Semideciduous Atlantic Forest Research Articles

Functional relationships between leaf hydraulics and leaf economic traits in response to nutrient addition in subtropical tree species

Leaves can be both a hydraulic bottleneck and a safety valve against hydraulic catastrophic dysfunctions, and thus changes in traits related to water movement in leaves and associated costs may be critical for the success of plant growth. A 4-year fertilization experiment with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) addition was done in a semideciduous Atlantic forest in northeastern Argentina. Saplings of five dominant canopy species were grown in similar gaps inside the forests (five control and five N + P addition plots). Leaf lifespan (LL), leaf mass per unit area (LMA), leaf and stem vulnerability to cavitation, leaf hydraulic conductance (K(leaf_area) and K(leaf_mass)) and leaf turgor loss point (TLP) were measured in the five species and in both treatments. Leaf lifespan tended to decrease with the addition of fertilizers, and LMA was significantly higher in plants with nutrient addition compared with individuals in control plots. The vulnerability to cavitation of leaves (P50(leaf)) either increased or decreased with the nutrient treatment depending on the species, but the average P50(leaf) did not change with nutrient addition. The P50(leaf) decreased linearly with increasing LMA and LL across species and treatments. These trade-offs have an important functional significance because more expensive (higher LMA) and less vulnerable leaves (lower P50(leaf)) are retained for a longer period of time. Osmotic potentials at TLP and at full turgor became more negative with decreasing P50(leaf) regardless of nutrient treatment. The K(leaf) on a mass basis was negatively correlated with LMA and LL, indicating that there is a carbon cost associated with increased water transport that is compensated by a longer LL. The vulnerability to cavitation of stems and leaves were similar, particularly in fertilized plants. Leaves in the species studied may not function as safety valves at low water potentials to protect the hydraulic pathway from water stress-induced cavitation. The lack of rainfall seasonality in the subtropical forest studied probably does not act as a selective pressure to enhance hydraulic segmentation between leaves and stems.

Comparing the Structure and Robustness of Passifloraceae - Floral Visitor and True Pollinator Networks in a Lowland Atlantic Forest

We investigated the plant-pollinator interactions of Passifloraceae occurring in fragments of lowland semi-deciduous Atlantic forest. We described floral biology, pollination syndromes and the pollinators of Passiflora alata, Passiflora kermesina, Passiflora suberosa, Passiflora malacophylla and Mitostemma glaziovii. We examined the robustness of the interaction networks to species loss, a plausible scenario resulting from forest fragmentation. The effects of pollination syndrome (flower size) on network robustness was also examined. Passiflora alata, P. malacophylla and P. suberosa were pollinated by bees of different corporal sizes. P. kermesina and M. glaziovii presented the highest diversity of visitors and were pollinated mainly by hummingbirds and butterflies, respectively. Through the analysis of the networks we differentiate the structures of the flower-visitor network with the ‘true’ plant-pollinator network. The robustness of the flower-visitor network to animal loss was generally high, but it declined when only true pollinators were included in the network. The sequential loss of plants from the flower-visitor network resulted in low robustness: the loss of key plants could have significant cascading effects on the animals feeding on them within the forest fragment. Future studies should consider the interactions between all flowering plants and animals in this habitat in order to guide conservation and management plans for these forest fragments.

Mammals of a forest fragment in Cambuci municipality, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Atlantic Forest is considered a hotspot due to its current state of vast degradation and high indexes of biodiversity. This biome has been degraded through the years by processes resulting from the Brazilian socioeconomic model of development. The seasonal semi-deciduous Atlantic Forest is a poorly studied phytophysiognomy specially degraded by human activities in the state of Rio de Janeiro. In the present study we report the results of a rapid mammalian inventory conducted in the municipality of Cambuci, in a fragment of seasonal semi-deciduous forest. We used live traps and pitfall traps to capture non-volant small mammals, and mist-nets of different lengths to collect bats. To sample medium and large-sized mammals we used camera traps. We recorded 27 mammal species in the region, of which 16 are volant mammals. We emphasize the distribution extension of Trinomys setosus in 150 km (that enabled its insertion in the species list of Rio de Janeiro) and the capture of Lonchophylla peracchii, a recently described species apparently restricted to Atlantic Forest. Both facts show the importance of the fragment for the region biodiversity.

Geographic note on species of the genus Upa Kimsey, 1991 (Hymenoptera: Tiphiidae, Thynninae) in the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

Upa Kimsey is a poorly known genus of Tiphiidae with seven species. This genus has records in forest areas and in this paper we present new records to four species. All specimens were collected by malaise traps in four areas of Atlantic Rain Forest and three of Atlantic Semi-deciduous forest, mainly from high and mid-elevations. The new records indicate that species of Upa are not as rare as others genera of Tiphiidae, which are virtually unknown in many Neotropical regions.

Evolução dos processos ecossistêmicos em reflorestamentos da Floresta Estacional Semidecídua

Para avaliar o sucesso na restauração ecológica é possível recorrer a comparações com ecossistemas de referência (áreas não degradadas ou fragmentos de habitat natural) selecionados em locais próximos. Neste trabalho comparamos aspectos do ecossistema em quatro reflorestamentos com espécies nativas (de três a cinco anos de implantação) adjacentes a quatro fragmentos de Floresta Estacional Semidecídua. Os reflorestamentos apresentaram em média 50% da densidade de árvores dos fragmentos, mas a necromassa variou entre 24% e 33% e a biomassa entre 18% e 75% da média dos fragmentos. Compactação do solo considerada de alta resistência (> 2,0 Mpa) foi encontrada apenas nos reflorestamentos de três e quatro anos, e a massa de raízes diminuiu com a compactação do solo. Reflorestamentos jovens (até cinco anos) são importantes para a captura de carbono atmosférico, mas podem ter pouco efeito sobre a compactação e a infiltração de água no solo.

Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in urban fragments of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil

Bat assemblages in two urban fragments of Maringá city, north of the state of Paraná, southern Brazil, were inventoried. These fragments, Parque do Ingá (48 ha) and Parque Florestal dos Pioneiros (59 ha), are located in a subtropical region covered by semideciduous Atlantic forest. Bats were sampled with mist-nets from August 2006 to July 2007, over 24 nights (12 hours a night), adding up to a total of 30,240 h.m2 of net effort. A total of 839 individuals were captured belonging to 10 species and four families. Artibeus lituratus was the most abundant species (66% of the sample). The observed richness represents 22% of the bat species recorded for the state, 24% of the bat species occurring in the seasonal semideciduous forest of Paraná, 26% of the species previously recorded in urban environments in Brazil, and 83.4% of the estimated richness by Jackknife 1 (n= 12 species). Studies that provide data on richness and abundance of bat species in urban fragments are becoming increasingly important, but are still poorly available in Brazil. This habitat is especially interesting because anthropogenic pressure can be harmful to bat assemblages, reducing their diversity.

Functional traits enhance invasiveness of bamboos over co-occurring tree saplings in the semideciduous Atlantic Forest

Many woody bamboo species are forest understory plants that become invasive after disturbance. They can grow rapidly forming a dense, nearly monospecific understory that inhibits tree regeneration. The principal aim of this study was to understand what functional traits of bamboos allow them to outcompete tree seedlings and saplings and become successful species in the semideciduous Atlantic Forests of northeastern Argentina. We studied leaf and whole-plant functional traits of two bamboo species of the genus Chusquea and five co-occurring saplings of common tree species growing under similar solar radiation and soil nutrient availabilities. Nutrient addition had no effect on bamboo or tree sapling survival and growth after two years. Tree species with high-light requirements had higher growth rates and developed relatively thin leaves with high photosynthetic capacity per unit leaf area and short leaf life-span when growing in gaps, but had lower survival rates in the understory. The opposite pattern was observed in shade-tolerant species that were able to survive in the understory but had lower photosynthetic capacity and growth than light-requiring species in gaps. Bamboos exhibited a high plasticity in functional traits and leaf characteristics that enabled them to grow rapidly in gaps (e.g., higher photosynthetic capacity per unit dry mass and clonal reproduction in gaps than in the understory) but at the same time to tolerate closed-canopy conditions (they had thinner leaves and a relatively longer leaf life-span in the understory compared to gaps). Photosynthetic capacity per unit dry mass was higher in bamboos than in trees. Bamboo plasticity in key functional traits, such as clonal reproduction at the plant level and leaves with a relatively low C cost and high photosynthesis rates, allows them to colonize disturbed forests with consequences at the community and ecosystem levels. Increasing disturbance in some forests worldwide will likely enhance bamboo invasion resulting in profound negative impacts on forest diversity, structure and function in the long term.

The harvestmen fauna (Arachnida: Opiliones) of the Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho, and the Floresta Nacional de Ipanema, São Paulo, Brazil

The harvestmen fauna of the Floresta Nacional de Ipanema (FLONA Ipanema) and Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho (PE Carlos Botelho) were inventoried using nocturnal manual collection and sifting of litter. Fourteen species were recorded from the FLONA Ipanema, a richness and diversity higher than those previously reported for other localities in Atlantic Semi-deciduous Forest. The PE Carlos Botelho, with 38 recorded species, is the third richest site for harvestmen in the state of São Paulo. The estimates of species richness place the FLONA Ipanema with a richness of locations near the Coastal Atlantic Rain Forest. A similarity analysis showed that the areas possess only a few species in common, indicated by the very low of similarities indexes, showing the high level of endemism of harvestmen species. The similarities in harvestmen composition were related to the distance between the areas. PE Carlos Botelho showed high similarity with the Parque da Onça Parda (only 5 km away) and with other areas of Coastal Atlantic Rain Forest. The FLONA Ipanema showed low similarity indexes with the other areas analyzed. In a DCA analysis, PE Carlos Botelho forms a group with other areas of Coastal Atlantic Rain Forest and FLONA Ipanema is placed in an intermediate position between the areas of Coastal Atlantic Rain Forest and areas of Atlantic Semi-deciduous Forest and Cerrado.

Evaluating the ecological integrity of Atlantic forest remnants by using rapid ecological assessment

The need for quick identification of priority areas for biodiversity protection makes rapid assessment methods important management tools for defining conservation strategies. An increasingly used rapid assessment method is rapid ecological assessment (REA), a fast and flexible survey directed toward selected indicator species and vegetation forms. The purpose of this study was to propose and test REA based on plant community features of the semideciduous Atlantic forest (SAF). Correlation tests were performed between data collected by REA and plant species diversity, richness, and abundance collected by conventional woody plant inventory methods. The study was conducted in 21 SAF patches in Northern Paraná State, Brazil. The phytosociological inventory was conducted along a single transect and required 2 days to complete (excluding time spent for herbarium identification), whereas REA was conducted along three to four transects per working day. REA results correlated positively with woody plant diversity, proving REA to be an efficient method for defining the conservation status of SAF fragments, but accuracy of evaluations of threats to biological integrity are relatively low. Both the selection of appropriate variables and the skill level of field staff are critical and can strongly influence REA results.

Termite assemblages in five semideciduous Atlantic Forest fragments in the northern coastland limit of the biome

Termites are abundant organisms in tropical ecosystems and strongly influence the litter decomposition and soil formation. Despite their importance, few studies about their assemblage structures have been made in Brazilian Atlantic Forest fragments, especially in the area located north of the Sao Francisco River. This study aims to analyze the assemblage composition of five Atlantic Forest fragments located in the northern biome limit along the Brazilian coast. A standardized sampling protocol of termites was applied in each fragment. Thirty-three termite species belonging to twenty genera and three families were found in the forest fragments. The wood-feeder group was dominant both concerning to species richness and number of encounters in all areas. In sites northern to 7°S, there is an evident simplification of the termite assemblage composition regarding species richness and number of encounters by feeding group. This fact is apparently due to a higher sandy level in soils and to semideciduous character of the vegetation in the northern fragments. Thus, even on the north of Sao Francisco River, termite biodiversity is heterogeneously spread with highest density of species in the portion between 07°S and Sao Francisco River mouth (10°29'S).

Diversity of harvestmen (Arachnida, Opiliones) in Parque da Onça Parda, southeastern Brazil

The environment most diverse in harvestmen species is the Atlantic Forest of São Paulo. However, there remains a lack of studies regarding their communities in certain regions. Among these regions is one south of the Paranapiacaba mountain range in the state of São Paulo, the Parque da Onça Parda (POP). Through nocturnal collections and pitfall traps, the region's harvestmen community has been studied. The observed richness of this site included 27 species, with dominance of three species: Holcobunus nigripalpis Roewer, 1910, Neosadocus maximus (Giltay, 1928) and Munequita sp., accounting for 68.4% of harvestmen abundance. This makes the diversity of POP more similar to the semideciduous Atlantic Forest communities of the interior than to those of the Coastal Atlantic Forest that contains the park. Its geographic location places it within the Southern São Paulo State (SSP) area of endemism, along with the Parque Turístico do Alto Ribeira (PETAR), with which it shares up to 12% similarity regarding harvestmen fauna. Richness and abundance of harvestmen were positively related to temperature and humidity. The period of animal activity (as measured by abundance and richness) varied throughout the night, being highest in the early hours during both studied seasons (summer and winter).

Introduction: New World Primates

With an evolutionary history dating back 30 million years, the Neotropical primates now present a remarkable radiation of monkeys, comprising some 200 extant taxa (c. 150 species), and ranging in size from the smallest anthropoid, the Pygmy marmoset Cebuella pygmaea at c. 100 g, to the muriquis (Brachyteles) and spider monkeys (Ateles) weighing more than 10 kg. They occur throughout the American tropics – the Mexican spider monkey Ateles geoffroyi just north of the Tropic of Cancer, and the Southern brown howler Alouatta guariba extends some distance south of the Tropic of Capricorn to (31°S), where the Atlantic forest gives way to the Pampas. There are three biogeographic communities for these primates, each having considerable endemism: (1) southern Mexico, Central America, and central and northern Colombia and Venezuela, with 45 taxa (spp and subspp); (2) the Amazon basin, including the Guianas and the eastern slopes of the Andes, with 135 taxa (spp and subspp); (3) the non-Amazonian tropical savannah (Cerrado), dry forests in north-east Brazil (Caatinga), southern Bolivia and Paraguay, the Chaco, and the lowland, montane, evergreen and semi-deciduous Atlantic forest in Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, with 31 taxa (spp and subsp). Rosenberger (1992, 2011) neatly summarized the four principal adaptive zones of these primates using an ‘ecophylogenetic model’ of size, diet and locomotion. The first is occupied by the Callitrichidae (marmosets, Goeldi’s monkey Callimico goeldii, lion tamarins and tamarins); small (100–750 g) insectivore-frugivore-exudativores of the middle to lower canopy and understorey of the forest. They have specific adaptations for moving about on tree trunks, for vertical clinging and leaping (extreme in Pygmy marmosets and Goeldi’s monkey) and, in the

Sampling precision and variability of tree species abundance ranks in a semideciduous Atlantic forest fragment

Among other objectives, forest inventories are aimed to identify ecological communities and to correlate community composition with environmental variables. The identification of different communities would require several forest inventories, each covering small sampling areas with relatively homogeneous environmental conditions. The multiple plot sampling method, traditionally used in local inventories of tropical forests, cannot assure such homogeneity, since even small sampling areas would show environmental heterogeneity influencing vegetation. In this paper we assessed the consequences of this heterogeneity for sampling by quantifying the variability of species abundance ranks for species sampled with 10 or more individuals in a set of plots covering a small sampling area. The species reference abundance ranks were obtained from a sample of 100 plots of 10 m × 10 m each randomly set in a sampling area of 6.5 ha in a tropical forest fragment (Southeastern Brazil). For each species we used resamplings (30 trials) to obtain the species abundance ranks in sub-samples, considering different sampling intensities (n = 25, 50 and 75 plots), and compared these ranks with the species reference rank (n = 100 plots). Then, we compared the species ranks in sub-samples of 50 plots (10.000 trials) with the reference rank and assessed the frequency and extent of rank displacements. Species rank was highly variable across resampling trials for the sampling intensities of n = 25 and n = 50, but decreased considerable with a sampling intensity of n = 75 plots. The mean rank variability and especially the maximum displacement raised significantly from the seventh most abundant species on, and some species occupied quite discrepant abundance ranks in up to 10% of the 10.000 resampling trials. This high internal variability of forest samples may impair the search for floristic patterns as scale lessens, say, to the meso-scale (1–100 km2). We discussed some possible ways to increase internal homogeneity of tropical forest samples with the multiple plot sampling method. Among these, objective entitation, based on an ancient phytosociological procedure, is suggested as the most appropriate for use on the hilly relieves of the Atlantic forest biome.

Annual and Seasonal Changes in the Structure of Litter-Dwelling Ant Assemblages (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Atlantic Semideciduous Forests

We surveyed ant fauna in the leaf litter in an Atlantic Semideciduous forest in the State Park of Rio Doce (PERD). The work aimed to produce basic information about habitat effects on diversity, as well as about how the ant fauna in a such buffered forest habitat, as the litter layer, could respond the climate variation in a short and long term. We sampled two years in two distinct forest physiognomies, which respond to different geomorphologic backgrounds, in dry and rainy seasons. Species composition, richness and abundance of these forests were distinct. However, both forests hosted similar numbers of rare and specialized, habitat demanding species, thus suggesting both are similarly well preserved, despite distinct physiognomies. However, the lower and more open forest was, more susceptible to dry season effects, showing a steeper decline in species numbers in such season, but similar numbers in the wet seasons. The pattern varied between years, which corroborates the hypothesis of a strongly variable community in response to subtle climatic variation among years. The present results are baselines for future long term monitoring projects, and could support protocols for early warnings of global climatic changes effects on biodiversity.

Diet of Didelphis aurita and Micoureus paraguayanus and the fruit availability in a semideciduous Atlantic forest in Southern Brazil

This study analysed the effects of diets and resource partitioning among Didelphis aurita and Micoureus paraguayanus, and their relationships with food availability in a semideciduous Atlantic Forest of southern Brazil. Species were separated by sex, age and reproductive condition to compare with dietary data. The fruit availability in the area was quantified bimonthly through collection of fleshy fruits and flowers available on the ground of the study area. Individuals of D. aurita trapped in the canopy vs. those trapped on the ground, or even regarding age and sex classes, did not differ in regards to their diet composition. Animals studied were heterogeneous in relation to their diet composition, being significantly different from each other (p = 0.03). The largest diversity indexes observed for both species in faeces and in the environment occurred during the rainy season. Both species presented insects in their diets, but with natural tendency to consume fruits or vertebrates (D. aurita). Rhythms of fructification of Piper sp. correlated with consumption by D. aurita (rs = 0.90, p = 0.03) and not by M. paraguayanus (rs = 0.40, p = 0.60). There were tendencies where independent young and lactiferous females of D. aurita correlated to the peaks of fruit availability during the rainy season.Key words: mammals, Didelphidae, resource availability, vertical strata, food habit.

Genetic diversity assessed in individuals of Aspidosperma polyneuron and Cariniana estrellensisused as seed donors in an forest gene bank

Background The neotropical tree species Aspidosperma polyneuron and Cariniana estrellensis, known as peroba-rosa and jequitiba-branco respectively, are characteristic of late secondary semideciduous Atlantic forest in submontane formation. Their wood is widely used for carpentry and construction. Increasing logging, intensive agriculture and urban expansion placed A. polyneuron in the Red List of Threatened Species [http://www.iucnredlist.org/ apps/redlist/details/32023/0] while C. estrellensis is considered an endangered species. So, in situ conservation of these forest species is critical while ex situ collections as gene banks is an important complementary approach. Our study assessed and compared the genetic diversity of A. polyneuron and C. estrellensis in two stands aiming to provide subsidies for the ex situ conservation of these important genetic resources.

Flowering, die-back and recovery of a semelparous woody bamboo in the Atlantic Forest

Chusquea ramosissima is a semelparous woody bamboo growing in the understory of the semideciduous Atlantic Forest that increases in abundance after disturbance and consequently has profound effects on vegetation dynamics. Flowering and death of C. ramosissima may open a window of opportunity leaving space vacant for the recruitment of tree seedlings. We describe the flowering pattern and seedling demography of this species at different spatio-temporal scales between the years 2001 and 2009, and evaluate if tree seedling abundance of canopy species increased after the flowering event. At a landscape scale, flowering sites were interspersed with sites that did not flower. At a local scale, the flowering extended over 5 years, with flowering and non-flowering culms intermingled, also in small patches (i.e., 4 m 2). Seeds germinated soon after flowering and die-back. Four successive seedling cohorts were studied. Mortality rate was high during the first 4 months after seedling emergence but several fast-growing seedlings were able to become established successfully. At the end of the study, 10%–20% of the initial number of bamboo seedlings in each cohort survived. Seedling abundance of tree canopy species was similar in flowering and non-flowering sites. C. ramosissima was able to re-colonize and perpetuate in sites it previously occupied. The coexistence of flowering and non-flowering culms at different spatio-temporal scales and clonal growth by rhizomes, together with the successful bamboo seedlings establishment, enhanced bamboo persistence in gaps and disturbed sites. Flowering and death of C. ramosissima did not facilitate seedling growth of canopy tree species.

Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Anurans in an Agricultural Landscape in the Atlantic Semi-Deciduous Forest of Southeastern Brazil

Studies on anuran communities have shown several levels of reproductive segregation between species, and many studies have reported a spatial segregation in calling sites. Variation in spatial and temporal distribution of species in amphibian communities facilitates coexistence among species and decreases the possibility of hybridization between congeneric species. Here we describe the spatial and temporal distribution of anurans at RPPN Fazenda Lagoa, municipality of Monte Belo, southern Minas Gerais state, and compare species composition with other published anuran surveys from southeastern Brazil. Data were obtained from August 2003 to May 2005 with multiple survey methods. Twenty-four species from seven families were found: Brachycephalidae (2 species), Bufonidae (3), Cycloramphidae (3), Hylidae (9), Leptodactylidae (5), Leiuperidae (1) and Microhylidae (1). There was a predominance of species typical of clearings. Only six species (25%) were found exclusively in forests. Species richness was highest between October and December and lowest in July and August. Temperature explained about two thirds of the monthly variation in calling species richness while rainfall does not seem to be important in determining monthly calling species richness. The same area had already been studied in 1998. We recorded eight species which were not recorded in 1998, whereas we failed to find four species recorded in 1998; it is possible that one of the latter experienced population decline. When we compared the composition of 11 localities from southeastern Brazil, the anuran community from Fazenda Lagoa was most similar to that of Botucatu and this similarity may reflect the occurrence of species which are commonly found in manmade habitats. Geographic distance among the areas compared explained a relatively low amount (21%) of the variation in community composition; vegetation type seems to be more important than distance.

Additions to the Known Distribution ofEpipompilus aztecus(Cresson, 1869) andE. excelsus(Bradley, 1944) (Hymenoptera: Pompilidae)

Knowledge about the species distribution ofEpipompilusKohl, 1884, is largely based on the records from the species description. Recent efforts in South American bodiversity studies indicate that knowledge about the distribution ofEpipompilusspecies in the region is in an early stage. Two new records ofE. aztecuswere obtained for the semideciduous Atlantic Forest, in central Brazil, and one record for the Amazonian Forest in northern Brazil, indicating that its distribution extends between Central and South America. The new records ofE. excelsuswere obtained mainly from the Atlantic Forest highlands, indicating that this species is commonly found in the southeastern South American Central Plateau and restricted to forest ecosystem of this region.

Sampling effort and factors influencing the precision of estimates of tree species abundance in a tropical forest stand

Stand inventories are indispensable in community and population studies, diversity and conservation assessments, and pattern search, representing the fi rst step towards understanding distribution and abundance variation of species in space. As species abundance descriptors are estimated through sampling, the precision of the estimates is important to assess data scope. In a 6.5-ha area of a semideciduous Atlantic forest, SE Brazil, we randomly located 100 plots of 10 10 m to sample trees with DBH 5 cm. We calculated the sampling error of estimates of density, frequency, dominance, and importance value index (IVI) for species with fi ve or more adult individuals, and determined the number of plots necessary not to exceed sampling errors of 20 %. Esenbeckia leiocarpa (Rutaceae), the most abundant species, was the only species for which sampling errors did not exceed 20 %. The most appropriate criterion for evaluation of the sampling suffi ciency for the inventory of the stand as a whole was the one based on the general sampling error of a set of the most abundant species. The estimates of density, frequency and IVI were infl uenced by the aggregation of individuals. The estimate of dominance had a greater infl uence of the basal area variation among individuals. Frequency had the greatest precision, dominance had the smallest, and density and IVI had intermediate precision.