Reserva Ecologica Research Articles

Following the footsteps of Burmeister's leaf frog (Phyllomedusa burmeisteri) in the Atlantic forest of Brazil

Amphibians are organisms which mainly have a biphasic life cycle. When at the larval stage, their habitat is generally aquatic, and when adults, they become terrestrial. Pond-breeding amphibians are sensitive to some disturbances in their environment which lead to the decline of a population. The interactions between the species and their environment are performed through movement. Movement ecology combines and explains the movement data of organisms with biotic and abiotic factors and because of this, knowing the movement of these creatures is of great ecological importance. We used the spool-and-line methodology in individuals of the treefrog Phyllomedusa burmeisteri, at the Reserva Ecologica Michelin, located in the southern region of Bahia in Brazil to study their movement patterns in different environments inside and outside of the forest. We monitored 19 P. burmeisteri individuals that presented a mean total movement distance of 2160.76 cm (S.D. 1152.42). We found no significant difference in the trajectories of individuals in forested and open areas, as well as a positive relationship between the distances individuals moved and their weight only in forested areas. no relationship between distance and weight of these individuals. We observed that individuals followed non-linear paths and the number of steps from one place to another varied among individuals. Our movement ecology data allows us to answer questions about short-term movement patterns of Phyllomedusa burmeisteri. This is the first step to start understanding the spatial cognition of treefrogs from the Atlantic Forest and to fill gaps about life habits of these frogs. Information on the movement patterns of a species, as well as its home range can help to create conservation strategies, regarding the creation or delimitation of protected areas, for example.

Living in a mosaic of Brazilian Atlantic Forest and plantations: spatial ecology of five bushmaster Lachesis muta (Viperidae Crotalinae)

This is the first multiple months study on home range and habitat use by a small group of bushmaster (Lachesis spp.). Five snakes (natives and translocated) were intensively radio tracked in a mosaic of plantations and small fragments of Atlantic Forest in the Reserva Ecologica Michelin in Bahia, Brazil. The average home range was 9.47 ha (MCP 95%) and 44.11 (Kernel 95%) for bushmasters tracked for more than 6 months. The macrohabitats used were primarily composed of disturbed primary (partially logged) and secondary (originally cleared) forests, but also of rubber tree plantations with a dense understory vegetation. Activity centres were closer to the forest edge (~ 22 m) than the core of the small forest fragments. The snakes mainly occupied wooded microhabitats with complex vegetation structures, around 50% under- and mid-story cover. Nocturnal ambush differed from diurnal resting microhabitats on the surface mainly by being significantly closer to mammal trails and a more open understory space. While mammal burrows and refuges under roots and rocks have been used, diurnal resting was primarily on the forest floor (75%). Translocation from sites > 20 km outside the study site has produced little evidence of negative effect, as all individuals grew impressively, continued an apparently normal life and established a home range similar to native bushmasters.

Empowering Teachers in Rural Venezuela: Ensuring strong foundations in education through Amblema

Overlooking the vastness of the rainforest in a rural community in west central Venezuela, Oscar Pietri considered his community and his family's efforts to build the Reserva Ecologica Guaquira, an...

Anfibios de un bosque seco tropical: Reserva Ecológica Arenillas, Ecuador

Szekely, P., Szekely, D., Armijos-Ojeda, D., Jara-Guerrero, A., Cogalniceanu, D. 2016. Amphibians from a tropical dry forest: Arenillas Ecological Reserve, Ecuador. Ecosistemas 25(2): 24-34. Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.2016.25-2.04 Arenillas Ecological Reserve (Reserva Ecologica Arenillas - REA) is located in southwestern Ecuador, close to the Peruvian border, and belongs to the Tumbesian Endemism Region and is one of the last remnants of tropical dry forests at altitudes below 100 m a.s.l. Climate is characterized by a rainy season extending from January to May and a dry season extending from June to December. Few studies on the amphibians from the reserve have been made so far. Over a period of twelve months, from 2014 to 2016, we investigated the distribution of amphibians in the REA using regular visual and acoustic survey techniques as well as pitfall traps. Nine species belonging to five families were inventoried, most of them active only during the rainy season. At odds with the usual tropical amphibian communities structure with high species richness but low number of individuals, REA is characterized by a low number of species with a very high number of individuals. Along with species typical for the Tumbesian region, i.e. species specially adapted to dry environments, in the reserve occur also widespread species which are encountered usually in rain forests.

Quiropterofauna da Fazenda Santo Antônio dos Ipês, Jaú, estado de São Paulo, Brasil

http://dx.doi.org/10.5007/2175-7925.2016v29n1p97O presente estudo registrou as espécies de morcegos que ocorrem na Fazenda Santo Antônio dos Ipês, Jaú, SP, Brasil, com a finalidade de identificar os itens alimentares consumidos por esses animais e avaliar a presença do vírus rábico nos mesmos. Vinte e uma noites de captura, distribuídas em cinco áreas da fazenda, foram realizadas utilizando redes de neblina entre novembro de 2009 e julho de 2011. Após um esforço de captura de 18217,5 m2.h, 580 morcegos de 16 espécies foram capturados. Sturnira lilium (n = 184), Artibeus lituratus (n = 134) e Carollia perspicillata (n = 126) foram as espécies mais abundantes. Dois indivíduos de Lasiurus ega foram adicionados ao inventário através de observação em abrigo, totalizando assim 17 espécies amostradas. Os itens alimentares mais consumidos foram os frutos de Solanaceae e de Piperaceae, e os frutos de Muntingia calabura os menos consumidos. Nenhum dos 132 indivíduos analisados para o vírus rábico apresentou resultado positivo. A Fazenda Santo Antônio dos Ipês é uma importante área, pois abriga a Reserva Ecológica Amadeu Botelho (uma Unidade de Conservação) que é o último resquício de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual da região de Jaú e que serve como refúgio para animais silvestres incluindo morcegos.

The Distribution, Habitat Use, and Conservation Status of Three Atlantic Forest Monkeys (Sapajus xanthosternos, Callicebus melanochir, Callithrix sp.) in an Agroforestry/Forest Mosaic in Southern Bahia, Brazil

If we are to develop effective conservation strategies for primates in heavily disturbed biomes, we must understand why they persist or perish in human-dominated landscapes. I investigated the potential of an agroforestry/forest mosaic in the Atlantic forest of Bahia, Brazil to sustain populations of three monkey species —capuchins (Sapajus xanthosternos), titi monkeys (Callicebus melanochir), and marmosets (Callithrix sp.)— sampling the primates in three forest and four agroforestry landscapes across a 1000 km2 landscape during a 17-yr study. I used 754 km of transects, reconnaissance walks, semistructured interviews, and key informant reports to collect information on the monkeys. Capuchins and titi monkeys are mostly restricted to the largest forests, with titi monkeys widely distributed and capuchins nearly extinct. Both species are absent from the Attalea funifera forests, but a few capuchins persist in the Brodiguesia santosii forests. Marmosets live throughout the landscape and are the only species inhabiting the agroforestry lands. The abundance data indicate that the disturbed forests characteristic of the landscape provide adequate habitat for all three species, but chronic hunting suppresses titi and capuchin populations and limits their distributions. Data from the Reserva Ecologica Michelin show that protected monkey populations can reach abundances equal to those at other protected sites, and that capuchins and titi monkeys enter agroforestry lands when protected. Long-term data indicate that deforestation rates are low and that illegal logging and hunting pressure are declining. The creation of reserves and the relatively large amount of forest left make the regional landscape a vital part of the strategy to conserve these species. This study demonstrates that agroforestry/forest landscapes can play an important role in primate conservation when large blocks of contiguous forest with adequate escape space for hunted primates remain, but that the potential conservation value of agroforestry habitats and small forest fragments for hunted species will be realized only if hunting is controlled.

Anuran community composition along two large rivers in a tropical disturbed landscape

In this study we evaluated how anuran species were distributed in riparian habitats along two large rivers. Sampling was carried out between January and March 2012 in the municipality of Cachoeiras de Macacu, state of Rio de Janeiro. We delimited 20 plots along each river, ten in portions inside the forest of the Reserva Ecologica de Guapiacu (REGUA), and with comparatively greater amount of forest cover, and ten outside REGUA, with comparatively lesser forest cover surrounding the rivers. We recorded 70 individuals from 14 frog species in the Manoel Alexandre River and 63 individuals from 15 frog species in the Guapiacu River. The most abundant species in both rivers was Cycloramphus brasiliensis (Steindachner, 1864), and it was more abundant in sections with greater amount of forest cover. This information, coupled with the occurrence of species that are more adapted to open and more disturbed habitats in river sections that harbor lesser riparian vegetation, help to explain differences in amphibian species composition between river sections with greater and lesser forest cover. The results of our study highlight the importance of preserving riparian vegetation associated with rivers in the Atlantic Forest for the conservation of amphibians.

Briófitas epífitas de fragmentos de Floresta Atlântica da Reserva Ecológica Michelin, Estado da Bahia, Brasil

A Reserva Ecológica da Michelin localiza-se na região sul do Estado da Bahia. Possui uma área total de 3.096 ha e contém uma diversidade de ambientes do complexo Floresta Atlântica, como restinga, manguezal e estuário, além de importantes fragmentos remanescentes de Floresta Ombrófila. O levantamento florístico das espécies de briófitas epífitas ocorrentes nos fragmentos florestais da Reserva Ecológica Michelin resultou em 206 táxons infragenéricos (195 espécies e 11 variedades), distribuídos em 73 gêneros e 25 famílias de briófitas epífitas. Do total, 123 são hepáticas distribuídas em 33 gêneros e oito famílias; e 83 musgos pertencentes a 40 gêneros e 17 famílias. São relatadas sete novas ocorrências, sendo quatro para a região Nordeste do Brasil e duas para o Estado da Bahia. É fornecida uma listagem completa contendo a ocorrência das espécies em cada fragmento, distribuição geográfica mundial e no Brasil.

Morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera) em remanescente de Floresta Atlântica, Rio de Janeiro, sudeste do Brasil

Biodiversity inventories are essential to generate information leading to the proposal of conservation plans, especially for threatened areas. Despite being one of the best sampled regions for bats in Brazil, some areas of Rio de Janeiro still represent knowledge gaps. Between May 2011 and June 2012, we performed 36 nightly samplings to conduct an inventory of bat species in Reserva Ecologica de Guapiacu, in Cachoeiras de Macacu, in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil. We used 10 mist-nets per night opened from sunset to sunrise. A total of 1,290 individuals belonging to 31 bat species were caught. They were distributed in three families, Phyllostomidae (24 species), Vespertilionidae (four species) and Molossidae (three species). We recorded two other species of two families, Noctilionidae and Thyropteridae, by direct observations. The species richness of bats in Reserva Ecologica de Guapiacu is one of the largest ever recorded in the Atlantic Forest. Keywords: rainforest, species richness, abundance, biodiversity inventory.

Mimosoideae (Leguminosae) na Reserva Ecológica do Panga, Minas Gerais, Brasil

Mimosoideae, uma das subfamílias de Leguminosae, tem várias espécies naturais do Brasil e um de seus maiores gêneros, Mimosa, com centro de diversidade no Cerrado. O levantamento das espécies de Mimosoideae na Reserva Ecológica do Panga, no estado de Minas Gerais, revelou a ocorrência de 15 espécies em 9 gêneros. Mimosa é o maior gênero em número de espécies (cinco espécies), seguido por Inga e Stryphnodendron (duas espécies cada). As demais pertencem aos gêneros Albizia, Anadenanthera, Enterolobium, Piptadenia, Plathymenia e Senegalia (uma espécie cada). Este estudo apresenta chave de identificação, descrições, ilustrações, dados de distribuição geográfica e comentários sobre as espécies de Mimosoideae na Reserva Ecológica do Panga.

Diversity and Distribution of Lizards in Fragmented Atlantic Forest Landscape in Southeastern Brazil

Abstract In this study, we evaluated how different lizard species were distributed in a fragmented Atlantic Forest landscape and the influence of landscape metrics on lizard species richness in sampled fragments. We sampled (between July 2007 and March 2010) three continuous forest sites of the Reserva Ecologica de Guapiacu (REGUA), 12 forest fragments of different sizes and five pasture matrix areas. We recorded 8 lizard species, the most abundant being Ecpleopus gaudichaudii and Enyalius brasiliensis. Species richness in the continuous forest sites (N = 4) was lower than in the set of fragments (N = 8); fragments harbored both typical forest species and more generalist species. The forest areas differed in the composition of lizard species, with continuous forest sites having a composition similar to each other and to larger fragments, whereas the smaller fragments differed from the larger fragments but showed similarity to each other. These data indicated that fragment size (area) can be an important f...

Identification of <i>Alternaria</i> spp. as Pathogenic on the Native Species <i>Terminalia australis</i> and <i>Salvia guaranitica</i>

This work is the result of activities included in the cooperative project between Asociacion Ribera Norte (ARN) and the Department of Plant Pathology, School of Agronomy, University of Buenos Aires. ARN is a non-governmental organization created in 1993 mainly for the management of the Reserva Ecologica Municipal Ribera Norte, a preservation area located in San Isidro (North of Buenos Aires), within the Provincia Paranaense region. The aims were to identify diseases in native plant species growing there. Light brown leaf spots with thin brown margins and narrow yellow halos were observed on Terminalia australis (mean disease severity: 25%). The pathogen was isolated, inoculated on healthy plants, reisolated from infected leaves and identified as Alternaria tenuissima. Similarly, another leaf-spot disease was observed on Salvia guaranitica, characterized by reddish brown large spots developed from the apexes and margins towards the centre of the leaves, reaching the veins in some cases (mean severity: 20%). Pathogen isolation, inoculation and reisolation led to the identification of A. alternata as the causal agent of the disease. Unusual heavy rain is analyzed as disease conductive.

Grias angustipetala and G. ecuadorica, two new species of Lecythidaceae from western Ecuador

Grias angustipetala and G. ecuadorica, two new species from the wet forests of western Ecuador are described. Grias angustipetala occurs in the Awa Indigenous Territory and Reserva Ecologica Cotacachi-Cayapas in the Esmeraldas and adjacent Carchi Provinces between 50–1800 m elevation. Grias ecuadorica is found in the Los Rios and Bolivar Provinces between 70–600 m elevation. The new species are illustrated and their relationships with related species are discussed.

New altitudinal records of the endemic species Cycloramphus brasiliensis (Anura, Cycloramphidae) from the Atlantic Rainforest in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil

were sampled in September and October, 2004 and between July 2007 and March 2010 using Visual Encounter Surveys (Crump and Scott, 1994) performed by transects, in two localities of Atlantic Forest in the state of Rio de Janeiro, southeastern Brazil: the Estacao Ecologica Estadual Paraiso (22° 29’ S and 42° 55’ W; elevation 150-290 m) and the Reserva Ecologica de Guapiacu (22° 24’ S and 42° 44’ W; elevation 40-400 m). These forested areas are approximately 9 km apart, and are made up of continuous forests, having different levels of regeneration and are composed predominantly of low montane and sub-montane tropical forest vegetation. The climate in the region is wet and warm, and annual rainfall varies from 2000 to 2500 mm. Mean annual temperature is about 24 oC (Rocha et al., 2007).We found individuals of

Sobralia Rhizophorae: A New Species of Orchidaceae from the Mangroves in Northwestern Ecuador

Abstract. Sobralia rhizophorae, from the mangroves of Reserva Ecologica Manglares Cayapas-Mataje (REMACAM) in northwestern Ecuador, is described and illustrated. The new species is characterized by stems with a terminal, cone-like inflorescence bearing white flowers, produced singly in succession, and the obovate labellum with five parallel longitudinal keels, a yellowish-brown spot within, and a heavily undulate margin at the distal third.

How do frequent fires in the Cerrado alter the lepidopteran community?

Despite the great biodiversity of lepidopterans, there are few studies focusing on caterpillars and the effects of fire on their community structure in the Cerrado. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of frequent fires every 2 years for 16 years, on the Lepidoptera larval community hosted on Byrsonima coccolobifolia (Malpighiaceae). The study was carried out in the Cerrado sensu stricto in the Reserva Ecologica of the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica (IBGE-RECOR) (15°55′–15°58′S, 47°52′–47°55′W), in Distrito Federal, Brazil, from December 2005 to August 2006. We selected two burned parcels, one of which was burned during the mid-dry season (FM) and the other of which burned in the late dry season (FL), in addition to a preserved, unburned parcel (FA). In each parcel, 900 plants of B. coccolobifolia were inspected for caterpillars, which were then collected and reared in a laboratory of the University of Brasilia. We found 480 caterpillars from 49 species distributed in 16 Lepidoptera families. The frequency of plants with larvae, the number of caterpillars and species composition varied among parcels. In the unburned parcel the frequency of plants with caterpillars was 2.4 and 5.2 times higher than in burned parcels (FM and FL), respectively. The species richness did not differ among parcels, and an asymptotic curve was nearly reached in only the unburned parcel. The dominant species in the preserved parcel was Cerconota achatina (Elachistidae). In the FM, the dominant species was Concana mundissima (Noctuidae) and in the FL, the dominant species was Stenoma salome (Elachistidae). The dissimilarity between unburned and burned parcels was 64%. Results indicated that fire events have a strong negative impact on caterpillar abundance and species composition.

Citogenética de Calochortus barbatus (Liliaceae: Calochortoideae) de la Reserva Ecológica del Pedregal de San Ángel, en México, Distrito Federal

Meristematic root cells from seeds of individuals of Calochortus barbatus from Reserva Ecologica del Pedregal de San Angel, Distrito Federal, Mexico were analyzed cytogenetically using a surface spreading and airdrying method. The chromosomal number, 2n = 4x = 36 (x = 9) was corroborated. The mitotic karyotype was established for the first time for this species as 14m + 22st. The asymmetric karyotype, which includes 4 small subtelocentric chromosomes bearing a secondary constriction with its corresponding satellites, allows to discard previous reports of chromosomal fragments. Total haploid chromosomal length (53.48 μm), chromosomal length range (1.85 – 4.27 μm) and the asymmetry index (T.F. % = 23.13) add new information on chromosome architecture. The role of intraspecific hybridization and autoploidy in shaping the karyotype of this species and the need of performing similar analyses in related species are discussed.

Qualidade física, viabilidade e dormência de sementes recém-colhidas de capim-gordura (Melinis minutiflora P. Beauv.)

O capim-gordura tem sido uma importante invasora em áreas de proteção ambiental na região Central do Brasil, devido, entre outros aspectos, à sua elevada capacidade de reprodução e dispersão. No presente trabalho teve-se como objetivo avaliar a percentagem de espiguetas cheias, a viabilidade e a dormência de sementes recém-colhidas de capim-gordura, provenientes de diferentes locais de coleta. Foram utilizadas sementes das cultivares Roxo e Cabelo-de-Negro, importantes gramíneas invasoras de áreas de proteção ambiental nos cerrados brasileiros, coletadas em três unidades de conservação do Distrito Federal, Brasil: Parque Nacional de Brasília, Reserva Ecológica do IBGE e Estação Ecológica de Águas Emendadas. Avaliou-se a percentagem de sementes cheias (contendo cariopse) mediante separação, contagem e pesagem das frações espiguetas cheias e vazias e; a viabilidade e a dormência dessas sementes, pelo teste de germinação utilizando-se apenas sementes cheias. Foi observada grande variação na ocorrência de sementes cheias em função do local de coleta, especialmente na cultivar Roxo (17,5% a 36,1%). O local de coleta também afetou a dormência das sementes de ambas as cultivares (20% a 80%) e a viabilidade das sementes apenas da cultivar Roxo (80% a 96%). O teste de germinação em temperaturas alternadas de 20-30 °C, em solução de nitrato de potássio a 0,5% com luz foi eficiente para avaliar a viabilidade das sementes enquanto o teste a 25 °C, em água e no escuro foi eficiente para estimar a dormência das sementes. Esses resultados sugerem que certas características das sementes dessa espécie, como elevada viabilidade e dormência, podem contribuir para sua grande dispersão.

Plants and butterflies of a small urban preserve in the Central Valley of Costa Rica

Costa Rica's most populated area, the Central valley, has lost much of its natural habitat, and the little that remains has been altered to varying degrees. Yet few studies have been conducted to assess the need for conservation in this area. We present preliminary inventories of plants, butterflies, and day-flying moths of the Reserva Ecologica Leonelo Oviedo (RELO), a small Premontane Moist Forest preserve within the University of Costa Rica campus, located in the urbanized part of the valley. Butterflies are one of the best bio-indicators of a habitat's health, because they are highly sensitive to environmental changes and are tightly linked to the local flora. A description of the RELO's physical features and its history is also presented with illustrations. Approximately 432 species of ca. 334 genera in 113 families of plants were identified. However, only 57 % of them represent species native to the Premontane Moist Forest of the region; the rest are either exotic or species introduced mostly from lowland. More than 200 species of butterflies in six families, including Hesperiidae, have been recorded. Rev. Biol. Trop. 57 (Suppl. 1): 31-67. Epub 2009 November 30.

Efeito do local de coleta nas características de sementes de capim-gordura (Melinis minutiflora P. Beauv.) no Distrito Federal, Brasil

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o efeito do local de coleta no índice de esterilidade, na viabilidade e na dormência de sementes de capim-gordura, uma importante gramínea invasora de áreas de proteção ambiental nos cerrados brasileiros. Sementes das cultivares Roxo e Cabelo-de-Negro foram coletadas nas seguintes unidades de conservação do Distrito Federal, Brasil: Parque Nacional de Brasília, Reserva Ecológica do IBGE e Estação Ecológica de Águas Emendadas. Avaliaram-se o percentual de sementes cheias (contendo cariopse), a viabilidade e a dormência dessas sementes. A viabilidade das sementes dessa espécie pode ser adequadamente avaliada mediante o teste de germinação em temperaturas alternadas de 20-30ºC, com substrato umedecido em solução de nitrato de potássio a 0,5% com luz e a dormência a 25ºC, em água e no escuro. Observou-se grande variação na porcentagem de sementes cheias em função do local de coleta, especialmente na cultivar Roxo (17,5% a 36,1%). O local de coleta também afeta a dormência das sementes de ambas cultivares (20% a 80%) e a viabilidade das sementes apenas da cultivar Roxo (80% a 96%). Esses resultados ajudam a explicar o comportamento ecológico de Melinis minutiflora.