First evidence of the Ediacaran fauna in Northeastern Brazil, an albino dolphin, and trophic groups of a bird community in Alagoas

In northeastern Brazil, the reduction of the natural forest cover to a series of small, isolated fragments has had negative consequences for the local avian fauna, in particular, a loss of the more specialized species, while the populations of some generalists have tended to increase. The present study focuses on the composition and trophic groups of a bird community on a farm in the northeastern Brazilian state of Alagoas. Monthly surveys were conducted between November 2008 and October 2009, based on mist-netting and systematic observations. Overall, 112 species were recorded, of which 76 were associated with the two forest fragments surveyed, while all the others were observed exclusively in the surrounding matrix of pasture and orchards. The bird community presented a predominance of insectivorous species, followed by omnivores. However, specialized trunk-creeping and understory insectivores accounted for only around 15% of the species in this feeding category. The reduced diversity of other guilds and species with more specialized diets, and the complete absence of sensitive species such as large parrots and raptors, reflects the severe fragmentation and degradation of the local forests, which has greatly reduced the availability of dietary resources and breeding sites.

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Effects of proximity to urban areas on a riparian bird community in remnant Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil

Ambiente e Agua - An Interdisciplinary Journal of Applied Science ◽

10.4136/ambi-agua.2313 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (7) ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Ana Cecília de Paula Lourenço ◽

Maria Cecília Barbosa de Toledo

Keyword(s):

Urban Areas ◽

Riparian Forest ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Community ◽

Habitat Characteristics ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Average Height ◽

Trophic Groups ◽

Generalist Species ◽

Canopy Opening

The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect of urban activities on the structure and composition of a bird community in riparian forests in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The study was carried out in seven areas of remnant riparian forest where fixed points have been established to sample bird species. Richness, diversity, abundance, frequency and trophic groups were used as metrics of the bird community. At each point measurements were taken for: (1) habitat characteristics: average height of trees, number of trees above 2m, number of shrubs <2m and the percentage of canopy opening; (2) neighborhood characteristics: closest distance from open areas, highways, urban areas, river and floodplain to the point of observation. The observations resulted in 88 species of birds belonging to 34 families. The most representative families were Tyrannidae, Thraupidae and Picidae. The most predominant trophic groups were insectivorous (54%), omnivorous (11.5%) and frugivorous (10.3%). The results obtained showed that the number of trees explained the variation in abundance, while the mean height of the trees explained variations in richness and frequency. Overall, the bird community was negatively affected by proximity of urban areas and highways. In conclusion, the community of birds in the riparian forest may be affected by the loss of trees above 2m and by urbanization, leading mainly to the replacement of species belonging to specialist trophic groups by generalist species and those more adjusted to human presence.

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First Ediacaran Fauna Occurrence in Northeastern Brazil (Jaibaras Basin, ?Ediacaran-Cambrian): Preliminary Results and Regional Correlation

Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências ◽

10.1590/0001-3765201420130162 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 86 (3) ◽

pp. 1029-1042 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

FRANCISCO R.G. BARROSO ◽

MARIA SOMÁLIA S. VIANA ◽

MARIO F. DE LIMA FILHO ◽

SONIA M.O. AGOSTINHO

Keyword(s):

Depositional Environment ◽

White Sea ◽

The State ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

The White Sea ◽

Relative Age ◽

Preliminary Results ◽

Regional Correlation ◽

Ediacaran Fauna

This study reports the first known occurrence of the Ediacaran fauna in northeastern Brazil (at Pacujá Municipality, northwestern state of Ceará) and presents preliminary interpretations of its significance. Regional correlation indicates that the fossils originated in the Jaibaras Basin and that they may represent a new geological system. The depositional environment can be attributed to a fluviomarine system. Nine Ediacaran species can be identified, including members of pandemic groups (e.g., Charniodiscus arboreus Glaessner, 1959; ?Charniodiscus concentricus Ford, 1958; Cyclomedusa davidi Sprigg, 1947; Ediacaria flindersi Sprigg, 1947; and Medusinites asteroides Sprigg, 1949) and endemic groups (e.g., Kimberella quadrata Glaessner & Wade, 1966; Palaeophragmodictya reticulata Gehling & Rigby, 1996; Parvancorina minchami Glaessner, 1958; and Pectinifrons abyssalis Bamforth, Narbonne, Anderson, 2008). Three ichnogenera are also present: Arenicolites Salter, 1857; Palaeophycus Hall, 1987; and Planolites Nicholson, 1873. The relative age of the deposits is between ?Ediacaran and Cambrian, and the fauna resembles the White Sea Assemblage. The bioturbation presents typical unbranched Ediacaran ichnogenera with little depth in the substrate. This previously unknown occurrence of the Ediacaran fauna reinforces the importance of the state of Ceará to Brazilian and global palaeontology.

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A Cerrado bird community in the northernmost portion of northeastern Brazil - recommendations for conservation

Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia ◽

10.1007/bf03544272 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 22 (4) ◽

pp. 347-362 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Mauro Pichorim ◽

Marcelo da Silva ◽

Bruno Rodrigo Albuquerque de França ◽

Tonny Marques de Oliveira-Júnior ◽

Marcelo Câmara Rodrigues

Keyword(s):

Bird Community ◽

Northeastern Brazil

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Host migration and environmental temperature influence avian haemosporidians prevalence: a molecular survey in a Brazilian Atlantic rainforest

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.11555 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e11555

Author(s):

Raquel A. Rodrigues ◽

Gabriel M.F. Felix ◽

Mauro Pichorim ◽

Patricia A. Moreira ◽

Erika M. Braga

Keyword(s):

Community Organization ◽

Bird Community ◽

Parasite Prevalence ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Individual Level ◽

Avian Haemosporidians ◽

Host Life ◽

Migratory Status ◽

Species Specific ◽

Host Parasite

Avian haemosporidians are parasites with great capacity to spread to new environments and new hosts, being considered a good model to host-parasite interactions studies. Here, we examine avian haemosporidian parasites in a protected area covered by Restinga vegetation in northeastern Brazil, to test the hypothesis that haemosporidian prevalence is related to individual-level traits (age and breeding season), species-specific traits (diet, foraging strata, period of activity, species body weight, migratory status, and nest shape), and climate factors (temperature and rainfall). We screened DNA from 1,466 birds of 70 species captured monthly from April 2013 to March 2015. We detected an overall prevalence (Plasmodium/Haemoproteus infection) of 22% (44 host species) and parasite’s lineages were identified by mitochondrial cyt b gene. Our results showed that migration can be an important factor predicting the prevalence of Haemoproteus (Parahaemoproteus), but not Plasmodium, in hosts. Besides, the temperature, but not rainfall, seems to predict the prevalence of Plasmodium in this bird community. Neither individual-level traits analyzed nor the other species-specific traits tested were related to the probability of a bird becoming infected by haemosporidians. Our results point the importance of conducting local studies in particular environments to understand the degree of generality of factors impacting parasite prevalence in bird communities. Despite our attempts to find patterns of infection in this bird community, we should be aware that an avian haemosporidian community organization is highly complex and this complexity can be attributed to an intricate net of factors, some of which were not observed in this study and should be evaluated in future studies. We evidence the importance of looking to host-parasite relationships in a more close scale, to assure that some effects may not be obfuscated by differences in host life-history.

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The importance of isolated patches for maintaining local bird biodiversity and ecosystem function: a case study from the Pernambuco Center of Endemism, Northeast Brazil

Iheringia Série Zoologia ◽

10.1590/1678-4766e2018021 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 108 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Leila F. A. S. Campos ◽

Bruno P. Teixeira ◽

Márcio A. Efe

Keyword(s):

Species Abundance ◽

Bird Species ◽

Bird Community ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Ecosystem Functions ◽

Forest Fragment ◽

Human Disturbances ◽

Highly Sensitive

ABSTRACT The Atlantic Forest has been highly fragmented, with the Pernambuco Center of Endemism (PCE) one of the priority areas for conservation. The Mata do Cedro forest, located in Alagoas state, northeastern Brazil, is a forest fragment within the PCE surrounded by a matrix of sugarcane that acts as a refuge for several threatened bird species, some of which are endemic to the region. Here, we characterize the bird community in Mata do Cedro using measures of species abundance, frequency of occurrence, habitat use and sensitivity to human disturbance. The functional role of species was investigated with a functional dendrogram. We registered 111 species, most resident and forest dependent. The most representative trophic categories were insectivores followed by frugivores. Of the species found, 11 are highly sensitive to human disturbances and 11 are endemic to the PCE. The bird community of the fragment is highly diversified, with endemic taxa and balanced trophic categories typical of preserved tropical forests. This community structure together with the occurrence of threatened species reinforces the importance of Mata do Cedro for the maintenance of local biodiversity and ecosystem functions.

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