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Chronic disturbances, such as selective logging, firewood extraction and extensive grazing, may lead to the taxonomic and phylogenetic impoverishment of remaining old-growth forest communities worldwide; however, the empirical evidence on this topic is limited. We tested this hypothesis in the Caatinga vegetation--a seasonally dry tropical forest restricted to northeast Brazil. We sampled 11,653 individuals (adults, saplings, and seedlings) from 51 species in 29 plots distributed along a gradient of chronic disturbance. The gradient was assessed using a chronic disturbance index (CDI) based on five recognized indicators of chronic disturbances: proximity to urban center, houses and roads and the density of both people and livestock. We used linear models to test if mean effective number of lineages, mean phylogenetic distance and phylogenetic dispersion decreased with CDI and if such relationships differed among ontogenetic stages. As expected, the mean effective number of lineages and the mean phylogenetic distance were negatively related to CDI, and such diversity losses occurred irrespective of ontogeny. Yet the increase in phylogenetic clustering in more disturbed plots was only evident in seedlings and saplings, mostly because clades with more descendent taxa than expected by chance (e.g., Euphorbiaceae) thrived in more disturbed plots. This novel study indicates that chronic human disturbances are promoting the phylogenetic impoverishment of the irreplaceable woody flora of the Brazilian Caatinga forest. The highest impoverishment was observed in seedlings and saplings, indicating that if current chronic disturbances remain, they will result in increasingly poorer phylogenetically forests. This loss of evolutionary history will potentially limit the capacity of this ecosystem to respond to human disturbances (i.e., lower ecological resilience) and particularly their ability to adapt to rapid climatic changes in the region.

Despite its economic importance in the rural context, the Prosopis juliflora tree species has already invaded millions of hectares globally (particularly rangelands), threatening native biodiversity and rural sustainability. Here we examine seedling growth (leaf area, stem diameter, plant height) and seedling mortality across five native plant species of the Caatinga vegetation in response to competition with P. juliflora. Two sowing treatments with 10 replications were adopted within a factorial 2 × 5 randomized block design. Treatments consisted of P. juliflora seeds sowed with seeds of Caesalpinia ferrea, Caesalpinia microphylla, Erythrina velutina, Mimosa bimucronata and Mimosa tenuiflora (one single native species per treatment), while seeds of native species sowed without P. juliflora were adopted as controls. Overall, our results suggest that P. juliflora can reduce seedling growth by half and cause increased seedling mortality among woody plant species. Moreover, native species exhibit different levels of susceptibility to competition with P. juliflora, particularly in terms of plant growth. Such a superior competitive ability apparently permits P. juliflora to establish monospecific stands of adult trees, locally displacing native species or limiting their recruitment. The use of less sensitive species, such as C. ferrea and M. tenuiflora, to restore native vegetation before intensive colonization by P. juliflora should be investigated as an effective approach for avoiding its continuous spread across the Caatinga region., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In general, insect herbivore diversity is positively correlated to plant diversity since plant assemblages structure different microhabitats and provide food resources for such insects. Although poorly studied, insect herbivores in tropical dry forests are positively affected by tree species richness and the structural architecture of vegetation. In this study, we analyzed whether true weevil and woody plants present similar patterns of diversity across different landscape units in a Neotropical tropical dry forests located in Brazil, and if there is a correlation among their assemblages. We used Hill numbers according to species richness and the inverse of Simpson to compare the taxonomic diversity of true weevils and plants in nine landscape units located at the São Francisco river basin in the states of Sergipe and Alagoas, north-eastern Brazil. All trees and shrubs with diameter at breast height (1.3 m) ≥ 5 cm were sampled, and true weevils were collected using a modified Malaise trap. We used co-correspondence analysis to test if plants and true weevil species tend to co-occur. A total of 538 true weevils from 60 species was collected, and a total of 1419 plants belonging to 49 species was recorded. There is no general pattern of co-occurrence and diversity among true weevils and plants, indicating that the plant community is not structuring true weevil assemblage in the Caatinga. However, there was positive relationship between Sibinia sp4 and Fabaceae-Mimosoideae. These results suggest true weevil-plant relationships in the Caatinga differ from that of more mesic ecosystems. Therefore, we observed that the mechanisms that regulate herbivore-plant diversity relationships do not always follow a positive relationship, as observed in previous studies.

Although commercial forest plantations have experienced a major growth in the tropics over the past decades, little attention has been paid to their role in the conservation of epigeal arthropod communities. We studied diversity patterns of the epigeal beetle community in monoculture and polyculture forest plantations with big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla). Likewise, we explored the existence of indicator species of each plantation type. Our findings highlight that each plantation type promotes multiple impacts on diversity patterns. We found that monocultures positively influenced overall beetle species richness and ecological diversity. When broken down by guild, both predator and decomposer species richness were similar between monoculture and polyculture, whereas for beetle diversity we found contrasting responses by guild: decomposer diversity was greater in monoculture whereas predator diversity was higher in polyculture. In addition, species composition differed between monoculture and polyculture, except for the predator guild. Species turnover was the main component explaining beta diversity patterns at all levels, indicating that each plantation type promotes biologically distinct epigeal assemblages. Few superabundant heliophile species dominated the beetle community structure; moreover, monocultures had a composition skewed towards heliophile species whereas polyculture favored umbrophile species. These patterns could be attributed to differences in habitat complexity between plot types, namely differences in tree cover. Additionally, indicator species only were identified in polycultures, reflecting their higher spatial complexity. Monoculture and polyculture plantations with big-leaf mahogany are complementary agroecosystems for preserving diverse epigeal beetle communities and should be considered valuable tools for conservation purposes in the tropics., (© 2021. Sociedade Entomológica do Brasil.)

As large amounts of natural environments are lost due to urbanization, the role of remnant native vegetation in the preservation of biodiversity has become even more significant. Remnant native forest patches are essential refugia for flora and fauna and are crucial for the maintenance of ecosystem processes in urbanized landscapes. We evaluated the influence of landscape structure on ants and spiders associated with Atlantic Forest remnants in urban landscapes. We sampled 14 forest areas in the Metropolitan Region of Salvador and tested the effect of the landscapes' proportion of forest cover, mean landscape isolation, and mean landscape shape complexity on the taxonomic and functional richness and the community composition of both groups. The species collected were classified into functional groups based on behavioral attributes and environmental preferences. Overall, there were strong adverse effects of forest loss, decreased connectivity, and an increase in edge effects associated with the mean shape complexity of the forest remnants. However, the spiders responded to all three landscape structure characteristics whereas the ants only responded to the landscape mean shape complexity. Our findings indicate that the maintenance of urban forest habitats is essential for the conservation of biodiversity in the Metropolitan Region of Salvador and the preservation of ecological functions performed by species within the forest areas.

Currently, we are facing many ecosystem changes derived from years of anthropogenic disturbances. Habitat simplification stands out among human-derived impacts, due to its detrimental effects on vegetation structure and associated biota. Here, we assessed the effects of litter disturbance and forest simplification on a tropical ground-foraging ant community. To do that, we tested whether ant richness will be negatively affected by litter disturbance and habitat simplification. Additionally, we tested whether litter disturbance affects the time of resource discovery and dominance, and if so, whether its effects are intensified by forest simplification. This study occurred at Rio Doce State Park, a preserved area of Atlantic Forest in Southeastern Brazil. We experimentally simulated litter disturbance by removing the leaf litter and superficial soil layer in a mahogany monoculture forest and preserved Atlantic Forest. We sampled ants using paired-mixed baits of protein and carbohydrate in 12 points, half of them in each forest type. As expected, we found higher richness in the preserved and non-disturbed forest. Moreover, resource discovery was faster in disturbed monoculture, but bait dominance was higher in the undisturbed preserved forest. Litter heterogeneity seems to play an important role in determining ant dispersion and intra-specific communication, as we observed that litter disturbance impacts were strengthened by forest simplification. Our results highlight the efficiency of ground-foraging ants as bioindicators of disturbance and habitat quality. Moreover, our study indicates how distinct types of disturbances can act synergistically, changing the assembly of associated biota.

Habitat destruction reduces biodiversity and affects ecosystem functioning, putting at risk the provision of ecosystem services (ESs) essential for human well‐being. Ecological restoration using native species with multiple uses may offer a long‐term supply of natural resources for vulnerable human populations. We selected priority areas for restoration in the Brazilian Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest (Caatinga), targeting areas with high ES demand but low supply. We estimated the supply and demand for three ESs: (1) food/medicine, (2) wood production, and (3) pollination. We estimated ES supply using maps of the potential geographical distribution of 194 native plant species used by the local population as a means of livelihood. For ES demand, we used maps of population density, rural municipalities, wood productivity, and crops dependent on pollination. We used a large‐scale prioritization tool (Zonation) to select two scenarios for each ES: (1) ES supply‐only and (2) ES supply + ES demand, selecting only nonvegetated areas. To select priority areas, where the potential occurrence of species (ES supply) corresponds to areas of high demand for the same services, we overlapped the maps of the two scenarios for each ES. The highest percentage of scenario overlap occurred for food/medicine ES (45%), whereas pollination showed the lowest percentage of overlap (10%), indicating little similarity between potential ES supply and demand areas. Our study shows the importance of including ES in ecological restoration opportunities, taking into account the vulnerable human population in dry regions and their demand for natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fauna inventories reduce biodiversity knowledge gaps by providing comprehensive data on species distribution, richness, and abundance. Furthermore, they identify undocumented species and enhance understanding of ecosystem dynamics and conservation needs. The richness and abundance of amphibian species were studied in two Semideciduous Seasonal Forest areas in the municipalities of Potiraguá (Serra Azul) and Itarantim (Serra do Mandim) in southwestern Bahia, Brazil. Active visual and acoustic surveys were conducted in 24 forest interior transects, two stream transects, and two permanent ponds investigated in the study area. Opportunistic encounters during team movements were also recorded. The richness was 46 amphibian species distributed in 14 families and 26 genera. Approximately half of the species were shared between the two areas, while 11 species were exclusive to Serra Azul and another nine were found only in Serra do Mandim. Cluster analysis for 42 locations in Atlantic Forest, Caatinga, and Cerrado, in a presence/absence matrix with 216 species, revealed that the composition of the amphibians found in Serra do Mandim and Serra Azul is similar to other sampled locations in the northeastern region of Minas Gerais, close to the study site, which are considered transitional between the Atlantic Forest and the Caatinga. Our results demonstrate that the remaining forest fragments in the region, although small and isolated, still sustain a high richness of amphibians with species restricted to the Atlantic Forest and Bahia, such as Bahius bilineatus, Ololygon strigilata, Aplastodiscus weygoldti and Vitreorana eurygnatha, and others considered typical of the Caatinga, such as Leptodactylus troglodytes and Physalaemus cicada. Additionally, we sampled potential new species, filled occurrence gaps, and expanded the geographical range of Pseudis fusca. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ant assemblages have been used as bioindicators of biodiversity response to different types of anthropogenic disturbances. However, usual diversity metrics (e.g., ant species richness and composition) sometimes seem limited in showing an overall panorama of human impacts. Thus, we checked habitat-use guilds of ants as a complementary predictable parameter, based on the ant fauna reported in thirteen forest fragments and pastures in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon. Specifically, we hypothesized that forest specialist, open-habitat specialist, and generalist ants would have distinct responses to forest-pasture shifting. We expected that forest-pasture shifting would cause a decrease in species richness of forest specialists and an increase in open-habitat specialists, while the generalists would have few changes in their richness because they can live in both habitats. As expected, the species richness of forest specialist ants decreased, and open-habitat ants increased with forest-pasture shifting, while generalists had little change. This indicates that human-induced open habitats (e.g., pastures) are essentially comprised of generalist ants and open-habitat ant specialists, which replace forest specialists. Additionally, considering the plasticity of generalist ants, they can be considered as primary elements of ant assemblages. Therefore, a future step is to quantify the limit of forest-cover clearing in human-induced land uses, which might ensure a higher species richness of forest-specialist ants than other habitat-use guilds. Implications for insect conservation: Habitat-use ant guilds (forest specialists, open-habitat specialists, and generalists) have been used as a complementary parameter on bioindication. Here, we provided a standard protocol to classify the ant fauna in these habitat-use guilds, which allows for objective, reproducible and broad use in monitoring programs that consider ant assemblages as bioindicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat loss and land-use change in tropical forests have modified the composition and configuration of natural landscapes, driving biodiversity loss. Through studies covering different approaches to diversity and functional traits, a more holistic comprehension may be drawn regarding the effects of habitat transformation. In this study, we evaluated how the forest cover and landscape heterogeneity shape the taxonomic and functional diversity and biomass of dung beetles. Dung beetles were sampled in 16 landscape units of the "Los Tuxtlas" Biosphere Reserve (Mexico). We collected a total of 2396 individuals of 25 species in 14 genera. Taxonomic and functional diversity and biomass of dung beetles were positively related to the amount of primary forest and negatively related to increased landscape heterogeneity. These results indicate that tropical rainforests are highly sensitive to landscape transformation, which jeopardizes the different aspects of biodiversity. By showing the importance of evaluating different facets of biodiversity we conclude that implementing different landscape descriptors and different diversity components is a complementary and efficient approach to assessing the effects of landscape composition on dung beetles' assemblages in tropical rainforests. Implications for insect conservation: Landscape composition plays a pivotal role in elucidating the various components that define the dung beetle community in tropical forests. Furthermore, it is of utmost significance to encompass a diverse array of biodiversity components, alongside species biomass, in order to comprehensively evaluate the impact of human-induced landscape transformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungus-growing attine ants rely on an obligatory nutritional mutualism with fungi. Most attine ant genera cultivate fungi in the basidiomycete tribe Leucocoprineae (Agaricales: Agaricaceae). Although fungal partners show high genetic diversity, only two fungal species cultivated by leaf-cutting ants were formerly described. This is partly due to the lack of sexual structures (basidiomata) which are rarely formed in ant colonies. Moreover, basidiomata from leucocoprinaceous fungi grown by lower attines have not been observed in field colonies, but only when induced in artificial media in the absence of the ants. Here, we obtained basidiomata growing on oatmeal agar from fungal cultivars of Mycocepurus goeldii and Mycetophylax morschi, two lower attine ant species found in different biomes in Brazil. Morphological and phylogenetic analyses allowed us to describe two new species, Leucocoprinus attinorum from M. goeldii and Lc. dunensis from M. morschi. The new descriptions are the first to set formal names for Leucocoprineae fungi cultivated by lower attines and highlight the importance of in vitro cultures as a tool to assess the largely hidden taxonomic diversity of mushroom species grown by these attines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Morelloid clade, also known as the black nightshades or "Maurella" (Morella), is one of the 10 major clades within the mega-diverse genus Solanum L. The clade is most diverse in the central to southern Andes, but species occur around the tropics and subtropics, some extending well into the temperate zone. Plants of the group vary from herbs to short-lived perennials to perennial shrubs that are distinctly woody at the base, they have small mostly white or purplish white flowers and small juicy berries. Due to the complex morphological variation and weedy nature of these plants, coupled with the large number of published synonyms (especially for European taxa), our understanding of species limits and diversity in the Morelloid clade has lagged behind that of other clades in Solanum. Here we provide the last in a three-part series of monographic treatments of the morelloid solanums (see PhytoKeys Vols. 106, 125), treating the 62 species occurring in South America. This region is by far the most diverse in the clade, both in terms of species number and morphological diversity. We provide complete synonymy, nomenclatural details, including lecto- and neotypifications where needed, common names and uses, morphological descriptions, illustrations to aid identification both in herbaria and in the field, and distribution maps for all native, non-cultivated species. We include a key to all species, a synoptic character list for the species treated here and links to synoptic online keys for all species of the Morelloid clade. Preliminary conservation assessments following IUCN guidelines are also provided for all native species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mistletoes occur in tropical and temperate ecosystems all over the world. In urban areas mistletoes can become weedy and affect the health of cultivated trees. In this study we sought to detect patterns of infestation at tree, species, and community level, in order to support improvements in urban tree planting policies. Field studies were performed in Fortaleza, CE, Brazil. The trees and their mistletoes were surveyed in four green areas to examine the relationship between the severity of the infestation and tree attributes (trunk diameter, nativeness, and distance to the nearest infested tree). We evaluated the prevalence, the severity, and the preference ratio (PR) of each tree species according to their respective abundance. We also compiled data from other studies carried out in different cities in the Neotropical region, between 20º N (Mexico) and 32º S (Southern Brazil), to evaluate the relationships between prevalence and three urban tree community attributes (tree species richness, % of exotic trees, and tree density). Due to the high number of independent variables analyzed and their non-normal distribution, we used the Generalized Linear Mixed Model approach (GLMM) and the Spearman's rank correlation coefficient to evaluate the relationship between all mentioned variables and mistletoe indicators. We were able to generate models with significant estimates for prevalence and severity of mistletoe infestation. We evaluated the GLMM through the AIC, the BIC, and the dispersion parameter. We also found significant correlation coefficients between prevalence/severity and all independent variables (except for tree density). We found that bigger trees and those near to previous infestations tend to be more infested. Exotic species showed higher PR, higher prevalence, and higher severity. At the community level we found that a high tree species richness and a low percentage of exotic trees are associated with a low prevalence of mistletoes. Our results bring a new point of view to urban forestry, urban ecology, and management of urban green areas. We propose that tree planting in urban areas should aim for high diversity with a low percentage of exotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical mountain forests are relatively less disturbed and store a large amount of carbon in tree biomass. A high level of species diversity compared to the boreal and temperate forests is also maintained and indicates a positive relationship with tree biomass on a small scale or at plot level. This study aimed to estimate above-ground biomass stocks (AGB) and disentangle the influence of forest structure and attributes on AGB in a small mountain forest. Forty 400 m² plots were randomly established in Takokak Nature Reserve (TNR), a 60-ha protected area at an elevation between 1150-1560 m a.s.l., located in West Java, Indonesia. All trees within the plot were identified, and their respective diameter at breast height (DBH) was measured. AGB was calculated using a global allometric model. Five independent variables, i.e., stem density, stem density of large trees (DBH >50 cm), community weighted mean wood density, rarefied species richness, and Fisher's alpha index, were analysed using a linear model. Our results showed that AGB in TNR was comparable to other forest types in Indonesia and acted as carbon storage in the mountain regions. AGB in the TNR reached 486 Mg ha-1, of which 75% was contributed by large trees (DBH >50 cm). Three species, i.e., Liquidambar excelsa (Altingiaceae), Schima wallichii (Theaceae), and Lithocarpus sp. (Fagaceae), represent at least 70% of the total biomass in the study site. We also found that forest structures and traits, i.e., stem density, stem density of large trees, and community weighted mean wood density, drive AGB variations but not tree diversity indices. However, although diversity indices were not correlated to AGB, we found that TNR is home for endemic and threatened species on the IUCN Red List. Therefore, we suggest that the management strategies of the tropical forests should include both the conservation of the carbon stock and biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incorporation of native, woody vegetation into New Zealand's agricultural ecosystems offers a "nature-based solution" approach for mitigating poor environmental outcomes of land use practices, biodiversity loss, and the accelerating effects of climatic change. However, to achieve this at scale requires a systematic framework for scoping, assessing, and targeting native revegetation opportunities in a way that addresses national-scale priorities, supports landscape-scale ecological processes, and recognises that land use decisions are made at farm-scales by landowners. In this forum discussion, we outline the requirements for a spatial decision support system for native revegetation; we provide illustrations of national-, landscape-, and farm-scale components of this framework and outline a range of organisational, societal, and scientific challenges that must be addressed to enable effective and targeted revegetation across the country. Our primary motivation is to provide a focus for discussions among scientists, policy makers, hapū, iwi, landowners, communities, and other interested parties who are invested in restoring biodiverse and resilient agroecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pandemic of COVID-19 caused a global epidemiological, economic and social crisis. In the conservation sciences, several studies have focused efforts on understanding the effects of declining human activities on biodiversity, understanding the pandemic as an anthropogenic "pause" of global scale. But the impact of the pandemic was not the same for everyone. Different impacts are consequences of political and ethical questions about who and what can pause or be paused, according to what authority and under what conditions. Therefore, the historical asymmetrical relations of power in the World System are crucial to understanding environmental impacts and thinking about solutions in the post-pandemic world. This article discusses why historical local-global inequalities should be an indispensable reference variable for examining the different experiences caused by the pandemic in biodiversity, aiming at advancing the discussion about the society-nature relationship that the pandemic has spurred. To do so, we use the World-System Theory, initially proposed by Wallerstein, whose analytical categories allow us to situate nature conservation within broader economic, historical, and contemporary contexts. We argue for the understanding of biodiversity conservation in the context of the historical-sociological and global-local relations of the World-System. Finally, we discuss that the COVID-19 pandemic should be understood as an emergent phenomenon of the society-nature dynamic of the world-system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme weather events are likely to become more frequent in the future due to climate change, and how they will affect communities is a major challenge to ecologists. In this study, we assessed the effects of a prolonged drought on environmental heterogeneity (EH) components and phytoplankton and zooplankton α, β and γ diversities between and within two tropical semiarid shallow lakes. We hypothesize that prolonged droughts decrease phyto- and zooplankton α and γ diversities, increase between-lake and within-lake EH and accordingly increase plankton species replacement over time. To test this, we performed generalized least squares and general linear regressions to relate the effects of time and EH on the diversity components of phyto- and zooplankton assemblages and separately by their size groups (nano, micro- and mesoplankton). In agreement with our hypothesis, our results showed that between-lake α ¯ and γ diversities from phytoplankton and zooplankton (and their respective size classes) were generally negatively related to EH, whereas the plankton β diversity showed an opposite pattern at both within-lake and between-lake scales. In a dry future, actions to improve water quality and water use will be needed to reduce the risk of biodiversity loss and water deterioration within and across lakes over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Serrasalmus, popularly known as 'pirambebas', includes 87 valid species of endemic freshwater fish from the Neotropical region. Amidst this diversity, the parasitic fauna of Serrasalmus brandtii, the unique endemic species in the Caatinga domain, was investigated in the Lima Campos dam, municipality of Icó, Ceará, Brazil. Our objectives were to survey the parasite composition and to analyse the component community of this host. Of the total of 50 hosts examined, 48 (96%) were parasitised by at least one species of parasite. A total of 682 parasite specimens were recovered, representing a mean intensity of 14.20 parasites per fish. Seven parasitic taxa were recorded: two monogeneans, three digeneans and two nematodes. The most prevalent taxa were the monogeneans Anacanthorus serrasalmi (82%) and Amphithecium falcatum (76%), also showing the highest abundance (n = 317 and n = 177, respectively). Metacercariae of Clinostomum sp. revealed the highest mean intensity of infection (7.8). This survey reveals new host records for Serrasalmus brandtii, and new parasitic records for the Jaguaribe river basin. Two of the recovered species, Clinostomum sp. and Contracaecum sp., present a zoonotic potential: to raise awareness regarding the proper handling and preparation of fish for human consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical forests worldwide have succumbed to rapid conversion into agricultural landscapes, but the local- and landscape-scale drivers of functional diversity and consequently ecosystem functioning remain poorly known, which limits management and conservation strategies. Here, we quantitatively assess how biofuel croplands affect taxonomic and functional diversity as well as trait-composition of dung beetle assemblages in a hyper-fragmented landscape of the Brazilian Atlantic forest dominated by sugarcane plantations. We also examine to what extent changes in patch attributes (patch scale forest loss), landscape composition (landscape scale forest loss) and landscape configuration (degree of fragmentation and forest edge density), induced by the establishment of sugarcane plantations, affect the functional reorganization of dung beetle assemblages. We estimated taxonomic and functional diversity (functional richness, evenness and redundancy) of dung beetle assemblages at 50 sampling sites across a sugarcane dominated hyper-fragmented landscape. In general, sugarcane plantations showed lower functional diversity than forest sites. Large-bodied coprophagous tunnelers were dominant across all forest sites, while small-bodied generalist-rollers were more abundant in sugarcane plantations. Functional evenness and dispersion were negatively affected by landscape composition, while landscape configuration and forest loss played a minor role. Our findings indicate that changes at both the patch and landscape scales induced by the establishment of sugarcane plantations exert strong impacts on the taxonomic and functional diversity of dung beetles. Implications for insect conservation: These shifts in functional diversity can disrupt ecological functions served by these insects which, in turn, can accelerate the collapse of ecosystem functioning across tropical landscapes immersed in sugarcane plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Habitat loss and fragmentation, and biological invasions are widely considered the most significant threats to global biodiversity. While marine invasions have already shown dramatic impacts around the world's coasts, many of these habitats are becoming increasingly urbanized, resulting in fragmentation of natural landscape worldwide. This study developed in Madeira (NE Atlantic) aims to understand the synergistic interactions between fragmentation and biological invasions using submerged experimental settlement panels in the field for 3 months. We fragmented crustose coralline habitats, decreasing patch size without an overall habitat loss, and determined its effects on the patterns of abundance of marine fouling organisms across limiting assemblages with or without the presence of non-indigenous species (NIS, considered invaded and non-invaded systems in this study). The presence of crustose coralline algae suppressed the recruitment of some NIS (Parasmitina alba and Botrylloides niger). Our results also showed that the abundance of NIS (e.g. B. niger) could be prompted in highly fragmented habitats, colonizing bare substrates very efficiently. Overall, evidence indicates that fragmentation events modulate biotic interactions and consequently determine the structure of the fouling communities. Future research should address both processes when analyzing biotic resistance to invasion in urban marine habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planting trees is widely regarded as an important part of climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts. As a result, large-scale tree planting projects have been initiated around the world. However, a number of these initiatives have unintentionally opened up risks to native forests and biodiversity while increasing exotic tree cover. Using the Aotearoa New Zealand One Billion Trees programme as a case study we reflect on what trees are being incentivised by these projects and the downstream impacts of how these projects are realised. We suggest ten recommendations for how these initiatives could be adapted to avoid perverse outcomes for native species while jointly achieving our carbon and biodiversity goals: (1) Diversify strategies—protect first, restore second, plant third; (2) Consider net change in trees—do not just count trees planted; (3) Consider the co-benefits of carbon and biodiversity from the outset; (4) Consider the broader landscape; (5) Consider the carbon and biodiversity benefits of soil; (6) Consider the importance of existing carbon stocks; (7) Consider potential impacts to non-tree ecosystems; (8) Consider the longevity of the future forest; (9) Support landowners in planting and maintaining native trees; (10) Remember that climate goals cannot be achieved by planting trees alone. We believe these recommendations are critical for improving the outcomes of the One Billion Trees programme in Aotearoa New Zealand, while providing important insights relevant to other tree planting initiatives around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Brazilian Atlantic Forest (BAF) is undergoing alarming deforestation, land overexploitation, and unregulated occupation. The Coastal Sandy Vegetation of BAF, known as Restinga, is under the most pressure of the BAF ecosystems. Understanding the effects of Restinga deforestation on biodiversity is a conservation priority. Aims/Methods: We predicted the effect of landscape modifications on the large-scale spatial distribution of an endangered dung beetle (Dichotomius schiffleri) endemic to the BAF Restinga ecosystem. We tested the hypothesis that almost all the potential distribution area of this species has suffered from landscape modification, and reduced its spatial distribution. We used niche-based modeling approaches to predict the potential species distribution (climate-based models) and the species distribution under the current land-use scenario (landscape-based models). We then combined these models to predict the effects of landscape modification. Results: The spatial distribution of D. schiffleri has decreased drastically as a consequence of landscape modification. The decreasing patch size, canopy cover percentage, and functional connectivity, and the increasing edge distance explain the decrease in the potential species distribution as predicted by climate variables. Discussion: Suitable sites for this species are isolated in a vast matrix of pasture, tree plantations, and urban areas. D. schiffleri is sensitive to anthropogenic changes such as disturbances of preserved Restinga areas. Therefore, human coastal-plain land uses over the past five centuries pose multiple synergistic threats to the persistence of this species. Implications for insect conservation: Our findings suggest an alarming trend toward species extinction in the near future, highlighting the need for specific conservation actions to protect Restinga biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planning conservation strategies in semiarid regions is challenging since local populations are socially vulnerable and highly dependent on natural resources. Consequently, accessing the factors that develop knowledge and determine the use of forest products could aid in planning conservation actions or rethinking past strategies. We use an environmentally protected area in the Brazilian semiarid to describe the livelihood strategies of the local people and assess how socioeconomic variables affect the dependence on forest resources. We tested whether better conserved areas (with greater vegetation cover) have greater concentrations of useful species for local populations than less protected areas. Our findings demonstrate that families with retired or non-farming members have higher incomes. Additionally, men and elder people have greater knowledge about native medicinal plants, while people with lower household income have greater knowledge of native edible plants. Income and the number of residents in households do not explain the demand for wood forest products. Finally, the conservation levels of forest areas did not affect the number of useful species in the landscape. Local populations have a low socioeconomic dynamism, being highly dependent on natural resources, regardless of local variations in socioeconomic profiles. The variable of vegetation cover may not affect the distribution of useful species since it is only a proxy of total tree density and does not affect species composition. Finally, we recommend that creating fully protected areas in semiarid regions should be remodeled while prioritizing conservation units that allow the reconciliation of forest products' use and biodiversity conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Altitudinal enclaves of rainforest are fragile and highly disturbed ecosystems located in high-altitude plateaus and mountains that are surrounded by Caatinga dry forest. Regardless of its biological importance, few studies regarding dung beetle assemblage were performed in an altitudinal enclave of rainforest. The aim of this study was to describe the structure of dung beetle assemblage from an altitudinal enclave of rainforest in the municipality of Triunfo, Pernambuco, Northeastern Brazil. Dung beetles were surveyed in the beginning of the rainy season using pitfall traps baited with excrement. Beetle diversity patterns were subsequently explored using Hill numbers. A total of 217 individuals belonging to 13 species and nine genera were recorded, and Dichotomius carbonarius (Mannerheim 1829), Uroxys bahianus Boucomont 1927, and Eurysternus nigrovirens Génier 2009 were the most abundant species. According to Hill numbers, there were five abundant species and three dominant species in the dung beetle assemblage. Also, there were two distinct beetle assemblages in the region of Triunfo, being most of the species commonly collected in Caatinga dry forest, as Deltochilum verruciferum Felsche 1911, Deltochilum sp., and U. bahianus. This study contributes to the scarce knowledge regarding diversity of dung beetles that inhabits altitudinal enclaves of rainforest of Northeastern Brazil, with a total of 43 species being currently recorded in such forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The hoary fox Lycalopex vetulus is the only wild canid endemic to Brazil, occurring mainly in open and mesic habitats of the Cerrado savanna and its ecotones. Here, we report the first photographic records of L. vetulus in a xeric habitat of a Caatinga dry forest–Cerrado savanna ecotone. We obtained four registers in the 2019 dry season through camera trapping in an area predominantly covered by xeric physiognomy classified as Cerrado biome but closely related to the Caatinga domain in Caetité municipality, northeastern Brazil. These records extend to approximately 100 km east of the known distributional range of L. vetulus and suggest that it may be found in xeric environments of heterogeneous landscapes along savanna and dry forest ecotones, adding new insight into its natural history and distributional range. It is still not clear whether L. vetulus can be considered resident or transient in the study site. Researches in semiarid areas as presented here should help understand the patterns of habitat use, distribution, and conservation status of the hoary fox, which is paramount considering the species' vulnerability to climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the relationship of biodiversity with the patch size of village common forests (VCF) by analyzing floral biodiversity based on data from 25 selected VCFs in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT), Bangladesh. The study took 225 quadratic plots by taking nine 10 m × 10 m plots from each VCF—three from each of base, mid, and top hill slopes. The coefficient of similarity (CS) among VCFs and forest community features including species richness, basal area, and popular diversity indices were calculated. Generalized linear model (GLM) assessed the bearings of patch size, slope, and elevation on stand parameters. In all, the study recorded the occurrence of 165 plant species from 52 families. Euphorbiaceae was the dominant family with 18 species. Seven least concerned and four threatened species as per the IUCN red data list of Bangladesh were found in VCFs. Vitex peduncularis had the highest importance value index (IVI) score followed by Lannea coromandelica and Ficus hispida. The mean CS of the VCFs was 0.54. The VCFs were rich in biodiversity, as indicated by observed species richness (644 species/ha), stem density (7111 plants/ha), basal area (65.56 m2/ha). Scores in biodiversity indices, viz. Shannon–Wiener diversity index (2.59), Simpson index (0.90), and evenness index (0.61), also concluded rich but heterogeneous biodiversity among VCFs comparable to other natural forests in the country. The GLM revealed the absence of significant (p ≤ 0.05) bearings of patch size, elevation, or slope on community parameters. The insensitivity of forest community parameters to patch size and elevation indicated the value of conserving VCFs irrespective of sizes and locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. A key challenge for conservation biology in the Neotropics is to understand how deforestation affects biodiversity at various levels of landscape fragmentation. Addressing this challenge requires expanding the coverage of known biodiversity data, which remain to date restricted to a few well-surveyed regions. Here, we assess the sampling coverage and biases in biodiversity data on fruit-feeding butterflies at the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, discussing their effect on our understanding of the relationship between forest fragmentation and biodiversity at a large-scale. We hypothesize that sampling effort is biased towards large and connected fragments, which occur jointly in space at the Atlantic forest. Methods. We used a comprehensive dataset of Atlantic Forest fruit-feeding butterfly communities to test for sampling biases towards specific geographical areas, climate conditions and landscape configurations. Results. We found a pattern of geographical aggregation of sampling sites, independently of scale, and a strong sampling bias towards large and connected forest fragments, located near cities and roads. Sampling gaps are particularly acute in small and disconnected forest fragments and rare climate conditions. In contrast, currently available data can provide a fair picture of fruit-feeding butterfly communities in large and connected Atlantic Forest remnants. Discussion. Biased data hamper the inference of the functional relationship between deforestation and biodiversity at a large-scale, since they are geographically clustered and have sampling gaps in small and disconnected fragments. These data are useful to inform decision-makers regarding conservation efforts to curb biodiversity loss in the Atlantic Forest. Thus, we suggest to expand sampling effort to small and disconnected forest fragments, which would allow more accurate evaluations of the effects of landscape modification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Meeting Brazil's ambitious national commitments on both climate change mitigation and biodiversity conservation depends on securing its reserves of forest carbon and biodiversity. Brazil's 'Forest Code' is a key tool to reconcile environmental preservation and agricultural production; it limits deforestation and requires forest restoration in illegally deforested areas. However, not all provisions of the law's 2012 revision have yet been implemented and some are facing new challenges. Using modelled land use change projections for the whole of the country, we show that full implementation and enforcement of the law has the potential to contribute to conserving biodiversity. Biodiversity outcomes will be especially positive if (i) deforested areas are restored in ways that support recolonization by native species and (ii) additional measures are implemented to protect native vegetation in areas like Caatinga dry forests and Cerrado savannas, which may experience added pressure displaced from other regions by Forest Code implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Habitat loss is widely recognized as the main driver of biodiversity loss around the globe, yet the effects of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity have been extensively debated in recent years. Objectives: We used a robust dataset of medium and large-sized mammals to test (a) the Habitat Amount Hypothesis, which postulates that species richness can be mainly predicted by the total amount of habitat surrounding the sampling site, and (b) the effects of habitat fragmentation per se, which may be expected to be weak or mainly positive on species richness. Methods: We compiled information on the occurrence of mammal species in 166 forest fragments across the Atlantic Forest. For each forest fragment, we extracted information on patch size, percentage of forest cover (a proxy for habitat amount), and edge density and number of fragments (fragmentation metrics). We related these metrics to mammalian richness considering separately for all species, forest-dependent species, disturbance-tolerant species, and different trophic guilds. Results: All richness measures strongly declined with decreasing forest cover, yet were unaffected by patch size, number of patches and edge density. The only exception occurred with herbivore richness, which was affected by number of patches. However, we found fragmentation per se effects only for herbivore richness. Conclusions: Our results show that mammal richness increased with habitat amount at the landscape, whereas habitat fragmentation per se had significant negative impacts on herbivores only. We therefore recommend maintaining highly forested landscapes and restoring severely deforested areas, being essential for ensuring high richness of mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several studies have evaluated the impacts of intensified human activities on biodiversity, but far less effort has been directed toward evaluating the maintenance of ecosystem functions in human-modified landscapes. We investigated the impacts of habitat shifts from forest to pasture on assemblages of seed-removing ants in the southwestern Brazilian Amazon. We specifically addressed the following hypotheses regarding assemblages of seed-removing ants: (i) pasture ant assemblages have fewer species than do forest ant assemblages and are composed of a markedly different set of species; (ii) pasture ant assemblages remove less seeds than do forest ant assemblages; and (iii) forest and pasture ant assemblages contain different sets of key species for seed removal. We collected ants that were baited with artificial seeds in 10 forest areas and 10 adjacent pastures and found that shifting from forest to pasture reduced the number of species of seed-removing ants and altered species composition. We also found that, although seed removal percentage of was higher in pasture, these species were low quality seed dispersers, which was supported by our identification of key species for seed removal. We conclude that when considering the removal of seeds by ants as a proxy to assess the role of biodiversity in ecosystems, it is necessary to consider the importance of each species for removal according to habitat type affinity. Implications for insect conservation: Our findings highlight the importance of forest habitat for the effective conservation of ant diversity and their ecological functions in human-modified ladscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Biodiversity is highly affected by industrial forestry, which leads to the loss and fragmentation of natural habitats. To date, most conservation studies have evaluated associations among a single species group, forest type, or spatial scale. Objective: The objective was to evaluate the richness of multiple species groups across various forest types and characteristics at multiple scales. Methods: We used the occurrence data for 277 species of conservation interest from 455 stands of high conservation value, including four species groups and four forest types. Results: Local, landscape, and regional forest characteristics influenced biodiversity in a non-uniform pattern among species groups and forest types. For example, an increased local spruce basal area in spruce forests was associated with higher vascular plant and bryophyte richness values, whereas macrofungi and lichen richness were positively correlated with deadwood availability, but negatively correlated with the spruce volume in the landscape. Furthermore, landscapes with twice as much mature forest as the average, had more than 50% higher richness values for vascular plants, macrofungi, and lichens. Conclusion: Among sessile species groups in northern forests, a uniform conservation strategy across forest types and scales is suboptimal. A multi-faceted strategy that acknowledges differences among species groups and forest types with tailored measures to promote richness is likely to be more successful. Nevertheless, the single most common measure associated with high richness across the species groups and forest types was mature forest in the landscape, which suggests that increasing old forests in the landscape is a beneficial conservation strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintaining plant biodiversity and important ecosystem services depend on the species' ability to survive and disperse after anthropogenic disturbance, loss of natural habitat, and fragmentation. The Cerrado, one of the main biodiversity conservation hotspots in the world, loses natural habitat at a very high rate and suffers from disturbances generated by land use and advancement of the agricultural frontier. Given the need to generate knowledge about land use in Cerrado biome, this study aimed to evaluate if the anthropogenic disturbance alters biodiversity indexes and the capacity to store biomass of these savanna. We installed a permanent plot (20 m × 50 m) inside each study fragment and assessed the intensity of local disturbances such as cattle grazing, earthworm extraction, Caryocar fruit harvesting, and fire. To measure habitat loss and fragmentation, we used configuration and composition metrics in local and landscapes scales. Cattle grazing caused a loss of taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity, while fragment size and Cerrado cover in landscape increased phylogenetic diversity. The patch density, shape complexity and edge density in the landscapes also had a negative influence on phylogenetic diversity. Landscapes with more Eucalyptus sp. plantation area had lower phylogenetic diversity. In addition, the percentage of Cerrado in the landscape had a negative influence on biomass while the number of patches had a positive influence. Thus, we conclude that anthropogenic disturbances in the Cerrado generates loss of taxonomic, phylogenetic diversity and alters biomass stock patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proliferation of disturbance-adapted species in human-modified landscapes may change the structure of plant communities, but the response of biodiversity to human disturbances remains poorly understood. We examine the proliferation of the palm, Syagrus coronata, in disturbed forest stands and its impacts on the structure of vascular epiphyte assemblages in a human-modified landscape of Brazilian Caatinga dry forest. First, we compared S. coronata density between old-growth and regenerating forest stands. We then surveyed vascular epiphytes on 680 phorophytes (S. coronata and non-palm/control species) across five habitat types with different disturbance levels. There was an eight-fold increase in S. coronata density in regenerating areas compared with in old-growth forest. Syagrus coronota supported richer epiphyte assemblages at local (i.e. per palm) and landscape (i.e. pooling all palms) scale than control phorophytes, supporting more than 11 times the number of species of control phorophytes at both scales. Epiphyte assemblages were more abundant, species-rich and dominated by abiotically dispersed species in forest sites with intermediate disturbance levels (regenerating forest stands). More than simply operating as an exclusive phorophyte for more than 90% of the epiphyte species we recorded here, S. coronata favours epiphyte persistence and structures their assemblages across human-modified landscapes of the Caatinga forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Connectivity, which is a fundamental aspect of any landscape, has been shown to have a nonlinear relationship with the amount of natural habitat, with a marked decrease at intermediate levels of coverage. Impacts on connectivity vary according to how natural habitat is removed. We analyzed connectivity in the Brazilian Cerrado (tropical savanna), a 2 million-km2 biodiversity hotspot. Objectives: We evaluated the effects of habitat removal on connectivity, hypothesizing that a deforestation threshold exists below which connectivity is drastically reduced and that neighboring landscapes have similar patterns of connectivity. Methods: We divided the Cerrado into 624 50 × 50 km cells and used the integral index of connectivity (IIC), available in Conefor software, to evaluate changes in connectivity between 2000 and 2017. We analyzed how the intra, flux, and connector components of connectivity vary with changes in percentage of remaining natural habitat. Results: Between 2000 and 2017, 23.9% of the natural habitat of the Cerrado was lost (~ 254,000 km2) and connectivity decreased significantly (W = 179,700, p < 0.01). The most crucial change was the removal of connector fragments or corridors, which occurred in 78.2% of the landscapes. The relationship between IIC and remaining natural area revealed a breakpoint, when native area in a landscape reached 39% in 2000 and 37% in 2017. Conclusions: Regardless of the spatial arrangement of habitat fragments, landscape connectivity is lost when the remaining natural habitat falls below a certain threshold. More restrictive regulations and government permissions should be considered to avoid over-occupation of landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Demetra: Food, Nutrition & Health / Alimentação, Nutrição & Saúde is the property of Editora da Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (EdUERJ) 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.)

Purpose: The biosphere is progressively subjected to a variety of pressures resulting from anthropogenic activities. Habitat conversion, resulting from anthropogenic land use, is considered the dominant factor driving terrestrial biodiversity loss. Hence, adequate modelling of land use impacts on biodiversity in decision-support tools, like life cycle assessment (LCA), is a priority. State-of-the-art life cycle impact assessment (LCIA) characterisation models for land use impacts on biodiversity translate natural habitat transformation and occupation into biodiversity impacts. However, the currently available models predominantly focus on total habitat loss and ignore the spatial configuration of the landscape. That is, habitat fragmentation effects are ignored in current LCIAs with the exception of one recently developed method. Methods: Here, we review how habitat fragmentation may affect biodiversity. In addition, we investigate how land use impacts on biodiversity are currently modelled in LCIA and how missing fragmentation impacts can influence the LCIA model results. Finally, we discuss fragmentation literature to evaluate possible methods to include habitat fragmentation into advanced characterisation models. Results and discussion: We found support in available ecological literature for the notion that habitat fragmentation is a relevant factor when assessing biodiversity loss. Moreover, there are models that capture fragmentation effects on biodiversity that have the potential to be incorporated into current LCIA characterisation models. Conclusions and recommendations: To enhance the credibility of LCA biodiversity assessments, we suggest that available fragmentation models are adapted, expanded and subsequently incorporated into advanced LCIA characterisation models and promote further efforts to capture the remaining fragmentation effects in LCIA characterisation models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Caatinga is an ecologically unique semi-arid region of northeast Brazil characterized by high levels of endemism and severe anthropogenic threats from agricultural development and climate change. It is also one of the least known biomes in Brazil due to a combination of inadequate investment, low regional research capacity and difficult working conditions. However, while the lack of scientific knowledge of the Caatinga is well known, the spatial and temporal distribution of knowledge production has not been investigated. This is important because such biases undermine the development of effective conservation policy and practice and increase the uncertainty associated with conservation actions. Here, we map the geography of conservation knowledge production in the Caatinga and use an innovative hurdle model to identify the presumptive factors driving these patterns. Our analysis revealed strong geographic patterns, with research sites concentrated in the east of the region and in areas close to roads and research centres. There was also a positive association between conservation knowledge production and risk of desertification, indicating that conservation scientists are responding to conservation challenges faced by Caatinga’s fauna and flora arising from climate change. Our results also highlight the pivotal role of pioneer scientists (those who develop research sites in previously unstudied/understudied areas) in determining the future geographic patterns of knowledge production. We conclude our article with a brief discussion of potential policies for increasing the spatial representativeness of conservation research in this remarkable ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a world where changes in land cover and climate happen faster than ever due to the expansion of human activities, narrowly distributed species are predicted to be the first to go extinct. Studies projecting species extinction in tropical regions consider either habitat loss or climate change as drivers of biodiversity loss but rarely evaluate them together. Here, the contribution of these two factors to the extinction risk of narrowly distributed species (with ranges smaller than 10,000 km²) of seed plants endemic to a fifth-order watershed in Brazil (microendemics) is assessed. We estimated the Regional Climate Change Index (RCCI) of these watersheds (areas with microendemics) and projected three scenarios of land use up to the year 2100 based on the average annual rates of habitat loss in these watersheds from 2000 to 2014. These scenarios correspond to immediate conservation action (scenario 1), long-term conservation action (scenario 2), and no conservation action (scenario 3). In each scenario, areas with microendemics were classified into four classes: (1) areas with low risk, (2) areas threatened by habitat loss, (3) areas threatened by climate change, and (4) areas threatened by climate change and habitat loss. We found 2,354 microendemic species of seed plants in 776 areas that altogether cover 17.5% of Brazil. Almost 70% (1,597) of these species are projected to be under high extinction risk by the end of the century due to habitat loss, climate change, or both, assuming that these areas will not lose habitat in the future due to land use. However, if habitat loss in these areas continues at the prevailing annual rates, the number of threatened species is projected to increase to more than 85% (2,054). The importance of climate change and habitat loss as drivers of species extinction varies across phytogeographic domains, and this variation requires the adoption of retrospective and prospective conservation strategies that are context specific. We suggest that tropical countries, such as Brazil, should integrate biodiversity conservation and climate change policies (both mitigation and adaptation) to achieve win-win social and environmental gains while halting species extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a pressing need to develop simplified sampling protocols that allow invertebrates to be routinely incorporated into terrestrial faunal surveys for informing conservation planning. This study assesses the usefulness of sampling invertebrate by-catch from standard vertebrate bucket pitfall traps for documenting spatial patterns of terrestrial invertebrates. We compare among-site (N = 78) patterns of species richness and composition of ten invertebrate families (comprising ants, beetles and spiders) captured in vertebrate bucket traps with those captured in two different arrays of invertebrate-specific pitfall traps. For three families (Formicidae, Carabidae and Lycosidae) patterns of richness and composition captured in the vertebrate traps were comparable with those captured in the invertebrate-specific trap arrays. Thus, in some cases, vertebrate traps appeared to be as useful in detecting patterns of invertebrate diversity as were invertebrate-specific traps. Our findings show that sampling invertebrate by-catch from vertebrate bucket traps can be a reliable and robust simplified protocol for documenting biodiversity patterns for some key groups of terrestrial invertebrates. This simplified protocol can take terrestrial invertebrates out of the 'too-hard basket' for biodiversity assessment and monitoring, breaking the positive-feedback loop that currently maintains ignorance of invertebrate diversity and distribution and that prevents their inclusion in conservation planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current ethnobiological studies can offer positive aspects when they include the knowledge of traditional communities in developing different strategies for biodiversity conservation. This study aimed to classify medicinal woody species for priority conservation site in an area of cerrado disjoint in Chapada do Araripe, northeastern Brazil. The availability of woody medicinal plants and conservation priority scores were achieved by the relative density of the sampled forest fragment and ethnobotanical information obtained through semi-structured interviews with 50 local informants. Sixty-one woody medicinal plants were recorded, belonging to 26 families and 59 genera; 29 of these were available and have the use of bark and inner stem bark associated (46.6%). Himatanthus drasticus (Mart.) Plumel, Caryocar coriaceum Wittm., Ximenia americana L., Croton zehntneri Pax & K. Hoffm., Hymenaea courbaril L., Copaifera lansdorfii Desf., Sideroxylon obtusifolium (Roem. & Schult.) T.D.Penn., Anacardium ocidentale L. and Dimorphandra gardneriana Tull. are some of the priority species needing attention in carrying out conservation measures, in order to ensure the perpetuation of these species and the sustainability of traditional therapeutics practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protection of the world’s remaining forests and biodiversity is a matter of global concern. Yunnan, China is home to China’s only mainland tropical rainforests, and 20% of China’s total biodiversity. Despite restoration measures and establishment of new protected areas, this region is still experiencing biodiversity loss due to inadequate management and monitoring. We evaluate restoration success of China’s tropical forests in Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve (XSBN-NNR), Yunnan, China using dung beetles as an indicator taxon. We sampled across a land-use gradient of human alteration: protected forest, restored forest, community owned forest, and rubber plantation. We collected 3,748 dung beetles from 21 species over a 3 month period. Multivariate analyses revealed unique assemblages in each land-use category, but with restored forest most similar to protected areas, suggesting restoration success in this region. Community forests were more diverse than plantations, suggesting that community forests may be a valuable and practical conservation tool in this region. Most species were generalists, although some had dietary and habitat preferences. Furthermore, dietary niche breadths were, on average, higher in disturbed areas, suggesting that disturbance may result in dietary changes. We show that restoration of tropical forests appears to be successful for a key ecological and biological indicator group- dung beetles. Furthermore, community-owned forests appear to be valuable and practical method of maintaining ecosystem health and biodiversity in the region. Future management in this region would likely benefit from encouragement to maintain community-owned forests, economic incentives for restoring farmland to forest, and increased environmental monitoring across the land-use gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Survey costs and a lack of taxonomists are often the main impediments to biodiversity inventories. The use of a higher-taxon approach that is efficient in representing species patterns within a short period of time is one way to overcome these constraints, especially if these responses are consistent at various spatial scales and sampling techniques. Here, we evaluated whether the use of pitfall trapping or Winkler extraction influenced the utility of genus as a surrogate to predict patterns of species richness and composition related to environment. The study sites were spread along 10 degrees of latitude, covering phytophysiognomies with different topographic characteristics. We recorded 450 ant species/morphospecies distributed in 70 genera. Pitfall-traps captured a larger proportion of species (77-98%) and genera (71-100%) per site. Genus was efficient in predicting variations in richness, and assemblage composition detected at the species level, using pitfall-traps or Winkler extractors. The higher-taxon approach saved approximately 40% of the surveys costs. The negative effect of the species-genus ratio was detected only on species composition, but it did not affect the quality of predictions using genera. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that genus can be used as a proxy for broader sets of species independent of sampling technique or environmental heterogeneity. The use of pitfall-traps or Winkler extractors for genus-level identification proved to be cost-efficient and time-efficient and should work well in other regions requiring conservation effort and monitoring programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are two major processes of species disassembly after landscape changes: non-random loss of species resulting in nested assemblages and species replacement resulting in spatial species turnover. Although time-lagged responses of species to landscape change have been widely recognized, few studies have empirically evaluated which of these two processes is more closely related to extinction debt (i.e., postponed species extinction following habitat loss). This study aimed to understand the underlying processes of extinction debt by partitioning β-diversity into components of species nestedness and species turnover. We measured grassland species richness at three spatial extents in a highly fragmented semi-natural grassland landscape in Japan. Dissimilarity-based β-diversity was partitioned into two components (i.e., nestedness-resultant dissimilarity [βsne] and turnover-resultant dissimilarity [βsim]), which were further analyzed using principal coordinates analyses (PCoA). The relationships between the variability of PCoA axis 1 scores and the current and past habitat proportions were evaluated. A significant positive relationship between current grassland species richness and past (i.e., the 1910s) grassland proportion was found at the largest spatial extent. The first axis of PCoA based on βsne showed significant correlation with past habitat proportions, whereas the PCoA axis based on βsim showed no significant correlation with either the current or past habitat proportions. A non-random loss of grassland species represented by nestedness underlay the extinction debt found at the landscape level. There is a chance of predicting the loss of species from the nested ranks of species which likely reflects the gradient of species vulnerability to historical landscape changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extinction thresholds have been predicted to be critical values of habitat loss in which an abrupt reduction in populations occurs through the interaction between reduced habitat and increased isolation in the landscape. In communities, extinction thresholds are referred to as ‘biodiversity thresholds’. The biodiversity threshold values documented so far occur between 30% and 50% of habitat cover in landscapes. However, the assessment of biodiversity thresholds has mainly focused on vertebrate and plant communities. Here, we evaluated the occurrence of biodiversity thresholds in dung beetle communities by sampling ten 3,600 ha Atlantic Forest landscapes with forest cover ranging from 5% to 55%. We analysed the response patterns (abundance, gamma and mean alpha diversity) of community subgroups with different levels of forest dependency (forest species, generalist species, and open-area species) using model selection, comparing null, linear, bell-shaped and logistic models. The response of the community of forest species equally fits both linear and logistic models predicting a biodiversity threshold at 25% forest cover. Generalist species showed peak abundance at 20% forest cover although this result reflects a very poor generalist assembly. Open-area specialists did not respond to the amount of forest. The two most plausible models for forest species suggest two different biodiversity management options. Since the biodiversity threshold model represents a more dramatic scenario for the loss of biodiversity in Atlantic forest landscapes, we suggest, based on precautionary principle, that our results should strength guidelines that consider minimum values of forest cover in management strategies to avoid abrupt biodiversity loss and impacts on ecosystem services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Biodiversity is modulated by the spatial structure of the landscape. Thus, landscape metrics can be useful indicators of biota integrity and vulnerability, helping in conservation and management decisions.Objective: We performed the first quantitative analysis of the spatial structure of the Caatinga drylands. We estimated the habitat amount and the fragmentation pattern of this region using a multi-scale perspective.Methods: Using the Brazilian official database of native remnants, we calculated the number and percentage of remaining fragments per size class and we describe how habitat amount changes along the landscape. By simulating different dispersal capacities, we estimated the functional connectivity among remnants. We also calculated the cumulative core area as a function of different edge effect widths.Results: Caatinga is subdivided into 47,100 fragments. Although 91% of them are smaller than 500 ha, 720 fragments are larger than 10,000 ha, corresponding to 78% of the remaining vegetation. Potentially, 95% of the vegetation is accessible to species that can cross 1000 m of matrix. With one kilometer of edge effect, the core area is reduced to a quarter of the remaining vegetation. The habitat amount analyzes reinforced the regional differences in the spatial distribution of the remnants.Conclusions: Caatinga remains well connected for species with moderate and high dispersal capacities. However much of its remaining area is vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbances. Expansion of the protected area network and effective natural resource management to avoid overexploitation of the remnants are key strategies for maintaining the Caatinga biodiversity and its services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rupestrian grasslands are biodiverse, evolutionary old vegetation complexes that harbor more than 5000 species of vascular plants and one of the highest levels of plant endemism in the world. Growing on nutrient-impoverished soils and under harsh environmental conditions, these mountaintop ecosystems were once spared from major human interventions of agriculture and intensive cattle ranching. However, in Brazil, rupestrian grasslands have experienced one of the most extreme land use changes among all Brazilian ecosystems, suffering from ill policies leading to intense mining activities, uncontrolled tourism, and unplanned road construction. Indeed, the discovery of large mineral reserves, the adoption of ineffective conservation policies, and, going forward, climate change, are threatening this hyper-diverse ecosystem. Here, we shed light on the severe threats imposed by land-use changes in this ecosystem, modeling its future distribution under different scenarios. We uncover a catastrophic forecast that, if not halted, will lead to the loss of 82% of this unique ecosystem in the future, impacting ecosystem services at regional scales, including water and food security potentially affecting more than 50 million persons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species from natural communities show different capacities for moving across contrasting habitats, and they may gradually respond along the transition between forests and anthropogenic areas. Because beetles are effective bioindicators, we analyzed the Coleoptera assemblage structure in the transition between sugarcane matrices and forest fragment. The study was conducted in an Atlantic rainforest fragment and sugarcane matrices after 2 and 6 months of replantation. Beetles were sampled in linear transects that were 50, 100, and 200 m from the forest edge and toward both forest core and matrices. We analyzed beetle abundance, species richness and composition, and diversity numbers. The abundance and species richness were higher in the forest, and species richness was higher at the sampling site 100 m inside the forest than at the gradients within the sugarcane matrices. The species composition differed between the forest and matrices, but not between the matrices with different replantation ages. Alpha diversity based on the number of species was higher in the forest, and alpha diversity based on the Shannon index was higher in the forest and matrix after 6 months of replantation. Our results suggest that the sugarcane matrices, chiefly the matrix after 2 months of replantation, sustain an impoverished beetle assemblage when compared with the forest fragment. Despite the strong habitat distinction, the beetle fauna in the sugarcane matrices was not affected by the horizontal distance from the forest. Here, we have highlighted the importance of forest fragments embedded in harsh matrices for the maintenance of biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A great diversity of animal species adapted to life in the semi-arid Caatinga of northeastern Brazil, including seasonal killifishes, has been reported in the last three decades. More recently, field and molecular data have shown a high occurrence of cryptic species. The killifish group herein analysed, the Hypsolebias magnificus species complex, is endemic to the middle and southern portion of the Caatinga, occupying about 120 km along the floodplains of the middle São Francisco River and some adjacent tributaries. Species of this complex are rare and presently considered threatened with extinction, being uniquely found in pools protected by trees and bushes. Single-locus delimitation methods were used to test species limits of populations displaying different colour patterns along the whole distribution of the complex. All analyses consistently supported the three nominal species and two new, herein described: H. gardneri Costa, sp. n., from the floodplains of the middle São Francisco River and H. hamadryades Costa, sp. n., from the Gorotuba River floodplains. The phylogenetic analysis highly supports H. hamadryades as sister to a clade comprising H. gardneri and H. harmonicus. Our field observations suggest that H. hamadryades is a miniature species. This study indicates that the H. magnificus complex comprises cryptic species apparently endemic to small areas and extremely vulnerable to environmental changes, deserving high concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, depopulation and abandonment of traditional practices in the mountainous areas have affected the land use and land cover inducing the modification of the landscape mosaic. These processes have consequently facilitated the forest expansion, sometimes altering the floristic composition of the original vegetation in forests and other wooded lands. Forest expansion processes modified the structure, the stand density and the regeneration capacity of forests, thus altering the ecosystems’ functionality and resilience. These processes can be considered as a form of landscape degradation, which represents an emerging and common issue in the Mediterranean mountainous ecosystems. This study presents an overview of the main landscape dynamics occurring in the last two decades in the “Collemeluccio-Montedimezzo Alto Molise” Man and Biosphere Reserve, located in Central Italy. The results here obtained deeply describe the main effects induced by forest cover changes, such as those related to the crown coverage dynamics-biodiversity linkages, offering a valuable contribution to improve the management and planning in these situations widely replicable to similar contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]