Cerrado Physiognomies Research Articles

Microbial Diversity in Cerrado Biome (Neotropical Savanna) Soils.

The Cerrado, the largest savanna region in South America, is located in central Brazil. Cerrado physiognomies, which range from savanna grasslands to forest formations, combined with the highly weathered, acidic clay Cerrado soils form a unique ecoregion. In this study, high-throughput sequencing of ribosomal RNA genes was combined with shotgun metagenomic analysis to explore the taxonomic composition and potential functions of soil microbial communities in four different vegetation physiognomies during both dry and rainy seasons. Our results showed that changes in bacterial, archaeal, and fungal community structures in cerrado denso, cerrado sensu stricto, campo sujo, and gallery forest soils strongly correlated with seasonal patterns of soil water uptake. The relative abundance of AD3, WPS-2, Planctomycetes, Thermoprotei, and Glomeromycota typically decreased in the rainy season, whereas the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Ascomycota increased. In addition, analysis of shotgun metagenomic data revealed a significant increase in the relative abundance of genes associated with iron acquisition and metabolism, dormancy, and sporulation during the dry season, and an increase in the relative abundance of genes related to respiration and DNA and protein metabolism during the rainy season. These gene functional categories are associated with adaptation to water stress. Our results further the understanding of how tropical savanna soil microbial communities may be influenced by vegetation covering and temporal variations in soil moisture.

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.

Disentangling the roles of resource availability and disturbance in fine and coarse root biomass in savanna

Savannas are among the most unknown biomes concerning the plant below-ground system. Root biomass might be influenced by the availability of limiting resources and by the type and intensity of disturbances, mediated by the plant functional attributes related to environmental conditions. Fine and coarse roots should be affected differently: the former should be more responsive to resource supplies, whilst the latter should be related to changes in disturbance frequency. We studied the roles of soil fertility, topography of the plots indicating water availability, fire frequency and plant resistance to fire in affecting fine and coarse root biomass. We sampled the root biomass, environmental variables and functional attributes of all individuals present in 100 plots in savanna physiognomies of cerrado, in central Brazil. We used structural equation modelling to test our hypothesis and found that shallow root biomass, from 0 to 20 cm deep, was not caused by resource availability, by disturbances, as fire or drought, or by functional attributes. Biotic interactions were not considered in our study, but they may have a central role in affecting the shallow root biomass. In the deep layer, from 20 to 100 cm deep, we identified soil fertility and recent fires as the main factors causing changes in fine and coarse root biomass in the cerrado, respectively. Low nutrient availability in the soil caused higher fine root biomass, increasing the uptake of resources, whereas recent fires led to less coarse root biomass below 20 cm deep, probably due to the higher dominance of the herbaceous layer in the plots, with less coarse root biomass. According to our expectation, fine roots were mostly affected by nutrient availability in the soil, whereas coarse roots were more related to disturbance, in our case, recent fires.

Behavioural and morphological strategies by small savannah rodents to avoid predation

The study focused on vulnerability of small savannah mammals in relation to hearing, locomotion and activity on full moon nights in a continuum from more bushy to more open Cerrado physiognomies in order to understand predator selection in a southeast Brazilian savannah preserve. Diet preference of three nocturnal/crepuscular predators, a canid (maned wolf – Chrysocyon brachyurus) and two raptors (barn owl – Tyto alba and burrowing owl – Athene cunicularia), were assessed, simultaneously to measurement of rodent tympanic bulla volume, calculation of a prey bipedalism index (ratio between length of fore and hind limbs) and small mammal sampling in three different Cerrado physiognomies and on different moon phases. High bulla volume, low bipedalism index (bipedal locomotion) and high abundance/activity on darker nights and in bushy habitats are assumed as less vulnerability to predation. Although the Echymyidae Clyomys bishopi was the least vulnerable prey to aerial attack, possibly due to its good hearing (highest bulla volume), its predominantly quadrupedal locomotion (high bidepalism index) seemed not to be so efficient against the maned wolf, as it was preyed upon more than expected by chance by this canid. The Cricetidae Olygoryzomys nigripes and Calomys tener were either consumed opportunistically by the two owls or they were preyed upon at a frequency lower than expected by chance by the maned wolf. However, as the dominant species in the study area, C. tener was always consumed in large proportions. Olygoryzomys nigripes was the least vulnerable prey to the analysed predators, possibly due to its efficient locomotion (low bipedalism index) and scansorial habits, even though its bulla volume suggests a low hearing capability and the level of activity is the same during both lunar phases. As a vulnerable prey relative to hearing, locomotion and predominantly terrestrial habits, Calomys tener's strategy against predators is to decrease its activity on nights with a full moon and to inhabit physiognomies with more dense vegetation cover. The Cricetidae Necromys lasiurus seems to be especially vulnerable to the barn owl as it was consumed more than expected by chance. Its bulla relative volume was low, the bipedalism index and short tail indicate poor locomotion efficiency, and body size as well as terrestrial habits suit the barn owl's size and aerial hunting strategy. Mechanisms such as inflated bullae seem to play a secondary role in a more wooded environment, such as the savannah; locomotion mode, use of refuges and the exhibition of a more secretive behaviour (such as avoidance of moonlight) seem more effective in these neotropical landscapes.

How can an invasive grass affect fire behavior in a tropical savanna? A community and individual plant level approach

Some invasive grasses have been reported to change fire behavior in invaded plant communities. Urochloa brizantha is an aggressive invasive grass in the Brazilian Cerrado, an ecosystem where fire is a common disturbance. We investigated the effects of U. brizantha on fire behavior in an open Cerrado physiognomy in Central Brazil. Using experimental burnings we compared fire behavior at both the community and the individual plant level in invaded (UJ) and non-invaded (NJ) areas burned in July. We also assessed the effect of fire season in invaded areas by comparing July (UJ) and October (UO) burnings. We evaluated the following variables: fuel load, fuel moisture, combustion efficiency, maximum fire temperature, flame height, and fire intensity. Additionally, we evaluated the temperatures reached under invasive and native grass tussocks in both seasons. Fuel load, combustion efficiency, and fire intensity were higher in NJ than in UJ, whilst flame height showed the opposite trend. Fuel amount and fire intensity were higher in October than in July. At the individual plant level, U. brizantha moisture was higher than that of native species, however, temperatures reaching ≥600 °C at ground level were more frequent under U. brizantha tussocks than under native grasses. At the community level, the invasive grass modified fire behavior towards lower intensity, lower burning efficiency, and higher flame height. These results provide essential information for the planning of prescribed burnings in invaded Cerrado areas.

Florística e estrutura de um trecho de mata ciliar do rio Carinhanha, Feira da Mata, Bahia, Brasil

This study aimed to contribute to understanding the floristic composition and vegetation structure of a stretch of riparian forest on the banks of Carinhanha river, belonging to the Sao Francisco river basin, in a fragment of Cerrado sensu lato, in Feira da Mata, Bahia, Brazil. Four equidistant 50 m transects were placed, as well as twelve 10 m x 25 m plots, distributed among transects, totaling 3,000 m² (0.3 ha). All live and dead individuals with DBH ≥ 5 cm were sampled. In the floristic survey, a total of 105 species, 87 genera, and 42 families were sampled. In the phytosociological study, a total of 217 individuals distributed into 54 species, 49 genera, and 29 families were registered. The family having the greatest species richness was Fabaceae, which included 24.07% of all species sampled. The species Oxandra reticulata Maas showed the greatest importance value. The density was 723 individuals.ha-1 and the basal area was 14.52 m².ha-1. Shannon-Wiener’s diversity index (H`) was 3.62. Sorensen’s index (So) showed low similarity with to other riparian fragments. We concluded that the area under study shares species with other Cerrado physiognomies and it has species from Caatinga, something which confirms the heterogeneity of this formation.

Ant species diversity in ciliary forest and gallery forest areas in central Brazil

Ants make up an important group of insects of the Cerrado in terms of biomass, number of individuals, and ecological impact. The main goals of this study were to quantify the species richness and species diversity of the family Formicidae in two riparian Cerrado physiognomies: Ciliary Forest and Gallery Forest, and to evaluate the effectiveness of two collection techniques for these organisms. The study was conducted during the dry season, comprising the months of May to October 2012, in the municipality of Quirinópolis, Goiás State, Brazil. Samples were made using two capture techniques: sardine baits and pitfall traps. Manual collection was employed to extend the range of faunistic composition of the ants. We collected 24 species of ants in the Gallery Forest and 23 in the Ciliary Forest. The genus Megalomyrmex was the most representative, being present in 49.46% of the samples, and secondly the genus Pheidole, with 15.36% of the total individuals captured. From a total of 10,917 individuals, 9140 were captured using the bait technique, 1738 with traps, and 39 individuals through manual collection. Similar results were found in the Cerrado of Paineiras, with 45 ant species distributed in 16 genera belonging to 5 subfamilies.

Direct and Short-Term Effects of Fire on Lizard Assemblages from a Neotropical Savanna Hotspot

Abstract As in other savanna biomes, burns are common in the Cerrado biodiversity hotspot, profoundly affecting its entire biota. We review the direct and indirect effects of fire on lizards and find that previous studies on herpetofauna report little or no direct postfire mortality, likely as a result of adaptive behaviors, and that studies on indirect effects of burns often assume the absence of direct effects on the herpetofauna. We investigate the immediate effects of prescribed fires upon lizard mortality in three South American Cerrado physiognomies. We also investigate the short-term (12 months) effects of fire on lizard captures in cerrado sensu stricto, the most widespread Cerrado physiognomy. We found no immediate postfire mortality with lizards using burrows and termite nests as prime shelters. Most lizard species displayed narrowed microhabitat use and reduced activity immediately after the fire. Twelve months after the burn, the capture rate of most species increased or remained the same as b...

Species Composition of Termites (Isoptera) in Different Cerrado Vegetation Physiognomies

Little is known about the termite fauna of the different vegetation physiognomies in the Cerrado biome. It is suggested that the species compositions in grassland and savanna areas are closely related to each other, and quite distinct from those of forests. This study compared the species composition from five different physiognomies of Cerrado, and tested the hypothesis that the termite faunas of savannas and grasslands form a distinct group from that of forests. The study was conducted in the Parque Estadual da Serra de Jaraguá, state of Goiás, Brazil. Termites were sampled from two physiognomies of savanna, one natural grassland, one pasture, and one gallery forest. A transect with 10 parcels of 5x2 m was established in each physiognomy. The relative abundance was inferred by the number of encounters, termites were classified in feeding guilds, and the dissimilarity in the species composition between the physiognomies was calculated. A total of 219 encounters, of 42 species of two families were recorded. The most abundant feeding guilds were the humivores (98) and xylophages (55). The physiognomies with the largest number of species were rupestrian cerrado (23 species) and cerrado sensu stricto (21). The physiognomies had a similar species composition (less than 55% dissimilarity), mainly the natural open areas. The hypothesis of a distinct fauna of termites in forest vegetation was refuted. The termite fauna of gallery forest is very different from that of pasture, but most species also occur in natural open areas. The impact of pasture on the diversity and composition of termites seems to be significant, but the impact is even greater on the proportion of the feeding guilds, reducing the proportion of xylophages and intermediates.

Variations in Stand Structure and Diversity along a Soil Fertility Gradient in a Brazilian Savanna (Cerrado) in Southern Mato Grosso

Brazilian savanna (cerrado) is composed of vegetation and soil types that are spatially variable, and links between cerrado physiognomy and soil properties are poorly understood. To reduce this uncertainty, we measured the plant community structure within cerrado vegetation types located near Cuiaba, Mato Grosso, Brazil, that varied in soil physical and chemical properties. We hypothesized that vegetation composition, including tree density, leaf area index (LAI), grass cover, and tree species diversity would be highly correlated with soil C content and fertility. Our results indicate that soil organic matter content (SOM) was significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with tree density and LAI but negatively correlated with grass cover. Moreover, SOM content explained almost all of the spatial variation in cation exchange capacity (CEC) and soil N content (Pearson r > 0.90), and tree species diversity and richness increased significantly with soil fertility. These data suggest that cerrado species richness and diversity is coincident with more fertile soils, which is qualitatively similar to results reported for tropical forests across regional fertility gradients in the Amazon Basin. These results have implications for the maintenance of soil C storage and fertility and tree species diversity in cerrado.

Pedology and plant physiognomies in the cerrado, Brazil

This study was carried out in Paraopeba National Reserve. It aims to classify and evaluate the soil of the studied area and to verify the influence of soil attributes on vegetation by testing the following hypotheses: 1) under woodland physiognomies (Cerradão) the soil fertility is higher and the Al content lower; 2) open savanna occurs only in areas with high Al contents. For this purpose, representative soils in the Paraopeba National Reserve were mapped, identified, and samples from five profiles were analyzed. The environmental gradient was easily observed by principal components analyses, where the differences between the sites were highlighted. The Spearman correlation was used to verify the hypothesis. The correlation between vegetation (basal area, density, and richness) and soil (K, Ca2+, and Al3+) was statistically significant. The hypotheses were accepted, but hypothesis 1 only partially. Soil features seem to have an influence on the Cerrado phytophysiognomies and structure. Available phosphorous was an important factor for the maintenance of woodland Cerrado. Also, exchangeable Al3+ plays a major role in the establishment of different Cerrado physiognomies in Paraopeba National Reserve.

Environmental diagnosis of Kaempfer’s woodpecker, Celeus obrieni, on Goiás State north region, Brazil

Despite being widely distributed on the Brazilian Cerrado, C. obrieni is classified as endangered inhabiting the “cerradão” and riparian vegetation mixed with the bamboo Guadua paniculata. On Goiás State it has been found on different sites even though the low potential to its vegetation occurrence. Thus, we do an environmental diagnosis on C. obrieni incidence sites, identifying soil cover and major land uses, fragments with potential to support its ecological requirements and the main threats to its conservation. Results demonstrate that the soil cover and use matrix on Porangatu and Novo Planalto quadrants are dominated by agro pasturelands. On Minaçu 1 and Minaçu 3, the native vegetation area is a little higher than human modified areas, while on Minaçu 2 different Cerrado physiognomies predominate on the landscape. Average size of potential fragments on Novo Planalto and Porangatu were significantly lower than Minaçu fragments, predominating vegetation fragments smaller than 10 ha in all quadrants analyzed. Main threats to C. obrieni are associated to deforestation and fire, generated chiefly by agriculture and pasture expansion over native vegetation.Key words: Potential areas, habitat loss, local extinction, Celeus obrieni.

Classificação orientada a objetos aplicada na caracterização da cobertura da terra no Araguaia

O objetivo deste trabalho foi utilizar a classificação orientada a objetos em imagens TM/ Landsat‑5, para caracterizar classes de uso e cobertura da terra, na região do Médio Araguaia. A cena 223/068, adquirida em 5/9/2010, foi submetida a correção radiométrica, atmosférica e geométrica, como etapas de pré‑processamento. Em seguida, foram geradas duas imagens por meio das matemáticas de bandas espectrais do índice de vegetação por diferença normalizada (NDVI) e do índice de água por diferença normalizada modificado (MNDWI), utilizados na classificação de imagens. Para a segmentação destas, utilizaram-se os parâmetros de escala 250, 200, 150, 100, 50, os algoritmos "assign class" e "nearest neighbor", e os descritores de média, área e relação de borda. Foi empregada matriz de confusão, para avaliar a acurácia da classificação, por meio do coeficiente de exatidão global e do índice de concordância Kappa. A exatidão global para o mapeamento foi de 83,3%, com coeficiente Kappa de 0,72. A classificação foi feita quanto às fitofisionomias do Cerrado, ao uso antrópico e urbano da terra, a corpos d'água e a bancos de areia. As matemáticas de bandas espectrais utilizadas apresentam resultados promissores no delineamento das classes de cobertura da terra no Araguaia.

Biological functioning of Brazilian Cerrado soils under different vegetation types

Over a 2 year period, we compared the soil biological functioning (SBF) of Cerrado physiognomies ranging from grassland-savannic to forest formations, sampling in the middle of the dry and rainy seasons. Soil samples were collected at two depths (0 to 5 cm and 5 to 20 cm) under the following physiognomies: Campo Sujo, Cerrado Ralo, Cerrado sensu stricto, Cerradao and Mata de Galeria. The SBF was represented by the simultaneous analyses of microbial biomass carbon, soil basal respiration and the activity of enzymes linked to the C, P and S cycles (β-glucosidase, acid phosphatase and arylsulfatase, respectively). The results demonstrated that Cerrado physiognomies are a major determinant of SBF patterns. The forest-like physiognomies (Mata de Galeria and Cerradao) presented the highest biomass and activity compared to the grassland (Campo Sujo) and savanna physiognomies (Cerrado Ralo and Cerrado sensu stricto). These differences were more evident in the topsoil layer (0 to 5 cm), and the seasonal effect on the SBF of the Mata de Galeria and Cerradao was more pronounced than on the other physiognomies. These results provide a benchmark for evaluating changes in SBF and related processes in Cerrado areas due to shifts toward agriculture and cattle production.

Insect galls from Serra dos Pireneus, GO, Brazil

In this study we recorded the occurrence of insect galls, inductors and parasitoids in plants of several physiognomies of Brazilian Cerrado in the Serra dos Pireneus, Goiás State, Brazil. We found 62 morphotypes of gall on 28 botanical families, comprising 44 genera and 51 species. The plant families that showed the greatest richness of galls were Fabaceae, with eight morphotypes, and Styracaceae with six. Styrax pohlii (Styracaceae) was the host plant species with the greatest gall richness, featuring five morphotypes. Most of galls occurred on the leaves (82.6%), 45.1% in vegetation of typical savanna and 35.4% in rocky savanna. Dipteran, Hemipteran and Lepidopteran galls were found, being 50.9% of them induced by Cecidomyiidae (Diptera). Several parasitoids were obtained, Eulophidae (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea) was the most representative group (occurring in approximately 40% of the galls). Nine species of plants were recorded for the first time in the Neotropical as host of gallers.

Padrões espaciais de Qualea grandiflora Mart. em fragmentos de cerrado no estado de São Paulo

A descrição dos padrões espaciais é importante para se elaborar hipóteses sobre a dinâmica de populações vegetais. Nosso objetivo foi verificar diferenças nos padrões espaciais de classes de tamanho de Q. grandiflora dentro e entre fragmentos com diferentes fisionomias de cerrado. Para isso descrevemos e comparamos os padrões espaciais do número de plantas por subparcela (5 x 5 m) em seis parcelas de 0,5 ha em quatro fragmentos. Descrevemos os padrões para duas classes de tamanho utilizando correlogramas com o índice I de Moran e testamos associações espaciais entre classes pelo teste de Mantel parcial. A abundância variou de 18 a 319 plantas 0,5 ha-1. Plantas maiores (altura > 1,5 m) tiveram padrões agregados em todos os casos, com números e tamanhos das escalas de agregação variando independentemente da fisionomia. Somente em três parcelas foi possível descrever os padrões espaciais de plantas menores, onde foram aleatórios. Nesses casos, houve duas associações significativas positivas entre classes e uma não significativa. As diferenças de abundância e padrão espacial entre parcelas foram tão grandes no mesmo fragmento quanto entre fragmentos, indicando que a estrutura espacial de Q. grandiflora é imprevisível com base na fisionomia. A transição aleatório-agregado e a associação espacial entre classes indicam que mortalidade dependente de densidade não parece ser importante na dinâmica de Q. grandiflora, sendo a estrutura espacial dos locais adequados ao recrutamento para maturidade um possível fator mais importante.

Water availability determines physiognomic gradient in an area of low-fertility soils under Cerrado vegetation

Soil is one of the environmental elements to influence Cerrado vegetation. Aluminum toxicity of Cerrado soils is well known, but the importance of water availability is still to be understood, especially in Cerrado under wetter climates. We studied the association between Cerrado physiognomies (cerradosensu stricto and cerradao) and morphological, chemical, physical, and physical–hydrical soil attributes at southwestern Sao Paulo State, Brazil. Characterization of soil morphology, classification and sample collection for particle-size distribution, and chemical and water-retention analyses were carried out in 15 permanent plots, where vegetation was characterized floristically and structurally. Simple correlation and canonical correspondence analyses were performed with soil data. Classification of soils (U.S. Soil Taxonomy) with very low clay contents was not able to separate soils under cerradao—forestry physiognomy—from those under cerradosensu stricto—savannic physiognomy, even though it tends to distinguish soils under greater biomass from those under lower biomass physiognomies. High soil acidity of all studied soils and increased at the sites with greater contents of organic matter, mainly with the cerradao physiognomy, precluded Al toxicity as a cause of the physiognomic gradient within Cerrado. Clay content, microporosity, and residual and saturation moisture were the most significant soil attributes to correlate directly with the cerradao physiognomy, indicating that water availability is the main factor explaining the physiognomic gradient of Cerrado vegetation in a local scale, where climate and soil fertility do not vary spatially.

Birds from cerradão woodland, an overlooked forest of the Cerrado region, Brazil

The Cerrado region still receives relatively little ornithological attention, although it is regarded as the only tropical savanna in the world considered to be a biodiversity hotspot. Cerradão is one of the least known and most deforested Cerrado physiognomies and few recent bird surveys have been conducted in these forests. In order to rescue bird records and complement the few existing inventories of this under-studied forest type in the state of São Paulo, we looked for published papers on birds of cerradão. Additionally we surveyed birds at a 314-ha cerradão remnant located in central São Paulo, Brazil, from September 2005-December 2006 using unlimited distance transect counts. Out of 95 investigations involving cerradão bird studies, only 17 (18%) investigations teased apart bird species recorded inside cerradão from those recorded in other physiognomies of Cerrado. Except for one study, no research found more than 64 species in this type of forest, a result shared within many regions from Brazil and Bolivia. Differences in species richness do not seem be related with levels of disturbance of landscape or fragment size. Considering all species recorded in cerradão in Brazil and Bolivia, a compilation of data accumulated 250 species in 36 families and 15 orders. In recent surveys at central São Paulo, we recorded 48 species in 20 families, including the Pale-bellied Tyrant-Manakin Neopelma pallescens, threatened in São Paulo, and the Helmeted Manakin Antilophia galeata, near threatened in the state and endemic to the Cerrado region. Among the most abundant species inside this fragment, none was considered to be neither threatened nor endemic.

Gochnatia polymorpha (Less.) Cabrera (Asteraceae) changes in leaf structure due to differences in light and edaphic conditions

Gochnatia polymorpha (Less.) Cabrera is a widespread Asteraceae species found in different physiognomies of cerrado (Neotropical savanna) and in forest formations of southeast Brazil. This study describes some leaf anatomy characteristics of this species and quantitatively evaluates them in relation to different environments, as well as under different light conditions. We found quantitative differences in all anatomical parameters analyzed. The results demonstrate that high leaf anatomy plasticity is an adaptive advantage that allows this species to occur in diverse cerrado conditions.

Consequences of Simulated Loss of Open Cerrado Areas to Bird Functional Diversity

Over the past 35 years, more than two thirds of the Cerrado's original expanse has been taken by agriculture. Even if some attempts have been made to conserve closed cerrado physiognomies, open cerrado physiognomies, richer in species and more fragile, have been systematically ignored. These open physiognomies are used by almost half of the Cerrado bird species, many of which being endemics. Using data from 11 surveys carried out in Cerrado landscapes, we asked what would happen to bird functional diversity if open cerrado species became extinct. Open cerrado birds would be able to keep on average 59% of the functional diversity. If they became extinct, on average 27% of the functional diversity would be lost. In this case, the remaining functional diversity would be lower than what would be expected by chance in five sites. Although many functions were shared by both open cerrado and forest species, there was some degree of complementarity between them, highlighted by the decrease in functional diversity when the former became extinct. Destruction of open cerrado physiognomies would lead to a habitat simplification, decrease in bird functional diversity, and, ultimately, to a considerable impact on community functioning. Thus, open cerrado physiognomies must receive much more conservation attention than they are currently receiving, because they maintain a high bird functional diversity that would otherwise be considerably diminished were open cerrado species to become extinct.