Provide Food Resources Research Articles

Food Shortages, Hunger, and Famines in the USSR, 1928-33

This paper examines policies implemented in stages from 1928 and the multi-causal phenomena that resulted in the deaths of some 6.5 to 7 million people, the majority in Ukraine and the Kuban as well as Kazakhstan, during the man-made Soviet famines of the early 1930s. These famines took on distinctively separate trajectories after the autumn of 1932 when Stalin singled out Ukraine, the largest grain-producing region of the USSR. The Kazakh famine resulted from the devastation of the traditional nomadic Kazakh economy in a misguided effort to make that region a main source of meat for the Soviet Union. Other regions—notably the Middle Volga and Central Chernozem Regions—also suffered. These events were largely driven by Soviet attempts to make the countryside a domestic colony that would provide food resources for the country’s accelerated industrialization. This is particularly evident in the manner Soviet authorities rationed and distributed food.

Participating in a Food-Assisted Maternal and Child Nutrition and Health Program in Rural Guatemala Alters Household Dietary Choices

Background: Food assistance programs may alter food choices, but factors determining households’ decisions regarding food acquisition, preparation, and consumption in the context of food aid are not well understood.Objective: This study aimed to understand how the Programa Comunitario Materno Infantil de Diversificación Alimentaria (Mother–Child Community Food Diversification Program; PROCOMIDA), a food-assisted maternal and child health and nutrition program in rural Alta Verapaz, Guatemala, altered household food choices.Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews and focus groups with 63 households in 3 participating (n = 32 households) and 3 control (n = 31) villages. A last-day food recall (without estimating quantities) and food-frequency questionnaire that used food cards assessed dietary choices. Qualitative analysis used thematic a priori and emergent coding; food group consumption frequencies were analyzed by using 2-level, logistic, mixed modeling, and chi-square testing while accounting for community clustering.Results: Compared with control households, PROCOMIDA changed household food choices through a combination of providing food resources (with monthly food rations) and new knowledge and skills related to health and food (in the program’s behavior change communication component) while reinforcing existing knowledge and beliefs. PROCOMIDA families consumed rice, red beans, and oil more frequently than did control families (differences of 2.20 (P < 0.001), 2.68 (P < 0.001), and 1.64 (P = 0.038) times/wk, respectively); these foods were in the rations. PROCOMIDA families also ate chicken, local plants, and some vegetables more frequently. The importance of these foods was emphasized in the behavioral change communication component; these foods may have been more accessible because provision of food rations freed resources.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that if a program provides food free of cost to rural indigenous families in the context of a maternal and child nutrition and health program, it may be important to include a well-designed behavioral change communication component to improve household food choices.

Barriers to salmon migration impact body condition, offspring size, and life history variation in an avian consumer

The impacts of barriers, such as dams, and associated stream effects on the migration of salmon have been well documented, but there is much less information on consequences for terrestrial vertebrates in these freshwater systems. Salmon themselves provide food resources to higher trophic levels and deposit rich marine‐derived nutrients (MDN) that benefit the base of freshwater food webs. We studied a higher‐order terrestrial consumer of aquatic prey, the American dipper Cinclus mexicanus, in a riparian food web, to test the hypothesis that barriers to salmon migration negatively impact body condition, and ultimately life history. We predicted that, compared to dippers breeding above barriers, those in areas with salmon would receive MDN and thus be in better condition, have greater breeding effort (frequency of multiple brood attempts), produce larger offspring in better condition, be more likely to maintain year‐round territories, and have higher annual survival. Using stable isotopes as signatures of MDN, we found that 13C and 15N were more enriched in dippers below barriers, confirming access to MDN. Female dippers below barriers had greater mass corrected for body size, were more likely to attempt multiple broods within a season and produced larger female offspring. Furthermore, dippers below barriers were more likely to maintain year‐round territories and had higher annual survival. Our results demonstrate how river barriers such as dams influence vital rates and life histories of higher‐order consumers.

Anthropogenically-Mediated Density Dependence in a Declining Farmland Bird

Land management intrinsically influences the distribution of animals and can consequently alter the potential for density-dependent processes to act within populations. For declining species, high densities of breeding territories are typically considered to represent productive populations. However, as density-dependent effects of food limitation or predator pressure may occur (especially when species are dependent upon separate nesting and foraging habitats), high territory density may limit per-capita productivity. Here, we use a declining but widespread European farmland bird, the yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella L., as a model system to test whether higher territory densities result in lower fledging success, parental provisioning rates or nestling growth rates compared to lower densities. Organic landscapes held higher territory densities, but nests on organic farms fledged fewer nestlings, translating to a 5 times higher rate of population shrinkage on organic farms compared to conventional. In addition, when parental provisioning behaviour was not restricted by predation risk (i.e., at times of low corvid activity), nestling provisioning rates were higher at lower territory densities, resulting in a much greater increase in nestling mass in low density areas, suggesting that food limitation occurred at high densities. These findings in turn suggest an ecological trap, whereby preferred nesting habitat does not provide sufficient food for rearing nestlings at high population density, creating a population sink. Habitat management for farmland birds should focus not simply on creating a high nesting density, but also on ensuring heterogeneous habitats to provide food resources in close proximity to nesting birds, even if this occurs through potentially restricting overall nest density but increasing population-level breeding success.

Birds, Cattle, and Bracken Ferns: Bird Community Responses to a Neotropical Landscape Shaped by Cattle Grazing Activities

AbstractLarge areas of tropical moist forests have been converted to cattle pastures, generating complex landscapes where different habitats are represented by small patches with an uneven spatial distribution. Here, we describe how bird communities respond to the different elements present in a livestock landscape that was originally dominated by tropical moist forest. We surveyed six habitats: open pastures, pastures with shrubs, early‐ and middle‐secondary forests, mature forest, and pastures invaded by bracken ferns (Pteridium aquilinum). Bird diversity was high in secondary and mature forests, and low in fern‐invaded sites and open pastures. Fern‐dominated sites had the lowest bird species richness, and trophic guild diversity of all habitats. Habitat structure affected both bird species richness and densities in similar ways. Tree species richness was the habitat attribute that had a bigger positive effect on bird species richness. Bird community structure varied among sampled habitats, separating habitats in two major groups (forests and pastures). Our data indicate that bracken fern‐invaded pastures were the worst habitat condition for avian communities. To increase bird diversity, we recommend to eliminate or manage bracken fern and to increase shrub and tree cover in open pastures to provide food resources and shelter for birds. Finally, we encourage the maintenance of secondary and mature forest remnants as a strategy to conserve resident birds within a landscape dominated by livestock activities.

Evidence of the St. Clair-Detroit River System as a dispersal corridor and nursery habitat for transient larval burbot

Burbot Lota lota are distributed across the Laurentian Great Lakes where they occupy a top piscivore role. The St. Clair-Detroit River System is known to provide a migration corridor as well as spawning and nursery habitat for many indigenous fishes of economic and ecological significance. However, knowledge is scant of the early life history of burbot and the importance of this system in their dispersal, survival, and recruitment. In order to assess the role of the St. Clair-Detroit River System to burbot ecology, we collected larval burbot during ichthyoplankton surveys in this system from 2010 to 2013 as part of a habitat restoration monitoring program. More and larger burbot larvae were found in the St. Clair River than in the lower Detroit River, although this may be due to differences in sampling methods between the two rivers. Consistent with existing studies, larval burbot exhibited ontogenesis with a distinct transition from a pelagic zooplankton-based diet to a benthic macroinvertebrate-based diet. Our results demonstrate that the St. Clair-Detroit Rivers provide food resources, required habitat, and a migration conduit between the upper and lower Great Lakes, but the contribution of these fish to the lower lakes requires further examination.

The effect of toxic nectar and pollen from Spathodea campanulata on the worker survival of Melipona fasciculata Smith and Melipona seminigra Friese, two Amazonian stingless bees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Meliponini)

Spathodea campanulata is an African plant of African origin introduced in South America and other tropical and subtropical areas for ornamental purposes. This plant is related to insect mortality, bees included. However, its effects on the Neotropical Melipona are yet unknown. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of S. campanulata nectar and pollen on the survival of Melipona fasciculata and M. seminigra workers. A total of 120 newly emerged workers of each species were confined in boxes, without the presence of the queen, and divided in groups of 10 individuals. They were submitted to the following diets: S. campanulata nectar or 11% sucrose solution (nectar control); 11% sucrose solution and S. campanulata pollen or 11% sucrose solution and the species’ original pollen (pollen control). The higher mortality of workers was detected on the experimental groups, with toxics nectar and pollen ( M. fasciculata , p<0.01; M. seminigra , p<0.01) than on the respective controls. Our results point that nectar and pollen affected the survival of M. fasciculata and M. seminigra worker bees . Thus, S. campanulata is not a recommended plant to provide food resources for stingless bees.

Pollinator assemblages on dandelions and white clover in urban and suburban lawns

Flowering weeds, though often deemed undesirable in turfgrass lawns, provide food resources for declining pollinator populations in urbanized landscapes. We sampled bees and other pollinators directly from flowering common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and white clover (Trifolium repens) in lawns of similar character in central Kentucky USA to identify species likely to be exposed if such weeds are inadvertently oversprayed during application of lawn insecticides. We also tested the hypothesis that pollinator assemblages visiting spring-blooming white clover in urban and suburban lawns are as species-rich and diverse as in more rural lawn settings. We collected about 50 different species of insect pollinators, including 37 species of bees, from the aforementioned lawn weeds. Two of the six species of bumble bees (Bombus spp.) collected are considered uncommon and possibly in decline. Hover flies (Syrphidae), honey bees (Apis mellifera), and non-Apid wild bees predominated on dandelions whereas proportionately fewer hover flies and more A. mellifera and Bombus spp. visited white clover, especially in summer. Species richness of bees visiting white clover was similar in urban, suburban or periurban-rural lawns, although A. mellifera were proportionately more abundant, and Bombus spp. were less abundant, with increasing percentage of hardscape in surrounding areas. Fostering public awareness of the diversity of bees and other pollinators that visit flowering lawn weeds might help nurture a sociocultural shift toward more pollinator-friendly lawn care practices.

Bird-mediated seed dispersal of fleshy fruits of mediterranean shrubs in semiarid forest patches: the role of Pinus halepensis Miller trees as seed receptors

In Mediterranean semiarid areas, limited water supply confers to woody non-arboreal formations (scrublands) a capital importance. Fleshy fruiting shrubs provide food resources for vertebrates giving rise to well-known mutualisms, poorly studied in marginal Mediterranean areas. We assessed seed dispersal in three shrub species (Rhamnus lycioides spp. lycioides Brot., Asparagus albus L., Pistacia lentiscus L.) considering birds as the main vector and pine trees (Pinus halepensis Miller.) as key structural elements in seed deposition and establishment. The study area is a small forest fragment with an artificially high standing density of pine trees. The initial hypothesis is that birds direct dispersal towards the tree stratum, thus conditioning shrub regeneration. Collector trays, placed under shrubs and pine trees (potential perches), were used to estimate fruit consumption and seed rain. Shrub density and regeneration were assessed through vegetation sampling differentiating three age classes (seedlings, saplings and adults). The highest estimated consumption by birds was recorded on A. albus (76 % of the fruits available). R. lycioides and P. lentiscus were less consumed (47 and 36 %) but achieved a relatively important dispersal towards perches (0.88 % of the total fruit crop, and 1.89 % of the fruits consumed in Rhamnus, and up to 2.94 and 8.18 % in Pistacia, compared to only 0.09 and 0.13 % in Asparagus). More than 80 % of A. albus seedlings grew under the tree canopy, also the microhabitat preferred by A. albus and R. lycioides saplings. Approximately half of the extant adult shrubs were under the tree layer (more than 80 % considering dead trees), although canopy cover was only 13.81 %. Only a small fraction of the seeds was deposited under trees, but their canopy seemed to provide a favourable regeneration niche, at least during the germination and establishment phases. The management of tree density seems thus crucial for fostering the transition of these reforestations towards healthier and more resilient woody formations.

Impact of invasive earthworms on Ixodes scapularis and other litter-dwelling arthropods in hardwood forests, central New York state, USA

Invasive earthworms alter the structure of soils in northern hardwood forests, but the quantitative impacts on litter-dwelling invertebrates are unclear. Litter loss should reduce the habitat space, but nutrient-rich earthworm burrows might provide food resources. We investigated the impact of invasive earthworms on populations of Ixodes scapularis (black-legged ticks) and other litter-dwelling arthropods to determine the impact of a reduced litter environment. We used five pairs of one-hectare sites (earthworm invaded versus reference) within four separate contiguous forests in New York state. The presence of earthworms decreased the density of nymphal I. scapularis by 46.1% and larval I. scapularis by 29.3%. We also observed a dramatic decline in the total abundance of litter-dwelling arthropods with 69.9% of the arthropod population disappearing in the presence of earthworms. Additionally, litter arthropod populations declined disproportionately to leaf litter mass reduction indicating that the quality of the remaining litter material in the earthworm sites was poor. The impact of earthworm invasion on the litter environment and implications for the position of an important disease vector (I. scapularis) within the litter ecosystem are explored.

Identifying keystone plant resources in an Amazonian forest using a long-term fruit-fall record

Abstract:The keystone plant resources (KPR) concept describes certain plant species in tropical forests as vital to community stability and diversity because they provide food resources to vertebrate consumers during the season of scarcity. Here, we use an 8-y, continuous record of fruit fall from a 1.44-ha mature forest stand to identify potential KPRs in a lowland western Amazonian rain forest. KPRs were identified based on four criteria: temporal non-redundancy; year-to-year reliability; abundance of reproductive-size individuals and inferred fruit crop size; and the variety of vertebrate consumers utilizing their fruit. Overall, seven species were considered excellent KPRs: two of these belong to the genusFicus, confirming that this taxon is a KPR as previously suggested.Celtis iguanaea(Cannabaceae) – a canopy liana – has also been previously classified as a KPR; in addition,Pseudomalmea diclina(Annonaceae),Cissus ulmifolia(Vitaceae),Allophylus glabratus(Sapindaceae) andTrichilia elegans(Meliaceae) are newly identified KPRs. Our results confirm that a very small fraction (&lt;5%) of the plant community consistently provides fruit for a broad set of consumers during the period of resource scarcity, which has significant implications for the conservation and management of Amazonian forests.

Floristic composition and spatial distribution of vascular epiphytes in the restingas of Maracanã, Brazil

Vascular epiphytes constitute a life form that is important to maintaining the biological diversity of forest ecosystems, because they provide food resources and specialized microenvironments for fauna in the forest canopy. This study aimed to describe the floristic composition and ecological aspects of vascular epiphytes occurring in the restingas (coastal woodlands) within the Algodoal-Maiandeua Environmentally Protected Area, located in the municipality of Maracanã, in the state of Pará, Brazil. We sampled five 50 × 50 m plots (three in dry restinga forest and two in floodplain restinga forest), the sampled area therefore totaling 1.25 ha. In the plots sampled, vascular epiphytes were identified and described according to their frequency, abundance, importance value (IV), functional group and vertical distribution (trunk, lower crown or upper crown of the host). For both forest types, we identified 477 individuals belonging to five families, nine genera and 11 species. The most species-rich families were Araceae and Orchidaceae. The species with the highest density, frequency and IV were the secondary hemiepiphytes Philodendron acutatum, Anthurium pentaphyllum and Philodendron muricatum, collectively accounting for 92.1% of all sampled individuals. The true epiphytes predominated. Epiphytic species richness and abundance was greater on the host trunk than in the lower or upper crown. The seasonal climate and structure of the forest favored greater abundance of secondary hemiepiphytes and a higher frequency of epiphytes on the trunks of their hosts.

Calling in the Cold: Pervasive Acoustic Presence of Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in Antarctic Coastal Waters

Humpback whales migrate between relatively unproductive tropical or temperate breeding grounds and productive high latitude feeding areas. However, not all individuals of a population undertake the annual migration to the breeding grounds; instead some are thought to remain on the feeding grounds year-round, presumably to avoid the energetic demands of migration. In the Southern Hemisphere, ice and inclement weather conditions restrict investigations of humpback whale presence on feeding grounds as well as the extent of their southern range. Two years of near-continuous recordings from the PerenniAL Acoustic Observatory in the Antarctic Ocean (PALAOA, Ekström Iceshelf, 70°31’S, 8°13’W) are used to explore the acoustic presence of humpback whales in an Antarctic coastal area. Humpback whale calls were present during nine and eleven months of 2008 and 2009, respectively. In 2008, calls were present in January through April, June through August, November and December, whereas in 2009, calls were present throughout the year, except in September. Calls occurred in un-patterned sequences, representing non-song sound production. Typically, calls occurred in bouts, ranging from 2 to 42 consecutive days with February, March and April having the highest daily occurrence of calls in 2008. In 2009, February, March, April and May had the highest daily occurrence of calls. Whales were estimated to be within a 100 km radius off PALAOA. Calls were also present during austral winter when ice cover within this radius was >90%. These results demonstrate that coastal areas near the Antarctic continent are likely of greater importance to humpback whales than previously assumed, presumably providing food resources year-round and open water in winter where animals can breathe.

Borboletas (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea e Hesperioidea) de um parque urbano em Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brasil

Fragmentos urbanos de mata, como parques e praças, oferecem recursos alimentares, sobretudo abrigo e condições favoráveis para a permanência de borboletas. Este estudo fornece um inventário de borboletas e também a observação das plantas visitadas por indivíduos adultos em um pequeno parque urbano, Parque Municipal Américo Renê Giannetti, Belo Horizonte, estado de Minas Gerais. Amostrou-se uma área de 18,2 ha no período de dezembro/2006 à dezembro/2007, com o auxilio de rede entomológica e armadilhas com frutos fermentados. Foram registrados 165 indivíduos de 78 espécies, distribuídos nas seguintes famílias: Nymphalidae - 46 spp., Hesperiidae - 10 spp., Lycaenidae - sete spp., Pieridae - sete spp., Riodinidae - cinco spp. e Papilionidae - três spp. Entre as plantas visitadas observou-se que a com maior atratividade foi Lantana camara (Verbenaceae), um arbusto com flores de cores vibrantes, destacada como fonte usual de néctar e pólen. As borboletas encontradas indicaram a importância da manutenção de áreas verdes urbanas, proporcionando condições favoráveis para a permanência de borboletas, mesmo em ambientes antrópicos.

Asociación Thysanoptera (Insecta)- &lt;i&gt;Vicia faba&lt;/i&gt; (Fabaceae) en la Prepuna y Puna de Jujuy, Argentina

The different phenological stages of Vicia faba provide food resources and substrates for the development of a significant diversity of insects. This study aimed to identify the complex of anthophyllous thrips, analyze the species population fluctuations, to obtain some bioecological aspects and the role they play in this association. The study and sampling was conducted during the flowering-fruiting bean crop stages in two phytogeographical regions of Jujuy: Prepuna (2 479m asl) on a weekly basis, from October-December 1995-1996 and Puna (3 367m asl) every two weeks, from December 2007-March 2008. Each sample consisted of 25 flowers taken at random; only at Prepuna a complementary sampling of three hits per plant (n=10 plants) was conducted. Observations were made on oviposition sites, admission to the flower, pupation sites, feeding behavior and injuries caused. In Prepuna, the Thysanoptera complex consisted of Frankliniella australis, F. occidentalis, F. gemina, F. schultzei and Thrips tabaci; in Puna, the specific diversity was restricted to F. australis and F. gemina. Although the planting-harvest period in both areas did not match, the fluctuations in populations showed the same pattern: as flowering progressed, the number of thrips coincided with the availability of food resources. In both areas, F. australis was the dominant species and maintained successive populations; it layed eggs in flower buds, and larvae hatched when flowers opened; feeding larvae and adults brought about silvery stains with black spots. In Prepuna, F. australis went through the mobile immature stages on flowers, while quiescent stages were on the ground; in the Puna, all development stages took place within the flowers. Thrips tabaci, F. shultzei, F. occidentalis and F. gemina were temporary and opportunistic in Prepuna, while the presence of F. gemina was sporadic in Puna. The number of Thysanoptera species associated with beans cultivation in Argentina has increased.

Habitat selection and activity patterns in Alpine mountain hare (Lepus timidus varronis)

We investigated activity patterns and habitat use of 34 radio-tracked mountain hares (Lepus timidus) in the Italian Alps. We first showed that hares were nocturnal and that activity patterns changed seasonally in parallel with circadian rhythms. We predicted that day home ranges will include suitable resting (shelter) habitats, and night home ranges will primarily include suitable foraging habitats. A hare's night-range was larger than its day-range. On average, night and day ranges overlapped by 36%, suggesting that selective pressures affecting space use were, at least partly, different at night than day. Dwarf mountain-pine was the most preferred habitat in all seasons and was selected both for active behaviour (night) and resting (day) and hares avoided the most open habitats. Exploring the effects of season, time of day (day vs. night) and site, we found that habitat use by mountain hares did not differ between seasons or between the active (night) and resting (day) period of circadian cycle. Also, we found no effects of differences in landscape structure (habitat patchiness and heterogeneity) on the patterns of habitat selection. Hares always preferred the dense, forested habitats, which seemed to provide food resources as well as shelter from predators throughout the year.

Acarofauna associated with coffee shrubs in relation to the distance of forest fragments

The conversion of natural habitats into agriculture ones and the simplification of the structure of landscapes are the main causes of the global loss of biodiversity. Agroecosystems, especially monocultures, normally provide food resources and benefit organisms only when surrounded by forests. Mites (Arachnida: Acari) are one of the most diverse groups of arthropods and contribute to the function of ecosystems and agroecosystems. We aimed at determining the response of the coffee mite community to the distance from adjacent forest fragments. We evaluated leaves of coffee shrubs which were naturally found in the interior (0 m) and edge (25 m) of the fragments and in full sun coffee plantations located at 50 and 100 m in relation to the interior of the fragments. Although there was no pattern of reduction of mite abundance in relation to the distance from the centre of the forest fragments according with linear regressions, faunistic analyses revealed that abundance, dominance and frequency levels for some mite families were influenced by the distance from the centre of the forest fragments.

Plant biodiversity enhances bees and other insect pollinators in agroecosystems. A review

Thirty-five percent of global production from crops including at least 800 cultivated plants depend on animal pollination. The transformation of agriculture in the past half-century has triggered a decline in bees and other insect pollinators. In North America, losses of bee colonies have accelerated since 2004, leaving the continent with fewer managed pollinators than at any time in the past 50 years. A number of factors linked to industrial modes of agriculture affect bee colonies and other pollinators around the world, ranging from habitat degradation due to monocultures with consequent declines in flowering plants and the use of damaging insecticides. Incentives should be offered to farmers to restore pollinator-friendly habitats, including flower provisioning within or around crop fields and elimination of use of insecticides by adopting agroecological production methods. Conventional farmers should be extremely cautious in the choice, timing, and application of insecticides and other chemicals. Here, we review the literature providing mounting evidence that the restoration of plant biodiversity within and around crop fields can improve habitat for domestic and wild bees as well as other insects and thus enhance pollination services in agroecosystems. Main findings are the following: (1) certain weed species within crop fields that provide food resources and refuge should be maintained at tolerable levels within crop fields to aid in the survival of viable populations of pollinators. (2) Careful manipulation strategies need to be defined in order to avoid weed competition with crops and interference with certain cultural practices. Economic thresholds of weed populations, as well as factors affecting crop–weed balance within a crop season, need to be defined for specific cropping systems. (3) More research is warranted to advance knowledge on identifying beneficial weed species and ways to sponsor them to attract pollinators while not reducing yields through interference. (4) In areas of intensive farming, field margins, field edges and paths, headlands, fence-lines, rights of way, and nearby uncultivated patches of land are important refuges for many pollinators. (5) Maintenance and restoration of hedgerows and other vegetation features at field borders is therefore essential for harboring pollinators. (6) Appropriate management of non-cropped areas to encourage wild pollinators may prove to be a cost-effective means of maximizing crop yield.

Reproductive phenology of Miconia mirabilis (Melastomataceae) within three distinct physiognomies of Atlantic Forest, Bahia, Brazil

Although Miconia mirabilis is a very common species in disturbed forest areas and is known for providing food resources for the local fauna, little is known about its reproductive phenology and other ecological aspects. The present study compares intra- and inter-annual patterns in the reproductive phenophases of that species in three distinct physiognomies of Atlantic Forest in Southeastern Bahia based on semi-quantitative observations conducted over a period of three years. We searched for possiblerelationships with climatic variables, differences among sites and synchrony. Both the flowering and fruiting strategies of M. mirabilis were classified as annual extended in all three study sites. We found no significant differences among years. Despite low seasonality of the regional climate, intensities of the different phenophases were negatively correlated with day length and temperature. In general, inter- and intra-population synchrony for flowering and fruiting was high (between 0.65 and 0.78), except for inundated forest, probably due to the stress caused by flooding. Given that Miconia mirabilis has the potential to be an important food resource for the local fauna due to the large quantities of flowers and fruits produced and their almost year-round availability, and its capacity for occupying impoverished areas, the species may be considered in restoration programs as a potentially interesting species capable of attracting frugivores to disturbed areas.

Frugivoria por aves em um mosaico de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual e reflorestamento misto em Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brasil

Visando subsidiar futuros projetos de recuperação florestal com base nas interações animal-planta, foram avaliadas as espécies ornitocóricas e o consumo de frutos por aves em um mosaico de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual e um reflorestamento misto, em Rio Claro, São Paulo. Através do monitoramento da frutificação e avaliação dos eventos de frugivoria em sessões focais e ad libitum, foram registradas 31 espécies ornitocóricas fornecendo frutos para 38 espécies de aves consumidoras. No reflorestamento misto foram observadas 90,3% (n=28) das espécies ornitocóricas frutificando ao longo de todo ano, enquanto no fragmento florestal, somente 51,6% (n=16) delas foram registradas, com maiores variações temporais na oferta de frutos; 65,2% (n=1027) dos frutos foram consumidos no reflorestamento misto e 34,8% (n=547) no fragmento florestal. Tais resultados podem estar relacionados ao menor tamanho do fragmento de vegetação nativa, o que, proporcionalmente, poderia determinar uma menor riqueza de espécies vegetais no mesmo e/ou ao fato de a dispersão abiótica tender a predominar nos locais fragmentados e perturbados. O reflorestamento misto, embora apresente algumas espécies vegetais exóticas, está sendo ecologicamente mais funcional para a avifauna e, devido à proximidade com o fragmento, parece estar contribuindo para a manutenção das comunidades de aves residentes e visitantes deste último através dos recursos alimentares oferecidos.