Brazilian Pantanal Research Articles

Increased burned area in the Pantanal over the past two decades

Wildfires are behaving differently now compared to other time in history in relation to frequency, intensity and affected ecosystems. In Brazil, unprecedented fires are being experienced in the last decade. Thus, to prevent and minimize similar disasters, we must better understand the natural and human drivers of such extreme events. The Brazilian Pantanal is the largest contiguous wetland in the world and a complex environmental system. In 2020, Pantanal experienced catastrophic wildfires due to the synergy between climate, inadequate fire management strategies and weak environmental regulations. In this study, we analyzed recent patterns and changes in fire behavior across the Pantanal based on land use and cover (LULC) classes. The inter-annual variability of the fire and land cover changes between 2000 and 2021 was assessed using BA from MCD64A1 V.6 product and LULC data from Landsat satellite. Our work reveals that fires in the Pantanal over the last two decades tended to occur more frequently in grassland than in others land cover types, but the 2020 fires have preferentially burned forest regions. Large fire patches are more frequent in forest and grasslands; in contrast, croplands exhibit small patches. The results highlight that a broad scale analysis does not reflect distinct localized patterns, thus stratified and refined studies are required. Our work contributes as a first step to disentangling the role of anthropogenic-related drivers, namely LULC changes, in shaping the fire regime in the Pantanal biome. This is crucial not only to predict future fire activity but also to guide appropriated fire management in the region.

Level of genetic divergence among accessions of the native forage grass, Mesosetum chaseae Luces, for tracing strategies to conservation of germplasm collections from the brazilian pantanal

Level of genetic divergence among accessions of the native forage grass, Mesosetum chaseae Luces, for tracing strategies to conservation of germplasm collections from the brazilian pantanal

Optical properties and spectral dependence of aerosol light absorption over the Brazilian Pantanal

Characterizing optical properties of aerosols, particularly the absorption processes, is fundamental for understanding the role of these particles in ecosystems as well as the climate, in general. Currently, changes in precipitation regimes in the southern Amazon basin have resulted in a considerable increase in biomass burning, whereby large amounts of aerosols and gases are emitted into the atmosphere. These increased emissions can impact the ecosystem, modifying mass and energy flows at the surface. This study, motivated by the need for more aerosol observations was the result of a long-term campaign carried out in the Brazilian Pantanal, which provided continuous in-situ measurements of aerosol optical properties between January 2017 and December 2019. From these data, optical properties of aerosols were quantified and analyzed seasonally. Corrected estimates for absorption coefficient (σabs) and Angstrom absorption exponent (αabs) were utilized to characterize the spectral dependence of absorption by aerosols. With additional measurements of the scattering coefficient (σscat), it was possible to evaluate the single scattering albedo (ω0). The mean values for σabs, σscat, ω0 at 525 nm and αabs 370–880 nm during the wet season were 0.66 ± 0.58 Mm−1, 6.16 ± 5.75 Mm−1, 0.90 ± 0.06 and 1.43 ± 0.49, respectively. These values, within measurement uncertainties, were similar to results found in the central Amazon. During the dry season, absorption and scattering increased approximately 88% and 86%, respectively, providing strong evidence for the contribution of local and regional emissions from biomass burning. The values of ω0 did not reveal significant seasonal differences, however, a sharp reduction was observed, medians below 0.8, at the beginning of the burning period, which was associated with more recent local burnings and, therefore, greater absorption. The mean values evaluated for different spectral intervals reveal a strong contribution of brown carbon (BrC) during the dry season, with medians of 1.78 and 0.87 for the intervals of 370–590 nm and 590–880 nm, respectively. This work also quantified BC concentrations for the dry and wet seasons, obtaining mean values of 0.75 ± 0.83 and 0.12 ± 0.09 μgm−3, respectively. In general, a striking similarity was encountered for aerosol optical properties between the Pantanal and the Central Amazon during the wet season. The results presented here characterize the background values for aerosol optical properties in the Pantanal, and the additional effects resulting from biomass burning emissions, therefore providing essential information to assess the effects these particles have on the ecosystem.

What a few hairs can tell us about the resource use of giant armadillos.

Understanding of resource requirements of vulnerable species is key for conservation planning. Here, we used stable carbon (δ13 C) and nitrogen isotopes (δ15 N) of hair from giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus) to understand individual resource use. We collected hair from 19 giant armadillos analyzing 34 samples from the Brazilian Pantanal and compared the resource use between sexes and age classes. We also assessed the relationship of isotopic values with individuals' body mass and the habitat type used. We observed a wide variation in resource use by giant armadillos, showing that individuals consume prey that feeds on distinct resources and occupies different habitat types, indicating that there is individual variation in foraging behavior. Most giant armadillos presented a mixed diet (C3 /C4 resources, forests/open areas), but a quarter of individuals had strictly C4 diets (open areas). Males are more prone to forage on C4 resources, presenting an isotopic niche 2.6-times larger than that of females. Subadults presented diets more associated with habitats with high arboreal cover (C3 resources, forests), while adults foraged more in open areas (C4 resources). This result is mirrored by the positive relationship between δ13 C values and body mass, suggesting that larger giant armadillos tend to feed more in open areas. We observed that δ13 C values decreased as individuals increased the use of habitats with high arboreal cover. We stress the importance of conserving the natural mosaic in the Pantanal landscape for the species persistence, given that giant armadillos require all habitat types to fulfill their dietary, spatial, and developmental needs.

Quantifying the post‐fire recovery of taxonomic and functional diversity of dung beetles in the Brazilian Pantanal

Abstract The Pantanal is the largest wetland in the world and a World Heritage Site. During 2019–2020, the Pantanal has experienced the most severe burning in its history, with vast destroyed areas of vegetation and killed wildlife. Since the long‐term damage caused by fire to the Pantanal is still unknown, understanding how the biodiversity responds to post‐fire disturbance over a short‐term is an important step for conservation initiatives. The authors studied the effects of fire on dung beetle communities, a recognised bioindicator group, in the Brazilian Pantanal. For this, the authors assessed the patterns of taxonomic and functional diversity between unburned and burned sites (16 months post‐fire). The authors found that taxonomic and functional diversity of dung beetles were similar between unburned and burned grasslands, but with a distinct taxonomic composition post‐fire. The functional traits composition was similar between unburned and burned sites, demonstrating that this metric is less sensitive to fire effects in the Brazilian Pantanal. The study's results provide evidence that dung beetles exhibit high resistance to the occurrence of fire and fast recovery from its consequences. Thus, due to its ecological functions (secondary seed dispersion, nutrient cycling and others), these insects may assist ecological restoration of burned sites, being useful tools in restoration approaches for areas of the Pantanal that have been affected by fire. Finally, combining traditional taxonomic community attributes with functional diversity measurements provides a more comprehensive picture of responses of dung beetle communities, post‐fire, over a short‐term in the Brazilian Pantanal.

MEDIUM- AND LARGE-SIZED MAMMALS AT THE URUCUM MASSIF IN THE BRAZILIAN PANTANAL: CAMERA TRAP AS AN EFFECTIVE SAMPLING METHOD TO ESTIMATE SPECIES RICHNESS, RELATIVE ABUNDANCE, AND ACTIVITY PATTERNS

The Urucum Massif (UM) is recognized as a region of flora and fauna endemism, and it is one of the few mountain ranges found in the western edge of the Brazilian Pantanal, in Mato Grosso do Sul state. Despite the lack of knowledge on mammalian species occurrence, several mining companies established in this region has rapidly changed its landscape. Therefore, this study aims to carry out an inventory of medium- to large-sized mammals in the UM to estimate their relative abundance and activity patterns using data provided by camera trapping surveys. Two main camera-trapping surveys were carried between October 2014 and July 2015, in addition to a small survey in July 2016. Results showed 25 species from medium- to large-sized mammals. Dicotyles tajacu, Dasyprocta azarae and Dasypus novemcinctus presented the highest relative abundance indices. Overall, D. azarae, Nasua nasua and Euphractus sexcinctus were diurnal, while Tamandua tetradactyla, D. novemcinctus, Tapirus terrestris and Sylvilagus paraguensis were nocturnal, in turn, D. tajacu and Cerdocyon thous were associated with the crepuscular period. Overall, 28 % (N = 7) and 12 % (N = 3) of the recorded species are threatened nationally and globally, respectively. Due to the scarcity of protected areas in the UM, we recommend long term monitoring of mammals and ecological studies to support conservation actions for this group in the region

DISTRIBUIÇÃO ESPACIAL DA ICTIOFAUNA E SUA RELAÇÃO COM AS CARACTERÍSTICAS AMBIENTAIS NA MICROBACIA DO CÓRREGO TARUMÃ (ALTO RIO PARANÁ, BRASIL)

The Urucum Massif (UM) is recognized as a region of flora and fauna endemism, and it is one of the few mountain ranges found in the western edge of the Brazilian Pantanal, in Mato Grosso do Sul state. Despite the lack of knowledge on mammalian species occurrence, several mining companies established in this region has rapidly changed its landscape. Therefore, this study aims to carry out an inventory of medium- to large-sized mammals in the UM to estimate their relative abundance and activity patterns using data provided by camera trapping surveys. Two main camera-trapping surveys were carried between October 2014 and July 2015, in addition to a small survey in July 2016. Results showed 25 species from medium- to large-sized mammals. Dicotyles tajacu, Dasyprocta azarae and Dasypus novemcinctus presented the highest relative abundance indices. Overall, D. azarae, Nasua nasua and Euphractus sexcinctus were diurnal, while Tamandua tetradactyla, D. novemcinctus, Tapirus terrestris and Sylvilagus paraguensis were nocturnal, in turn, D. tajacu and Cerdocyon thous were associated with the crepuscular period. Overall, 28 % (N = 7) and 12 % (N = 3) of the recorded species are threatened nationally and globally, respectively. Due to the scarcity of protected areas in the UM, we recommend long term monitoring of mammals and ecological studies to support conservation actions for this group in the region

Expanding the Universe of Hemoplasmas: Multi-Locus Sequencing Reveals Putative Novel Hemoplasmas in Lowland Tapirs (Tapirus terrestris), the Largest Land Mammals in Brazil.

The lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) is the largest land mammal in Brazil and classified as a vulnerable species, according to the assessment of the risk of extinction. The present study aimed at investigating the occurrence and genetic diversity of hemoplasmas in free-ranging T. terrestris from the Brazilian Pantanal and Cerrado biomes. Blood samples were collected from 94 living and eight road-killed tapirs, totalizing 125 samples Conventional PCR targeting four different genes (16S rRNA, 23S rRNA, RNAse P, and dnaK) were performed, and the obtained sequences were submitted for phylogenetic, genotype diversity, and distance analyses. The association between hemoplasma positivity and possible risk variables (age, gender, and origin) was assessed. Out of 122 analyzed samples, 41 (41/122; 33.61% CI: 25.84–42.38%) were positive in the 16S rRNA-based PCR assay for hemoplasmas. Positivity for hemoplasmas did not differ between tapirs’ gender and age. Tapirs from Pantanal were 5.64 times more likely to present positive results for hemoplasmas when compared to tapirs sampled in Cerrado. BLASTn, phylogenetic, genotype diversity, and distance analyses performed herein showed that the sampled lowland tapirs might be infected by two genetically distinct hemoplasmas, namely ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoterrestris’ and ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haematotapirus’. While the former was positioned into “Mycoplasma haemofelis group” and closely related to ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haematoparvum, the latter was positioned into “Mycoplasma suis group” and closely related to ‘Candidatus Mycoplasma haematobos’. The impact of both putative novel species on tapir health status should be investigated.

Soils with dark subsurface horizons in saline basins in the Brazilian Pantanal

Soils in the Brazilian Pantanal classified as Espodossolos and registered in the literature diverge from the central concept of pedogenesis by podzolization, especially due to the high values of pH and basic cations, although the morphology is similar to that of spodic horizons. In this sense, this study hypothesized that the neutral to alkaline conditions along the edges of the saline basins in the Lower Nhecolândia region do not inhibit the podzolization process nor the development of spodic soils. [...]

PREDATION EVENT OF MILK FROG Trachycephalus typhonius (ANURA: HYLIDAE) ON A COMMON HOUSE GECKO Hemidactylus frenatus (SQUAMATA: GEKKONIDAE)

Observations of predation events are rare. These events are important to help understand trophic networks of biological communities in general and of introduced species in particular. Milk frogs (Trachycephalus typhonius) feed on insects and other arthropods, but some cases of vertebrates have been reported in its diet: a Sheep toad (Hypopachus variolosus) in México, a Black Myotis (Myotis nigrescens) in the Pantanal of Brazil, and an adult tree frog of Dendropsophus soaresi also in Brazil. Here we report the predation of an adult Milk frog on a Common house gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus) in Bajamar, Puntarenas, Costa Rica. The observation was made in a house in an area of pastures with trees near a mangrove swamp.

Paleosols record dry and humid paleoenvironments during the Upper Pleistocene in the Brazilian Pantanal

Information on Quaternary landscapes and paleoenvironmental changes in the interior of Brazil are scarce. One of such areas, particularly sensitive to these variations, is the modern tropical Pantanal wetland, whose alluvial deposits record paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic changes during the late Quaternary. Based on detailed pedological and sedimentological descriptions, stimulated optical luminescence dating and analytical data we described a well-exposed sedimentary succession that crops out in slope terraces of the Aquidauana River, located in the southern area of the Pantanal. We interpret environmental changes that have occurred since the beginning of the Upper Pleistocene, and which affected sedimentation and biogeochemical processes. Basal deposits comprise cross-stratified sands, which record active fluvial sedimentation from ∼106 to ∼70 ka, a period of probable increased river discharge. Fluvial channel facies are overlaid by pedogeneized floodplain deposits, in which we recognized a pedocomplex composed of a sequence of three late Pleistocene truncated paleosol profiles and a Holocene soil profile. The two lower paleosols are Vertisols with mottling, slickensides, rhizolites and septarian glaebules of carbonate. These characteristics indicate prolonged drought periods under semi-arid to arid climates ca. ∼70 and ∼30 ka. The upper paleosol profile is a Planosol (Ultisol) with block structure, waxiness, iron glaebules, and manganese films, pointing to prevailing humid climates during the terminal Pleistocene (since ∼30 ka). Covering this truncated Planosol is a layer of fine to medium-grained Holocene sands, with development of a horizon A of an Arenosol (Entisol). These paleoenvironmental changes correlate with regional changes in precipitation deduced from speleothems in nearby plateaus and in southeastern Brazilian sites.

Bartonella machadoae sp. nov. isolated from wild rodents in the Pantanal wetland

It has been estimated that 75% of emerging infectious diseases comprise zoonoses, whose majority have free-living animals as reservoirs and are mainly transmitted by arthropod vectors. Although rodents represent important Bartonella reservoirs, there are few studies on the genotypic characterization of Bartonella species commonly found in this taxon and from different Brazilian biomes. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the occurrence, isolate and molecularly, morphologically and phenotypically characterize a new Bartonella species infecting free-living rodents sampled in the Brazilian Pantanal, the largest wetland in South America. For this purpose, 129 free-living rodents (79 Thrichomys fosteri, 4 Clyomys laticeps, and Oecomys mamorae) were captured. While blood samples were collected from 57 T. fosteri, 4 C. laticeps and 32 O. mamorae; spleen samples were collected from 22 T. fosteri and 14 O. mamorae. Blood and spleen samples were submitted to a qPCR for Bartonella spp. targeting the nuoG gene, using DNA samples extracted directly from blood/spleen, after passage in pre-enrichment liquid culture, and from colonies obtained from solid culture on chocolate agar. Combining all techniques, occurrence of 24.8% for Bartonella sp. was found among the sampled rodents. One Bartonella isolate (strain 56A) obtained from a T. fosteri’s blood sample was closely related to the Bartonella vinsonii complex and selected for Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) hybrid approach using Illumina NovaSeq and Nanopore sequencing platforms. This strain exhibits a circular 2.7 Mbp genome with an average C+G content of 39% and encoding to 2239 genes. In the phylogenomics based on 291 shared protein-coding genes, this strain was positioned in a unique clade, closely related to Bartonella vinsonii subsp. vinsonii, B. vinsonii subsp. berkhoffii and B. visonii subsp. arupensis. An Average Nucleotide Identity of 85% was found between the obtained isolate and Bartonella species belonging to B. vinsonii complex. These findings supported the separation of this strain, now formally named as Bartonella machadoae sp. nov., from the Bartonella vinsonii complex. In addition, Bartonella machadoae sp. nov. was characterized by capnophilic, microaerophilic and aerobic small rods with absence of pili and flagella. Phylogenetic and distance analyses based on five concatenated molecular markers suggest that Bartonella machadoae may parasite rodents from different Brazilian biomes. In conclusion, we described biochemical, phenotypic and genomic characteristics of Bartonella machadoae nov. sp. isolated from blood samples of T. fosteri rodents from the Brazilian Pantanal.

Understanding the Greenhouse Gas Impact of Deforestation Fires in Indonesia and Brazil in 2019 and 2020

Deforestation fires are hindering climate change mitigation efforts and compounding global environmental challenges. Indonesia and Brazil have experienced high rates of deforestation fires in recent years, with many of the fires burning in peatland-rich ecosystems. We quantify the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the 2019 and 2020 deforestation fires in both countries and determine the share of emissions originating from peatlands. Specifically, we use publicly available data for deforested area estimates and quantify the above-ground biomass (AGB), dry matter, and peat soil emissions associated with these fires. We find that the cumulative emissions impact from deforestation fires in Indonesia and Brazil was 3.7 (±0.4) and 1.9 (±0.2) Gt CO2eq in 2019 and 2020, respectively. Nearly half of this GHG impact can be attributed to emissions from peatlands. However, real-time monitoring tools can underestimate these emissions as fires in peatlands smolder underground and can go undetected by satellites. We compare our results with publicly available land-use and fire emissions data and find that the magnitude of underestimation is of the order of 200–300% for severe fire years and highest in the peatland-rich Brazilian Pantanal. We identify the gaps in current policies that are exacerbating the GHG and climate impacts of deforestation fires in Indonesia and Brazil and emphasize the need for regular pre- and post-fire ground measurement, transparent data sharing, and robust policy enforcement for effective forest and peatland protection.

Host foraging behavior and nest type influence prevalence of avian haemosporidian parasites in the Pantanal.

Avian haemosporidians from the genera Plasmodium and Haemoproteus are vector transmitted parasites. A growing body of evidence suggests that variation in their prevalence within avian communities is correlated with a variety of avian ecological traits. Here, we examine the relationship between infection probability and diversity of haemosporidian lineages and avian host ecological traits (average body mass, foraging stratum, migratory behavior, and nest type). We used molecular methods to detect haemosporidian parasites in blood samples from 642 individual birds of 149 species surveyed at four localities in the Brazilian Pantanal. Based on cytochrome b sequences, we recovered 28 lineages of Plasmodium and 17 of Haemoproteus from 31 infected avian species. Variation in lineage diversity among bird species was not explained by avian ecological traits. Prevalence was heterogenous across avian hosts. Bird species that forage near the ground were less likely to be infected by Haemoproteus, whereas birds that build open cup nests were more likely infected by Haemoproteus. Furthermore, birds foraging in multiple strata were more likely to be infected by Plasmodium. Two other ecological traits, often related to host resistance (body mass and migratory behavior), did not predict infection probability among birds sampled in the Pantanal. Our results suggest that avian host traits are less important determinants of haemosporidian diversity in Pantanal than inother regions, but reinforces that host attributes, related to vector exposure, are to some extent important in modulating infection probability within an avian host assemblage.

Active Fire Mapping on Brazilian Pantanal Based on Deep Learning and CBERS 04A Imagery

Fire in Brazilian Pantanal represents a serious threat to biodiversity. The Brazilian National Institute of Spatial Research (INPE) has a program named Queimadas, which estimated from January 2020 to October 2020, a burned area in Pantanal of approximately 40,606 km2. This program also provides daily data of active fire (fires spots) from a methodology that uses MODIS (Aqua and Terra) sensor data as reference satellites, which presents limitations mainly when dealing with small active fires. Remote sensing researches on active fire dynamics have contributed to wildfire comprehension, despite generally applying low spatial resolution data. Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) associated with high- and medium-resolution remote sensing data may provide a complementary strategy to small active fire detection. We propose an approach based on object detection methods to map active fire in the Pantanal. In this approach, a post-processing strategy is adopted based on Non-Max Suppression (NMS) to reduce the number of highly overlapped detections. Extensive experiments were conducted, generating 150 models, as five-folds were considered. We generate a public dataset with 775-RGB image patches from the Wide Field Imager (WFI) sensor onboard the China Brazil Earth Resources Satellite (CBERS) 4A. The patches resulted from 49 images acquired from May to August 2020 and present a spatial and temporal resolutions of 55 m and five days, respectively. The proposed approach uses a point (active fire) to generate squared bounding boxes. Our findings indicate that accurate results were achieved, even considering recent images from 2021, showing the generalization capability of our models to complement other researches and wildfire databases such as the current program Queimadas in detecting active fire in this complex environment. The approach may be extended and evaluated in other environmental conditions worldwide where active fire detection is still a required information in fire fighting and rescue initiatives.

Prioritising areas for wildfire prevention and post-fire restoration in the Brazilian Pantanal

In 2020, fires in the Pantanal, the world's largest continuous tropical wetland, made global news. The flames destroyed almost one-third of the biome. Furthermore, 43% of the affected area was burnt for the first time in 20 or even more years. As the combination of extreme drought and anthropogenic actions that caused these extreme wildfires is still prevalent, scientifically informed actions are necessary to prevent catastrophic fires in the future. Fire prevention, as well as restoration need to be spatially prioritised, as it is unfeasible to plan actions for the whole extent (150,355 km2) of the Brazilian Pantanal. In this study, we identified areas of high fire risk based on meteorological fire risk tendency for 1980–2020, fire intensity, last year with fire, the recurrence of fires for 2003–2020, and remaining areas of natural forest vegetation around watercourses. These native remnants include unburnt areas that can serve as refuges for fire-sensitive species and are important for fire prevention. We identified 246 km2 with high fire risk, i.e., high probability of megafires, with vegetation types that support fire-sensitive plant species. We found that while 179 km2 had high or medium natural regeneration potential, 66 km2 had low potential and needed active restoration. Over 3120 km2 have been severely degraded by recent fires. About 93% of these areas have high or medium potential for natural regeneration, where the suggested actions are passive restoration and Integrated Fire Management. We estimated the cost of post-fire restoration for areas with high and medium potential for natural regeneration to be around 123 million USD. In areas with low regeneration potential (219 km2), we suggest active restoration. The cost to restore these areas using transplanted seedlings or enrichment planting is estimated between 28 and 151 million USD.

Poly(ε-caprolactone) blended with thermoplastic waxy starch matrix reinforced with cellulose nanocrystals from Macauba (Acrocomia spp.) Rachis

Aiming at a sustainable bionanocomposites, cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) were extracted by acid hydrolysis from rachis fibers of macauba (Acrocomia spp.) palm trees natural of the Brazilian Pantanal. In a second step, CNCs were incorporated as reinforcement into thermoplastic waxy starch (TPS) phase blended with poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL), 70/30 (w/w), by higher shear rate co-rotating extrusion. Nanocomposites were formulated with 3.25, 6.5 and 13 wt% CNCs in relation to TPS mass. The nanocomposite containing only 3.25 wt% CNCs improved the mechanical tensile strength by three times and the elastic modulus by more than six times in relation to the TPS/PCL matrix, reaching values close to 12 MPa and 1 GPa, respectively. In addition, the lower amount of CNCs guaranteed the thermal stability of the TPS/PCL nanocomposites (~250 °C), showing an increase in Tonset of 20 °C in relation to the neat matrix. This effect may be associated with the interactions between TPS molecules and CNCs, as observed in the rheological measurements. Therefore, this study showed the potential of macauba as a renewable source for CNC extraction, bringing higher economic value to this plant and establishing its sustainable productive chain.

Characterization of Jaguar Utilization Distributions in the Brazilian Pantanal

Jaguars (Panthera onca) have been eradicated from 50% of their historical range across Mexico, Central America, and South America. The Brazilian Pantanal in west-central Brazil represents a stronghold of core habitat for the species and is an important site for conservation. Habitat in the Pantanal is threatened largely due to expanding human activity causing habitat loss and fragmentation, making remaining habitat vitally significant. This study seeks to characterize the utilization distributions of jaguars in the area to better understand the habitat use and spatial ecology of a threatened species. GPS locations taken from 13 jaguars were used to calculate estimates of kernelhomesrangesatthe50% (core range)and 95% (home range)isopleth levels. These ranges were used to quantify habitat use in relation to land cover types. Patterns of distribution heavily followed waterways, perhaps following that of their main prey,caimans(Caiman crocodilus yacare). Wetlands were the most heavily utilized among all jaguars at the 95% home range followed by grasslands. However, at the 50% core range level there was a shift in greater utilization of forest habitat over grassland. Additionally, females generally had smaller home ranges than that of males and exhibited less overlap between home ranges(27 km2) than between male home ranges(217 km2) – a key indicator of female spatial avoidance.

Carbon Exchange in a Hyperseasonal Cattle Pasture in the Brazilian Pantanal

Carbon Exchange in a Hyperseasonal Cattle Pasture in the Brazilian Pantanal

Ethnobotanical Practices Among Riverine People in the Brazilian Pantanal

Ethnobotanical Practices Among Riverine People in the Brazilian Pantanal