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Copyright of Sustainability in Debate / Sustentabilidade em Debate is the property of University of Brasilia, Center for Sustainable Development and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• 5210 forestry Brazilian theses and 2228 forestry articles were evaluated. • Climate change on forest environments are understudied given its relevance. • Three key opportunities to improve science about climate change are presented. This article explores the extent to which research in forestry is directly related to the issue of climate change. The study conducted two surveys, one analyzing 5,210 theses from Brazilian forestry-related postgraduate programs between 2013 and 2022, and another examining 2228 articles published in ten forestry journals in 2022. We classified the extent of a focus on climate change in four classes: strong focus, relevant focus, using it as a context and not considered. Given the pervasive impacts of changing climates, we found a small representation of the topic within the theses with only 2% with a strong focus, 2% of relevant focus and 5% mentioned climate change as a contextual factor but provided no clear connections or inferences about climate change and forests. The focus on climate change was developed better in the forest journals. Almost one-third at least justified their projects based on connections to climate change, and 14% directly studied climate change and its impacts. Six percent of the papers with a direct focus on climate change also incorporated climate change effects into their experimental designs. We propose three key opportunities for improve the science about climate change related directly with forestry. Firstly, an opportunity is related with the writing of papers by itself, where articles might have substantive connections and insights connected with the core theme of the research. Secondly, taking Brazil as an example, there should have an increment in the number of graduate students working directly with the theme of climate change given its relevance. Lastly, we identified an opportunity for a more balanced science in the distinct types of forests. Tropical forest represents 45% of the forests worldwide but comprises only 14% of studies in our sample. By addressing these opportunities, we will not only benefit the forests but also contribute to a more sustainable and climate-resilient future for both forests and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Atlantic Forest is the most fragmented and threatened domain in Brazil. The main remnants are in the coastal regions. This paper describes a study performed at a protected federal reserve in Brazil located in western of São Paulo state, which is a transition with the Savannah. A forestry survey was made for understanding the forest structure, diversity, and floristic composition of an inland Atlantic Forest area. A total of 3,181 individuals with a Diameter at Breast Height over 3.5 cm were sampled. The data sample was composed of 29 families and 64 species from 15 plots. Forty-seven percent of the species were classified as a pioneer, 42% as secondary, and 11% as climax. The species Eugenia uniflora presented the highest importance value index. The values of Shannon-Weaver diversity and Pielou equitability index indicate the area has less diversity than others in the same phytophysiognomy and was dominated by a few species with many individuals. Several anthropogenic disturbances altered the forest cover of the Ponte Branca Forest remnant, which is in the process of secondary succession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravel mining destroys the soil structures, with consequent losses in biodiversity and other ecosystem services, such as nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration and regulation of the hydrological cycle. In this context, planting with native species can be an effective method to restore the ecosystems functioning and structure after mining. A restoration study was conducted to evaluate the influence of different planting pit volumes and soil cover on the development of four Fabaceae tree species in an area degraded by gravel mining in the eastern Amazon, Brazil. Two types of ground cover and two pit sizes were assessed: soil covered with coconut fiber blanket and small pit (T1); soil covered with Eucalyptus forestry residues and small pit (T2); small pit filled with 160 dm−3 with Eucalyptus forestry residues (T3) large pit filled with 320 dm−3 of Eucalyptus forestry residues (T4). Periodic Annual Increment (PAI) was calculated 1.3 years after planting for total height (PAIHt) and diameter (PAIDBH) as well as the survival percentage. All four evaluated species showed mean PAIHt ranging from 160.75 to 279.26 cm year−1, in which T2 and T4 provided the best performances. Clitoria fairchildiana showed the highest mean PAIDBH value at T2 and statistically differed from T1 and T4. On the other hand, there were no significant differences in the other tested species. Survival percentages were greater than 90% for C. fairchildiana, Inga edulis and Inga thibaidiana. Although there was not a clear pattern in relation to the applied treatments, the Eucalyptus forestry residues such as soil cover and large planting pits were more efficient in relation to the increments in growth, diameter and survival of the species used in the initial planting to restore ecosystems degraded by gravel mining. Such results can be applied in future forest restoration projects in the Amazon and other tropical regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double-entry volume equations require measurement of diameter and height variables, making forest inventory more expensive. This can be limiting for small farms. Then the single-entry volume equations, where diameter at breast height (DBH) is the independent variable, are a cost-effective option for these landowners because they optimize data collection due to the use of one readily available variable (the DBH) and require few resources. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effective contribution of the height in the estimation of eucalypt trees volume for small-scale silvopastoral systems. For this, four single-entry and five double-entry volumetric models were fitted to the data for six different silvopastoral systems in Coronel Pacheco, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The six strata consisted of combinations of three different Eucalyptus genetic material and three silvopastoral systems, and the models were compared aiming the selection of the best of each type in each system. Double-entry models, specifically logarithmic Spurr and logarithmic Schumacher–Hall, fitted better than single-entry ones for all but one of the strata, where they were overcome by the Husch's model. Although the superiority of the formers can have been easily verified by different and complementary statistics, we found that the volume estimates provided by the best double-entry and the best single-entry model of each stratum differed by a quantity that can be considered irrisory, from both practical and monetary points of view. On a per tree basis, the sum of the differences for each stratum, in absolute value, did not surpass 0.051 m3, or only US$ 0.25, considering a market value of US$ 4.90/m3. And when simulating a real scenario of batch sales for each stratum, by simple extrapolation of the mean volume and considering their effective tree stand, such differences did not exceed ± 0.25 m3/ha, or ± US$ 1.20/ha. Following the same logic, even when comparing the best double-entry model to the worst single-entry one for each stratum, we still observed only negligible differences. Considering the sampled trees, these differences amounted to a balance per stratum of only − 0.015 to + 0.032 m3 (or between − US$ 0.07 and + US$ 0.16). When extrapolated to the total trees in each stratum, the overall balance did not exceed an absolute value of 0.283 m3 (or US$1.39). These results suggest that the contribution of height may be negligible in estimating the volume of eucalyptus trees for small silvopastoral systems. Consequently, smallholders may not benefit from measuring tree heights. Rather, they may save money by foregoing a comprehensive forest inventory and instead using single-entry models, such as the Husch model, to estimate the wood volume of their forest stands. Another highlight or reinforcement of this work is that the use of the Furnival index was crucial for a reliable selection of the best models, once it allows for comparisons among models both with and without a log transformation of the volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The application of different approaches calculating the anthropogenic carbon net flux from land, leads to estimates that vary considerably. One reason for these variations is the extent to which approaches consider forest land to be "managed" by humans, and thus contributing to the net anthropogenic flux. Global Earth Observation (EO) datasets characterising spatio-temporal changes in land cover and carbon stocks provide an independent and consistent approach to estimate forest carbon fluxes. These can be compared against results reported in National Greenhouse Gas Inventories (NGHGIs) to support accurate and timely measuring, reporting and verification (MRV). Using Brazil as a primary case study, with additional analysis in Indonesia and Malaysia, we compare a Global EO-based dataset of forest carbon fluxes to results reported in NGHGIs. Results: Between 2001 and 2020, the EO-derived estimates of all forest-related emissions and removals indicate that Brazil was a net sink of carbon (− 0.2 GtCO2yr−1), while Brazil's NGHGI reported a net carbon source (+ 0.8 GtCO2yr−1). After adjusting the EO estimate to use the Brazilian NGHGI definition of managed forest and other assumptions used in the inventory's methodology, the EO net flux became a source of + 0.6 GtCO2yr−1, comparable to the NGHGI. Remaining discrepancies are due largely to differing carbon removal factors and forest types applied in the two datasets. In Indonesia, the EO and NGHGI net flux estimates were similar (+ 0.6 GtCO2 yr−1), but in Malaysia, they differed in both magnitude and sign (NGHGI: -0.2 GtCO2 yr−1; Global EO: + 0.2 GtCO2 yr−1). Spatially explicit datasets on forest types were not publicly available for analysis from either NGHGI, limiting the possibility of detailed adjustments. Conclusions: By adjusting the EO dataset to improve comparability with carbon fluxes estimated for managed forests in the Brazilian NGHGI, initially diverging estimates were largely reconciled and remaining differences can be explained. Despite limited spatial data available for Indonesia and Malaysia, our comparison indicated specific aspects where differing approaches may explain divergence, including uncertainties and inaccuracies. Our study highlights the importance of enhanced transparency, as set out by the Paris Agreement, to enable alignment between different approaches for independent measuring and verification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The employment rate of graduates and the interest of organizations in a high-skilled professional workforce are essential drivers of actions within the universities to improve the qualifications of college students. Our objective was to identify the sectors of employment pursued by graduates from forestry engineering programs of the Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture (ESALQ/USP) and of the Federal Rural University of Pernambuco (UFRPE). We also conducted a survey among companies affiliated with the Forest Science and Research Institute (IPEF) to understand the percentage of forest engineers employed by these organizations to gain insights into the scale of this occupation in Brazil. We established two graduate cohorts to investigate the impact of changes in the last five years. In the first cohort (2008–2017), 82% and 40% of graduates from ESALQ/USP and UFRPE were involved in the forestry sector, respectively. However, in the second cohort (2018–2022), the percentage increased from 82% to 97% for graduates from ESALQ/USP, and after changes in the program, the percentage of graduates from UFRPE engaged in the forestry industry significantly rose from 40% to 73%. We discussed the reasons for these increases, mainly in terms of the growing market demand for forestry professionals. In the case of UFRPE, the boost in employment was attributed to the creation of a group for forestry practices along with actions to approach the private sector. We also found a strong ratio of one forest engineer to 4000 ha of planted forest among the enterprises associated with IPEF, indicating a substantial potential of employment in the forestry sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used four surveys to capture perceptions of the current scenario of the forest sector and on the trends of the sector regarding human resources. The aim was to investigate the skills entailed by the profession from the viewpoint of professionals, taking into account job offers and the opinion of new college graduates. All surveys were analyzed using proportions and mean estimates. The first survey on forest organizations indicated a shortage of qualified professionals for the job market as well as a lack of training in behavioral skills (soft skills), pointed out by 100% of the organizations surveyed. We identified a gap between the importance given to certain skills and the performance of new college graduates in their academic training. Behavioral skills, such as communication, problem solving, leadership, and proactivity were considered of high importance; nevertheless, new graduates usually lacked these soft skills. In addition, a gap was identified in areas of knowledge not traditionally addressed in forest-engineering programs, such as REDD+ mechanisms, carbon market, and landscape management. The third and fourth surveys point to a convergence between job requirements from candidates and the responses of new graduates about the skills they consider important for their professional career. A three-line discussion is suggested, encompassing extension activities and professional experience in the academic world, bringing academia closer to job-market requirements, and including curriculum changes to follow current trends. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our study aims to provide a comprehensive overview of forestry programs in Brazil, including a comparative analysis with other countries while considering geographical factors. Over the past 25 years, the number of forestry programs in Brazil has increased from 43 to 75, leading to a rise in the annual number of graduates from 850 to 1500. Nevertheless, our findings reveal that only 60% of the available vacancies at universities are filled. On average, each institution enrolls 169 students (from 40 to 360 students per program). We also observed that, on average, each program employs 13 professors with a background in forest engineering (from 4 to 33). The results show that, among the professors from the ten oldest programs in the country, 78% had no prior professional experience outside academia, and 48% remained affiliated with the same university where they completed their undergraduate or graduate studies. There is a concerning and significant decline in the number of applicants for forestry programs, representing a strategic risk for the country. We identified a direct relationship between the number of programs, the population size, and the country's total forest cover area when comparing Brazil with 12 other countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work aims to assess whether there is a convergence in the emission of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) in the states of Brazil. To achieve this objective, the Phillips and Sul (2007) time series methodology was employed, testing the hypothesis of global (or common) convergence, using data from the Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Removal Estimation System (Sistema de Estimativas de Emissões e Remoções de Gases do Efeito Estufa - SEEG), for the period of 1989–2018, which provides the emission, in tons, of Carbon Monoxide (CO) in agriculture and livestock, as well as of Carbon Dioxide (CO2), for changes in land and forest use. Among the main results, the formation of different convergence clubs is suggested, rejecting the hypothesis of global convergence, and thus presenting four convergence clubs for the CO pollutant and three clubs for the CO2, with two divergent states. When analysing the convergence clubs, it was found that there was a significant reduction in CO emissions in all clubs, and while analysing the CO2, only two of the clubs, which were clubs 3 and 4, managed to reduce their emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Floresta is the property of Revista Floresta and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

• This review demonstrates a growing trend in research about planting density in the last 20 years. • Most studies were developed in countries with a well-established forest industry. • Studies focus on species with great commercial interests, as Pinus and Eucalyptus species. • Morphological characteristics are the most used to evaluate how planting density affects plant growth instead of physiological characteristics. • Individual growth tends to negatively correlate with planting density while stand productivity positively correlates with it. Knowledge of the morphological and physiological responses of trees to planting density is important for adjusting plantation establishment practices to attain the desired size and characteristics of wood products. In this review, we provide an overview of how planting density is managed as a silvicultural practice and summarize recent advances, trends, and gaps to guide future research in this field. We applied a PRISMA methodology to select papers published between 1981 and 2020 that tested how monospecies planting density affects the morphological and physiological characteristics of planted trees; we observed an increasing trend in the number of relevant publications over this period. These studies focused mainly on species used for timber production (Eucalyptus and Pinus), and research was concentrated in the United States, China, and Brazil. In general, the 255 selected studies identified that planting density has a major impact on stem diameter and volume, resulting in greater stand productivity of high-density stands, especially for trees having a smaller individual volume. Studies evaluating the physiological response of trees to planting density also showed that species ecology, solar radiation, water requirements, and site-specific characteristics have a greater influence on plant growth than planting density. Considering the physiological aspects in high-density plantations, water relations based on transpiration and water use efficiency are the main aspect guiding plants growth rate. Despite major advances in intensive silviculture around the world, there remains a knowledge gap for tree species grown for their leaves, fruits, or seeds and a lack of data related to the physiological response of trees to planting density. The results of this literature survey can improve forest management decisions in regard to forest stand use and develop novel study avenues for silviculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dry tropical forests in arid lands cover large areas in Brazil, but few studies report the total biomass stock showing the importance of height measurements, in addition to applying and comparing local and pan-tropical models. Here, we use a biomass data set of 500 trees and shrubs, covering 15 species harvested in a management plan in the state of Pernambuco, in Brazil. We seek to develop local models and compare them with the equations traditionally applied to dry forests – showing the importance of tree height measurements. Due to the non-linear relationships with the independent variables of the tree, we used a nonlinear least squares modeling technique when adjusting models, we adopted the cross-validation procedure. In summary, our above-ground biomass data set is best represented by the Schumacher-Hall equation: exp [3.5336 + 1.9126 × log (D) + 1.2438 × log (Ht)], which shows that height measurements are essential to estimate accurately biomass. The biggest prediction errors observed when testing pan-tropical models in our data demonstrated the importance of developing new local models and indicated that careful considerations should be made if generic "pan-tropical" models without height measurements are planned for application in dry forests in Brazil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Forestry Review is the property of Commonwealth Forestry Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Many tropical forestlands are experiencing changes in land-tenure regimes, but how these changes may affect deforestation rates remains ambiguous. Here, we use Brazil's land-tenure and deforestation data and quasi-experimental methods to analyze how six land-tenure regimes (undesignated/untitled, private, strictly-protected and sustainable-use protected areas, indigenous, and quilombola lands) affect deforestation across 49 spatiotemporal scales. We find that undesignated/untitled public regimes with poorly defined tenure rights increase deforestation relative to any alternative regime in most contexts. The privatization of these undesignated/untitled lands often reduces this deforestation, particularly when private regimes are subject to strict environmental regulations such as the Forest Code in Amazonia. However, private regimes decrease deforestation less effectively and less reliably than alternative well-defined regimes, and directly privatizing either conservation regimes or indigenous lands would most likely increase deforestation. This study informs the ongoing political debate around land privatization/protection in tropical landscapes and can be used to envisage policy aligned with sustainable development goals. How land-tenure regimes affect deforestation remains ambiguous. This study shows how deforestation in Brazil is land-tenure dependent, and how strategies to effectively reduce deforestation can range from strengthening poorly defined rights to strengthening conservation-focused regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyze transformations within a land reform settlement in the Brazilian Amazon, with special land-use regulations targeting forest conservation. We conducted long-term action research in the Virola-Jatobá Sustainable Development Project (PDS), where peasant farmers who were the early settlers of the area, and more recent occupants allied to illegal loggers, land grabbers and speculators adopt antagonistic positions and challenge respective entitlements towards land and forest. In this research we highlight issues of power asymmetry and social injustice when assessing how social relations and environmental conditions in the study area are affected by land use and forest conservation policies since year 2000, when the scheme was established. The PDS situation approached a collapse in late 2017 when the integrity of its forests and the beliefs and practices of vulnerable local residents were damaged. This case study empirically demonstrates that Amazon forest frontier systems have a limited capacity to endure extreme perturbations in the social and ecological interconnected domains. We argue that when a threshold is reached in systems featuring heavily institutionalized social asymmetries that constrain the action of vulnerable resource users, few conditions remain to reorganize the constituent setup through adaptive changes in the same regime or state. Reaching this stage will likely result in drastic changes that will lock the system into a pathway that compromises human wellbeing and the provision of ecosystem services. The fundamental nature of a tenurial scheme that combines social justice and environmental conservation tends thus to be lost for good, to enter a new regime with fewer options and novelties in social-ecological advances, reflecting the overall setbacks currently experienced in Brazilian policy. • Failed delivery and enforcement of land and forest policy in Amazon forest frontier. • Land tenure modality in a liminal status between environmental and agrarian reform regulations. • Social support for conservation affected by political and economic factors mediated by governmental agencies. • A new regime takes place with lower complexity in both social and ecological terms. • Outcomes reflect overall setback in Brazil's current social and environmental policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eucalypt plantations in South Africa make up an important part of the local forestry industry. Recently, one-year-old nursery plants of a Eucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus urophylla variety displayed symptoms of leaf and shoot anthracnose disease. Samples were collected from these plants and isolations were made from the disease symptoms. Isolates were identified based on their morphological characteristics and DNA sequence data for eight gene regions. Phylogenetic analyses led to the isolates being identified as Colletotrichum theobromicola and the reduction of Colletotrichum pseudotheobromicola to synonymy with the former species. Pathogenicity trials with isolates of C. theobromicola were conducted on clones of E. grandis and hybrids of E. grandis × E. urophylla and E. grandis × Eucalyptus camaldulensis. Resulting symptoms were similar to those found on naturally infected plants and the fungus was re-isolated from the infections. Colletotrichum theobromicola is known to cause anthracnose on various plants including eucalypts in Brazil, but this is the first record of the pathogen in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing amount of Brazilian rainforest is being lost or degraded for various reasons, both anthropogenic and natural, leading to a loss of biodiversity and further global consequences. Especially in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso, soy production and large-scale cattle farms led to extensive losses of rainforest in recent years. We used a spectral mixture approach followed by a decision tree classification based on more than 30 years of Landsat data to quantify these losses. Research has shown that current methods for assessing forest degradation are lacking accuracy. Therefore, we generated classifications to determine land cover changes for each year, focusing on both cleared and degraded forest land. The analyses showed a decrease in forest area in Mato Grosso by 28.8% between 1986 and 2020. In order to measure changed forest structures for the selected period, fragmentation analyses based on diverse landscape metrics were carried out for the municipality of Colniza in Mato Grosso. It was found that forest areas experienced also a high degree of fragmentation over the study period, with an increase of 83.3% of the number of patches and a decrease of the mean patch area of 86.1% for the selected time period, resulting in altered habitats for flora and fauna. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Brazil, since the early 2000s, different documentaries have raised awareness about the problematic issues that tree plantations, especially eucalyptus, provoke, as they are propagated across the country. By means of interviews and a mix of investigative and expository styles, these films address and denounce the controversial role and power of the timber industry. However, in the last few years, other works have approached the relationships between planted forests and local ecosystems, offering an alternative perspective. This essay analyzes two recent films on the issue, the short film Gerais, and the 78 min long Do pó da terra, released in 2015 and 2016, respectively, while looking at another short documentary, Desertos verdes: plantações de eucaliptos, agrotóxicos e água, released in 2017, a straightforward documentary that advocates against eucalyptus plantations, interviews specialists and activists, and shows data that work as a report about the situation. In Gerais and Do pó da terra, forest plantations are not central narratives, rather, the focus is on specific communities and their customs. Through testimonial, observational, and poetic modes, they discuss the challenges faced by local inhabitants as their unique lifestyles and sociocultural expressions are threatened. Thus, this essay explains how, instead of images of destruction and the specificities of eucalyptus environmental effects, these documentaries choose to show the connection of local people and their art with the land, their daily life, and the changes they face. By crucially emphasizing the different timelines in play, that of western modernity, and that of alternative understandings of life–nature, they differ from other approaches towards filming environmental conflict that stress the immediacy of the situation. These two films offer a more intimate perspective of human beings, in interplay with their ecosystem, which allows for reflection on how they cohabitate and look forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This investigation focuses on the design and formulation of the Brazilian Amazon Fund—perhaps the boldest REDD+ oriented initiative to date. Study draws its hypothesis from the understanding that the Amazon Fund operated until recently based on a nuanced integration of two current trends in environmental governance: (i) institutionalization of ecological modernization theories and (ii) establishment of multilevel, multi‐stakeholder governance. To visualize such integration, this work deploys discourse analysis and text‐mining techniques to the Amazon Fund's policy documents. Overall findings suggest the ecological modernization agenda is predominant within the Amazon Fund. The following discussion articulates with environmental studies' critical scholarship to debate the dominance of ecological modernism as it is claimed to inherently narrow the scope of perspectives, knowledge, and values integrated into sustainability policies. Whereas the opposite should occur, considering multi‐stakeholder environmental governance mechanisms propose to incorporate a plurality of legitimate perspectives and knowledge basis. In these terms, innovative approaches that envision "win‐win" solutions for environmental policy may eventually rest in endorsing alternative framings about nature and society that move away from the constrained paradigms of efficiency within ecological modernization theories and discourse. The relevance of this work lays in the debate that acknowledges the importance of driving environmental governance mechanisms in tropical developing countries to new viable alternatives. In broader terms, the importance of this debate emerges in the proposal of changes that move government, business, and civil society away from usual policies (and interests) underpinning policies for land use and the forest sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Forestry Review is the property of Commonwealth Forestry Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Microcambevinae are a catfish subfamily endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, comprising rare species with interstitial habits. Microcambevines have been classified in two genera, Listrura and Microcambeva, but the relationships among included intrageneric lineages are still poorly understood. The objectives of this study are to conduct a phylogenetic analysis integrating morphological characters and a multigene dataset, and to propose a classification better reflecting morphological diversity and phylogenetic relationships. Phylogenetic analyses combining 57 morphological characters and a 2563 bp molecular dataset generated similar phylogenetic trees with high support values for most clades, including the two genera and some intrageneric groups. Six morphologically distinctive infrageneric lineages, three in Listrura and three in Microcambeva, are classified as subgenera, as well as two new species are described. The morphological diversity here recorded integrated to available information about habitat indicate high level of divergent specialisation among lineages. The analyses indicate a series of convergent morphological traits between Listrura and other teleosts sharing a fossorial lifestyle, as well as specialised traits independently occurring within Listrura lineages. Similarly, a great diversity of morphological traits occurs convergently in Microcambeva lineages and other teleosts sharing psammophilic habits. This study shows that combining molecular and morphological data yields well-supported phylogenies, making possible to unambiguously diagnose clades and to establish evolutionary hypothesis on morphological evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]