Parque Nacional Research Articles

Some facultative-aquatic conidial fungi from the Caatinga biome II: new records for Brazil and Americas

An inventory of freshwater conidial fungi associated with submerged plant debris was made in five areas included in the Caatinga biome (Brejo Paraibano-PB, APA da Chapada do Araripe and Parque Nacional de Ubajara-CE, Parque Nacional da Serra das Confusoes-PI, and Serra da Jiboia-BA). Eighty-six species were identified. Among them, Corynesporopsis antillana RF Castaneda and WB Kendrick and Oedemium minus (Link) S. Hughes are new records for Brazil, and, Dactylella yunnanensis K. Q. Zhang, Z. Xing Liu and L. Cao, Ellisembia vaginata McKenzie, and Xylomyces pusillus Goh, W. H. Ho, K. D. Hyde and K. M. Tsui are new records for Americas. Fifteen species are recorded for the first time from freshwater habitat. Descriptions, illustrations, commentaries, and geographic distribution are presented for the new records.

Community structure and functional diversity of polypores (Basidiomycota) in the Atlantic Forest of Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Ecological studies have suggested that different groups of polypore species, acting as parasites and/or saprophytes, degrade different types of woody substrates. These functional groups have different decay capabilities and hence different roles in ecosystems. The aim of this study was to describe the community (species composition and their functionality inferred on the basis of substrate preference) of wood-decaying polypores in the Atlantic Forest of Parque Nacional da Serra do Itajai, in Santa Catarina State, Brazil. The polypore specimens and data on the substrates were sampled in two plots (100×50 m). Among 152 specimens collected, 58 species were identified. Three main dominant groups were identified. The first group comprised three dominant species, the second group five subordinate species and the third 50 rare species. The species were ordered using cluster correspondence analysis based on relative frequency of the species in the different types of substrates and the mean size of the substrate where basidiomes were found. Five functional groups were recognized: two of them were formed by Phylloporia species ( P. spathulata on living roots in the ground and P. chrysita on living trunk); and three others consisted of different species of different genera, each of them characterized by the presence of one dominant, few subordinate and several rare species.

Evidencia arqueológica de naufragios en zonas costeras: El caso del Parque Nacional Monte León (Provincia de Santa Cruz)

This paper presents the results of the investigations conducted in the coastal area of the Parque Nacional Monte Leon (Monte Leon National Park), Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, in relation to the archaeological evidence of historic shipwrecks. The study includes the analysis of the relevant background

Anthropogenic pressure indicators associated with vessel groundings on coral reefs in a marine protected area

Historical information was collected on vessel groundings in the Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano (Veracruz Reef System National Park, PNSAV) during the periods 1902–1945 and 1970–2010 to generate specific pressure indicators associated with these events. Information on 126 vessel groundings was gathered, and the cause, specific location, season, and type of vessel were analyzed. Three indicators were generated: stranding pressure, annual pressure, and pressure per site. The highest number of vessel groundings occurred in 1925 and on the Anegada de Adentro reef, the most impacted in both periods. The most common causes of strandings were human error and northerly winds (Nortes). Small vessels were the ones that impacted the most against the reefs. The indicators showed that despite technological advances, pressure caused by groundings in PNSAV continues to occur at a medium level. These indicators are relevant for the management of the area in view of the imminent expansion of the port of Veracruz, which will likely lead to increased vessel traffic and a potential increase in vessel groundings.

Estudio preliminar de caracoles terrestres en la Isla San Cristóbal, Galápagos

En las Islas Galápagos se han registrado alrededor de 120 especies de caracoles endémicos terrestres. Los caracoles han colonizado todas las islas grandes y se los puede encontrar en la mayoría de las zonas de vegetación. Sin embargo, se ha visto que su distribución es cada vez menor y muchas especies ya han desaparecido debido a la colonización humana. En este estudio hicimos una evaluación preliminar del impacto del cambio en el uso del suelo sobre la diversidad de los caracoles de la isla San Cristóbal. Para ello, realizamos censos no-invasivos en cuatro hábitats diferentemente afectados por actividades humanas en los cuales identificamos los caracoles registrados, con base en fotografías, para estimar y comparar su diversidad en cada uno de los hábitats: sembrío de café, sembrío de guayaba y pasto, área urbana y área de reforestación con especies nativas. Se identificaron tres especies nativas y dos especies introducidas de caracoles; adicionalmente tres especies (o grupos de especies) se identificaron a nivel de género. La mayor diversidad de especies de caracoles se encontró en el hábitat de reforestación. Esto sugiere que la presencia de plantas nativas es importante para la conservación de los caracoles en las islas. Futuros estudios deben enfocarse en entender el impacto de las especies introducidas de caracoles sobre las especies nativas y las funciones de los ecosistemas. Este estudio se realizó con el permiso de investigación PC-30-11 del Parque Nacional Galápagos para Stella de la Torre.

Parque Nacional da Serra do Itajaí (southern Brazil) shrub and herbs flora

This paper aim to characterize the herbaceous and shrub species diversity of Parque Nacional da Serra do Itajaí (PNSI). We identified 643 herbaceous and shrub species distributed in 110 families being the most representative family Asteraceae (62 species), Melastomataceae (49) and Rubiaceae (30), besides a two new records for Santa Catarina (Thelypteris glaziovii T.F. Reed and Pseudelephantopus spiralis Cronquist). We recorded 22 exotic species. Thus, due to the vast diversity of life and the rather large territory, PNSI is one of the most important spots for biodiversity conservation in Santa Catarina.

Insect galls of the Parque Nacional das Emas (Mineiros, GO, Brazil)

In this study we perform an inventory of the insect leaf galls of the Parque Nacional das Emas, Goiás State, Brazil. We found 97 gall morphotypes, distributed on 24 botanical families comprising 37 genera and 55 species. The plant taxa that showed the greatest richness of galls were the families Myrtaceae, with 17 morphotypes and Fabaceae with 14, and the genera Myrcia (Myrtaceae) and Qualea (Vochysiaceae) with 10 and eight morphotypes, respectively. The plant species Andira cujabensis Benth. (Fabaceae) and Myrcia guianensis (Aubl.) DC., with four morphotypes each, were the most diverse. We found galling insects belonging to Diptera, Hemiptera and Lepidoptera. The galling insects of family Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) were the most common inducing 38.1% of the gall morphotypes. All recorded gall morphotypes are first records to Parque Nacional das Emas. Among the 55 host plant species listed in the survey, 16 species (20%) have the first report of hosting galls.

Myxomycetes of the Scientific Herbarium Maria Eneyda P. K. Fidalgo (SP): species of Trichiaceae (Myxogastromycetidae, Trichiales)

This article prese nts a review of the Trichiaceae collection of the SP Herbarium which holds 128 exsiccates mainly collected from Conservation Units of Atlantic Forest (Parque Nacional da Floresta da Tijuca and Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, Rio de Janeiro State; Parque Estadual das Fontes do Ipiranga and Reserva Biológica do Alto da Serra de Paranapiacaba, São Paulo State). Some specimens were collected from Amazon Forest (Pará and Rondônia States), Cerrado, (savanna-like vegetation), coastal environments, and urbanized areas (Minas Gerais and São Paulo States). The Trichiaceae collection is in well preserved conditions, with six genera and 15 species. Arcyria, with six species, represents 60% of all exsiccates. Arcyria denudata (L.) Wetts. is a new record for Pará State, enhancing the knowledge of this species geographic distribution in the Brazilian Amazon Region. A commented list of the species and exsiccates are provided herewith, including the typus of the genus Arcyriatella Hochg. & Gottsb.

Taxonomic revision of Parampheres (Arachnida: Opiliones: Gonyleptidae)

Parampheres Roewer, 1913 is a relatively common genus of South American harvestmen. This genus is easily diagnosed by the remarkable yellow patches on the prosoma. Nonetheless, species determination within this group is challenging due the convoluted taxonomic history of the group and lack of a recent revision. In this study we revise Parampheres and describe a new species, Parampheres tenebris sp. nov., from Parque Nacional da Serra Geral, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. The new species can be distinguished from the other species of the genus by having dorsal scutum dark, and apophysis of coxa IV of male elongated. Furthermore, we propose the following new synonymies: Callampheres boliviensis Roewer, 1913, Pertyana ronae Mello-Leitao, 1927 and Parampheres tibialis Roewer, 1917 with Parampheres pectinatus Roewer, 1913. Parampheres now includes four species distributed from southern Brazil to adjacent areas in Argentina and Uruguay. In addition, we present a phylogenetic hypothesis based on morphological characters that supports the transfer of Parampheres from Gonyleptinae to Caelopyginae.

Helminth parasites of the red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus (Perciformes: Lutjanidae) from the reef Santiaguillo, Veracruz, Mexico.

A total of 21 helminth species were recovered from 52 specimens of red snapper, Lutjanus campechanus , captured in the reef Santiaguillo, Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano, State of Veracruz, in the Southern Gulf of Mexico. These helminths included 9 trematodes (7 adults and 2 metacercariae), 4 nematodes (3 adults and 1 larva), 4 acanthocephalans (1 adult and 3 juvenile), 2 cestodes (both larvae), and 2 monogeneans. Sixteen of the 21 species are new host records; 7 are common species with a prevalence >40% and mean intensity >4.1. The monogenean Euryhaliotrema tubocirrus was the most-prevalent parasite with a prevalence of 78.8%, followed by the intestinal plerocercoids of Tetraphyllidea with a prevalence of 59.6%. The richness (S = 21), and diversity (Shannon index H = 2.17) in the component community, as well as in the infracommunity level (S = 5.1 ± 2.2, H = 0.92 ± 0.4), was similar to those found in other marine fish of temperate and tropical latitudes. The present study suggests that the composition of the parasite community is associated with the host feeding habits because 18/21 of the recorded species are trophically transmitted.

Corales pétreos, equinodermos y peces asociados a comunidades y arrecifes coralinos del Parque Nacional Huatulco, Pacífico sur mexicano

As a result of literature review, collection visit and field work we compile the systematic list of stony corals (10 species), echinoderms (32 species) and fish (150 species) that inhabit the Parque Nacional Huatulco (PNH). The number of reported species (191) represents an increase ∼ 66.9% respect to previous studies. Respect to other Protected Areas (PA) in Mexico, the PNH harbors larger species richness than PA located in the Central Mexican Pacific, but below the richness recorded in PA located in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Although the PNH harbors a relatively large number of species, the taxonomic diversity of stony corals and fish is lower than expected since only protects taxonomically related species, therefore is taxonomically impoverished regarding the tropical eastern Pacific fauna. The management of the PNH is strategic for the maintenance of the shallow marine communities from western Mexico, since it guarantees the entrance of species from Central America to the Mexican Pacific, but also because the PNH is the only protected reservoir of species from the Panamic Province in the entire Mexican Pacific.

Ecology of solitary nesting olive ridley sea turtles at Playa Grande, Costa Rica

Olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) have two distinct mating systems: independent (solitary) and synchronized and mass assemblages (arribadas). Arribada nesting beaches have been the focus of most research, even though solitary nesting is the most common behavior. The purpose of this study was to assess the contribution of solitary nesting turtles to the olive ridley turtle population. We studied the nesting ecology of solitary nesting olive ridley turtles within the national park Parque Nacional Marino Las Baulas (PNMB) in Playa Grande, Costa Rica (10°20′N, 85°51′W) and compared these turtles to nearby arribada turtles. Between 2009/2010 and 2013/2014, an estimated 933 nesting activities occurred within PNMB. This number of turtles has not changed significantly since 1995. During this study, 285 females were tagged; of these, 30 females were encountered nesting on more than one occasion. Significantly, more females emerged (31.1 % of tracks) during the third-quarter moon, often a predictor of arribada events, than any other moon phase. However, there was no significant change in nesting activity at PNMB during nearby arribada events. Mean hatching success (78.5 ± 23.4 % SD) was higher, and incubation temperatures were lower (ranging from 28.3 to 33.4 °C) than at nearby arribada beaches. Thus, clutches are relatively successful and may produce males. These data suggest that solitary olive ridley turtles are important. Currently, PNMB protects turtles from October to March; however, hatching success was highest and 40 % of nesting activity occurred during the rainy season (August–November). More turtles could be protected by increasing the temporal scope of park protection.

Assessment of ice-dam collapse by time-lapse photos at the Perito Moreno glacier, Argentina

Abstract. This research provides a feasibility study on the implementation and performance assessment of time-lapse processing of a monoscopic image sequence, acquired by a calibrated camera in the Perito Moreno Glacier in Argentina. The glacier is located at 50°28'23" S, 73°02'10" W at the Parque Nacional Los Glaciares, South Patagonia Icefield, Santa Cruz and has experienced minor fluctuations and unusual behavior since the early 1960's to present. The objective of this study was to determine the evolution and changes in the ice-dam of the Perito Moreno glacier that started on November, 23 2012 and collapsed on January 19, 2013. Two images every 24 hours were acquired since October 2012 until February 2013, a total of 135 days. Image information was supported by ground data. Image and ground data was correlated with a 2D affine transformation. This technique allows the determination of the distortions in the images and estimating the values of scale factors. This, along with an accurate time-lapse interval, has produced accurate data for the analysis. In addition, changes in the level of the Brazo Rico lake were validated with direct data in order to determine the degree of uncertainty in the estimation of changes in the glacier. Based on the calculations, advance rates of the front of the Perito Moreno glacier were estimated at 0.67 m/d ± 0.003 m, and the tunnel evolution was also recorded.

Pollinator sharing and low pollen–ovule ratio diminish reproductive success in two sympatric species of Portulaca (Portulacaceae)

We studied the breeding systems, phenology, pollination, and reproductive success of Portulaca grandiflora and P. hirsutissima (Portulacaceae) at Parque Nacional do Catimbau in the Brazilian Caatinga. The species flowered synchronously, exhibited similar floral morphology, offered pollen as the sole floral resource and shared the same bee species as pollinators. They visited flowers of both Portulaca species at similar frequencies, and their visitation peaks occurred at the same time of day. The pollinators made no distinction between the species during foraging. Both plant species are self-compatible, but produce fewer fruits and seeds after self-pollination than after cross-pollination. Comparing the reproductive success in areas where both species co-occur to that of areas with only one of them, seed set of P. grandiflora decreased by 25% and of P. hirsutissima by 36%. This is likely due to diminished flow of conspecific pollen grains, as the pollen–ovule ratio was extraordinarily small.

A Broad Transition from Cloud Forest to Páramo Characterizes an Undisturbed Treeline in Parque Nacional Llanganates, Ecuador

This study aimed at investigating the vegetation pattern associated with the transition from upper northern Andean cloud forest to páramo grassland in a relatively unmodified area in Ecuador’s Eastern Cordillera. Single 20 × 10 m plots were randomly placed in representative sites along an altitudinal gradient from continuously wet Andean montane cloud forest at 3400–3700 m to páramo grassland at 3900–4000 m. Also sampled was a disjunct stand of the stem-rosette Espeletia pycnophylla var. llanganatensis, some 200 km south of the limit of the otherwise continuous distribution of this genus. Several physical and chemical soil factors, including temperature at -30 cm, were determined. Visual estimates of cover in four life-form classes (trees, shrubs, herbs, ground cover) at each site revealed similarities related to their relative proximity along an elevation gradient. Stands with a tree cover were more species-rich than those without, due largely to the differential distribution of the woody flora. No abrupt discontinuity occurred in the mix of species along this gradient. Soil temperature and altitude were the most important factors of those measured to explain the variability in plant community structure and composition. There was no clear zonation evident along the altitudinal gradient, with vegetation structure and floristics displaying continuous variation. No clear upper forest limit was differentiated. The isolated presence of Espeletia in the area is discussed, but the theory about its origin remains speculative.

Three new species of Thrasychiroides Soares & Soares, 1947 from Brazilian Mountains (Opiliones, Eupnoi, Neopilionidae).

Three new species of the genus Thrasychiroides are described from the Brazilian Atlantic Rain Forest mountains: Thrasychiroides moporanga sp. nov. (type locality: Reserva Biologica de Alto da Serra de Paranapiacaba, State of São Paulo), T. toryba sp. nov. (type locality: São Francisco de Paula, State of Rio Grande do Sul) and T. ybytyra sp. nov. (type locality: Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, State of Minas Gerais). The male genital of Thrasychiroides brasilicus Soares & Soares, 1947 is illustrated for the first time. A remarkable structure on the penis of Thrasychiroides species is described and defined as pair of "arms", also considered a putative synapomorphy of the genus.

Redescription of Dicranocentrus heloisae Arlé & Mendonça, 1982 (Collembola: Entomobryidae)

Dicranocentrus heloisae Arlé & Mendonça 1982 is redescribed based on specimens collected from its type locality, “Parque Nacional da Tijuca”, Rio de Janeiro municipality, State of Rio de Janeiro. The presence of 6+6 macrochaetae S, 1+1 macrochaeta P, and absence of macrochaetae A1 and Ps dorsally on head, puts Dicranocentrus heloisae in the gracilis-group sensu Mari-Mutt (1979). This species is easily indentified mainly due to general color pattern of pale yellow on body with bluish to blackish pigmentation on head. Taxonomic characteristics not illustrated in the original description are given (dorsal cephalic chaetotaxy, sensory organ of the third antennal segment, eyes, labrum, maxillary palp, outer labial papilla, labial triangle, trochanteral organ, femur, tibiotarsus, unguis, ventral tube and tenaculum). New records from other localities in Brazil are provided. A neotype for Dicranocentrus heloisae is designated.

Mutaciones de la identificación indígena durante el debate del censo 2012 en Bolivia: mestizaje abandonado, indigeneidad estatal y proliferación minoritaria

This article discusses recent changes in ethnic identification in Bolivia. It focuses on examining the relationships between notions of indigeneity and mestizaje in the country, addressing three main sources of conceptual contention: 1. the debates generated around the 2012 National Census; 2. the Constituent Assembly that finally declared the plurinationality of the State; 3. the conflict unleashed around the TIPNIS (Territorio Indígena y Parque Nacional Isiboro Sécure). Following the course of the relationship between government and indigenous organizations and changes in State discourse, the article will show that two distinguishable conceptualizations of indigeneity have emerged as socially significant: one relates to minority rights, and the other, more comprehensive and generic, has been promoted by the State and is shrouded in meanings traditionally associated with the notion of mestizaje.

Gastrointestinal helminth parasitism in fruit-eating bats (Chiroptera, Stenodermatinae) from western Amazonian Brazil

In this paper we report endoparasites from a sample of 50 stenodermatine bats collected mainly over lick sites at the Parque Nacional da Serra do Divisor, westernmost extremity of Amazonian Brazil. Four helminth species were recovered (Hasstilesia tricolor, Vampirolepis elongatus, Cheiropteronema globocephala. and Capillaria sp.), most of them from small intestines. Overall helminth prevalence achieved 26% (13/50) and the more prevalent species was H. tricolor (20%). Previously unknown in bats and reported for the first time in Brazil, this digenetic trematode was found in seven of the 18 bat species studied here. We argue that the drinking behaviour of stenodermatines at lick sites may be implicated in the dissemination of helminth infection among these bats.

Mitinha and Tamanduamyia, two new genera of Mythicomyiinae (Diptera, Mythicomyiidae) from northeast Brazil.

Two new genera and two new species of Mythicomyiinae are described based on material collected in Parque Nacional Serra das Confusões, Piauí state, northeast Brazil, an arid region: Mitinha, gen. nov., type-species M. neri, sp. nov. and Tamanduamyia, gen. nov., type-species T. bandeira, sp. nov. An illustrated key is presented for world Mythicomyiinae genera.