Reserva Ducke Research Articles

Contribution to the taxonomic elucidation of the Geonoma maxima complex (Arecaceae) in Central Amazonia, Brazil

Geonoma maxima (Poit.) Kunth is an example of a species complex, among many others restricted to Neotropical rain forests, which contribute to their high species diversity. Using environmental, morphological, karyological, and molecular data, we aim to test the taxonomic circumscription of 3 of the 11 G. maxima subspecies defined in the latest taxonomic treatment. We evaluated 217 samples of G. maxima complex from Ducke Reserve in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. Environmental preferences were significant at the 0.1% level. Subspecies maxima occurred in the slope, subsp. chelidonura in the floodplain, and subsp. spixiana in the plateau. Leaf morphology and height were different for each subspecies, but not leaf anatomy. The karyotypes of subspp. c helidonura and maxima were symmetrical with 2 n = 28 chromosomes, 16 metacentric and 12 submetacentric. Molecular analysis revealed two groups, one comprised subspp. maxima and chelidonura, and the other formed exclusively by subsp. spixiana. At Ducke Reserve, it is clear that the three subspecies are easily recognizable morphologically and ecologically, and it is likely that they do not interbreed locally. However, if these subspecies are analyzed on a larger geographic scale, it may not be possible to separate them.

Heterospecific pollen deposition in understory plants of a forest in central Amazon

In co-flowering plant communities, pollinator movement can lead to the transfer of heterospecific pollen among species. This can affect the reproductive success of individuals, either by preventing conspecific pollen from reaching the stigma or by allelopathy, but little is known about this process in tropical areas. To analyze heterospecific pollen transfer and deposition, we investigated attributes related to pollinator attraction, such as corolla size, number of flowers per individual, floral arrangement, floral asymmetry, and distance from one flowering individual to another in a Central Amazon forest. The study was carried out in riparian plots of the Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve during the rainy season. Stigmas and anthers were removed from all individual understory plants found in bloom in permanent plots. Slides were mounted with glycerinated gelatin, and all conspecific and heterospecific pollen grains were identified and counted. We then used a generalized linear mixed model framework to determine how the measured variables were related to the proportion of heterospecific pollen deposition (HPD) on stigmas. We found that the mean proportion of HPD in individuals was 4.7%, and 60% of individuals had no heterospecific pollen; from the 14 species studied, two had no heterospecific pollen. Species with wider flowers received less HPD, while species with more flowers per individual and with solitary flowers received more heterospecific pollen. Despite the significant variation in floral types in the Adolpho Ducke Reserve, there was a low percentage of heterospecific pollen deposition, probably due to specialized plant-pollinator interactions.

(2950) Proposal to conserve the name Cacao sylvestris (Theobroma sylvestre) (Malvaceae: Byttnerioideae) with a conserved type

(2950) Proposal to conserve the name <i>Cacao sylvestris</i> (<i>Theobroma sylvestre</i>) (<i>Malvaceae</i>: <i>Byttnerioideae</i>) with a conserved type

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Diversity and DistributionsVolume 29, Issue 4 p. i-i COVER IMAGEOpen Access Cover page First published: 14 March 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13576AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Graphical Abstract The cover image relates to the Research Article https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13662 “Low species turnover of upland Amazonian birds in the absence of physical barriers” by Rutt et al. Although the Black-faced Antthrush (Formicarius analis) is a widespread Neotropical species, this terrestrial insectivore was one of many forest birds detected less often at Reserva Ducke, suggesting that even a very large preserve is not insulated from anthropogenic degradation. Image credit: Cameron L. Rutt. Volume29, Issue4April 2023Pages i-i RelatedInformation

Triterpenes, steroids and phenolic isolated from Minquartia guianensis Aubl. (Coulaceae) and antibacterial activity

This work aimed to carry out a chemical study of Minquartia guianensis branches and leaves extracts (Coulaceae) and to evaluate their antibacterial potential. The collection of plant material was carried out at Reserva Ducke, Manaus, Amazonas. The plant material was dried, ground, and extracted with hexane (Hex) and methanol (MeOH). The extracts obtained were submitted to chromatographic analysis and showed characteristics mainly of terpenes and phenolics. The chemical fractionation of branches methanol extract allowed the isolation of the triterpenes: lupen-3-one, β-amyrone, lupeol, β-amyrin; the steroids: β-sitosterol and stigmasterol, and a phenolic derivative: methyl gallate. From the leaf’s methanol extract, the triterpene: taraxerol was identified. These same methanol extracts were active against gram-positive bacteria: Staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative bacteria: Aeromonas hydrophila and Pseudomonas fluorescens, with an inhibition percentage of 63 to 70%. Based on the results, this work contributed to the chemical and biological knowledge of the species M. guianensis, this being the first report of the substances: β-amyrin, β-amyrone and methyl gallate for the Coulaceae family.

Low species turnover of upland Amazonian birds in the absence of physical barriers

AbstractAimOne of the oldest and most powerful ways for ecologists to explain distinct biological communities is to invoke underlying environmental differences. But in hyper‐diverse systems, which often display high species richness and low species abundance, these sorts of community comparisons are especially challenging. The classic view for Amazonian birds posits that riverine barriers and habitat specialization determine local and regional community composition. We test the tacit, complementary assumption that similar bird communities should therefore permeate uniform habitat between major rivers, regardless of distance.LocationUpland (terra firme) rainforests of central Amazonia.MethodsWe conducted intensive whole‐community surveys of birds in three pairs of 100‐ha plots, separated by 40–60 km. We then used dissimilarity indices, cluster analysis, and ordination to characterize differences among the six avian communities.ResultsIn all, we detected 244 forest‐dependent birds, with an average of 190 species (78%) per plot. Species turnover was negligible, no unique indicator species were found among plot pairs, and all documented species were already known from a complete inventory at one of the three sites.Main ConclusionsOur study corroborates the classic biogeographical pattern and suggests that turnover contributes little to regional avian diversity within upland forests. Using a grain size of 100 ha, this implies that upland birds perceive the environment as uniform, at least over distances of ~60 km. Therefore, to maximize both local species richness and population persistence, our findings support the conservation of very large tracts of upland rainforest. Our analyses also revealed that the avifauna at Reserva Ducke, encroached by urban sprawl from the city of Manaus, shows the hallmarks of a disturbed community, with fewer vulnerable insectivores. This defaunation signals that even an enormous preserve (10 × 10 km) in lowland Amazonia is not insulated from anthropogenic degradation within the surrounding landscape.

Óleos essenciais das partes aéreas de quatro espécies of Protium (Burseraceae) – Uma contribuição para a flora aromática da Reserva Florestal Adolpho Ducke, Amazonas, Brasil

The Adolpho Ducke Forest Reserve is a fragment of the Amazon Rainforest that has the highest density of collections deposited in the INPA herbarium, and this characterized, vascular flora has been an important basis for chemical studies. This paper describes the chemical composition of the volatiles of aerial parts of the four species of Protium that occurr in the Ducke Reserve. The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation were analyzed using GC-FID and GC-MS. P. altsonii showed high percentages of the monoterpenes α-pinene (22.05%) and limonene (17.76%) in the leaves, and linear long-chain fatty alcohols, such as n-tetradecanol (19.93%) and hexadecanol (32.56%), in the branches. The essential oil from leaves of P. laxiflorum provided sesquiterpenes α-copaene (18.98%), epi-α-cadinol (9.17%) and β-caryophyllene (9.04%) as the main compounds. In P. pallidum, the sesquiterpenes caryophyllene oxide (29.72%), α-cadinol (28.82%) and epi-α-cadinol (13.96%) were predominant in the leaves, and α-cadinol (25.50%), α-eudesmol (22.29%) and caryophyllene oxide (12.81%) predominated in the branches. β-Caryophyllene (30.59%) and caryophyllene oxide (20.63%) were the main compounds in the leaves of P. paniculatum var. riedelianum. The results presented herein contribute to the knowledge of the aromatic flora of the Ducke Reserve.

Use of Complementary Methods to Sample Bats in the Amazon

Mist nets set at ground level is the traditional method of surveying bats and in the Amazon, almost half of the bat surveys used this methodology. The sole use of ground-level mist nets biases surveys because of the lack of records of aerial insectivorous bats, which forage above the canopy or in other open areas. Canopy mist nets, roost searches and acoustic surveys are methods to survey bat assemblages, but their efficiency compared to ground-level mist nets has not been fully evaluated in the Amazon, the world's largest tropical rainforest. Here, we test how the complementarity of sampling methods contributes to the number of species recorded in bat surveys in the Amazonian rainforest. We simultaneously sampled bats using ground mist nets and ultrasonic recorders at the Ducke Reserve (Central Amazon) in Brazil and did a literature review of bat surveys conducted in the Amazon to assess how these methods have been used in field research during the recent decades. Forty-three bat species were identified using ground mist nets, and seventeen species and five acoustic sonotypes were identified using ultrasonic recorders in Ducke Reserve. The combination of ground mist nets and acoustic recorders registered the largest number of bat species. However, for phyllostomid species the sole use of mist nets was efficient in recording the highest number of species, whereas for aerial insectivores acoustic surveys was the most effective. Of the 54 bat surveys made in the Amazon, 27 localities used complementary methods: roost search, canopy mist nets, harp traps and acoustic surveys. The combination of ground and canopy nets, and ground nets with roost search did not record more phyllostomid bat species than the use of ground nets alone. However, the sole use of acoustic surveys recorded more aerial insectivorous species than any other combination of sampling methods. Using mist nets and acoustic surveys simultaneously, as in our study, results in a dramatic increase in species diversity and different guilds than using only mist nets in the Amazon. Canopy nets and roost search did not increase the total number of species or the number of phyllostomid species in bat surveys. By combining different survey methodologies, we can optimize the recorded diversity of bats, especially using both mist nets and acoustic monitoring.

Understory palms are not canopy palms writ small: Factors affecting Amazonian understory palms within riparian zones and across the landscape

Understory palms are subject to different ecological pressures than those experienced by canopy palms, but most studies do not distinguish between understory and canopy palms, or include only canopy palms. Much of the variation in the taxonomic composition of understory palms in the Amazon is concentrated in riparian zones. However, abiotic characteristics of the riparian zone that influence this variation are underexplored or have been modeled only through additive relationships. Our objectives were to determine (1) if the abundance of understory palms is related to the abundance of canopy palms, (2) how topographic and soil variables, and their interactions, affect variation in composition of understory-palm assemblages across the entire landscape, which includes riparian and non-riparian zones, and (3) how understory-palm assemblages vary in species composition along streams as a result of variation in abiotic factors and their interactions within the riparian zone. We sampled 40 riparian areas and analyzed the data in combination with existing data from 72 non-riparian plots. Plots (250 m × 4 m) were distributed across 64 km2 of a terra-firme forest (Reserva Ducke) covering two major drainage basins that differ in topography and soil characteristics. Abundances of understory and canopy palms have opposite relationships to the same environmental variables and, therefore, should not be treated as a single group. In addition, interactions among environmental factors at the mesoscale (entire landscape) and at the local scale (riparian zone), generate compositional turnover even among sites with only subtle environmental differences. Stream discharge and soil structure are among the first variables to be affected by human occupation of riparian zones, which indicates that a better understanding of interactions between environmental predictors and a landscape approach will be necessary to conserve Amazonian understory palms.

Flora of the Reserva Ducke, Amazonas, Brazil: Simaroubaceae

Abstract The present study aims to improve the knowledge of Simaroubaceae in the Reserva Ducke, Manaus, Amazonas. It is based on morphological analysis of herbaria collections and field expeditions. The family is represented in that area by six species belonging to four genera: Homalolepis (1 sp.), Picrolemma (1 sp.), Simaba (3 spp., including a new one described herein), and Simarouba (1 sp.). Identification keys, morphological descriptions, illustrations, and taxonomic comments are provided for each species.

Development time, body mass and length of immatures of Paralucilia fulvinota (Bigot, 1877) (Diptera: Calliphoridae) reared under natural conditions in a Central Amazon forest

Blow flies (Calliphoridae) are used in forensic entomology studies, because their life cycle help to determine the minimum post-mortem interval (PMImin). Paralucilia fulvinota (Bigot, 1877) is a forensic indicator and is reported from human corpses in the Amazonian region. Our objectives were to describe the development time of P. fulvinota under natural conditions at Ducke Reserve (Amazonas), provide the accumulated degree-days (ADD) and accumulated degree-hour (ADH), body length and mass of larvae, and the sex ratio of adults. Pregnant females were sampled on a swine carcass. From hatched eggs, we reared stock colonies and observed the immature development under uncontrolled conditions of temperature (24.5 ± 1.3 ºC), rainfall (188 ± 11.5 mm³) and humidity (84 ± 3.9%). Development time was 11 days. Adult sex ratio was 0.86. Larvae gained mass at constant rates through the instars but grew less in length from the second to the third instar. Accordingly, P. fulvinota grows more in mass than in length when in larval stage. The period from first stadium to adults lasted 159.5 degree-days and 3828 degree-hours. Our results may be helpful in providing a more accurate estimate of PMImin on corpses encountered in forested areas of the Amazon region.&#x0D;

In remembrance of: Scott A. Mori (1941–2020), Tropical Botanist Extraordinaire

In remembrance of: Scott A. Mori (1941–2020), Tropical Botanist Extraordinaire

Higher rates of liana regeneration after canopy fall drives species abundance patterns in central Amazonia

Abstract In tropical rainforest, most vascular plants have some capacity to resprout, and lianas are often effective resprouters after canopy fall. However, the diversity of resprouting responses of liana species and the consequence for plant persistence are poorly understood. We hypothesized that variation in regeneration among liana species causes differences in liana species abundance in tropical rainforest through differential resprouting capacity, such that liana species with higher densities produce more resprouts after canopy falls. We applied a manipulative field experiment investigating the effect of different levels of disturbance on the production of resprouts and adventitious roots in 10 liana species of the tribe Bignonieae (Bignoniaceae) with contrasting abundances in central Amazonia. We selected 15 individuals of each species and assigned the lianas to three distinct conditions: (a) total canopy fall with lianas severely damaged and detached from trees; (b) partial fall of lianas, without visible damage; and (c) intact lianas (control). We tested whether liana species regeneration patterns were related to species density. Liana species density was calculated using previous research on liana species distribution in 30 1‐ha plots systematically distributed in a 6 × 6 km2 grid at the Ducke Reserve. The number of aerial resprouts produced by lianas under the total canopy fall treatment was twice that of plants under lower levels of disturbance, while the production of adventitious roots did not differ among treatments. Liana species showed different intensities of resprouting, and species with higher average densities on the forest landscape had more resprouts after the total canopy fall treatment. Synthesis. Our results shed new light on the factors that influence liana species abundance, highlighting the role of resprouting after canopy fall and its variation among liana species. Resprouting mitigates the negative effects of canopy damage, suggesting that the impact of increased tree fall disturbances over time, which has been attributed to Amazonian forests in the literature, may increase already abundant liana species with effective resprouting capacity. We identify liana species that are more resilient to disturbance and may alter forest dynamics during climatic change.

Flora of Reserva Ducke, Amazonas, Brazil: Linaceae

Abstract This study defines and characterizes the species of Linaceae occurring in Reserva Ducke. We analyzed material collected mainly during the Project Flora of Reserva Ducke. Two genera, each with one species, are recorded: Hebepetalum humiriifolium and Roucheria columbiana. We present species descriptions, taxonomic comments, illustrations, habitat information, geographic distribution and an identification key to species of Linaceae.

Climate change effects on population dynamics of three species of Amazonian lizards

The scarcity of data on natural history and ecology of lizards still limits the understanding of population dynamics for many species. We attempt to evaluate possible effects of climate change on the population dynamics of three lizard species (Ameiva ameiva, Gonatodes humeralis and Norops fuscoauratus) in two Amazonian localities (Caxiuanã National Forest and Ducke Reserve). We calculated a tolerance index combining environmental thermal adequacy with the b-d model, which consider survival and reproductive rates to calculate population dynamics. Thus, we simulated population growth rates based on current and future environmental operative temperatures, considering an optimistic and a business-as-usual scenario of greenhouse gases emissions (GGE), and evaluate if the sensitivity of life history traits to population growth rate are likely to be trigged by climate change. Our results demonstrated that both populations of G. humeralis and the Ducke population of N. fuscoauratus may become locally extinct under both scenarios of GGE, while both populations of A. ameiva are likely to decrease, but without reaching a scenario of local extirpation. This study represents the first effort to evaluate the sensitivity of lizard populations and elasticity to climate change and demonstrate the geographic variability of these traits in three widespread and habitat-generalist species. We highlight the need of new studies focusing on species with different biological trait patterns, such as endemic distributions and habitat-specialists, to provide the theoretical and empirical basis for biologically informed conservation strategies and actions, in order to minimize the potential extinction of populations due to climate change.

Is the social wasp fauna in the tree canopy different from the understory? Study of a particular area in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest

Most studies about the insect community in rainforests only focus on the forest understory, and even though the rainforest canopy is one of the most fascinating and diverse environments, it remains poorly explored. Therefore, we analyzed the difference between the social wasp composition in these two strata at the ZF-2 Station in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest, using flight interception traps (Malaise model Gressi and Gressi), in the rainforest understory and canopy. We collected ninety-two species belonging to 18 genera; Polybia was the richest genera (22 species), followed by Mischocyttarus (14) and Agelaia (13). Forty-four species were exclusively collected in the understory, twenty exclusively collected in the canopy, and twenty-eight in both strata. The understory was distinctly more diverse and more abundant than the canopy, while some rare or poorly collected species were only found in the canopy. We found a strong relationship between the species composition at the ZF-2 Station and the Ducke Reserve. Therefore, we suggest using traps in canopy in the Amazon biome as an effective method for collecting a higher diversity of social wasps.

Social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae) on carcasses of Rattus norvegicus (Mammalia: Muridae) in the Central Amazonia, Brazil: possible forensic implications

We evaluated the occurrence of social wasps in the decomposition process in tropical rainforest in central Amazonia (Ducke Reserve, Manaus, Brazil), using cadavers of rats as attractants, exposed in suspended cages. Ten species, in three genera, of social wasps were collected only in the initial stages of decay (fresh and bloated). Five species were collected, mainly in the fresh stage, feeding on flesh: Agelaia angulata, Agelaia constructor, Agelaia fulvofasciata, Agelaia pallipes and Angiopolybia pallens. Five species were collected, mainly in the bloated stage, feeding on flesh and eggs and first instar larvae of dipteran: Agelaia testacea, Angiopolybia obidensis, Apoica arborea, Apoica pallens and Apoica thoracica. Due to the aspect of the injuries caused by the wasps to the carcass, they may be mistaken as skin ulcers, burns or abrasions, which may mislead a forensic investigation.

From a bat's perspective, protected riparian areas should be wider than defined by Brazilian laws

Riparian areas around streams are those areas in which biological communites are directly influenced by the stream. The size of protected riparian areas and their conservation has become a controversial topic after changes implemented in the Brazilian Forest Code (BFC): a set of laws that regulates the size of Permanent Protection Areas (PPA). Here, we investigate the influence of distance from water bodies on bat-species and guild composition in a lowland Amazonian rainforest. Our hypotheses were that bat assemblages would change depending on the distance to the water body and that the abundance of herbivorous bats (frugivorous and nectarivorous) would be greater in areas close to water. Bats were captured with mist-nets in 24 riparian and 25 non-riparian plots within a trail grid in an old-growth terra-firme forest, northeast of Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. Each plot was sampled three times in a total of 7056 net-hours. We captured 1191 bats, comprising 51 species. We used model selection based on AIC (Akaike Information Criterion) to compare linear and piecewise regressions to estimate the ecological thresholds for different bat assemblages. Piecewise models with one breakpoint were more parsimonious than linear models for abundance data, and the species and guild composition of animalivorous and frugivorous bats. Animalivorous-bat abundance increased from the stream to about 181 m, and frugivorous-bat abundance decreased within 50 m of the stream. The patterns of guild abundance suggest that frugivorous bats may need greater access to streams than animalivorous bats. The most conservative model suggests that most of the variation in bat composition occurs close to the stream and extends to up 114 m from the banks. Therefore, the 30 m wide strip of riparian forest protected by Brazilian law would maintain a relatively small fraction of bat-species assemblages in Ducke Reserve, and is insufficient to represent most of the assemblage-composition variation within the riparian zone. The suggestion to reduce the width of the protected riparian zone from 30 to 15 m for streams smaller than 10 m wide, as is under discussion, would likely be prejudicial for bat assemblages.

Description of the male of the coprophagous moth fly Psychoda serraorobonensis Bravo, Cordeiro &amp; Chagas, 2006 (Diptera, Psychodidae)

In the diverse genus Psychoda, a great number of species are described based only on one sex, mainly for the difficulties of sexual association in this taxon. Immatures of coprophagous moth flies were captured on a sample of cow dung left exposed during five days at Reserva Ducke (Manaus, Brazil), in the Brazilian Amazon. The presence of Psychodidae larvae was confirmed with a stereomicroscope and the material was kept resting at room temperature until the emergence of adults. Male and females of Psychoda serraorobonensis Bravo, Cordeiro &amp; Chagas, 2006 were obtained and associated by the morphology of the immatures and adults. The male of P. serraorobonensis is herein described and illustrated and the distribution of this species in Brasil is updated. This is the first data about the feeding habits of this species.

A new species of phlebotomine sandfly, Pintomyia (Pifanomyia) duckei (Diptera: Psychodidae) from Manaus, State of Amazonas, Brazil

ABSTRACT Pintomyia (Pifanomyia) duckei Oliveira, Alencar and Freitas sp. n. from Adolpho Ducke Reserve, Manaus, Amazonas state, Brazil, is described and illustrated based on three male specimens, the holotype and two paratypes. The paratypes have abnormalities in the external genitalia, one with asymmetric bilateral anomaly (different anomalies in each of certain paired structures) and the other with unilateral anomaly (anomaly in one of the paired structures). The new species probably belongs to the Serrana Series, integrating the list of the species whose males possess gonostylus with two stout spines (one apical and other subapical), as well as a small and very thin spine on the inner surface of the basal half.