Redescription of Hypostomus carinatus (Steindachner 1881) (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the rio Amazonas basin in Brazil

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4750 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-203
Author(s):  
CLÁUDIO HENRIQUE ZAWADZKI ◽  
RENILDO RIBEIRO DE OLIVEIRA ◽  
ANDREZA DOS SANTOS OLIVEIRA ◽  
LÚCIA RAPP PY-DANIEL

In the midst of the effervescent discussions of climate change and setbacks in national environmental protection mechanisms, the Brazilian Amazon and its ichthyofauna are in the spotlight. Therefore, in this work we redescribe Hypostomus carinatus (Steindachner 1881), a little known medium-sized Amazonian species, providing means for its correct identification and taxonomic stabilization. In this way, based on the analysis of type specimens and recently collected material, H. carinatus is redescribed and its geographical distribution is expanded to the basins of the Branco, Japurá, Juruá, Solimões, Negro, Tapajós, Trombetas and Uatumã rivers. A lectotype of the Plecostomus carinatus is designated herein. Hypostomus carinatus is mainly distinguished from congeners by the presence of four to ten predorsal plates posteriorly surrounding parieto-supraoccipital bone; dark spots on body and fins; by having the dark spots smaller or almost equal to distance among each spot; body carenae armored with odontodes; and compressed head with eyes laterally positioned. 

Significance In Amazonia, deforestation increased by 25% year-on-year in the first half of 2020. The situation has led large institutional investors, corporations and foreign governments to press Brazil to change its environmental policy. Domestic companies, including the country’s largest banks, have also increased calls for more environmental protection. Impacts Climate change mitigation internationally will be severely affected by fires in Amazonia. Environmental neglect will increasingly erode Brazil’s diplomatic influence. Lack of a clear commitment to environmental conservation in the coming years will undermine efforts to boost the economy.


2021 ◽  
Vol 257 ◽  
pp. 109093
Author(s):  
Jôine Cariele Evangelista-Vale ◽  
Marla Weihs ◽  
Leandro José-Silva ◽  
Rafael Arruda ◽  
Nilo Leal Sander ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 5042
Author(s):  
Tom Barry ◽  
Brynhildur Daviðsdóttir ◽  
Níels Einarsson ◽  
Oran R. Young

The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation, coordination and interaction among Arctic states, indigenous communities, and peoples on issues of common importance. The rising geo-political importance of the Arctic and the onset of climate change has resulted in the Council becoming a focus of increasing interest from both inside and beyond the Arctic. This has resulted in new demands placed on the Council, attracting an increasing number of participants, and instigating a period of transformation as Arctic states work to find a way to balance conflicting demands to improve the Council’s effectiveness and take care of national interests. This paper considers whether, during this time of change, the Council is having an impact on the issues it was formed to address, i.e., environmental protection and sustainable development. To provide answers, it looks at how the Council reports on and evaluates progress towards the implementation of recommendations it makes regarding biodiversity, how it identifies where activities have had impacts and uncovers the mechanisms through which they were successful, to provide an insight into how the Arctic Council can be an agent of change.


2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 531-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiyu Zhao ◽  
Robert Percival

AbstractThe proper division of responsibility for environmental protection between national and state governments has long been the subject of fierce debate. During the 1970s the United States Congress decided to shift the most important environmental responsibilities from state governments to the federal government. The main reason for this decision was to prevent a ‘race to the bottom’ in that states competing for industries could otherwise be lax in implementing and enforcing federal environmental standards. Yet, some scholars have argued that there could just as easily be a ‘race to the top’ among states as they compete to attract people and businesses concerned with environmental protection. China, in turn, is plagued with severe air and water pollution and soil contamination, which is attributed largely to ineffective enforcement of its national environmental laws. This article investigates whether China’s experience confirms the race-to-the-bottom theory. It demonstrates that devolution of responsibility for environmental protection to lower levels of government tends to result in lax implementation and enforcement of national environmental laws, particularly where national governments also create strong incentives for economic growth. It concludes that China’s highly devolved system of environmental governance is consistent with this theory, even if it does not provide conclusive evidence of its correctness.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 367 (3) ◽  
pp. 245 ◽  
Author(s):  
TIAGO D. M. BARBOSA ◽  
RAFAELA J. TRAD ◽  
MIKLOS M. BAJAY ◽  
MARIA I. ZUCCHI ◽  
MARIA DO CARMO E. DO AMARAL

Cabomba schwartzii was described by Rataj in 1977. The species discovered in the Brazilian Amazon was said to differ from other Cabomba species in having two sepals, two petals and a lobate petal base. According to the 1991 study of Ørgaard, C. schwartzii is similar to C. aquatica in other morphological characters (C. aquatica has flowers with three sepals and three petals) and since variation in number of floral parts is common in the genus, Ørgaard synonymized both species. After an analysis of C. schwartzii type material, other herbarium collections and location of four populations (two with C. schwartzii characteristics and two with C. aquatica characteristics), we conducted an integrated morphological and genetic study to evaluate whether or not C. schwartzii is a distinct species from C. aquatica. The results reveal the species to be distinct from each other and therefore C. schwartzii should be reestablished. The floral formula for C. schwartzii is K2 C2 A2+2 G1, versus K3 C3 A3+3 G2 for C. aquatica. A detailed species description and the geographical distribution of C. schwartzii are presented with a dichotomous key to distinguish both species, together with illustrations.


Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4531 (4) ◽  
pp. 451
Author(s):  
DIEGO AGUILAR FACHIN ◽  
MARTIN HAUSER

The Neotropical genus Himantigera James in James & McFadden, 1982, is revised. Two new species are described and illustrated—H. amauroptera nov. sp. (Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia), and H. xanthopoda nov. sp. (Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica). Three species are transferred from Himantigera to Sargus Fabricius, 1798—S. dichrous (Schiner, 1868) comb. nov., S. flavoniger Lindner, 1928 comb. rev. and S. fulvithorax (Bigot, 1879) comb. nov. One species is transferred to Microchrysa Loew, 1855—M. splendens (Schiner, 1868) comb. nov. Himantigera jamesi Lindner, 1969 syn. nov. is proposed as a junior synonym of H. superba Lindner, 1949. The type species H. silvestris McFadden, 1982, as well as H. nigrifemorata Macquart, 1847 and H. superba Lindner, are herein redescribed and illustrated. Photographs of the type specimens of these three species are provided. Two unnamed species of Himantigera (sp. A and sp. B) are also described given that they have slight differences, but because we had only one specimen of each species, we did not officially describe them. This updates the total number of extant Himantigera from eight sensu Woodley (2001) to seven species. The species Merosargus apicalis Lindner, 1935, although never referred to the genus Himantigera or Himantoloba McFadden 1970, is also transferred to the genus Sargus. A key to all species of Himantigera and a map expanding geographical distribution of the genus are also presented, with the first records of the genus for Nicaragua, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Ecuador and Bolivia. 


Author(s):  
Michael Méndez

Describes the tension between global environmental protection and a local focus on the most disadvantaged communities. The chapter analyzes the development of California’s landmark climate change legislation: Assembly Bill (AB) 32. It illustrates the contentious nature of defining climate change and how the entanglements of diverse knowledges and worldviews shape contemporary climate governance and decision-making processes.


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