Northern Bahia Research Articles

Two New Arthoniales Species (Lichenized Ascomycota) From Brazil

Objective: The present work aimed to describe, comment, and illustrate two new lichenized species of Ascomycota. Method: Morphological analyses of the samples were performed at the Laboratory in the State University of Bahia (UNEB), Campus VIII. The lichen thalli were observed using a stereomicroscope (Zeiss); chemical treatments were performed to observe the microscopic structures of the lichens after exposure to 10% KOH (potassium hydroxide), lactophenol (cotton blue), Melzer’s reagent, chlorine, and viewed under UV light. The chemical compositions of the lichen were examined using thin layer chromatography (TLC) at the Biochemical Laboratory of the Federal University of Pernambuco. Results and conclusion: Stirtonia juaensis and Cryptothecia paramacrocephala are two new lichenized species of Ascomycota found colonizing the plants Spondias tuberosa Arruda (Umbuzeiro) and Piptadenia moniliformis Benth. (Quipembe) in the Caatinga phytogeographical domain near the village of Juá in the municipality of Paulo Afonso, within the Raso da Catarina Ecoregion in northern Bahia State, Brazil. Originality/value: Research related to lichen taxonomy in Brazil is still scarce, especially in the Caatinga. The new species of Stirtonia and Cryptothecia described and illustrated in this work expand the knowledge about fungi in Brazil.

Combined effect of ambient temperature and solar radiation on maned sloths' behaviour and detectability

AbstractChanges in ambient temperature and solar radiation may affect sloths' metabolic rate and body temperature, with consequent changes in activities, postures and microhabitat selection. Although the separate effect of temperature and solar radiation on sloth's behaviour have been previously studied, the combined effect of these climatic factors on behavioural aspects of sloths has never been systematically evaluated in field conditions. Here we evaluated the influence of hourly ambient temperature variation on maned sloth (Bradypus torquatus) activities, postures and tree crown positions, under sunny and cloudy conditions; and tested if any of the animal posture and position increase their exposure to human detection. We performed 350 h of visual observation on eight maned sloths, equipped with radio‐backpacks, in northern Bahia, Brazil, recording their activities, and their resting postures and positions on tree crowns. We also recorded the time taken to visualize the sloths on 58 days to analyse if sloths' detection is affected by posture and position. Higher ambient temperature, within a range of 21–33°C, increased the sloths' activity levels in cloudy conditions but reduced their activity in sunny conditions. Increasing ambient temperature also reduced the frequency of huddled posture and increased the frequency of extended posture and permanence in the inner tree crown. Lastly, the postures and positions did not influence sloths' detectability. Thus, the direction of the temperature–activity relationship depends on climatic conditions (sunny/cloudy), and individuals rely on resting postures and positions to thermoregulate. The warmer and drier future climate, expected to occur in the northern Atlantic Forest, may impose change in the diurnal activity levels and postural pattern for this threatened species, leading maned sloths to reduce its activity on sunny and warmer days and adopting an extended posture.

Homosexual teachers: life history of Physical Education teachers in Northern Bahia

RESUMO Este estudo teve como objetivo analisar as vivências de professores gays que lecionam a disciplina de Educação Física no Norte da Bahia. Baseamo-nos no campo dos Estudos de Gênero, Sexualidade e Masculinidade. Foram analisadas oito entrevistas de História Oral com professores autodeclarados homossexuais, com base na análise do discurso foucaultiano. Os relatos abordaram seus processos de construções como sujeitos, principalmente a partir das suas orientações sexuais, especialmente seu empoderamento no âmbito profissional. Verificamos que as experiências adquiridas ao longo dos seus processos de formação pessoal foram marcadas pela marginalização, enraizadas em nossa sociedade heteronormativa. Contudo, sua atuação aponta para uma maior inclusão e resistência.

A New Species of Proceratophrys (Anura: Odontophrynidae) from Boqueirão da Onça, Northern Bahia State, Brazil

The genus Proceratophrys currently comprises 40 species, of which five are distributed within the Caatinga domain and associated phytophysiognomies along northeastern Brazil. During field surveys at high altitudinal sites in Boqueirão da Onça region, northern Bahia state, we collected individuals of Proceratophrys that could not be assigned to any species currently known to occur within the Caatinga, which we describe herein. The new species can be diagnosed from remaining congeners based on vocalization, adult and tadpole morphology, and is also supported by molecular data (mitochondrial 16S, cytochrome b, and nuclear rhodopsin). We recovered the new species nested in the clade composed of species distributed within the Caatinga domain and associated phytophysiognomies, exhibiting a minimum of 7% of genetic divergence for the 16S gene in comparison to all its congeners. The new species seems to be restricted to high altitude locations (above 800 m) at the Boqueirão da Onça region, which represents the largest remaining contiguous Caatinga remnant (∼986,000 ha) being classified as of extreme biological importance.

Modeling of Microlicieae (Melastomataceae) species composition provides insights into the evolution of campo rupestre vegetation on eastern Brazilian mountaintops

The Cadeia do Espinhaço (also referred to as “Espinhaço Range”) is a mountain range that extends for more than 1,200 km from northern Bahia to southern Minas Gerais in eastern Brazil. Mountains in the Cadeia do Espinhaço usually have impoverished soils and complex micro-habitats, where outstanding levels of endemism are found. Pleistocene glaciations are often considered as relevant events that shaped communities and favored speciation in this region. We used the statistical techniques of Species Composition Interpolation and Generalized Dissimilarity Modeling to analyze beta-diversity patterns across the Cadeia do Espinhaço, delimit floristic units, identify geo-climatic predictors of species composition, and estimate changes in communities during the Last Glacial Maximum and Mid-Holocene. We used as our study group the Microlicieae, a species-rich tribe of Melastomataceae with remarkable endemism in campo rupestre, the dominant vegetation type on mountaintops of the Espinhaço Range. Two breaks in species composition and three floristic regions (Southern Espinhaço, Septentrional Espinhaço, and Chapada Diamantina) were recognized for the study area. The floristic regions differed from each other in climate and matched geologic sections of the Cadeia do Espinhaço. Climatic predictors related to climate explained beta-diversity patterns better than geography. During the Last Glacial Maximum and Mid-Holocene, the Southern Espinhaço suffered less severe changes in species composition than the Septentrional Espinhaço and the Chapada Diamantina.

Water requirement of gerberas and their behavior under a water-saving strategy, in northern Bahia

Gerbera crop evapotranspiration was defined, as well as its relationship with meteorological elements and the influence of different irrigation rates on its biometric characteristics, under a shaded mesh environment in Juazeiro-BA. The experiment was performed in randomized 4x2 blocks, with irrigation rates (60; 80; 100; and 120% of water consumption per plant) and gerbera hybrids (‘Essandre’ and DTCS), in five replicates. Gerbera water consumption was determined using total mass variation (vase+substrate+plant) on consecutive days. Total water volume required was 68.19 and 66.9 L plant-1, in DTCS and ‘Essandre’, respectively, in a 240-day cycle after acclimatization, with no significant difference between them. Mean values of the relationship between plant water consumption and reference crop evapotranspiration outside the shaded environment were 0.042 and 0.025L plant-1 mm-1day-1 during the vegetative phase and 0.055 and 0.029 mmL plant-1 mm-1day-1 during the reproductive phase of ‘Essandre’ and DTCS, respectively. The equation (Y=0.1176 *+ 0.0159*x ETo+ 0.0008** x DAA) estimated the water volume required by gerberas. Water stress negatively affected leaf area, number of gerbera leaves, and gerbera leaf temperature, with quadratic behavior.

On the occurrence of the genus Gloeotaenium (Oocystaceae, Trebouxiophyceae) in Brazil

Abstract We present here the first confirmed record of the genus Gloeotaenium in Brazil. The representative species (Gloeotaenium loitlesbergianum) was collected in a stream from Curaçá, northern Bahia state, Brazil. We provide a description of the species, illustrations, and taxonomic notes.

CAN LANDSCAPE UNITS MAP HELP THE CONSERVATION OF SPIX´S MACAW?

Several studies suggest that Cyanopsitta spixii occurs mainly in Tabebuia caraiba (Mart.) Bureau gallery woodlands of northern Bahia (Brazil). The recently creation of two Protected Areas (2018) is combining efforts to ensure the reintroduction and conservation of this Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct in the Wild) macaw. Achieving species conservation requires the definition of priority conservation areas and habitat recovery and the Landscape Cartography can be a relevant tool for this purpose. This research aimed to verify if there is a correlation between Landscape Units map and the Spix’s macaw occurrence. Here the Protected Areas landscape is described in three main components: land cover, landforms and superficial geology and then overlapped to occurrence map of Spix’s macaw and its most similar syntopic parrot, Primolius maracana. Spatial correlation revealed a correspondence of 85.48% to Dry River Environment Landscape pattern and C. spixii occurrence, indicating the importance to prioritize fluvial Landscapes conservation, combined with conservation strategies that must include the local population, since this are important territories for their survival.

GEOLOGIA DA ÁREA NORDESTE DA FOLHA POÇO DA CRUZ, BACIA DE JATOBÁ, NORDESTE DO BRASIL

A Bacia de Jatobá está localizada na porção centro-sul do estado de Pernambuco e no norte da Bahia e Alagoas, possui uma área com cerca de 5000 km², direção preferencial NE-SW e registro sedimentar com aproximadamente 3 km. Esta bacia do tipo rifte foi desenvolvida a partir dos eventos distensivos da ruptura do supercontinente Gondwana e marca o limite norte do sistema rifte abortado Recôncavo-Tucano-Jatobá. A sucessão estratigráfica da área de estudo, localizada no distrito Campos, Ibimirim (PE), compõe as sequências Sinéclise, Início de Rifte e Clímax de Rifte da bacia. A partir da utilização de seções colunares e identificação de fácies sedimentares foram reconhecidas seis unidades estratigráficas, além de uma cobertura quaternária. As duas unidades flúvio-marinhas inferiores estão relacionadas aos registros sedimentares siluro-devonianos da sequência Sinéclise, enquanto os sedimentitos lacustres e fluvio-eólicos das unidades superiores marcam a sequência de Início de Rifte e Clímax de Rifte. A Formação Aliança, discutida de forma particular neste trabalho, representa os primeiros registros sedimentares da sequência de Início de Rifte de idade Neojurássica (andar Dom João). Essa unidade foi depositada sob um sistema lacustre, com níveis carbonáticos decimétricos altamente fossilíferos dispostos em espessos pacotes pelíticos, sugerindo deposição em momentos de variações energéticas de um lago raso. O detalhamento estratigráfico desses depósitos, associado a estudos petrográficos e paleontológicos, traz uma nova compreensão acerca do sistema deposicional que atuou nesse ambiente e os primeiros processos que deram início à abertura do rifte durante o Jurássico Superior.

PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF Turnera diffusa WILLD

Turnera diffusa WILLD is a plant used in folk medicine as a natural stimulant, and the objective of this research is to perform the phytochemical analysis of the secondary metabolites of the damiana of occurrence in the Juazeiro region, northern Bahia - Brazil. A phytochemical screening was performed from three Crude Ethanol Extracts (BSE), EEB1: leaves and flowers; EEB2: stems and EEB3: root. A thin analytical layer chromatography was performed using specific developers to detect each chemical class. Alkaloids, coumarins, anthranic derivatives, phenolic compounds, mono, sequi and diterpenes, naphthoquinones, triterpenes and steroids, saponins, hydrolyzed tannins and xanthines were identified in the three extracts. Only in the BSE of leaves and flowers observed the presence of antroquinones and aglycones. The secondary metabolites identified in the study evidence the pharmacological potential of Turnera diffusa. Phytochemical screening concluded the presence of fourteen classes of secondary metabolites in damiana, indicating important medicinal potential with pharmacological effects reported in the literature.

MODELING THE POTENTIAL DISTRIBUTION OF Anamaria heterophylla (GIUL. & V.C. SOUZA) V.C. SOUZA (PLANTAGINACEAE) IN THE CAATINGA

Species distribution modeling (SDM) is a tool with several ecological applications, including predicting biological invasions and indicating environmentally appropriate areas for the occurrence of endemic or endangered species. The Caatinga endemic plant species Anamaria heterophylla (Plantaginaceae) is of rare occurrence and lives in ecologically vulnerable aquatic environments; the species is used as a parameter for the selection of Priority Areas for the Conservation of the Caatinga (PACCs). The objectives of this study were to estimate its potential geographic distribution and the climatic conditions across its distributional range, as well as to identify suitable areas for its occurrence, aiming to evaluate the efficiency of the current Protected Areas (PAs) and PACCs network as to the protection of the species. We developed SDM for A. heterophylla using the MaxEnt algorithm, based on 26 occurrence points, and evaluated the importance of environmental variables and the predictive ability of the generated distribution models. Our results predicted that the distribution of A. heterophylla is tightly guided by conditions of high aridity and low annual precipitation. The potential distribution model indicated three broad areas with high environmental suitability (probability of presence ≥ 0.8): one in the western of the state of Ceara, one between northern Bahia and western Pernambuco states, and another between the central region of the states of Rio Grande do Norte and Paraiba, which overlap in large part the Caatinga regions where temporary ponds (primary habitat of A. heterophylla ) are numerous. We found out that nine areas of the PAs and PACCs network of protecting areas presented high environmental suitability, as indicated by the SDM. Based on these findings, we recommend that future collection efforts for A. heterophylla focus on the key locations identified through the SDM, and we hope that this may serve to support future actions regarding the selection of important areas for biodiversity conservation in the Caatinga.

Historical signatures in the alpha and beta diversity patterns of Atlantic Forest harvestman communities (Arachnida: Opiliones)

The integration of ecology and historical biogeography is fostering the investigation of diversity patterns. We studied alpha and beta diversity patterns of Brazilian Atlantic Forest harvestman (Arachnida: Opiliones) communities and related them to environmental and historical factors. Our data bank contains 508 species from 63 sites, encompassing almost the entire latitudinal range of Atlantic Forest. Alpha diversity was higher in coastal sites in the south and southeast regions and decreased in sites inland, as well as in sites in the coastal northeast region, especially in northern Bahia state. Alpha diversity was positively influenced by precipitation and altitudinal range, but the low number of species in northeastern coastal sites seems to be more related to the historical distribution of Neotropical harvestman lineages than to recent environmental factors. Geographic distance was the most influential factor for beta diversity. Compositional changes were also remarkably congruent with areas of endemism delimited for Atlantic Forest harvestmen. The percentage of protected areas for each area of endemism was very unbalanced, and Espírito Santo and Pernambuco states were the least protected areas. The turnover process observed in the compositional changes indicates that conservation strategies should include as many reserves as possible because every community presents a unique set of species.

Chresta artemisiifolia (Vernonieae, Asteraceae), a new endangered species from a recently created protected area in the Brazilian Caatinga<p align="center"><br />

Chresta artemisiifolia, a new species from northern Bahia, is described and illustrated. This species occurs on rock outcrops amidst the dry Caatinga domain, and is morphologically related with C. harleyi, C. hatschbachii, C. martii and C. subverticillata. It is endemic to a region known as Boqueirão da Onça, where a national park has recently been created. We hope that the description of this taxon contributes to the efforts in the preservation of this area.

Two New Rupicolous Species of Chresta (Asteraceae, Vernonieae) from the Brazilian Caatinga

Two new rupicolous and endangered species from the Caatinga are described and illustrated. Chresta heteropappa is restricted to the brejos de altitude (montane forests) from Northeastern Ceara, growing on granite inselbergs. Chresta subverticillata occurs in Northern Bahia, inhabiting quartzitic outcrops on the Chapada Diamantina mountain range. Relationships of the two new taxa to other Chresta species are discussed, and a key for all species occurring in the Caatinga domain is presented, as well as maps and illustrations, including field pictures.

Gravity signature and physical properties of copper deposit in the Curaçá Valley, northern Bahia/Brazil – case study

ABSTRACTThis paper aims at analysing the application of the gravimetric method in the search for copper ore in the Valley of Curaçá River in northern Bahia, Brazil. The area where this study was carried out is known as Angico Farm, one of the claims of Caraíba S.A., a copper producer in the northern Bahia, Brazil. There are 18 drill holes at the Angico Farm target, drilled in order to investigate the mineralizations in depth. We have obtained information such as geographic coordinates and chemical results from the company in order to test the geophysical response and the correlation with geology. A 3D inverse gravimetric model was generated in order to verify the validity of the method in exploring for copper ore associated with hydrothermally altered mafic and ultramafic. Both mafic/ultramafic rocks and copper ore present high density, therefore the gravity method may not be effective for identification. We have shown, however, that copper ore from the Curaçá Valley presents a fairly good gravity response, and 3D inverse mathematical model pointed out a well‐delimited copper orebody in the regions where drill holes intersect the ore and coincide with the positive gravity anomaly. The ore contents were overlapped on cross‐sections of density extracted from the inverse model and such information helped us to check out the consistency of the gravimetric method in mapping and modelling mineralized bodies associated with mineral occurrence. Additionally, magnetic susceptibility and gammaspectrometric data were acquired along 18 drillcores to investigate their possible correlation with orebodies.

The athecatae hydroids (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa) from Northern Bahía, Brazil

We provide a taxonomic account of the athecatae hydroids taxonomic known from northern Bahia, down to a depth of 60 m, based largely on collections made by the authors since 1992. All colonies were collected along the coast of Salvador City, at Todos os Santos Bay, in Itaparica Island and at the northern most part of the coast of the Stale of Bahia. The 226 colonies obtained are stored at the Scientific Collection of the Departamento de Zoologia do the Instituto de Biologia da Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA,CNI-HYD),The studied athecatae faunais repre­sented by nine species. This fauna is rather depauperate, accounting for only about one-third of the total number of hydroids recorded from Brazil. A simplified identification key, redescriptions; illustrations, and data on nematocysts complement and size are provided for each species. Rhizodendrium sterreri and Parawrightia robusta are reported from Brazil for the first time.

Distribution patterns of Kielmeyera (Calophyllaceae): the Rio Doce basin emerges as a confluent area between the northern and southern Atlantic Forest

The Atlantic Forest is one of the most diverse and threatened tropical forests in the world, and the Rio Doce valley seems to represent a limit between biotas from its southern and northern portions. In the present study, we investigated the distribution of Kielmeyera (Calophyllaceae), a woody, typically wind-dispersed genus, with a high endemism rate in the Atlantic Forest. The 351 specimens analysed, representing 21 of 22 species of Kielmeyera from the Atlantic Forest, pointed to a complete dissimilarity between species composition in the southern (Rio de Janeiro state) and northern (Bahia state) portions of the forest. However, the Rio Doce valley in Espírito Santo state, rather than being a limit between these two portions, appear to represent a confluent area. The northern boundary of species from the southern portion is the São Mateus basin, whereas the southern boundary of species from the northern portion is at the Litorânea do Espírito Santo basin. Most specimens of Kielmeyera were collected in areas that currently are not remnants of original vegetation and that are not within any conservation unit, suggesting that an imminent loss of biodiversity is taking place. Studies comprising a broad range of functionally and phylogenetically distinct taxa make individual patterns of distribution obscure and overlook the conservation needs for specific groups. Therefore, our study on the distribution of Kielmeyera in the Atlantic forest highlights the importance of biogeographic analyses of less inclusive taxa of a flora.

Composition and natural history notes of the coastal snake assemblage from Northern Bahia, Brazil

Information about the snake diversity and their natural history from the Atlantic forest domain in Brazil refer mostly to inland forests than to coastal region. Within the state of Bahia, this knowledge is concentrated to the southeastern coastal stretch. Herein we report on the diversity of snakes from the restinga, ombrophilous forest and anthropogenic environment from the northern Atlantic coast of Bahia. We sampled nine sites for three years and visited four museum collections. Furthermore, we provide anecdotal natural history information, voucher analyses, literature complements, and a key to fascilitate species identification. We report a total of 774 snakes belonging to 50 species and 23 new distribution records for northeastern coast of Bahia, supplemented by new data on feeding and reproduction. The number of detected species is similar to numbers obtained in comparable studies from other Brazilian ecoregions. This study reports and focuses for the first time on all known species of snakes from the northeastern coast of Bahia.

Physominthe (Hyptidineae, Lamiaceae), endemic to Brazil, with a new species, P. longicaulis, from Bahia

This is a review of the recently described Brazilian genus Physominthe, composed of two species, one of which, P. longicaulis from northern Bahia, is published for the first time here. After a brief introduction, there is a description of the genus, a key to species followed by full descriptions, citation of specimens, details of habitat, phenology and conservation status.

Eplingiella brightoniae, a new species of Hyptidinae (Lamiaceae: Ocimeae) from Northern Bahia, Brazil

A new species of Eplingiella, E. brightoniae from northern Bahia State, Brazil, is described and illustrated and details of habitat, phenology and conservation status are given. The characters which distinguish it from the other two members of the genus are discussed, and a key to species is provided. The occurrence of resupination in the flowers of this species and in those of E. cuniloides and E. fruticosa is noted.