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SummaryThe semiarid Caatinga is the largest Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest and Woodland (SDTFW) in the Neotropics. Yet the vast majority of the Caatinga is unprotected, with severe chronic anthropogenic use, exotic species and global warming among its most immediate threats. Here, we contrast the current Caatinga protected areas (PAs) scenery with that of other SDTFWs in the Neotropics. We also analyse the growth process of the PAs in the Caatinga over time across Brazilian PA categories and jurisdictions. The percentage of Caatinga that is protected is average among the SDTFWs. Caatinga has more state than federal PAs; however, the size of the PAs is greater under a federal jurisdiction. Nonetheless, in both jurisdictions, Environmental Protected Areas, one of the least restrictive categories, are more representative in terms of total area, corresponding to nearly 80% of the Caatinga PA system. Our results are relevant for international conservation goals because they depict the current PA scenery and clarify the challenges for achieving the actual preservation of the unique Caatinga biome.

The extent of biodiversity in the urban setting is related to the degree of land transformation and the relative quantity of green spaces in the city. Large tracts of green spaces may harbor species and serve as sources of colonists to other urban spaces, but the degree to which this occurs is not well known, particularly in cities in the tropics. Here we evaluate if a large urban green space (Dunas State Park) affects the diversity of fruit-feeding butterflies in city plazas. We sampled 18 plazas, varying in size (1000 to >3000 m2) and distance to the Park’s edge (up to 3000 m). In each plaza, we measured number of trees, plant cover in it and in surrounding buffers of up to 200 m. Butterflies were captured using standardized traps. We found that butterfly communities were significantly different between Park and plazas, and that individuals plazas represented a poor sample of the total butterfly diversity. Distance to the park did not influence butterfly communities in the plazas, nor did any of the local plaza characteristics. Plazas harbored mostly generalist species and experienced more fluctuations in butterfly abundance than the Park. The Park is the only significant repository of fruit-feeding butterfly biodiversity in our system. We conclude that the urban setting is a strong filter for species settlement, a worrisome conclusion for tropical cities. We offer advice on how city planners may improve this trend.

Loss and fragmentation of natural habitats are key contributors to the decline of populations and impoverishment of biological communities. The response to these disturbances can vary substantially among taxa and depends on spatial metrics of habitat fragments and the surrounding landscape. Herein we test how fragment area, shape, isolation, and matrix quality affect reptile richness, abundance, and occurrence in Brazilian Atlantic Forest fragments, a biodiversity hotspot with a poorly studied reptile fauna. We used 23 forest fragments, ranging from 2 to 30 hectares, surrounded by different matrix types, including sugarcane crop fields, cattle ranching, subsistence farmlands and rural communities. Species richness, total reptile abundance, population abundance, and occurrence probability of many species decreased with fragment area. Model selection suggested that fragment area is the main predictor of both richness and abundance, but matrix quality as well as fragment shape are also important predictors. For population abundance and occurrence probability, fragment area and proximity were the most important predictors followed by fragment shape and matrix quality, but the strength and even the sign of predictors varied substantially among species. We highlight that the value of small fragments should not be neglected for the conservation of Atlantic Forest reptiles. Resumo A perda e a fragmentacao de habitats naturais sao agentes-chave no declinio de populacoes e no empobrecimento de comunidades biologicas. A reposta a esses disturbios pode variar substancialmente entre taxons e depende de metricas espaciais dos fragmentos e da paisagem circundante. Nos testamos como a area, a forma, o isolamento e a qualidade da matriz de fragmentos da Mata Atlântica brasileira afetam a riqueza, a abundância e a ocorrencia de repteis. Nos usamos 23 fragmentos florestais, entre 2 e 30 hectares, rodeados por matrizes comuns no cenario atual da Mata Atlântica, um dos hotspots de biodiversidade. Ao contrario das expectativas teoricas, a riqueza, a abundância total, a abundância populacional e a probabilidade de ocorrencia de muitas especies diminuiu com o aumento da area dos fragmentos. A selecao de modelos sugere que a area dos fragmentos e o principal preditor tanto da riqueza quanto da abundância das especies, mas que a qualidade da matriz, assim como a forma dos fragmentos, sao tambem metricas importantes. Para a abundância populacional e a probabilidade de ocorrencia das especies os preditores mais importantes foram a area e o isolamento, seguidos pela forma e qualidade da matriz dos fragmentos, mas a forca e ate mesmo o sinal do efeito mudou substancialmente entre especies. Nos destacamos que, considerando o alto grau de disturbio da paisagem, o valor de pequenos fragmentos nao deve ser negligenciado em estrategias de conservacao de repteis da Mata Atlântica.

Amphibians are among the most threatened vertebrates in the world and this is also true for those inhabiting the Atlantic Forest hotspot, living in ecosystems that are highly degraded and threatened by anthropogenic activities. We present a data set containing information about amphibian communities sampled throughout the Atlantic Forest Biome in South America. The data were extracted from 389 bibliographic references (articles, books, theses, and dissertations) representing inventories of amphibian communities from 1940 to 2017. The data set includes 17,619 records of 528 species with taxonomic certainty, from 1,163 study sites. Of all the records, 14,450 (82%) were classified using the criterion of endemism; of those, 7,787 (44%) were considered endemic and 6,663 (38%) were not. Historically, multiple sampling methods were used to survey amphibians, the most representative methods being active surveys (82.1%), surveys at breeding sites (20%), pitfall traps (15.3%), and occasional encounters (14.5%). Species richness averaged 15.2 ± 11.3 (mean ± SD), ranging from 1 to 80 species per site. We found a low dominance in the communities, with 10 species occurring in about 26% of communities: Physalaemus cuvieri (4.1%), Dendropsophus minutus (3.8%), Boana faber (3.1%), Scinax fuscovarius (2.8%), Leptodactylus latrans (2.7%), Leptodactylus fuscus (2.6%), Boana albopunctata (2.3%), Dendropsophus nanus (1.6%), Rhinella ornata (1.6%), and Leptodactylus mystacinus (1.6%). This data set represents a major effort to compile inventories of amphibian communities for the Neotropical region, filling a large gap in the data on the Atlantic Forest hotspot. We hope this data set can be used as a credible tool in the proposal of new studies on amphibian sampling and even in the development of conservation planning for these taxa. This information also has great relevance for macroecological studies, being foundational for both conservation and restoration strategies in this biodiversity hotspot. No copyright or proprietary restrictions are associated with the use of this data set. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications or teaching events.

Heliconius nattereri C. Felder & R. Felder, 1865 is an enigmatic and rarely collected species. Because of severe habitat reduction, the species is currently listed as endangered. We here report the confirmation of a northernmost population. This collection and further observations reported here add two more known localites to the distribution of the species. Two of the three confirmed locations are in protected areas. We worry that the northern population may be at great risk because it is not formally protected. We urge conservation efforts to preserve the local forests where the species is found.

Aim Habitat split isolates forest fragments where terrestrial adults of many amphibian species live from aquatic-breeding sites where their larvae develop, causing population declines and shifts in community structure. In contrast to most fragmentation theoretical frameworks which point to the relevance of fragment area and isolation, a recent theoretical model predicts that split distance, defined as the shortest distance between a forest fragment edge and the nearby stream, should affect negatively the abundance and occurrence probability of populations in forest fragments and, consequently, their total abundance and species richness. The model further predicts that the quality of the matrix between the two habitats, called split matrix, will modulate such responses. Here, we provide the first test of these theoretical predictions. Location Atlantic Forest, Brazil. Methods Split distance was estimated for all fragments of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, a highly disturbed biodiversity hotspot. Then, we selected 23 forest fragments, within a 1166-km2 landscape, in a design that insured orthogonality between split distance (0–2000 m) and fragment size (1.7–30 ha). Split matrix quality (SMQ) and proximity, a measure of the availability of forest around the focal fragment, were estimated and controlled for in the analyses. Using multiple regression analyses with control for spatial autocorrelation, and AIC multimodel inference, we evaluated the relative importance of split distance, SMQ, fragment size and proximity to determine amphibian community and population attributes. Results Most Atlantic Forest fragments were affected by habitat split. Consistent with the theoretical predictions, species richness, abundance and the occurrence probability of many species declined with split distance and increased with SMQ, even when controlling for fragment size and isolation. Main conclusions Split distance can be used as a surrogate for conservation value of forest fragments for aquatic-breeding amphibians in landscape planning and restoration enterprises.

We describe the advertisement and release calls of Rhinella jimi based on recordings of four individuals from Natal, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. During recordings, we made behavioural observations and used the observed patterns to infer aspects of the mating system of the species. Behavioural patterns suggest that this species is a short, explosive breeder with males actively searching for mates in a scramble competition fashion. Release calls are formed by random combinations of notes that vary in the number of pulses (2–5) and amplitude, but with dominant frequency equal to the advertisement call of the individual. Advertisement calls are formed by trains of repeated pulsed notes with 6.29 ± 2.29 s duration and average dominant frequency of 600.59 ± 51.71 Hz. Calls begin with a rising phase composed of 15.65 ± 7.09 notes during which frequency and amplitude rise to before levelling out along the remaining of the call. The number of pulses per note (2–3) is within the range of several sp...

Domestic dogs are reservoirs for many infectious diseases and may represent a potential source of infection for wild canid populations. A serologic investigation of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii, Neospora caninum, Brucella abortus, and Leptospira spp. was conducted on three maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) and seven crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous), all free-living, at the Aguas Emendadas Ecological Station (ESECAE), Federal District, Brazil, between February and October 2006. Out of the 10 samples analyzed, eight (80%) were seropositive for T. gondii: 3/3 (100%) of the maned wolves and 5/7 (71.4%) of the crab-eating foxes. None of the animals presented anti-N. caninum, B. abortus, and Leptospira spp. antibodies. This study demonstrated that the wild canid populations at ESECAE presented high exposure to T. gondii and indicated that there is high environmental contamination at the Station, which can be attributed to its proximity to urban zones, the presence of domestic cats in the study area, or the existence of other wild infected felines.

Although species assignment of scats is important to study carnivore biology, there is still no standardized assay for the identification of carnivores worldwide, which would allow large-scale routine assessments and reliable cross-comparison of results. Here, we evaluate the potential of two short mtDNA fragments [ATP6 (126 bp) and cytochrome oxidase I gene (COI) (187 bp)] to serve as standard markers for the Carnivora. Samples of 66 species were sequenced for one or both of these segments. Alignments were complemented with archival sequences and analysed with three approaches (tree-based, distance-based and character-based). Intraspecific genetic distances were generally lower than between-species distances, resulting in diagnosable clusters for 86% (ATP6) and 85% (COI) of the species. Notable exceptions were recently diverged species, most of which could still be identified using diagnostic characters and uniqueness of haplotypes or by reducing the geographic scope of the comparison. In silico analyses were also performed for a 110-bp cytochrome b (cytb )s egment, whose identification success was lower (70%), possibly due to the smaller number of informative sites and ⁄or the influence of misidentified sequences obtained from GenBank. Finally, we performed case studies with faecal samples, which supported the suitability of our two focal markers for poor-quality DNA and allowed an assessment of prey DNA co-amplification. No evidence of prey DNA contamination was found for ATP6, while some cases were observed for COI and subsequently eliminated by the design of more specific primers. Overall, our results indicate that these segments hold good potential as standard markers for accurate species-level identification in the Carnivora.

Maned wolves are large canids currently considered vulnerable to extinction due to habitat loss. They are still commonly found within the urban mesh inside the Brazilian Federal District (Distrito Federal--DF), in nearby Protected Areas (PAs), and in surrounding farms. We evaluated the genetic diversity of maned wolves in three PAs of the DF, using both invasive and noninvasive techniques to obtain DNA that was later amplified for five microsatellite markers. We sampled 23 wolves: 10 with the noninvasive method, three captured in traps, six road-killed, and four rescued in urban areas. In Águas Emendadas Ecological Station (ESECAE) we also used samples from six specimens captured between 1997 and 1998 for a temporal comparison. For maned wolves, non-invasive techniques are affordable and easier to conduct in the field, while laboratory costs are much lower for invasive samples. Hence, a sampling strategy combining both techniques may provide an interesting approach for molecular ecology studies requiring comprehensive coverage of local individuals. On the basis of such integrated sampling scheme, our analyses indicated that none of the investigated populations currently present deviations from Hardy-Weinberg expectations or indication of inbreeding. Furthermore, in ESECAE there was no reduction in genetic diversity during the last 9 years. Overall, maned wolves did not present evidence of genetic structuring among the three sampled PAs. These results thus indicate that individual exchange among PAs is still occurring at sufficient rates to avoid differentiation, and/or that the recent fragmentation in the region has not yet produced measurable effects in the genetic diversity of maned wolves.