South Pantanal Research Articles

Record of bees and wasps (Insecta: Hymenoptera) during the dry season in a floodplain in the South Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

We reported the hymenopteran fauna (except Formicidae) in a floodable area in the South Pantanal, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The study was conducted in a riparian forest of the Miranda river, located in the Passo do Lontra region, Corumbá. The collection occurred in the dry season of August 2016 using different capture methods. A total of 137 individuals distributed in 18 families, 43 genera, and 64 morphospecies (10 nominal) were collected. The families with the greatest richness were Diapriidae and Ichneumonidae with 11 morphospecies each (17% of the total), followed by Platygastridae and Braconidae with 10 and nine, respectively. Two species were newly recorded for Brazil: Gryonoides pulchellus Dodd, 1920 (Platygastridae) and Losada penai Fritz, 1873 (Crabronidae), plus 22 new records for Mato Grosso do Sul. This study increases about 5.2% of the wasp fauna recorded in Mato Grosso do Sul, as well as for the Pantanal.

HYDROLOGICAL DYNAMICS AND RURAL MOBILITY: CONSIDERATIONS ON THE CATTLE TRANSIT IN THE SOUTH PANTANAL IN YEARS OF EXTREME EVENTS: THE DROUGHT OF 2010 AND THE FLOOD OF 2014

The Pantanal is one of the largest wetlands in the world. In Mato Grosso do Sul, the floodplain stands out on the calf production by the use of native grasslands as pastures. It has as a management characteristic the movement of the herds between lowlands and higher areas, at the pace of the annual floods. The commercialization of cattle for rearing, fattening or slaughtering with other localities consolidates an‘always in motion’livestock farming. Severe hydrometeorological events act as forcings on the management of production, which may impact on increased costs and losses. To contribute to the understanding of the territorial organization of the activity in the region, this study identified the multiannual pattern of cattle traffic at intra and intermunicipal scales and between lowland and plateau areas between 2007 and 2014. In addition, it presented the dynamics of cattle displacement in Aquidauana and Corumba, municipalities with the largest areas of wetlands and cattle production of the South Pantanal, considering the episodic events of drought in 2010 and full in 2014. The results showed that the flow of cattle presents different levels of connectivity, with emphasis on intra-Pantanal displacement. Increases were observed in the periods of drought and pre-flood and decrease in the flood months; as well as an occasional intense flow in 2014, suggesting an emergency. This endorses adaptive strategies and the need for actions that minimize the impacts of weather and climate variability on cattle breeding in the region.

Beef Cattle Production Systems in South Pantanal: Considerations on Territories and Integration Scales

Pantanal is one of the largest wetlands in the world. In its southern portion, it hosts significant beef cattle ranching, having a herd of 4,832,200 head of cattle in 2016 (IBGE, 2018). Yet it presents intra-regional differences and complementarities. This article discusses such current territory definition, focusing on cattle ranching in Pantanal, considering its forms of occupation, agents, and its intra-regional flow of cattle. This recognition is essential for the identification of the arrangements developed in the territory, its temporal dynamics and spatial strategies, assuming different forms of interaction with the environment. In order to identify multiple livestock territories and their logics of action, data grouped into four dimensions were considered: (i) agents, (ii) product, (iii) space used, and (iv) flows and circulation, approached in different scales (farms, municipal and units of landscape floodplain/plateau). The analyzes show different forms of domination and territorial appropriation, continuous and discontinuous, permanent and temporary. Mapping of cattle territories in the South Pantanal identified a scenario of multiterritoriality. While maintaining its “nursery” profile, it presents more intensive arrangements with the rearing and fattening phases. New territorialities represented by external agents and the fragmentation of old properties has genereted a new mapping of the “used spaces” for cattle breeding and posed new challenges for the maintenance of the traditional cattle production systems in the region.

Structure of the ichthyofauna of adventitious streams in the South Pantanal

ABSTRACT: The ichthyofauna of the Taquari River, one of the main tributaries of the South Pantanal, has been studied since the 1970s; however, there is a gap on the studies about the ichthyofauna present on the small adventitious streams of this highly dendritic system. These streams are small tributaries that flow directly into large rivers (mainstem), at least three orders greater in magnitude. The aim of this study was to analyze the structure of the ichthyofauna of five adventitious streams of the Upper Taquari River, South Pantanal, evaluating its temporal variation (dry and wet season) and the relation to the habitat characteristics and the conservation of the streams. Thirty-seven species were collected, from which 14 are exclusive to the Paraguay River basin, one species [Apteronotus albifrons (Linnaeus, 1766)] could represent a new record for this basin, and six species need taxonomic confirmation. The analysis indicated only the existence of spatial variation in the ichthyofauna structure of the streams sampled, with the similarity patterns related to the distance between the streams and to their conditions of conservation. The stream with greater size and preserved riparian forest was the one with the highest values of fish diversity and evenness. On the other hand, the stream with the smallest percentage of riparian forest and highest proximity to urban area presented the lowest diversity. The small size of these adventitious systems should serve as protection against large predators, which have their access to those areas hampered by their own size. Otherwise, the mainstem may also act as source of dispersal of small-bodied schooling fishes to the adventitious streams, where the greater heterogeneity of habitats and the presence of riparian vegetation should offer shelter and food supply for small species.

Diet and first report of batracophagy in Leptodactylus podicipinus (Anura: Leptodactylidae)

In this study, we describe the diet of Leptodactylus podicipinus in South Pantanal. We analysed the stomach content of 30 individuals collected in September 2017 in the Miranda sub-region, Mato Grosso do Sul. We identified 19 prey categories to Order level, out of which Coleoptera was the most representative group and the most important prey category, followed by Orthoptera and Hemiptera. We recorded a post-metamorphic individual of Rhinella schneideri in the diet of L. podicipinus, the first record of batracophagy for this species. Our results provide evidence for the opportunistic and generalist feeding behaviour of L. podicipinus.

Novel viruses in salivary glands of mosquitoes from sylvatic Cerrado, Midwestern Brazil.

Viruses may represent the most diverse microorganisms on Earth. Novel viruses and variants continue to emerge. Mosquitoes are the most dangerous animals to humankind. This study aimed at identifying viral RNA diversity in salivary glands of mosquitoes captured in a sylvatic area of Cerrado at the Chapada dos Guimarães National Park, Mato Grosso, Brazil. In total, 66 Culicinae mosquitoes belonging to 16 species comprised 9 pools, subjected to viral RNA extraction, double-strand cDNA synthesis, random amplification and high-throughput sequencing, revealing the presence of seven insect-specific viruses, six of which represent new species of Rhabdoviridae (Lobeira virus), Chuviridae (Cumbaru and Croada viruses), Totiviridae (Murici virus) and Partitiviridae (Araticum and Angico viruses). In addition, two mosquito pools presented Kaiowa virus sequences that had already been reported in South Pantanal, Brazil. These findings amplify the understanding of viral diversity in wild-type Culicinae. Insect-specific viruses may present a broader diversity than previously imagined and future studies may address their possible role in mosquito vector competence.

Determinants of changes in fish diversity and composition in floodplain lakes in two basins in the Pantanal wetlands, Brazil

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of physical characteristics on fish assemblages. To this end, we studied 42 lakes distributed in two river basins of the Brazilian Pantanal: the Negro River basins in the South Pantanal and the Cuiaba River basins in the North Pantanal. We hypothesized that fish diversity and composition change significantly between these basins in response to physical differences and landscape structure (the geographical position of the basins). The alternative hypothesis was that local assemblages are distributed randomly between the two basins because of a regional homogenizing factor in the system. Our analysis suggests that the physical characteristics (lake area, depth and distance from the river margin) and the effect of geographical position of the basin were the main factors determining the organization of fish assemblages in these basins. This would indicate that regional fish diversity is not uniform over large areas of these Pantanal floodplains, but that communities close to each other are more similar than those that are further apart. Although there was a small variation between the lakes, this was not sufficient to affect the communities of both basins, either in composition or in diversity. Our study also supports the hypothesis that fish assemblages in the littoral zone of the Cuiaba River are richer and more diverse than assemblages in the corresponding area of the Negro River and that these differences are related to landscape characteristics. Hence, our results strongly suggest that area lake, depth, position of the basin, and smaller contribution of distance from the river margin are the key factor determining fish assemblage structure in floodplain lakes in the Cuiaba River and Negro River basins.

Chaco Chachalaca (Ortalis canicollis, Wagler, 1830) feeding ecology in a gallery forest in the South Pantanal (Brazil).

Cracids are generalist frugivores, which often exploit plant food resources such as flowers and leaves, mainly when fruit production declines. The Chaco chachalaca (Ortalis canicollis) is the most abundant cracid in the Pantanal (Brazil), and particularly common in the gallery forests. However, the factors related to their occurrence in this habitat type are unclear. In this study I describe the feeding habits and feeding niche breadth fluctuations of the Chaco chachalaca in relation to food resources abundance and diversity at the Miranda river gallery forest (Southern Pantanal). I also analyzed the relationships between Chaco chachalacas feeding activity and food resources abundance. This parameter (flowers and fruits) exhibited significant seasonal differences of abundance in which flowers were plentiful at the end of the dry, while fruits were abundant during the early wet season. However, food resources diversity to Chaco chachalacas exhibited no seasonal difference. Their feeding activity paralleled the availability of food resources, so that when some items were massively available an enhanced number of Chaco chachalacas foraged in the gallery forest, particularly during the prolonged dry season when they extensively used flowers and Genipa americana fruits. In fact, the Chaco chachalaca feeding niche breadth value presented low values in this period, while high values were common in the rest of the year. The flexible diet of this cracid, potentially favors their year round presence in the gallery forest, mainly during the prolonged dry season when the propensity for famine might be high. Since the Chaco chachalaca is among the largest and most abundant canopy frugivores in the gallery forest, it may contribute to forest regeneration, an underscored role due to the impact of annual floods and meandering dynamics on tree loss.

Population Genetic Structure in Hyacinth Macaws (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) and Identification of the Probable Origin of Confiscated Individuals.

Understanding the intraspecific genetic composition of populations in different geographic locations is important for the conservation of species. If genetic variability is structured, conservation strategies should seek to preserve the diversity of units. Also, origin of individuals can be determined, which is important for guiding actions against animal trafficking. The hyacinth macaw (Anodorhynchus hyacinthinus) is located in allopatric regions, vulnerable to extinction and suffering animal trafficking pressure. Therefore, we characterized its population genetic structure based on 10 microsatellites from 98 individuals and 2123bp of mitochondrial sequence (ND5, cytochrome b, and ND2) from 80 individuals. Moderate to high levels of differentiation were observed among 3 geographic regions of Brazil: the north/northeast of the country, the north Pantanal, and the south Pantanal. Differentiation between the 2 regions within the Pantanal was not expected, as they are relatively close and there is no known barrier to macaw movement between these regions. These genetically differentiated groups were estimated to have diverged 16000 to 42000 years ago. The low genetic variability observed seems not to be the result of past bottlenecks, although a star-shaped haplotype network and the mismatch distribution suggest that there was recent demographic expansion in the north and northeast. Environmental changes in the Holocene could have caused this expansion. Given the genetic structure observed, the most probable regions of origin of 24 confiscated individuals were identified. Thus, these data helped to trace illegal traffic routes and identify natural populations that are being illegally harvested.

Trophic ecology of two piranha species, Pygocentrus nattereri and Serrasalmus marginatus (Characiformes, Characidae), in the floodplain of the Negro River, Pantanal

AIM: This study aimed to evaluate influence of hydrological variation, ontogeny and interspecific variation in the feeding activity and diet composition for P. nattereri and S. marginatus in floodplain of Negro River, South Pantanal. METHODS: The samples were taken with the use of gillnets and cast nets of different sizes, from October/2005 to August/2008. RESULTS: We sampled 748 specimens, 442 of P. nattereri and 306 of S. marginatus. We identified 31 items in the dry and 14 in the flood season for P. nattereri, and 29 items in the dry and eight in the flood season for S. marginatus. For both species, fish was the predominant food item in both seasons. The PERMANOVA results showed that the diet varied significantly between the two species (p<0.001), during ontogenetic development (p<0.001) and seasonally (p=0.024). The ancova results suggests that the intensity of food intake was higher in the dry season (p<0.001) for both species. The niche breadth varied only between studied species with S. marginatus presenting higher niche breadth than P. nattereri. CONCLUSION: Piranhas feed more during dry season, probably because in this period food is more varied and abundant, due to the concentration of fish in the main river channel. There were ontogenetic changes in the diet, with no feeding overlap between the two species, probably because of differences in preference for some items and differences in feeding behavior displayed during hunting attacks.

Distribution, composition and seasonality of aquatic birds in the Nhecolândia sub-region of South Pantanal, Brazil.

Despite remarkable significance of Pantanal for the conservation of aquatic birds, the status of their populations, the spatiotemporal patterns of distribution and habitat use and structure of communities are little known. Thus, we studied three aquatic environments (Negro river, bays and salines) from 2007 to 2009 in the Nhecolândia Pantanal to verify the distribution and composition of aquatic birds and also if there is significant seasonal influence on these aspects. We adopted the transect method (288 hours of sampling) and recorded 135 species (7.834 individuals). The Negro river showed the highest diversity, while the salines the lowest. The similarity of aquatic bird communities was higher between bays and salines, followed by Negro river and bays and lower between salines and Negro river. The equidistribution is more variable in the salines and more stable in the Negro river. The environments strongly differ from each other in aquatic bird composition in space (habitat use and distribution) and time (seasonal water fluctuations). The diversity of bird community in the dry season varies significantly in the salines, followed by the bays and more stable in the Negro river. The Negro river, regardless of large annual amplitude of flow, is more seasonally stable since its riparian vegetation is continuous (not isolated) and constant. These aspects provide better conditions to stay all year, contributing to decrease the seasonal nomadic tendencies of aquatic birds. Finally, all these data provide strong arguments to the preservation of all phytophysiognomies in the Nhecolândia sub- region of Pantanal, but with special attention to the salines widely used by many flocks of aquatic birds (mainly in the dry season) and migrant and/or rare species restricted to this habitat.

Aquatic food webs of the oxbow lakes in the Pantanal: A new site for fisheries guaranteed by alternated control?

Flood pulse and biotic interrelationships control the food web dynamics of river floodplain systems. The Pantanal Plain in the Paraguay River Basin (Brazil) occupies 140,000km2 of periodically flooded areas and is divided into 12 subregions with different characteristics related to the flood pulse duration, the vegetation, the type of soil, and the resources used in activities, particularly fishing. In this study, we used Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) to model three oxbow lakes in the South Pantanal Plain, where there is no fishing activity, to test the similarity of the ecosystems, to identify the keystone species and the types of food web controls, and to determine whether these environments can support moderated fishing pressure. We found that the food webs of the oxbow lakes are similar to each other because, although they depend mainly on the presence or absence of predators, flood pulses similarly homogenize the lakes. The results highlight the importance of detritus in these food webs. In addition, the highest values of the keystoneness species index in the three models highlight the role of top predators (Hoplias malabaricus, Serrasalmus spp., Pseudoplatystoma reticulatum, birds, and mammals). Therefore, we suggest that the food webs in the three systems are subjected to an alternated control process: detritus controls the food web during the flood season and by the top predators during the dry season. The simulation outputs indicate that these oxbow lakes can sustain only moderate fishing because increasing the fishing pressure reduces the biodiversity and can negatively impact the top predators.

Frugivory ofNeosilbaSpecies (Diptera: Lonchaeidae) andThepytus echelta(Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) onPsittacanthus(Santalales: Loranthaceae) in Ecotonal Cerrado-South Pantanal, Brazil

This paper presents a survey of the insects that feed on fruits of Psittacanthus Martius (Santalales: Loranthaceae), a hemiparasitic mistletoe genus that infects trees in Brazil and other neotropical countries. The aim of the study was to identify candidate insects for biological control of Psittacanthus mistletoes. Unripe and mature fruits were collected in several localities of Cerrado, bordering South Pantanal, Southwestern Brazil, from 29 Apr 1998 to 30 Jul 2000. A total of 24,710 fruits (54 samples) of Psittacanthus acinarius infecting 15 species from 10 plant families were evaluated. Psittacanthus acinarius (Mart.) was the most abundant and frequent species of mistletoe parasitizing trees in the ecotonal Cerrado-Pantanal. From 24,710 fruits of Psittacanthus acinarius were obtained 1,812 insect larvae including 1,806 Neosilba McAlpine (Diptera: Lonchaeidae) species and 6 Thepytus echelta (Hewitson) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). From these emerged 1,550 Neosilba spp. adults and 6 T. echelta. Neosilba pantanense Strikis was described from this research. Larvae of T. echelta occurred in fruits of P. acinarius parasitizing Cecropia pachystachya Trécul (Urticaceae) and Anadenanthera colubrina (Vellozo) Brenan (Fabaceae). Larvae of Neosilba caused no adverse effects on the germination of infected fruits of Psittacanthus, because they do not eat the embryo or viscin tissues. This differs from the larvae of T. echelta that interrupted the germination of seeds by feeding on those tissues. Thepytus echelta may be a promising insect for the biological control of P. acinarius in the ecotonal Cerrado-Pantanal, although its abundance and frequency were low throughout the sampling period.

Diversity of Frugivorous Flies (Diptera: Tephritidae and Lonchaeidae) and their Relationship with Host Plants (Angiospermae) in Environments of South Pantanal Region, Brazil

ABSTRACT Tephritidae and Lonchaeidae (Tephritoidea) are major pests of horticultural crops worldwide. Knowledge of the interactions between these flies and their host plants is needed for rational methods of population control. In the South Pantanal and adjacent areas in Brazil we sampled fruits from 92 plant species (22 orders and 36 families) in natural environments. Fifty-three species of plants were infested, and 39 not infested. Some aspects of the biology and patterns of species diversity, abundance, frequency, pupation period for males and conspecific females, and the interactions among species of frugivorous flies and their host plants were quantified. Twenty-six species of flies from 4 genera and 2 families were reared from the fruits: 17 species of Tephritidae (16 Anastrepha spp. and Ceratitis capitata), and 9 species of Lonchaeidae, comprising 8 species of Neosilba McAlpine, and 1 species of Lonchaea Fallen (Lonchaeidae). The lonchaeids infested 48 species of fruits, and the tephritids 30 speci...

Native Larval Parasitoids (Hymenoptera) of Frugivorous Tephritoidea (Diptera) in South Pantanal Region, Brazil

The frugivorous larvae of Tephritidae and Lonchaeidae are key pests of fruit trees and vegetable crops in Brazil and in many other South American countries. Their most important natural enemies are parasitoids of the families Braconidae and Figitidae (Hymenoptera). The aim of this study was to evaluate the incidence of parasitoids in larvae of fruit flies (Tephritidae) and frugivorous Lonchaeidae that infest several species of native and exotic fruit trees in the South Pantanal Region, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. Ninety-two species of fruits from 36 families and 22 orders were sampled. From 11 species of host fruits, we obtained 11,197 larvae of Tephritoidea, and in some samples there occurred Braconidae, Figitidae or Pteromalidae parasitoids. The Braconidae totaled 99.45%, represented by 3 species: Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti) 92.45%, Utetes anastrephae (Viereck) 6.17%, and Opius bellus (Gahan) with 0.82%. The Figitidae were represented by Lopheucoila anastrephae (Rohwer) (0.28%), and Pteromalidae by Spalangia endius (Walker) (0.28%). Lopheucoila anastrephae emerged from puparia of Neosilba spp. (Lonchaeidae) infesting pods of Inga laurina (Swartz) Willdenow. Doryctobracon areolatus was associated with 2 species of Anastrepha:A. rheediae Stone in Rheedia brasilensis Planchon & Triana and A. zenildae Zucchi in Sorocea sprucei saxicola (Hassler) C. C. Berg. In Ximenia americana L. 14% of the larvae of Anastrepha spp. were parasitized and D. areolatus reached more than 96% of total parasitism in this host fruit. The braconids were specific to Tephritidae, and the Figitidae species collected in this work were associated only with larvae of Neosilba spp. (Lonchaeidae).

Introduction and Growth of Tourism in South Pantanal, Brazil

Introduction and Growth of Tourism in South Pantanal, Brazil

Serologic evidence of the recent circulation of Saint Louis encephalitis virus and high prevalence of equine encephalitis viruses in horses in the Nhecolândia sub-region in South Pantanal, Central-West Brazil

As in humans, sub-clinical infection by arboviruses in domestic animals is common; however, its detection only occurs during epizootics and the silent circulation of some arboviruses may remain undetected. The objective of the present paper was to assess the current circulation of arboviruses in the Nhecolândia sub-region of South Pantanal, Brazil. Sera from a total of 135 horses, of which 75 were immunized with bivalent vaccine composed of inactive Eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV) and Western equine encephalitis virus(WEEV) and 60 were unvaccinated, were submitted to thorough viral isolation, reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and neutralization tests for Saint Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV), EEEV, WEEV and Mayaro virus (MAYV). No virus was isolated and viral nucleic-acid detection by RT-PCR was also negative. Nevertheless, the prevalence of neutralizing antibodies in horses older than seven months was 43.7% for SLEV in equines regardless of vaccine status, and 36.4% for WEEV and 47.7% for EEEV in unvaccinated horses. There was no evidence of MAYV infections. The serologic evidence of circulation of arboviruses responsible for equine and human encephalitis, without recent official reports of clinical infections in the area, suggests that the Nhecolândia sub-region in South Pantanal is an important area for detection of silent activity of arboviruses in Brazil.

New Records of Neotropical Fruit Flies (Tephritidae), Lance Flies (Lonchaeidae) (Diptera: Tephritoidea), and Their Host Plants in the South Pantanal and Adjacent Areas, Brazil

Abstract Fruit flies (Tephritidae) and lance flies (Lonchaeidae) (Diptera) include pests of highest economic importance to horticulture around the world, because various species damage high value fruit crops, These Tephritoidea are the reason for quarantine barriers among many countries, limiting the commerce of fresh fruits and vegetables. Knowledge of frugivorous tephritoid species richness and their interactions with the host plants are extremely important to Integrated Pest Management. This paper presents the interactions of 15 species of Anastrepha Schiner, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Tephritidae), and eight species of Neosilba McAlpine (Lonchaeidae) with 40 host fruit species. We discovered that Pouteria glomerata (Miquel) Radlkofer (Sapotaceae) is the host fruit of Anastrepha undosa Stone. A. zernyi Lima was associated with fruit of Anacardium othonianum Rizzini (Anacardiaceae). This is the first record of A. zernyi from the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, and of A. hastata Stone from Central Brazil, A. sorocula Zucchi and A. zenildae Zucchi were the tephritids that infested the highest number of host fruits, A. alveatoides Blanchard, A. distincta Greene, A. macrura Hendel, A. rheediae Stone and A. undosa Stone were recovered from only one species of host, and all of these associations are new records. Also established for the first time are the associations among eight species of Neosilba with 38 host species. N. zadolicha McAlpine and Steyskal, N. pendula (Bezzi), N. glaberrima (Wiedemann) and N. inesperata Strikis and Prado were the most polyphagous Lonchaeidae.

Preliminary investigation of Culicidae species in South Pantanal, Brazil and their potential importance in arbovirus transmission

In view of the high circulation of migratory birds and the environmental and climatic conditions which favor the proliferation of arthropods, the Brazilian Pantanal is susceptible to circulation of arboviruses. However, the amount of data concerning arbovirus vectors in this area is scarce; therefore the aim of this study was to conduct a preliminary investigation of Culicidae species in the Nhecolândia Sub-region of South Pantanal, Brazil and their potential importance in the arbovirus transmission. A total of 3684 specimens of mosquitoes were captured, 1689 of which caught in the rainy season of 2007, were divided into 78 pools and submitted to viral isolation, Semi-Nested RT-PCR and Nested RT-PCR, with a view to identifying the most important arboviruses in Brazil. Simultaneously, 70 specimens of ticks found blood-feeding on horses were also submitted to the same virological assays. No virus was isolated and viral nucleic-acid detection by RT-PCR was also negative. Nevertheless, a total of 22 Culicidae species were identified, ten of which had previously been reported as vectors of important arboviruses. The diversity of species found blood-feeding on human and horse hosts together with the arboviruses circulation previously reported suggest that the Nhecolândia Sub-region of South Pantanal is an important area for arbovirus surveillance in Brazil.

Consumo de frutos e abundância de Tucano Toco (Ramphastos toco) em dois hábitats do Pantanal Sul

Tucano Toco (Ramphastos toco) é um dos grandes frugívoros de dossel, tanto de florestas contínuas quanto ambientes semi-abertos. No Pantanal Sul o Tucano Toco é comum em paisagens que intercalam ambientes fechados e abertos. Neste estudo avaliamos a abundância de Tucano Toco em capões de mata e mata ciliar, bem como a produção e consumo de frutos carnosos durante a estação seca. Apenas seis espécies frutificaram em capões de mata, e cinco em mata ciliar. Nos capões de mata a maior abundância do gênero Ficus, cuja frutificação foi assincrônica, proporcionou disponibilidade constante de frutos. Na mata ciliar a oferta de frutos carnosos foi variável e as figueiras foram raras e não foram detectadas pelo método de quadrante centrado. Nos dois hábitats os tucanos exploraram frutos de Cecropia pachystachya, Genipa americana e Ficus. A ocorrência de Tucano Toco foi sempre maior em capões de mata do que em mata ciliar, sendo mais elevada em um dado hábitat, quando pelo menos duas espécies disponibilizavam frutos carnosos. A maior regularidade na ocorrência dos tucanos em capões de mata pode ter sido conseqüência da oferta constante de frutos carnosos, a qual ocorreu devido à presença das espécies do gênero Ficus neste hábitat. Porém, a presença da espécie nos hábitats avaliados deve decorrer da combinação de todos os frutos comuns na sua alimentação.