of five perennial Brachiaria species: the tufted B. brizantha (CIAT 6780), the semi-stoloniferous B. decumbens (CIAT 606) and B. mutica, and the stoloniferous B. humidicola (CIAT 679) and B. dictyoneura (CIAT 6133). Plants of the five grasses were grown in large pots and subjected to drought by suspending watering until first wilting symptoms (14 days for B. brizantha, B. decumbens and B. mutica, and 29 days for B. humidicola and B. dictyoneura). Afterwards, they were re-watered and a second soil dry cycle was imposed. Time trends in leaf water potential (� l), relative water content (RWC), osmotic potential at full turgor (� 100 ), stomatal conductance (Gs) and net photosynthesis (A) of stressed (DT) plants were compared to those of

The Cerrados of Brazil: Ecology and Natural History of a Neotropical Savanna

The Cerrados of Brazil: Ecology and Natural History of a Neotropical Savanna

Hydraulic lift in a neotropical savanna

Summary We report hydraulic lift in the savanna vegetation of central Brazil (Cerrado). Both heat‐pulse measurements and isotopic (deuterium) labelling were used to determine whether hydraulic lift occurred in two common species, and whether neighbouring small shrubs and trees were utilizing this water. Both techniques showed water uptake by tap‐roots and reverse flow of water in lateral roots. Roots transferred hydraulically lifted water to the soil, and small shrubs and trees neighbouring the labelled individuals were labelled by deuterated water. Isotopic mass‐balance equations and sap‐flow measurements showed that water taken up by the central tap‐root in each individual constituted only a small percentage of total flux of water through the treated plants. Mass‐balance equations also indicated that small shrubs and trees neighbouring the treated plants utilized only a few thousandths of a per cent of the label. The small proportion of water uptake by the tap‐root of these two species may be limiting hydraulic lift in this system, unless sinker roots descending from lateral roots contribute to hydraulic lift.

Consistency and variation in the bat assemblages inhabiting two forest islands within a neotropical savanna in Bolivia

Neotropical bats occupy a large variety of trophic niches, and represent locally abundant, species-rich communities. As such, they are highly suited as a model group for the study of temporal and spatial dynamics of animal communities. However, despite this important research potential, data on the dynamics and turnover rates of Neotropical bat communities are lacking. We here study both aspects for bats inhabiting two natural forests surrounded by savanna in Bolivia. Over a period of 8 y, both bat communities showed high rates of species turnover. As predicted, species relying on fluctuating food resources were more likely to be absent in particular years, whereas species relying on more predictable food supplies were present in all years.

The demography of the lizard Tropidurus torquatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) in a highly seasonal Neotropical savanna

The demography of the lizard Tropidurus torquatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae) in a highly seasonal Neotropical savanna. The demography of a population of Tropidurus torquatus was studied from March 1996 until December 1998, in the Cerrado biome of central Brazil, using the method of capture and recapture. Population size, number of incoming individuals in the population, and age structure varied seasonally, reflecting the reproductive cycle of the species. The instantaneous rate of population increase did not differ from zero throughout the study. In general, the permanence rates of juveniles and adults were low, indicating a large turnover of individuals in the population, with a maximum life expectancy of three years. The sex-ratio among adults was biased toward females. Since no bias was observed among juveniles and there was no difference in adult permanence between sexes, we suggest that the biased adult sex-ratio resulted from a lower permanence of males during a short ontogenetic period, when secondary sexual characteristics develop. When compared to T. itambere, the studied population of T. torquatus attained a higher density and a greater female bias in the sex-ratio. In general, the studied population presented characteristics that, according to life history theory, should be associated with early age at maturity and polygyny: short life expectancy, high population turn over, and female biased sex-ratios.