scholarly journals Anuran diversity in urban and rural zones of the Itacoatiara municipality, central Amazonia, Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 122-130
Author(s):  
Marcelo MENIN ◽  
Rafaela Fernanda Batista FERREIRA ◽  
Izomar Barbosa MELO ◽  
Marcelo GORDO ◽  
Gustavo Yomar HATTORI ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Few studies in the Amazon region have evaluated anuran diversity in urban forest fragments or in areas with differing degrees of anthropogenic impact. We determined the composition and abundance of the anurofauna in urban and rural sites within the municipality of Itacoatiara in central Amazonia, Brazil. Specimens were sampled from January 2012 to May 2013 in 10 urban sites and five rural sites. A total of 1,538 anurans (930 in rural sites and 608 in urban sites) were recorded, belonging to 29 species in five families. Species richness was higher in rural sites, with 10 exclusive species. All species found in urban sites were also found in rural sites, however, species abundance varied considerably between the habitats. Sampling- and individual-based rarefaction curves showed a tendency toward stabilization of species richness only in the urban sites. We concluded that the anuran assemblages in the urban sites are depauperate due to the absence of many species associated to pristine terra firme or várzea and igapó forests. Habitat loss and quality degradation in urban landscapes are the main factors threatening amphibian diversity. The anuran assemblages in our study areas were similar to those recorded in other Amazonian habitats. Conservation measures involving anurans in this region should consider the preservation of habitat mosaics, including both pristine terra firme, várzea and igapó forests.

Phytotaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 447 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-275
Author(s):  
CAROLINE C. VASCONCELOS ◽  
MARISABEL U. ADRIANZÉN ◽  
JOSÉ LUÍS C. CAMARGO ◽  
MÁRIO H. TERRA-ARAUJO

Pouteria kossmanniae (Sapotaceae, Chrysophylloideae), a new species from Central Amazonia, is here described. It is known from the Manaus region, Amazonas, Brazil, and is found in non-flooded upland forests, known as terra firme. Illustrations are provided in addition to geographic distribution, with a comparison of the morphological and spectral (near-infrared) differences between P. kossmanniae and its very similar species Pouteria macrophylla, Pouteria manaosensis, and Pouteria rodriguesiana. The species is naturally common in some urban forest fragments, but since only a low number of subpopulations is known, we assign P. kossmanniae the preliminary conservation status of “Endangered”.


2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 239-245
Author(s):  
Thais ALMEIDA-CORRÊA ◽  
Luciana FRAZÃO ◽  
Diogo Magalhães COSTA ◽  
Marcelo MENIN ◽  
Igor Luis KAEFER

ABSTRACT The increasing urbanization of the Amazonian biome has promoted the creation of several forest fragments surrounded by an urban matrix, but the relationship of animal assemblages to the urban environment, especially in forest fragments, is poorly known. Here we aimed to 1) determine the composition of the squamate fauna of the largest urban forest fragment from central Amazonia, in the Brazilian city of Manaus, and 2) evaluate the influence of environmental parameters on assemblage diversity. We sampled 10 standardized riparian plots through visual search in six surveys between 2008/09 and 2015, totaling 360 observer-hours. We found 15 species of lacertoids (lizards and amphisbaenians) and seven species of snakes through active search. After considering occasional encounters and search in museum collections, we recorded a total of 24 lacertoid and 22 snake species. Multiple regression models indicated that species richness and abundance of individuals increased with the distance from the edge of the fragment, while other structural parameters of the environment did not affect the assemblage. We conclude that this forest fragment 1) consists of a subset of the regional species pool, and 2) undergoes reduction of species richness and abundance of individuals from the center to the borders. This and additional urban forest fragments should be continually monitored in order to evaluate their long-term role in maintaining the tropical biodiversity.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 942
Author(s):  
Isabela Freitas Oliveira ◽  
Fabricio Beggiato Baccaro ◽  
Fernanda P. Werneck ◽  
Thamara Zacca ◽  
Torbjørn Haugaasen

Amazonia comprises a mosaic of contrasting habitats, with wide environmental heterogeneity at local and regional scales. In central Amazonia, upland forest (terra firme) is the predominant forest type and seasonally flooded forests inundated by white- and black-water rivers (várzea and igapó, respectively) represent around 20% of the forested areas. In this work, we took advantage of a natural spatial arrangement of the main vegetation types in central Amazonia to investigate butterfly assemblage structure in terra firme, várzea and igapó forests at the local scale. We sampled in the low- and high-water seasons, combining active and passive sampling with traps placed in both the understory and canopy. Terra firme supported the highest number of butterfly species, whereas várzea forest provided the highest number of butterfly captures. The high species richness in terra firme may reflect that this forest type is floristically richer than várzea and igapó. Várzea is a very productive environment and may thus support a higher number of butterfly individuals than terra firme and igapó. Most butterfly species (80.2%) were unique to a single forest type and 17 can be considered forest type indicator species in this landscape. Floodplain forest environments are therefore an important complement to terra firme in terms of butterfly species richness and conservation in Amazonia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Genefer E. R. dos Santos ◽  
Kleber Solera ◽  
Cristiano A. da Costa ◽  
Marinêz I. Marques ◽  
Antonio D. Brescovit ◽  
...  

Abstract: Forest fragments in urban areas comprise important habitats for a wide variety of species, however, conservationist policies for their maintenance and conservation are still incipient. This study examined the richness and abundance of the ground-spider assemblage in five forest fragments, with areas ranging between 18.5 and 103.98 ha, in the urban perimeter of Sinop, northern Mato Grosso State, southern Amazon region of Brazil. Sampling was carried out using the mini-Winkler extractor and pitfall traps in the dry (July) and rainy (November) seasons of 2017. All fragments were characterized in relation to the area and the Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI), to assess the effect of these variables on richness and abundance of soil spider assemblage. A total of 653 spiders were sampled, corresponding to 25 families and 52 species. Salticidae, Theridiidae, Lycosidae, Linyphiidae, Oonopidae and Symphytognathidae were the most abundant families (63.3% of the total sample). The assemblage was characterized by the dominance of hunting spiders (393 ind.; 60.2%) over web-building spiders (260 ind.; 39.8%). Greater spider abundance and richness was obtained during the rainy season (517 ind.; 79.2%; 41 spp.) as compared with the dry season (136 ind.; 20.8%; 24 spp.). Only 13 species occurred in dry and rainy season. Two species were recorded for the first time in the Amazon region, namely, Anapistula aquytabueraRheims & Brescovit, 2003 (Symphytognathidae) and Opopaea concolor (Blackwall, 1859) (Oonopidae). Species richness was not affected by IBI and area of fragment. Although the statistical model is not significant, species richness increases slightly with IBI and area of fragment. Similarly, abundance of spiders was not affected by IBI and area of fragment. Regardless of the area size, all evaluated forest fragments showed a low and regular IBI, demonstrating that these habitats have suffered with the pressures inherent from the urban perimeter, including the constant expansion of human occupation as well as misuse by the population. Nonetheless, these same fragments revealed considerable richness of species of ground spiders and can thus be categorized as important habitats for the maintenance of regional biodiversity. Therefore, action strategies must be set out to ensure their conservation.


2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 580-592 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyn K Baldwin ◽  
Gary E Bradfield

The species richness, community composition, and abundance of bryophytes within taxonomic and functional groups were examined in relation to habitat conditions in forest edge and interior habitats of nine old-growth temperate rain-forest patches remaining after logging in the Nimpkish River Valley of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Bryophytes were sampled at a fine scale using 0.1 m × 0.3 m microplots to examine responses of species abundance on the forest floor, downed logs, and tree bases and at a coarser scale using 10 m × 2 m belt transects to determine changes in patterns of species richness and distribution. Edge habitats, sampled to a depth of 45 m into the forest fragments, were characterized by greater windthrow disturbance. Within the edge zone, increases in the richness of clearing-affiliated functional groups were associated primarily with the location of windthrown trees and tip-up mounds, rather than with distance from the edge per se. Interior habitats had both greater abundance of old-growth-associated functional groups and total bryophyte cover. The extension of the edge zone to at least 45 m into remnant patches carries implications for minimum patch size requirements in the context of variable-retention logging of coastal temperate rain forests.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Pannunzio Ribeiro ◽  
Kaline de Mello ◽  
Roberta Averna Valente

Abstract The highly modified urban matrix becomes an inhospitable environment for many species because the natural vegetation fragments are highly fragmented and often isolated in the landscape. Protected Areas (PAs) located closer or within urban areas may not achieve their goal of protecting local or regional biodiversity. Thus, the proposition of ecological corridors aims to connect the PAs, providing the dispersion of species in anthropogenic landscapes. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the PAs connectivity in an urban landscape and understand if urban forest fragments can support their connectivity, generating important information for biodiversity conservation and urban planning. For this, we used models based on Graph Theory to assess the functional connectivity among PAs. The focal species used were Atlantic Forest birds. We used the participatory technique to assess their dispersal capabilities, and this information was used to create a resistance surface map. The focal species movement in the landscape was modeled through Graph Theory. This model evaluated the functional connectivity and extracted the least-cost paths between PAs and other forest fragments that designed the urban ecological network. We identified that few PAs are connected in the urban landscape of Sorocaba city and its surroundings and 28 forest fragments that are important to support the connectivity among PAs. Among these, only four fragments are located within a PA. The other 24 forest fragments located outside PAs should be the center of attention for forest conservation and restoration actions, as they can improve the connectivity between the PAs. Our results show that PAs connectivity in urban landscapes depends on incentives for native vegetation conservation on private lands once most of the important forest fragments for the PAs connectivity are located in these areas. In addition, the restoration of riparian zones is important because they compose a great ecological corridor in the urban landscape. Strategies that increase the permeability of the matrix (e.g., increasing green spaces and gardens) and restoring target fragments are also important. Finally, land-use planning, focusing on natural ecosystem conservation and combating urban sprawl, is necessary to promote PAs connectivity in urban landscapes.


2015 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 309-328
Author(s):  
Swarnali Mukherjee ◽  
Soumyajit Banerjee ◽  
Parthiba Basu ◽  
GoutamK. Saha ◽  
Gautam Aditya

Abstract Urban landscapes host a range of diverse plants that, in turn, facilitate maintenance of different species of pollinators, including butterflies. In this context, the importance of Lantana camara, an invasive plant species, was assessed highlighting its role in maintenance of butterfly diversity, using Kolkata, India as a study area. Initial study revealed consistent presence of L. camara in both urban and rural sites with at least 25 different butterfly species association. The proportional relative load and the preferences of butterfly species for the each plant species were inclined towards L. camara. Irrespective of the sites, the diurnal and seasonal variations in the butterfly species abundance varied with the flowering pattern of L. camara. A positive correlation of different butterfly species with the flowering time and number of L. camara was for all the sites. The segregation of the L. camara associated butterfly species was made following discriminant function analysis using the extent of flower density of L. camara as explanatory variable. Despite being an invasive species, it is apparent that L. camara can be a prospective host plant that facilitates sustenance of butterflies in both urban and rural sites. Thus, existence of L. camara in urban gardens and forests may prove beneficial in sustenance of the butterflies.


2015 ◽  
Vol 108 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Handley ◽  
J. Hough-Goldstein ◽  
L. M. Hanks ◽  
J. G. Millar ◽  
V. D'amico

2018 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily T. N. Dinh ◽  
Robert J. Novak

ABSTRACT Automobile tires discarded in urban forest fragments may be a public health hazard, as they can support a population of vector mosquitoes. However, little is known about what factors may affect mosquito abundance and diversity within waste tires in a freshwater wetland forest. This study aimed to determine whether mosquito population dynamics in this environment in Florida differed over a year due to the site of collection and variation in vegetation greenness and elevation. We constructed negative binomial regression models to determine which of these characteristics were significant (α = 0.05) in affecting mosquito count data. Our findings suggest that in this specific environment, none of the covariates scrutinized had significant impacts on modulating overall mosquito and Aedes albopictus (the dominant species) abundance; waste tire habitats in urban freshwater wetland forests may be a year-round public health hazard.


2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (3) ◽  
pp. 214-223
Author(s):  
Maria Eliene Maia Braga CÂNDIDO ◽  
Patrícia Nakayama MIRANDA ◽  
Elder Ferreira MORATO

ABSTRACT Riparian forests are important ecosystems that support an enormous biodiversity in Brazil. Despite being protected under Brazilian legislation, these forests suffer great impact from the fragmentation of habitats. Orchid bees are a key group of pollinators in the Neotropical region, yet few data are available on the assamblage structure of these bees in riparian forests. We evaluated the role of fragments of riparian and terra-firme forest on the conservation and maintenance of orchid bees in an urban landscape in the southwestern Amazon basin. Specifically, we evaluated whether bee assemblages in riparian and terra-firme forests differed significantly in abundance, species richness and composition. We also evaluated whether species richness and abundance of bees vary with the size of the forest fragment. Male bees were attracted using odoriferous baits and collected with entomological nets in 10 forest fragments. There was no significant difference between riparian and terra-firme fragments in species abundance, richness and composition, but there was a positive correlation between fragment size and species richness and abundance. Our results suggest that, in an urban landscape, the remaining riparian and terra-firme forest fragments still could maintain 62.7% of the orchid bee species known to occur in the region, reinforcing the conservation value of these forest remnants. Our findings indicate that these fragments provide a potentially important habitat for the maintenance of local bee populations in the landscape.


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