Open Cerrado Research Articles

Millennial-scale variability of vegetation and fire activity in a northern Cerrado driven by an east-west rainfall gradient during the Holocene

This paleoecological study investigates vegetation variability and fire regimes in Northeastern Brazil (NEB)’s Cerrado. We present high-resolution pollen and charcoal records from a palm swamp located in a Cerrado in Chapada das Mesas National Park, in the southwest of Maranhão State. The Vereda do Dodó sedimentary core is 187 cm deep and covers the past 6000 years. Our results show first the presence of an open cerrado between 6000 and 5200 cal yr BP with no fire activity and a gradual expansion of the palm Mauritia and woody cerrado after 5000 cal yr BP. This is synchronous with other studies of northeastern and central Brazil. At c. 4300 cal yr BP, sterile samples suggest a strong dry event, also recorded in other eastern NEB records. Frequent burnings lasted until 2600 cal yr BP, when fires stopped and Mauritia, arboreal cerrado, and gallery forest taxa expanded under increased moisture rates. The increase of southern hemisphere summer insolation and the warmer tropical Atlantic Ocean enhanced the monsoon system over eastern Amazonia and western NEB in agreement with speleothem records. Our study reveals that northern Cerrado biodiversity was very sensitive to SASM dynamics, a different pattern from eastern NEB vegetation and climate.

Tree community dynamics in the cerradão (2002-2016): A case of biome shift

The cerradão is the result of profound structural changes from open Cerrado vegetation, associated with the absence of certain disturbances, such as wild fires. Little is known about these changes in the long term, both in species composition and structure after canopy closure, hindering predictions regarding the community trajectory. Cerradão is positioned along the higher biomass extreme in the Cerrado phytophysionomic gradient. This study is based on the changes recorded over a 14 yr period, in 256 plots totaling 10.24 ha of sampling area, in a cerradão located inside a conservation unit, protected from fire for at least 60 years in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The changes in the community structure and species composition were assessed. We investigated if the changes are related to tree community structure or to biological attributes of the species, especially by their habitat preference (savanna specialists vs. generalists of forest species). Despite the long period without disturbance and the dystrophic soils, we found tree basal area still increasing and the largest trees still growing. On the other hand, tree density is decreasing over time, and 54% of trees recorded in the first survey had died 14 years later. Community diversity had only a slight increase over time, due to a small gain in species richness. Forest and generalist species presented higher increments in basal area and faster growth compared to the rare savanna specialists still alive in the community. We also verified that larger trees grow slightly faster than smaller trees. Although these changes point to an increase in competition, mortality was not correlated with tree basal area, and seemed to happen more randomly at community level. However, mortality and recruitment were not random at species level. We detected increase in abundance of forest and generalist species, which are shade tolerant. The lowest recruitment rates and highest mortality rates were associated with typical open Cerrado species (savanna specialists), that tend to disappear over time, consolidating the biome shift from savanna to forest. The contribution of cerradão to the conservation of Cerrado endemic tree species, therefore, is poor and tends to decrease over time.

Long‐and short‐term vegetation change and inferred climate dynamics and anthropogenic activity in the central Cerrado during the Holocene

ABSTRACTA paleoecologic analysis of pollen, macrocharcoal and trace elements from a lacustrine sediment core located at Lake Feia, central Cerrado (Goiás State, Brazil), was used to evaluate the relationship between vegetation, fire and climate during the Holocene. The development of cerrado vegetation appears to have begun 6000 years ago, initially with the establishment of an open cerrado, followed from 4800 cal a bp by a change to a woody cerrado driven by an increase in summer insolation. The increases in precipitation levels in the central Cerrado during the last 5000 years are related to the increased influence of the Amazon in central Brazil, which has facilitated biomass burning and anthropogenic activities in the region of Lake Feia. Multi‐centennial‐scale changes in water level‐related and gallery forest pollen assemblages indicate three main dry episodes, at 3440–2760, 2700–1690 and 1330–1150 cal a bp, linked to regional shifts between northern and southern South American summer monsoon boundaries. The presence of low continuous fire activity does not appear to have affected vegetation recovery, whereas two intervals with increased fire activity, at ~3300 and ~1300 cal a bp, indicated a slower recovery.

Attributes that ensure Cerrado shrub layer resilience after afforestation: The case of Psidium grandifolium

The Cerrado, the most biodiverse savanna, has been losing its natural areas through conversion to agricultural land. In the Santa Barbara Ecological Station (SBES), more than 136.4 ha of open Cerrado vegetation were converted into pine plantations in the 1960s-1970s. Nonetheless, nowadays techniques such as clear-cutting pine trees and burning of the remaining material have been used to recover the native vegetation in those areas. In one of these recovering areas, some native species have resprouted, particularly Psidium grandifolium, which naturally occurs in open Cerrado vegetation. Here, we aimed to elucidate which attributes ensured the resilience of this species after decades of afforestation. To do so, we compare the belowground systems, bud banks, chemical contents of roots and vessel characteristics of P. grandifolium occurring in a natural open Cerrado area and an area under regeneration after the clear-cutting of pine and later burning at SBES. In both study areas, plants showed xylopodium whose upper parts consisted of a thin cauline axis joined to a lignified tuberous root with fusiform morphology. In the natural area, the xylopodia were orientated vertically on the ground, while in the regenerating area, there was a curvature in the cauline axis, changing the xylopodia orientation to a horizontal position. The belowground bud bank was three times greater in the area under regeneration. Roots presented significant differences in the concentrations of total soluble carbohydrates and flavonoids between study areas. Our results also demonstrated that plants with thickened bud-bearing belowground systems held great resilience capacity, even when the structures were damaged by soil management before pine planting. Individuals of P. grandifolium managed to remain dormant in the plantations for decades until the conditions for resprouting were adequate. This work showed a series of plastic responses that Cerrado species present when submitted to afforestation and different growing conditions.

Flora of Ceará State, Brazil: Caryocaraceae, Hypericaceae, and Rhizophoraceae

Abstract We examined the diversity and distribution of Caryocaraceae, Hypericaceae, and Rhizophoraceae in Ceará State, Brazil. Floristic treatments were carried out based on comparative analyses of the morphological characters of specimens from several Brazilian herbaria (ALCB, EAC, HCDAL, HST, HUEFS, HVASF, IAN, MBM, MOSS, SP, UEC and UFMT), the scientific literature, and photographs of type collections. Each family is represented here by a single species. Caryocar coriaceum occurs predominantly in the southern portion of Ceará State in typical open (cerrado) and forested savannas (cerradão). Vismia guianensis is widely distributed and occurs in several vegetation types, but mainly ombrophilous forests and savannas. Rhizophora mangle has a narrow distribution range, being recorded in coastal vegetation with fluvial and/or lacustrine influences (mangrove swamps). All three species were recorded in designated Conservation Areas. An identification key for the species, morphological descriptions, commentaries on their conservation, habitats and phenologies, as well as photographs and illustrations are provided.

Can an invasive African grass affect carbon and nitrogen stocks in open habitats of the Brazilian Cerrado?

Considering the emergence of ecosystems dominated by invasive species, there is growing interest in estimating the effect of biological invasions on ecosystem processes and provision of services. African grasses are the most invasive plants in the Cerrado (Brazilian savanna), but their impact on C and N stocks is poorly known. We compared patterns of C and N stocks in the aboveground biomass, root biomass and soil in open Cerrado (campo sujo) sites, both uninvaded and invaded by the African grass Urochloa decumbens. In both sites we estimated the aboveground biomass of U. decumbens and native grasses, as well as the root biomass up to 50 cm. We obtained C and N soil content and soil bulk density up to 1 m depth, which were used to obtain the overall soil C and N stocks; we also assessed the variation in soil δ13C and δ15N. Although invasion did not affect the aboveground biomass, it did affect belowground biomass, leading to more C stocked in fine roots and soil, higher N concentration close to soil surface, and also more C along the soil profile. C and N soil stocks, soil δ13C and δ15N values did not significantly differ between invaded and uninvaded site. Even a relatively low level of invasion by U. decumbens changed the root distribution pattern and increased C and N contents in the upper soil, which may promote ecosystem changes by altering nutrient dynamics. Although our study was conducted at a single site, it clearly shows effects of the invasive species on the belowground environment, and indicates the necessity of further studies.

Quick qualitative and quantitative changes in reproductive efforts in an open cerrado community: An explorative study of fire-stimulated species

Cerrado is a tropical savanna hotspot that is impacted by frequent wildfires, but where many effects of fire still are poorly understood. This is especially true for the herbaceous strata at the community level, in which reproductive efforts are deeply affected by fire. The objectives of this study were the following: evaluate if fire qualitatively and/or quantitatively affects the production of sexual reproductive structures in an open cerrado community; describe fire-stimulated or fire-inhibited flowering and fruiting species; and evaluate the influence of water availability on flowering and fruiting. The number of species with flowers and fruits/m2 and the number of reproductive units/m2 were sampled in eight 20×20 m2 plots in Chapada Diamantina, Brazil. After the first sampling in the beginning of the rainy season (November 2009), the vegetation in four plots was burned and then the eight plots were resampled over five months. Indexes of fire-stimulated and fire-inhibited flowering and fruiting species were calculated. Non-metric multidimensional scaling and cross-correlation analyses were calculated and differences between the burnt and unburnt plots were compared with an analysis of variance. Sexual reproduction was deeply affected by fire, which changed the composition of reproducing species. Profuse reproduction of graminoids (Poaceae) and geophytic herbs classified as fire-stimulated flowering and/or fire-stimulated fruiting species concomitantly occurred with a high increase of water in the burnt soil compared to the unburnt soil in the first two months after the fires. The sexual reproduction of shrubby species was inhibited by fire. In an objective way, 21 species stimulated or inhibited by fire were recorded. Fire also changed the influence of rainfall on reproductive efforts. This study shows quick qualitative and quantitative effects of fire on open cerrado functioning and highlights the necessity of fire management for biodiversity conservation in savannas.

Protected areas and unpaved roads mediate habitat use of the giant anteater in anthropogenic landscapes

AbstractThe drastic reduction of the Brazilian Cerrado has transformed this savanna hotspot into vast swaths of commodity-based agriculture fields, mainly soybean, sugarcane, and beef-production pasturelands. The resulting habitat loss and fragmentation are the principal factors underlying population decline of native species inhabiting the Cerrado, particularly those with a high demand for space, low population density, and specialized diet, such as the endangered giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). Although the species has been studied in protected areas, we know much less about its ability to endure in disturbed landscapes. Here, we analyzed camera-trapping data to estimate a proxy of habitat use (ψ^; occupancy) and detection probabilities of the giant anteater, identifying environmental covariates influencing these parameters in landscapes with intensive agriculture and commercial forestry. We found this species using about half of the study area (model average ψ^ = 0.51, CI = 0.40–0.62), with two predictors strongly influencing habitat use: protected areas and unpaved roads. In turn, detection probability correlates positively with area of open Cerrado and negatively with area of settlements. The species is more likely to use unpaved roads inside protected areas (ψ^ = 0.90, CI = 0.47–0.75), compared to off road sites in the surrounding areas (ψ^ = 0.19, CI = 0.10–0.34). Our findings indicate that giant anteaters are dependent on nature reserves and native vegetation areas existing on private properties, whose protection is regulated by the Brazilian Native Vegetation Protection Law. Given the relative paucity of state-owned protected areas in the Brazilian Cerrado, increasing the adherence of rural owners to this law is, therefore, key for the conservation of the giant anteater. The intense use of unpaved roads might reflect travelling and/or foraging optimization, a behavioral response that, nevertheless, may compound this species’ susceptibility to suffer mortality from roadkill.

Higher Diversity in Open Cerrado Supports the Role of Regional Processes in Shaping an Anuran Assemblage in Southeastern Brazil

In this study, we evaluate the role of local and regional factors in shaping the anuran assemblages in the Cerrado biome by contributing to the knowledge on the diversity patterns of different Cerrado vegetation types in southeastern Brazil. We measured richness and abundance of ground dwelling frogs in a gradient of vegetation structural complexity, varying from grassland (campo sujo) to forest (cerradao), using pitfall traps with drift fences and standardized efforts. We also measured vegetation structure by directly counting its components in the field. We found differences in richness and abundance among vegetation types, with richness being higher at more open vegetation types, and abundance being higher at the forest due to the extremely high number of captures of Rhinella ornata, a species from the Atlantic Forest biome. A concordant pattern in anuran diversity and vegetation structure suggests an important role of the habitat in structuring diversity in this group, with open vegetation types sharing both more similar anuran assemblages and vegetation. The higher diversity of Cerrado anurans observed in the open vegetation types in southeastern Brazil is in phase with diversity accounts for other groups of the herpetofauna throughout the biome, and it supports a prevalence of the regional processes over local determinism, a hypothesis that should be formally tested for amphibians with large-scale standardized sampling.

Plasticidade dos estômatos em folhas de Ichthyothere terminalis (Spreng) Blake (Asteraceae) em diferentes estações do ano

O Cerrado possui a flora diversificada que ocorre em diferentes fisionomias. Uma das características marcantes do bioma é a ocorrência de estações chuvosa e seca bem definidas. Durante a seca as plantas do Cerrado estão sujeitas à restrição de água. Os estômatos, que são estruturas epidérmicas responsáveis pelas trocas gasosas, são essenciais para a manutenção do estado hídrico das plantas. Ichthyothere terminalis (Spreng.) Blake é uma Asteraceae herbácea frequente nas formações abertas do Cerrado. A espécie possui sistema subterrâneo espessado, que contribui para persistência da planta no ambiente. No final da seca, ocorre a rebrota dos órgãos aéreos. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de avaliar as dimensões dos estômatos em folhas de Ichthyothere terminalis em diferentes épocas do ano. Foram realizadas coletas em fisionomias abertas do Cerrado em períodos secos e chuvosos, nos quais as plantas estavam em diferentes fases fenológicas. As folhas foram coletadas, preservadas e fixadas seguindo métodos usuais para análises anatômicas e histométricas. As epidermes foram destacadas e as medições e contagens foram feitas em microscópio de luz. As folhas de Ichthyothere terminalis são anfiestomáticas, com maior densidade estomática na face abaxial. A densidade de estômatos na face abaxial foi maior na transição entra as estações seca e chuvosa. A área dos poros estomáticos foi maior no início da seca nas duas faces epidérmicas. A espécie mostrou capacidade de alterar os atributos dos estômatos em diferentes estações, e isso pode contribuir para sua ocorrência em habitats sujeitos à seca sazonal.

Post‐fire regeneration strategies in a frequently burned Cerrado community

AbstractAimFire is a natural disturbance in many ecosystems throughout the world where plant populations can persist by the resprouting of individuals and/or by recruiting from seeds. We evaluated the post‐fire regeneration response for 41 coexisting species, including grasses, forbs, and shrubs, from an open Cerrado community (campo sujo) in Central Brazil.LocationThe study was conducted at the Reserva Natural Serra do Tombador (RNST) in Central Brazil. The vegetation of the study area is characterized by a continuous herbaceous layer dominated by grasses and scattered shrubs, which produces fine fuel loads that can burn frequently.MethodsWe examined both resprouting ability after experimental fires, accounting for bud location, and seed response to heat shocks caused by fire, where seeds were subjected to heat shocks of 100°C for one and three minutes, 200°C for one minute, and a control (untreated seeds).ResultsAll species were able to resprout (R+) after fire, mainly from buds located in underground structures, but also from aerial and basal buds. Seeds of most species tolerated heat shocks of 100°C for one and three minutes, but heat treatments of 200°C decreased seed viability of nearly 50% of species. Seven species, all of which had dormant seeds, showed heat‐stimulated germination. In sum, 81% of the community was classified as R+PT (resprouters with heat‐tolerant propagules) and 17% was R+PS (resprouters with heat‐stimulated propagules). The remaining 2% (one species) was classified as R+P−, showing heat‐sensitive seeds.ConclusionsResprouting is the main post‐fire regeneration strategy in Cerrado open savannas, while fire‐stimulated germination, although possible, is less common in comparison to the frequency in other fire‐prone ecosystems. However, in Cerrado open savannas, heat tolerance is an important trait that enables germination when favorable conditions arise.

Individual specialization in the use of space by frugivorous bats.

Natural populations are not homogenous systems but sets of individuals that occupy subsets of the species' niche. This phenomenon is known as individual specialization. Recently, several studies found evidence of individual specialization in animal diets. Diet is a critical dimension of a species' niche that affects several other dimensions, including space use, which has been poorly studied under the light of individual specialization. In this study, which harnesses the framework of the movement ecology paradigm and uses yellow-shouldered bats Sturnira lilium as a model, we ask how food preferences lead individual bats of the same population to forage mainly in different locations and habitats. Ten individual bats were radiotracked in a heterogeneous Brazilian savanna. First, we modelled intraspecific variation in space use as a network of individual bats and the landscape elements visited by them. Second, we developed two novel metrics, the spatial individual specialization index (SpatIS) and the spatial individual complementary specialization index (SpatICS). Additionally, we tested food-plant availability as a driver of interindividual differences in space use. There was large interindividual variation in space use not explained by sex or weight. Our results point to individual specialization in space use in the studied population of S. lilium, most probably linked to food-plant distribution. Individual specialization affects not only which plant species frugivores consume, but also the way they move in space, ultimately with consequences for seed dispersal and landscape connectivity.

A Good Place to Live: Plants and People at the Santa Elina Rock Shelter (Central Brazil) from Late Pleistocene to the Holocene

The Santa Elina rock shelter (Central Brazil) was recurrently occupied from the Late Pleistocene to the Late Holocene. We compare sets of previously published anthracological analyses with new data to reconstruct the landscape, vegetation, and climate over the several thousand years of occupation, providing information on firewood management from about 27,000 to about 1500 cal BP. Laboratory analyses followed standard anthracological procedures. We identified 34 botanical families and 84 genera in a sample of almost 5,000 charcoal pieces. The Leguminosae family dominates the assemblage, followed by Anacardiaceae, Bignoniaceae, Rubiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, and Sapotaceae. The area surrounding the shelter was forested throughout the studied period. The local landscape was formed, as it is today, by a mosaic of vegetation types that include forest formations and open cerrado. Some regional vegetation changes may have occurred over time. Our data corroborate the practice of opportunistic firewood gathering in all periods of site occupation, despite a possible cultural preference for some taxa. The very long occupation of Santa Elina may be due not only to its attractiveness as a rock shelter but also to the continuously forested vegetation around it. It was a good place to live.

A new species of the Amphisbaena (Squamata, Amphisbaenidae) from the Brazilian Cerrado with a key for the two-pored species.

Here, we describe a new species of Amphisbaena with two precloacal pores from open Cerrado areas of the municipality of Arenópolis, in the Brazilian state of Goiás. The new species differs from other South American amphisbaenids by the folllowing combination of characters: (1) snout rounded in dorsal view and slightly convex in lateral view; (2) two precloacal pores; (3) 161-176 dorsal half-annuli; and (4) 12-15 tail annuli. Our molecular phylogenetic analysis retrieved a monophyletic Amphisbaena silvestrii group, with A. silvestrii positioned as the sister-group of a clade formed by Amphisbaena anaemariae and the new species described herein. Members of the A. silvestrii group including A. neglecta and A. crisae not added in our phylogenetic analysis are characterized by a relatively small body, two precloacal pores, body coloration with dark and light areas, and lack of specializations on the cephalic or caudal shields. We present a key for two-pored species of Amphisbaena.

Fire affects the occurrence of small mammals at distinct spatial scales in a neotropical savanna

Fire is a major disturbance event that affects biomes worldwide, altering vegetation structure and flora and fauna assemblages. Here, we investigated the effects of an extensive wildfire (~ 6240 ha) on small mammal assemblages in savanna woodland (cerradao) at two spatial scales (meso- and macrohabitat) in a neotropical savanna (Brazilian Cerrado). At each spatial scale, we assessed relationships between habitat structure and small mammal species composition and abundance before and after the fire in four natural patches (one burned, three unburned) using partial redundancy analysis. From July 2009 to October 2013, we captured 1319 individuals belonging to 14 species. Our results showed that the fire had consequences for small mammal assemblage at both scales. After the fire, the burned patch differed from the other patches in vegetation attributes and species composition. At a fine scale, fire increased the herbaceous layer and decreased the litter layer and understory obstruction. On a larger scale, the main consequences of fire on vegetation structure were increased variation in litter depth, tree diameter, and distance to the nearest tree. We observed a relationship between mesohabitat structure and the abundance of species with different habitat requirements during the post-fire succession. Fire favored the invasion of generalist species from open Cerrado habitats (rodents Calomys tener, Calomys expulsus, Cerradomys scotti, and Necromys lasiurus) at the expense of more specialized forest species. Our results reinforce the relevance of incorporating multi-scale habitat heterogeneity in future studies assessing the effects of fire on wildlife.

Seed germination and seedling growth of two Pseudobombax species (Malvaceae) with contrasting habitats from Brazilian Cerrado

Pseudobombax tomentosum and P. longiflorum are common trees in the Cerrado region, but the former species is more common in forest edges while the later is present in open cerrado areas. This work aimed to investigate differences in seed germination and seedling growth in these species, from seed collected from Cerrado areas in Central Brazil. For this, a seed germination experiment was designed and included four replicates with 25 seeds per species; seeds were randomly distributed in the germination chamber. To evaluate initial seedling growth, seedlings height was measured up to 67 days after seedling emergence; besides, some of these seedlings were grown for biomass evaluation during nine months. Results showed that seeds of the two species had the same germinability (near 100%) and mean germination time (ca. 12 days). However, P. longiflorum showed a more spread seed germination through time, with higher values of coefficient of variation in germination time and uncertainty index; and lower values of synchronization than P. tomentosum. The two species showed basically the same growth pattern, but lower values for height of apical meristem, diameter of underground structures (mostly roots), dry mass of shoots, underground structure and total mass of seedlings in P. tomentosum were obtained, compared to P. longiflorum. Both species allocated more dry mass to underground structures in detriment of shoot. This probably allows resprouting behavior which prevents hydric stress and detrimental fire action typical of the open Cerrado areas.

Análise integrada da paisagem em trabalho de campo no Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades (PI)

O estudo se propôs a caracterizar de forma integrada os aspectos físico-naturais da paisagem do Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades associado ao trabalho de campo, a partir dos elementos litológicos, geomorfológicos, climáticos, hidrográficos, pedológicos e da fisionomia da cobertura vegetal. A presente atividade constou das seguintes etapas: 1) planejamento; 2) atividades de laboratório; e 3) trabalho de campo (17 de junho de 2017). Logo, foi possível apreender que a estrutura geológica da área é predominantemente arenítica, cujas feições geomorfológicas provêm do intemperismo físico – gerando particularmente chapadas planas, mesas e escarpas abruptas –, com cotas altimétricas que variam de 128 a 279 metros e relevo de plano a suave ondulado, que ocorre em 74,4% da área. A drenagem é bastante irregular devido às condições climáticas, sendo o riacho Riachão seu principal curso fluvial. A área está sob influência da Zona de Convergência Intertropical (ZCIT), com precipitação média de 1.337 milímetros anuais e período chuvoso concentrado entre janeiro e maio. Os solos são predominantemente jovens e pouco desenvolvidos, a saber: Plintossolos e Neossolos. Esses são recobertos na maior parte por cerrado aberto latifoliado perenifólio e campo graminóide cespitoso médio em 47,42% e 35,84%, respectivamente. Essas informações integram o quadro biofísico e o trabalho de campo permitiu visualiza-los à luz da abordagem sistêmica.

Dioscorea compacta (Dioscoreaceae), a new endangered dwarf species from the Jalapão region, Tocantins, Brazil

The Jalapao region located in the east of the state of Tocantins, central Brazil is the largest continuous area of protected cerrado, a hotspot of biodiversity. Here we present a new species of Dioscorea, found in dry soils in sandy open cerrado vegetation within the limits of two protected areas. This species differs from other similar species by its combination of dwarf habit, staminate flowers with three stamens plus three staminodes, compact pistillate inflorescences and spheroid unwinged seeds.

Landscape and firewood selection in the Santa Elina rock shelter (Mato Grosso, Brazil) during the Holocene

Abstract Santa Elina rock shelter, in Central Brazil, is renowned for its astounding rock art, rare preservation of plant remains, and long-lasting occupation. Different groups of hunter–gatherers dwelt in this place since the Late Pleistocene until Late Holocene, leaving many vestiges of their passage. Charcoal samples from its upper archaeological assemblage, at Sector West of the site (dated c. 2000–3500 BP), and from its intermediate archaeological assemblage, at Sector East (dated c. 9000–10000 BP), were analyzed according to standard anthracological methods. Samples of dispersed charcoal from four archaeological levels were analyzed in the former, and from eight combustion structures in the latter. Despite the heterogeneity in the assemblages, interesting palaeoenvironmental and palaeoethnobotanical results were produced. During the late Holocene the shelter was surrounded by a semideciduous forest similar to the present one, under similar climate. Similar conditions might have occurred in the early Holocene, or the vegetation could have been a more open cerrado physiognomy, thus under a drier climate. Firewood gathering strategies in both periods involved the opportunistic collection of dead wood. Evidence of firewood selection is presented for bamboo in the late Holocene and for Anadenanthera in the early and in late Holocene.

Birds at Santa Bárbara Ecological Station, one of the last Cerrado remnants in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

In the state of São Paulo, southeastern Brazil, the phytophysiognomy known as Cerrado takes less than 1% of its original cover. Thus, the establishment and management of protected areas are essential to save a significant sample of biodiversity of this environment in the region. The Santa Bárbara Ecological Station is one of the largest protected areas in São Paulo, and one of the few ones to cover a mosaic with most of the vegetation types of Cerrado. This article aims to increase the knowledge of avifauna in the reserve, showing new bird records and evaluating the association of species to their physiognomies. We carried out surveys from 2008 to 2013, which resulted in the record of 226 species, or 246 when in regard to Willis & Oniki’s works (1981, 2003). Twenty-two are regionally threatened, and five globally threatened. Despite showing lower species richness, grasslands stood out because of the number of species of conservation concern. Preventing the densification of woody vegetation and controlling the invasion of alien plants are important management actions for the conservation of the bird assemblages at Santa Bárbara reserve, one of the last open Cerrado remnants in São Paulo.