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We examined whether glomalin-related soil protein (GRSP), produced by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), and with role in soil quality, structuring, and carbon storage, varies in relation to substrate and plant community in the campo rupestre ecosystem. Soil samples were collected for physical-chemical and GRSP content analysis, in 40 plots, where the vegetation was also surveyed. GRSP content was compared between substrate types, and its relationship was assessed against soil attributes, vegetation dissimilarity, and abundance of non-mycorrhizal species and species with low AMF dependency. GRSP content varied greatly among the sites (total fraction ranging from 4.66 to 135.46 mg g−1), differed significantly between ferruginous and quartzitic substrates, and was correlated with soil organic carbon (SOC), soil nutrients, soil texture, and vegetation dissimilarity. Total glomalin contributed about 20% to the SOC. GRSP content declined with increasing cover of species that are both sand-binding and have AMF associations, and non-mycorrhizal species. The study shows how AMF, through GRSP, is associated to the ecosystem heterogeneity, suggesting the GRSP as an important soil factor to be considered in management and conservation issues in campo rupestre and similar ecosystems. GRSP content was shown to contribute to carbon storage and was linked to soil chemical and physical properties, and affected by variation in cover of non- or less-AMF-dependent plant species, perhaps providing a useful indicator in the heterogeneous campo rupestre system.

Roads are known to be a major factor in the ongoing spread and establishment of invasive plants by modifying habitats and providing movement corridors. Controlling plant invasion or restoring highly-invaded areas along roads is a challenging task in current conservation practice. We aim to investigate the possible facilitative effects of nurse shrubs on native vs. exotic species in order to provide applications for conservation and restoration of highly invaded roadsides areas in megadiverse montane areas of Brazil. We estimated the abundance of each plant species (native and exotic) in paired roadsides with and without pioneer nurse shrubs (Baccharis spp.), and measured whether they were facilitated (i.e., growing underneath native nurse shrubs), using a Facilitation Value metric. We found that the proportion of exotic species was 27% greater in areas without the nurse shrubs. In addition, predicted probability of nurse shrubs as facilitators of native species was 61% greater than that of exotic species. Pioneer nurse shrubs that alleviate the environmental shift generated by the construction and use of roads (e.g., disturbed soils with low nutrient content) may represent an interesting alternative to mitigate exotic plant invasion along roadsides, a current global priority for biodiversity conservation. Decision-makers considering whether to build, improve, and maintain roads should take into account the potential spread of exotic plants and the use of nurse shrubs to prevent or mitigate plant invasiveness.

Global sustainability rests on a myriad of benefits provided by natural ecosystems that support human livelihoods and well-being, from biodiversity persistence to climate regulation. The undeniable importance of conserving tropical forests has drawn most of the conservation spotlight towards it. However, open ecosystems such as the Brazilian Campo Rupestre (rupestrian grassland), have been historically overlooked despite their high diversity and key associated ecosystem services. We highlight major current threats to the persistence of the Campo Rupestre emphasizing its ecological, social, cultural, geo-environmental, and economic importance. We call attention to the importance of the Campo Rupestre as a reservoir of biodiversity and ecosystem services and offer priority actions that resulted from discussions involving scientists, industry representatives, environmental managers, and other members of civil society. Proposed actions include efforts related to ecological restoration, sustainable ecotourism, protection of traditional ecological knowledge, identification of emerging research questions, and development of tailored public policies. Such issues are integrated into a framework that collectively represents a road map to safeguard the Campo Rupestre from further degradation and steer its historical overexploitation towards sustainable management. Safeguarding the future of non-forest biomes like this poses a challenge to current paradigms of nature conservation. By establishing priorities and guidelines, we propose an actionable plan, which we hope can support informed decision-making policy towards a sustainable use of the Campo Rupestre. Long Term Ecological Research PELD-CRSC-17 Conselho Nacional de Pesquisas CNPq/MCTI Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo 2013/50155-0, 2010/51307-0, 2019/07773-1

The introduction of plant species is a central topic in restoration ecology research. It is an effective technique to restore degraded ecosystems that present low resilience, such as the rupestrian grasslands. Once implemented, the transplantation of native species is monitored only in the short term, whereas long‐term monitoring should be preferred to identify potential changes in the restoration results. Our study is the first assessment of the transplantation success of 10 native shrub species in a degraded area of rupestrian grasslands, 8.5 years after transplantation. Survival, growth, and recruitment were assessed in 2004, 2008, and 2012. For all species, survival, growth, and recruitment varied over time. Although some species exhibited great mortality during the last 4 years, they also showed a great resprouting ability. Our results highlighted a trade‐off between survival and recruitment capacity. Most of the studied species showed remarkable ability to adapt to the extreme environment of the degraded area, persisting either through surviving or recruiting new individuals. We list nine native species, which are well appropriated for rupestrian grasslands restoration. In constrained environments, survival and resistance should represent criteria to select species for restoration project rather than fast growth and ground cover.

The damage caused by herbivores can be confused with the drop of necrotic spots due to hypersensitive reactions. The negative impact of sessile herbivores on host plants is minimized by hypersensitive reactions that result in the death of attacked tissue. We reported a phenomenon that remarkably resembles herbivore damage, but is in fact a reaction to endophytic herbivores or pathogens. Although the damages on Tapirira guianensis leaves (Anacardiaceae) appear to be chew marks from herbivores, they are in fact dropped necrotic spots caused by gall-inducing insects. The phenomenon is widespread and challenges the view that gall-inducing insects inflict less damage on host plants, which was previously stated according to the rates of herbivory inflicted by free-feeding herbivores. The study highlights the need to reassess the past evaluations for some plant species, as they may have overestimated herbivory rates.

Os campos rupestres da Cadeia do Espinhaco destacam-se por sua grande biodiversidade e alta proporcao de especies endemicas. Estudos sobre a restauracao ecologica desse ecossistema sao urgentemente necessarios, tendo em vista sua resiliencia extremamente baixa e especial vulnerabilidade frente a degradacao do solo. Investigamos experimentalmente o desempenho de sobrevivencia, crescimento em altura e fenologia reprodutiva de mudas de oito especies nativas de campo rupestre plantadas em areas degradadas quartziticas. O plantio foi feito em 2011, e as mudas foram monitoradas por 12 a 18 meses. Todas as especies apresentaram elevada sobrevivencia (90-100%) durante o periodo considerado e crescimento significativo em altura, o que indicou o estabelecimento bem-sucedido e adaptacao as condicoes rigorosas encontradas nessas areas degradadas. Alem disso, quatro especies arbustivas completaram o ciclo reprodutivo, atingindo a dispersao de sementes com aproximadamente dois anos de idade. Os resultados indicam que o plantio de mudas de especies nativas deve ser considerado como uma importante ferramenta na restauracao de areas degradadas quartziticas em campos rupestres. Palavras-chave: Cerrado, crescimento de mudas, facilitacao, restauracao ecologica, Serra do Cipo, solos quartziticos.