Sete Cidades National Park Research Articles

Can the Ecological Appearance Hypothesis explain the use of medicinal plants in the region of Sete Cidades National Park in Northeast Brazil?

O uso histórico de plantas no tratamento de doenças persiste hoje como uma terapia alternativa, especialmente em regiões rurais e em desenvolvimento, devido a fatores culturais e econômicos. Este estudo teve como objetivo documentar e analisar o uso medicinal de espécies vegetais em uma comunidade rural próxima ao Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades, Piauí, com base na Hipótese da Aparência Ecológica. Foram conduzidas entrevistas semiestruturadas com 27 membros da comunidade e um levantamento fitossociológico usando o método do ponto quadrante. Os métodos de Valor de Uso, Importância Relativa e Frequência Relativa de Citação avaliaram o uso e a versatilidade das espécies. Os dados não corroboraram a hipótese, indicando a influência de fatores como disponibilidade sazonal, adaptação cultural, diversidade de habitat, percepção humana e mudanças ambientais na seleção de plantas medicinais em ambientes de cerrado e caatinga. Uma compreensão abrangente requer estudos detalhados considerando não apenas a visibilidade das plantas, mas também os contextos culturais, sazonais e ambientais específicos que moldam as práticas medicinais, permitindo uma compreensão holística da relação entre comunidades humanas e flora medicinal em ambientes de floresta seca.

Metabarcoding expands knowledge on diversity and ecology of rare actinobacteria in the Brazilian Cerrado.

Rare and unknown actinobacteria from unexplored environments have the potential to produce new bioactive molecules. This study aimed to use 16s rRNA metabarcoding to determine the composition of the actinobacterial community, particularly focusing on rare and undescribed species, in a nature reserve within the Brazilian Cerrado called Sete Cidades National Park. Since this is an inaccessible area without due legal authorization, it is understudied, and, therefore, its diversity and biotechnological potential are not yet fully understood, and it may harbor species with groundbreaking genetic potential. In total, 543 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) across 14 phyla were detected, with Actinobacteria (41.2%), Proteobacteria (26.5%), and Acidobacteria (14.3%) being the most abundant. Within Actinobacteria, 107 OTUs were found, primarily from the families Mycobacteriaceae, Pseudonocardiaceae, and Streptomycetaceae. Mycobacterium and Streptomyces were the predominant genera across all samples. Seventeen rare OTUs with relative abundance < 0.1% were identified, with 82.3% found in only one sample yet 25.5% detected in all units. Notable rare and transient genera included Salinibacterium, Nocardia, Actinomycetospora_01, Saccharopolyspora, Sporichthya, and Nonomuraea. The high diversity and distribution of Actinobacteria OTUs indicate the area's potential for discovering new rare species. Intensified prospection on underexplored environments and characterization of their actinobacterial diversity could lead to the discovery of new species capable of generating innovative natural products.

Swarm Robotics surveillance control with Ant Cellular Automata Model in the Cerrado Biome for preserving biodiversity

The Cerrado biome in Brazil plays a vital role in preserving biodiversity, providing essential ecosystem services, and supporting agriculture, making it a crucial and valuable natural resource. Sete Cidades National Park stands out for its rock formations, 10,000-year-old cave paintings and its Cerrado vegetation. The Cerrado is known for being a pyrobiome, so its patrolling becomes essential. In this context, this paper introduces a novel approach to swarm robotics patrolling in the unique ecosystem of the Sete Cidades National Park, located within the Cerrado biome. The study presents three distinct cellular automata models designed for the task, aiming to enhance the efficiency and coverage of patrolling efforts. The key difference between our model presented in this research and the previous one is our focus on a map that encompasses diverse vegetation types, specifically designed to represent the Sete Cidades National Park, with a primary goal of monitoring forest fires. The results demonstrated that the best-performing model was the Forest Tabu Inverted Ant Cellular Automata, which achieved an average of 21.77 complete patrol cycles with 95% confidence. This outcome was obtained using three robots, a tabu queue of |Q| = 80, and a maximum pheromone per cell equals to ρ = 103. These parameters highlight the efficacy of this model in optimizing patrol cycles and the efficient use of resources for environmental surveillance in the Sete Cidades National Park, particularly in the context of fire prevention.

Clustered-map probabilistic cellular automata for fire propagation in the Brazilian Cerrado with heterogeneous vegetation and wind interference

&lt;abstract&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wildfires pose a significant threat to both biodiversity and human communities, and understanding their behavior and the rate at which they burn through different vegetation types is crucial for effective management and conservation. In this research, we present a comprehensive analysis of wildfire behavior and vegetation burning rates in the unique ecosystem of Sete Cidades National Park. To achieve this, we adopt a qualiquantitative approach that combines both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, considering the multifaceted variables at play, including wind conditions, various vegetation types, and the dynamics of fire progression. We conducted an extensive dataset comprising $ 100 $ simulations for each of three distinct scenarios, ensuring robustness in our data for statistical analysis. By incorporating qualitative data obtained through field observations and expert opinions, we gain a deeper understanding of the contextual nuances specific to Sete Cidades National Park. This approach enriches the interpretation of our quantitative results, providing valuable context and real-world relevance. Our materials include a cellular automaton lattice with $ 200 \times 200 $ cells, representing the diverse landscape of the study area. We used MATLAB to visualize this landscape, generating distinct representations of the scenarios. Our findings reveal the distribution of different vegetation types across these scenarios, emphasizing the resilience of Rupestrian Cerrado, the diversity of Typical Cerrado, and the importance of Riparian Forest in preserving aquatic ecosystems. This research contributes to the broader understanding of wildfire management, considering the interdisciplinary aspects of environmental science, forestry, and meteorology. By integrating knowledge from diverse fields, we provide a holistic analysis that can inform effective conservation strategies and wildfire management practices.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/abstract&gt;

Local ecological knowledge of rural women living in the buffer zone of a conservation unit in Brazil

Conservation Units are recognized worldwide as the best strategy to promote the protection of biodiversity. The local ecological knowledge of women who live in the surroundings of these spaces can be used to record the cumulative sets of knowledge passed down through generations by cultural transmission. The objectives of this study were to identify the wild tree/shrub species of the useful flora known/used in each cultural domain, verify the existence of cultural consensus in each domain indicated, and verify the similarity between species in the cultural domains. Forty interviews were conducted with residents of three communities located in the buffer zone of the Sete Cidades National Park using semi-structured forms and the free list method. Sixty six species belonging to 24 families and 62 genera were recorded, and the existence of three cultural domains was identified: health (36 species), nutrition (35 species), and timber (34 species). Cultural consensus was observed for the three domains. There was a low similarity between the mentioned species in the domains, indicating high versatility. The knowledge of the women about wild vegetation reaffirms their autonomy in different aspects, especially in the family’s health care and food security and sovereignty in these rural populations. It can also contribute to the elaboration of public policies aimed at the conservation of ecological and cultural biodiversity.

Genetic diversity and structure in natural populations of Cajui from Brazilian Cerrado

Cajui (Anacardium spp.) is a native fruit tree (small cashew) of the Brazilian Cerrado and possesses the potential for commercialization. However, cajui exploitation occurs exclusively through extractivism in the absence of conservation strategies. The lack of conservation strategies may lead to a decrease in genetic diversity of Anacardium. In this work, the genetic diversity and population structure of three natural populations in Sete Cidades National Park (PNSC; PI, Brazil) were assessed using ISSR analysis of 56 cajui accessions and two A. occidentale accessions (outgroup) from Pacajus (CE, Brazil). A total of 112 markers were obtained, 93 (83.04%) of which were polymorphic. The diversity indices of these populations indicated moderate levels of genetic diversity. According to AMOVA, 96.17% of the genetic variability lay within populations, with low genetic differentiation among populations (ΦST = 0.03828). Furthermore, STRUCTURE analysis indicated the existence of four connected genetic groups. The findings show that the individuals from the three collection sites did not represent different subpopulations, likely due to the high gene flow (Nm = 6.7) favored by the floral biology of Anacardium, pollinators and small-animal seed dispersers. This research identifies genetically divergent individuals (C-03, C-05, C-22, C-26, C-34 and C-39), which should be considered priority individuals for conservation and can inform conservation programs for Anacardium spp.

Bryophytes of Sete Cidades National Park, Piau&amp;iacute;, Brazil

Sete Cidades National Park is located in northeastern Piau&amp;iacute; State, Brazil, and comprises several vegetation types&amp;nbsp;characteristic of the Brazilian Cerrado. This study contributes to understanding the composition and distribution of&amp;nbsp;Brazilian bryoflora and provides a list of bryophytes of Sete Cidades National Park. A total of 520 samples representing&amp;nbsp;90 species were collected, of which 53 represent new occurrences for Piau&amp;iacute;, 25 for the Cerrado and four for the&amp;nbsp;Northeast Region of Brazil. About 55% of the species have broad distributions in the country. This study highlights the&amp;nbsp;relevance of Sete Cidades National Park for the conservation of species and the importance of continued bryofloristic&amp;nbsp;studies in Piau&amp;iacute;.

Caliciopsis sambaibae sp. nov. from the Brazilian Cerrado

A new species, Caliciopsis sambaibae, is described associated with Davilla elliptica plants. The collections were made in the Cerrado of Sete Cidades National Park, in the municipality of Piracuruca, Piauí State, Brazil.

Updates on Berlandiella (Araneae: Philodromidae): a new species, description of the male of B. querencia and new diagnosis for the genus

Berlandiella Mello-Leitão, 1929 is currently composed of six Neotropical species, of which Berlandiella querencia Lise &amp;amp; Silva, 2011 is known only from female specimens; the other species of the genus were described based on both males and females. In this paper, we describe and illustrate Berlandiella zabelesp. nov., based on a few individuals collected in Sete Cidades National Park, Piracuruca and Brasileira, state of Piauí, Brazil. We illustrate and describe the previously unknown male of B. querencia, based on a specimen collected from Reserva Mocambo, Belém, state of Pará, Brazil. The taxa described herein have scopula in the tarsi and metatarsi, and the males have a cymbial process, characters recorded for the first time for the genus. Additionally, we present an updated diagnosis for Berlandiella.

Anurans of Sete Cidades National Park, Piauí state, northeastern Brazil

Abstract The Sete Cidades National Park is located in the Brazilian municipalities of Piracuruca and Brasileira, Piauí state, in a transitional zone between the Caatinga and Cerrado biomes. Studies on its herpetofauna were limited to anuran distribution notes and a snake checklist. Thus, here we present an unpublished species list of anurans from Sete Cidades National Park, Piauí state, northeastern Brazil. We recorded one of the two highest species richness for all northeastern National Parks, and also increased the geographic distribution of one species in the state of Piauí. Most species observed are common of both Caatinga and Cerrado biomes or have wide distribution in Brazil. The anuran assemblage of Sete Cidades National Park is more similar to those registered at the Delta do Parnaíba Environmental Protection Area, Ceará, Piauí and Maranhão states, and Ubajara National Park, Ceará state. These results increase our knowledge on anuran diversity in northeastern Brazil, providing basic information for management and conservation actions of an important Brazilian National Park.

As queimadas no Parque Nacional de Sete cidades uma ameaça para a conservação da biodiversidade

The present study aimed to analyze the occurrences of fires in the Sete Cidades National Park and in its Buffer Zone (ZA) throughout the respective conservation unit. The data analysis period was between the years 2013 and 2017, with the interviews conducted in October 2018. The methodology used information from the INPE fire database, data obtained from fire occurrence reports, interviews with firefighters and park guides/employees, where it was possible to analyze the causes and frequencies of these fires, the places and the period of greatest occurrence, the prevention and combat work carried out by the firefighters, in addition to the more noticeable consequences for the biodiversity of the site. The period of greatest occurrence of fires was during the dry season, with the month of September being the peak of such practices. The prevention actions carried out by the PREVFOGO team in the Park are the construction of firebreaks, the use of controlled burning and the carrying out of educational campaigns in the communities surrounding the Park.

Edaphic fauna in a vegetation gradient in the Sete Cidades National Park.

The vegetation physionomy and cover can show patterns of diversity and composition of the edaphic community, depending on the quantity and quality of litter in a specific habitat. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the vegetation gradient formed by Graminoid Field (GRF), Cerrado Sensu Stricto (CSS), Cerradão (CRD) and Semideciduous Seasonal Forest (SSF) on density, diversity and composition of the edaphic fauna community in two seasons of the year, in the Sete Cidades National Park (Piauí state). For fauna sampling, a total of eight pitfall traps, distanced 10 m, were placed in each area in the central part of each system, where they remained for seven days. In the wet period, there was a tendency to increase the number of individuals as a function of the complexity of the vegetation formation, with the inverse occurring in the dry period. It was verified an environmental variation of the climatic factors temperature and humidity according to the vegetal formation, contributing to a heterogeneous distribution of the fauna. The GRF formation presented a significantly lower value of average richness only in the dry period. Regarding the variables of diversity and uniformity, they did not show drastic variations in relation to the vegetation gradient studied. The dominant groups in the vegetation gradient were Formicidae, Coleoptera, Aranae, Acari and Collembola, with reduction of the number of Coleoptera in the dry season. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed greater differences in the composition of the communities between the vegetation formations for the rainy season. At this time, the formations SSF and CRD were associated to a greater diversity of invertebrates than CSS and GRF, demonstrating the influence of the vegetation complexity on the soil fauna community.

A new species of Smicridea McLachlan 1871 (Trichoptera: Hydropsychidae) from the Caatinga biome and new distributional records from Brazil.

A new species of Smicridea (Smicridea) McLachlan 1871 is described and illustrated based on specimens collected from the Caatinga biome, in Sete Cidades National Park, Piauí state, and Ubajara National Park, Ceará state, northeastern Brazil. Based on phallus morphology, Smicridea (Smicridea) caatinga sp. nov. belongs to the S. nigripennis Group and can be distinguished from other species in this group due to the phallus having two ventral sclerotized projections and, when expanded, two dorsal membranous lobes and one ventrolateral membranous lobe with two spines on the apex. New distributional records of Smicridea species are provided for different Brazilian states: S. (S.) aequalis Banks 1920 for Ceará and Piauí, S. (Rhyacophylax) coronata Flint 1980 for Rio Grande do Sul and Piauí; S. (R.) jundiai Almeida Flint 2002 for Mato Grosso; S. (R.) marlieri Flint 1978 for Roraima; S. (R.) palmar Sganga 2005 for Goiás; S. (S.) paranensis Flint 1983 for Ceará and Piauí; and S. (R.) spinulosa Flint 1972 for Rio Grande do Sul. Furthermore, S. (S.) erecta Flint 1974b is recorded for the first time for Brazil, in Amazonas state. [Zoobank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3C2892F9-D430-492B-98DA-A48569253A63].

Three new species of Entomobryoidea (Collembola: Entomobryomorpha)from Brazilian Caatinga-Cerrado transition, with identification keys to Brazilian Cyphoderus, Pseudosinella and Trogolaphysa species.

Three new species of Entomobryoidea from Brazilian Caatinga-Cerrado transitional zone are described and illustrated, all from Sete Cidades National Park. Cyphoderus equidenticulati sp. nov. resembles C. javanus Börner and C. songkhlaensis Jantarit, Satasook Deharveng in number of mucro teeth, one inner distal tooth on unguis and four ciliated chaetae between the two rows of feathered scales of dens, but differs in claw with a pair of equally developed inner basal teeth, collophore, labial and dorsal chaetotaxy. Pseudosinella triocellata sp. nov. is mostly similar to P. stewartpecki Katz, Soto-Adames Taylor in number of eyes, presence of apical bulb on antennomere IV and one macrochaeta on mesothorax, but differs in head with S2 macrochaeta, anterior and posterior collophore chaetotaxy and empodial complex morphology. Trogolaphysa piracurucaensis sp. nov. is quite similar to the recently described T. ernersti Cipola Bellini in overall dorsal chaetotaxy but differs in ventral head, collophore and manubrial plate chaetotaxy. Identification keys for Brazilian species of Cyphoderus, Pseudosinella and Trogolaphysa are also provided.

Social wasps (Vespidae: Polistinae) from two National Parks of the Caatinga Biome, in Brazil

This work recorded 593 specimens allocated in 11 genera and 23 species of social wasps were collected in Ubajara National Park and Sete Cidades National Park, Caatinga Biome, Northeast of Brazil. Chartergellus communis Richards, 1978, Chartergus globiventris de Saussure, 1854, Metapolybia docilis Richards, 1975, Polybia paulista (von Ihering, 1896), P. rejecta (Fabricius, 1798), Protonectarina sylveirae (de Saussure, 1854) and Protopolybia exigua (de Saussure, 1854) are new occurrence records for Ceará state. Apoica flavissima van der Vecht, 1898, Brachygastra augusti (de Saussure, 1854), C. globiventris, Metapolybia cingulata (Fabricius, 1804), Polybia chrysothorax (Lichtenstein, 1796), P. paulista, P. scutellaris (White, 1841) and Protopolybia chartergoides Gribodo, 1891 are new occurrence records for Piauí state. Eighteen species were collected in the Ubajara National Park, being eight exclusive and fifthteen in the Sete Cidades National Park, being five exclusive; ten species were collected in both Parks. Brachygastra augusti and M.docilis are new records for Caatinga biome.

Biological properties of disturbed and undisturbed Cerrado sensu stricto from Northeast Brazil.

The aim of this study was to measure soil microbial biomass and soil surface fauna in undisturbed and disturbed Cerrado sensu stricto (Css) from Sete Cidades National Park, Northeast Brazil. The following sites were sampled under Cerrado sensu stricto (Css) at the park: undisturbed and disturbed Css (slash-and-burn agricultural practices). Total organic and microbial biomass C were higher in undisturbed than in disturbed sites in both seasons. However, microbial biomass C was higher in the wet than in the dry season. Soil respiration did not vary among sites but was higher in the wet than in the dry season. The densities of Araneae, Coleoptera, and Orthoptera were higher in the undisturbed site, whereas the densities of Formicidae were higher in the disturbed site. Non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis separated undisturbed from disturbed sites according to soil biological properties. Disturbance by agricultural practices, such as slash-and-burn, probably resulted in the deterioration of the biological properties of soil under native Cerrado sensu stricto in the Sete Cidades National Park.

Fungal diversity in soils across a gradient of preserved Brazilian Cerrado.

The preserved Cerrado from Northeastern Brazil presents different physicochemical properties and plant diversity, which can influence the fungal communities. Therefore, we evaluated the fungal diversity in preserved sites, at Sete Cidades National Park, across a gradient of vegetation that included Campo graminoide, Cerrado stricto sensu, Cerradao, and Floresta decidual. Of all of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) obtained, the Floresta decidual presented the highest richness. Ascomycota were the most abundant phylum (45%), followed by Basidiomycota (32%). Basal fungi and other phyla accounted for 23% of the total dataset. Agaricomycetes, Eurotiomycetes, Lecanoromycetes, Basidiobolus, Dothideomycetes, and Taphrinomycetes were the most abundant classes of fungi found across the gradient of Cerrado vegetation. In conclusion, our study suggests that the Brazilian Cerrado from Sete Cidades National Park presents a high fungal diversity and includes sources of new fungal species for biotechnological purposes.

Distinct bacterial communities across a gradient of vegetation from a preserved Brazilian Cerrado.

The Cerrado biome in the Sete Cidades National Park, an Ecological Reserve in Northeastern Brazil, has conserved its native biodiversity and presents a variety of plants found in other savannas in Brazil. Despite this finding the soil microbial diversity and community structure are poorly understood. Therefore, we described soil bacterial diversity and distribution along a savanna vegetation gradient taking into account the prevailing environmental factors. The bacterial composition was retrieved by sequencing a fragment of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. The bacterial operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were assigned to 37 different phyla, 96 classes, and 83 genera. At the phylum level, a core comprised by Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Firmicutes, Verrucomicrobia and Planctomycetes, was detected in all areas of Cerrado. 'Cerrado stricto sensu' and 'Cerradao' share more similarities between edaphic properties and vegetation and also present more similar bacterial communities, while 'Floresta decidual' and 'Campo graminoide' show the largest environmental differences and also more distinct bacterial communities. Proteobacteria (26%), Acidobacteria (21%) and Actinobacteria (21%) were the most abundant phyla within the four areas. All the samples present similar bacteria richness (alpha diversity) and the observed differences among them (beta diversity) were more related to the abundance of specific taxon OTUs compared to their presence or absence. Total organic C, N and P are the main abiotic factors structuring the bacterial communities. In summary, our findings show the bacterial community structure was clearly different across the Cerrado gradient, but that these environments share a bacterial phylum-core comprising Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Verrucomicrobia and Planctomycetes with other Brazilian savannas.

T-RFLP analysis of soil bacterial structure from Cerrado within the Sete Cidades National Park, Brazil

The aim of this study was to compare the structure of soil bacterial communities across a gradient of three different types of Cerrado within Sete Cidades National Park, northeast Brazil. We evaluated the preserved Cerrado sites across a gradient ranging from ‘campo graminoide’ (CG; open grassland), ‘Cerrado strictu sensu’ (CSS; savannah), and ‘Cerradao’ (CD; closed formation). Bacterial diversity, as estimated by T-RF richness and alpha and beta diversity showed different patterns across the gradient of the Cerrado. For the restriction enzyme Hha I and Msp I, the highest T-RF richness and beta diversity were found at CSS. The distribution and abundance of various fragments sizes varied between different sites. The non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis obtained with the restriction enzyme Hha I separated the sites according to bacterial community; whereas the analysis based on the restriction enzyme Msp I did not clearly separate the evaluated sites. The results show that bacterial structure does not follow the same pattern as found in the others regions with Cerrado vegetation.

Temporal change in species and functional plant traits in the moist grassland on the Sete Cidades National Park, Piauí, Brazil.

The present study investigated the dynamic on a short-time scale in the vegetation in moist grassland of the Sete Cidades National Park, Piauí. Herb-subshrub layer samples was carried out in July 2007, 2009 and 2011. Changes in structural, floristic and functional traits in the community were assessed by species richness, diversity and similarity indices between those periods, as well as by hierarchical classification and ordination. Cluster and Principal Component Analyses identified functional groups according to 23 species trait state. To distinguish the contribution of space and time configuration in the community structure, we used the variance partition technique. The functional groups of chamaephytes and therophytes II were associated with wetter sites, while the groups of non-tussock hemicriptophytes I, tussock hemicriptophytes (FG4), and geophytes (FG5) were associated to the drier ones. We found a non-accelerated dynamics, at least on a short-time scale, represented by some descriptors in the community, such as the close similarity between the inventories and ordering of sampling transects in moist grassland. Therefore, besides considering the partition of the temporal niche as a mechanism for the co-existence of species, the heterogeneity of space dictated by environmental filters seems to determine the stability of the this grassland communities over time.