Feeding ecology of a stream fish assemblage in an Atlantic Forest remnant (Serra do Japi, SP, Brazil)

This study aimed to characterize the trophic structure of the fish assemblage in streams of the Serra Japi, an ecotonal area between the Atlantic Forest and inland forests of São Paulo State, Southeastern Brazil. Fish were collected with electrofishing equipment in 15 sites covering different regions, substrate types and riparian vegetation, distributed throughout the Caguaçú River, Caxambú, Piraí and Guapeva River micro-basins, during the rainy (January/February) and dry season (June) of 2007. The 589 specimens analyzed from 22 species, were assigned to different trophic groups, discriminated through a matrix of similarity, based on the food index (IAi). The results show the formation of seven groups with a predominance of insectivorous and omnivorous species, followed by detritivores, piscivores, omnivore-carnivores and herbivores, which consumed mostly items of autochthonous origin, where algae and young insects were dominant. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), correlating the biomass of trophic groups to environmental variables, showed that omnivores, insectivores and omnivore-carnivores displayed a wide distribution, while detritivores, herbivores and piscivores were restricted to specific locations, related to different physical and chemical variables as total nitrogen, conductivity and temperature. Despite the increase in total biomass at the most urbanized sites, the results indicate that the streams maintain a diverse community, suggesting that most of them are in preserved conditions.

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Changes in ichthyofauna composition along a gradient from clearwaters to blackwaters in coastal streams of Atlantic forest (southeastern Brazil) in relation to environmental variables

Neotropical Ichthyology ◽

10.1590/s1679-62252012000300022 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 675-684 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Cristina da Silva Gonçalves ◽

Francisco Manoel de Souza Braga

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Forest ◽

Fish Assemblages ◽

Habitat Characteristics ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Fish Samples ◽

Spatial Differences ◽

Coastal Streams ◽

Longitudinal Variations ◽

Physical And Chemical Variables ◽

Physical And Chemical

The lack of knowledge of the freshwater ichthyofauna of coastal streams in the State of São Paulo (Brazil) is a cause of concern, as these streams are inserted in the Atlantic forest, a hotspot highly threatened. The aim of the present study is to investigate the freshwater ichthyofauna composition of clear and blackwater streams in a preservation area of Brazilian Atlantic forest. Fish samples were taken using electrofishing. A total of 20 species were registered, with Astyanax ribeirae, Hollandichthys multifasciatus, and Mimagoniates microlepis (Characiformes, Characidae) as the more representative. In general, the observed pattern of occurrence and distribution of fish species varied according to habitat characteristics, due to the longitudinal gradient in clearwaters, and among clearwaters and blackwaters. In clearwater streams, the headwater stretches had lower species diversity, while the opposite occurred in the middle and lower sites. These longitudinal variations of ichthyofauna were related with habitat characteristics (depth, stream flow, and bottom type) in which they were found, since the diversity of habitats was higher in headwaters and lower in downstream reaches (middle and lower sites). The physical and chemical variables of water do not seem to have influenced the distribution of species in clearwater streams, but the clear and blackwater fish composition was influenced mainly by pH concentration. Unlike the spatial differences, significant temporal differences were not registered in fish assemblages, probably due to the absence of a pronounced dry season in the studied region.

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Amphibians and reptiles of the Parque Estadual Turístico do Alto Ribeira (PETAR), SP: an Atlantic Forest remnant of Southeastern Brazil

Biota Neotropica ◽

10.1590/s1676-06032010000400031 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 257-274 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Cybele de Oliveira Araujo ◽

Thais Helena Condez ◽

Rafael Parelli Bovo ◽

Fernanda da Cruz Centeno ◽

Amom Mendes Luiz

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Forest ◽

Legal Protection ◽

Sao Paulo ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Mountain Range ◽

São Paulo ◽

The South ◽

Paulo State ◽

Forest Remnant ◽

São Paulo State

The herpetofauna of São Paulo State, Brazil, can be characterized as the most well-known in the country. However, despite the large number of studies in this area, there are still many sampling gaps within biomes such as the Atlantic Forest that are considered global conservation priorities due to the high rate of endemism and human disturbance. As a result of political and historical pressure, this biome has been reduced to less than 12% of its original extent and, despite its importance for global biodiversity conservation, only a small percentage of its original vegetation cover (1%) has some form of legal protection. This is the case of the Parque Estadual Turístico do Alto Ribeira (PETAR) which, together with the Parque Estadual de Intervales, Parque Estadual Carlos Botelho and Mosaico de Unidades de Conservação de Jacupiranga, forms of an ombrophilous forest continuum of 360 thousand ha in the south of São Paulo State. This study presents a list of amphibians and reptiles from the PETAR, with information on the local distribution and habitat use of the species. The survey was conducted from October to December 2009, completing a total of 15 sampling days using four complementary methods of active sampling: visual encounters, auditory encounters, searches by car and incidental encounters. We recorded a total of 91 species belonging to 53 genera and 24 families. This high diversity can be attributed to the existence of a wide variety of habitats and microhabitats in this region, such as the various aquatic sites used by many species of anuran amphibians. Moreover, the PETAR features a large altitudinal gradient (80 - 1,160 m elevation) that gives a large climatic, geological and hydrological heterogeneity to the area. This inventory is an important contribution to the expansion of knowledge about these assemblages in the Atlantic Forest to the south of Serra de Paranapiacaba mountain range, and provides support for the conservation of these groups in São Paulo State.

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Seasonality and habitat influence on bat assemblage structure in an urban Atlantic Forest remnant from Southeastern Brazil

Mammalia ◽

10.1515/mammalia-2015-0115 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 81 (3) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Roberto Leonan M. Novaes ◽

Renan F. Souza ◽

Saulo Felix ◽

André C. Siqueira ◽

Rafael S. Laurindo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Forest ◽

Capture Rate ◽

Species Abundance ◽

Assemblage Structure ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Feeding Guilds ◽

Forest Fragment ◽

Historical Processes ◽

Forest Remnant ◽

Ombrophilous Forest

AbstractThe Brazilian Atlantic Forest is a severely threatened biodiversity hotspot and many remnants exist only as fragments. In order to understand how bat assemblage structure within a forest fragment surrounded by an urban matrix might respond to seasonality and different habitats, we sampled bats over 39 nights in the forest fragment of Gericinó-Mendanha Massif, Rio de Janeiro State. From February 2006 to January 2010, we captured 874 bats, belonging to 25 species and eight different feeding guilds. Frugivorous species were the most abundant, representing 83.33% of captures, and the gleaning insectivores were the least abundant (1.47%). We did not find changes in bat species composition between seasons, although capture rate was higher in the rainy season. However, we did find significant differences in species abundance between seasons. The habitat influence did not significantly differentiate the assemblages, but species richness was higher in the mature ombrophilous forest. The community composition indicates that this conservation unit is an important remaining fragment for maintaining the diversity and richness of bats, although it is possible that historical processes of environmental exploitation have already resulted in a loss of species.

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Diversity of the euglossine bee community (Hymenoptera, Apidae) of an Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil

Revista Brasileira de Entomologia ◽

10.1590/s0085-56262011000100017 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 55 (1) ◽

pp. 109-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Guilherme do Carmo Silveira ◽

Anderson Machado Nascimento ◽

Silvia Helena Sofia ◽

Solange Cristina Augusto

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Forest ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Forest Remnant ◽

Euglossine Bee ◽

Bee Community

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Environmental dissimilarity over time in a large subtropical shallow lake is differently represented by phytoplankton functional approaches

Marine and Freshwater Research ◽

10.1071/mf16417 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 69 (1) ◽

pp. 95 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Juliana E. Bohnenberger ◽

Lúcia R. Rodrigues ◽

David da Motta-Marques ◽

Luciane O. Crossetti

Keyword(s):

Shallow Lake ◽

Functional Group ◽

Environmental Variability ◽

Life Forms ◽

Total Biomass ◽

Coastal Lake ◽

Effective System ◽

Physical And Chemical Variables ◽

Physical And Chemical

The aim of the present study was to understand how different phytoplankton functional approaches responded to environmental variability in a large shallow lake, namely Lake Mangueira, in southern Brazil. This coastal lake has a maximum depth of 7m and is ~90km long and ~3–10km wide. Physical and chemical variables, maximum linear dimension, life forms, functional and morphofunctional groups of phytoplankton were analysed. The results showed that the phytoplankton were primarily comprised Cyanobacteria (63.9%), followed by middle-sized algae (21–50μm; 46.7%) and colonial non-flagellated taxa (63%). The highest percentage of total biomass was accounted for by the functional group ‘K’ (as classified by Reynolds et al. 2002; 36.3%), large mucilaginous colonies (46.79%) according to morphologically based functional classification and other large colonies (mostly non-vacuolated; 36.7%) according to morphofunctional classification. Dissimilarity analysis indicated a significant correlation between abiotic data and functional approaches (P=0.001). The dissimilarity in the functional compositions of phytoplankton was related to nutrient and light conditions, especially to silicon content and water transparency, in all functional approaches. The highest correlation with abiotic variables was seen for morphologically based functional group community structure, although the functional group composition of phytoplankton sensu Reynolds et al. seemed to be the most effective system in describing environmental variability in Lake Mangueira over the long term.

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Bryophytes of the Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro, an Atlantic Forest Remnant in Southeastern Brazil

Hoehnea ◽

10.1590/2236-8906-61/2020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 47 ◽

Author(s):

Libia Mayerly Cifuentes-García ◽

Pedro Bond Schwartsburd ◽

Denilson Fernandes Peralta

Keyword(s):

Species Richness ◽

Atlantic Forest ◽

Endemic Species ◽

Minas Gerais ◽

Tree Bark ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Floristic Survey ◽

Forest Remnant ◽

Minas Gerais State ◽

First Time

ABSTRACT The objective was to present the floristic survey of the bryophytes of the Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro. It included an evaluation of the species richness, as well as information about the substrate preference of each species and its geographic distributions in Brazil. We found 208 taxa of bryophytes: one hornwort, 88 liverworts and 119 mosses. This richness represents ca. 26% of the bryoflora of Minas Gerais State and ca. 13% of that known for Brazil. Eighteen of the bryophytes species are endemic to Brazil, whereas 19 species are recorded for the first time in Minas Gerais. The bryoflora showed preference for tree bark (30%) and rock (23%) as substrates. Our data show that the Parque Estadual da Serra do Brigadeiro is an important area for the diversity conservation of Brazilian bryophytes and maintenance of endemic species of the country.

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Physalaemus maximus Feio, Pombal Jr. and Caramaschi, 1999 (Anura: Leiuperidae): distribution extension and advertisement call

Check List ◽

10.15560/8.3.507 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 507 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Juliana Peres ◽

José Eduardo Simon

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Forest ◽

Geographic Distribution ◽

Carrier Frequency ◽

First Record ◽

The State ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Advertisement Call ◽

Espírito Santo ◽

Forest Remnant ◽

Espirito Santo

This study provides the first record of Physalaemus maximus in the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. Physalaemus maximus was recorded in the Municipality of Castelo (1100 m a.s.l.), where it was observed in explosive reproduction in an Atlantic Forest remnant on 06 January 2010. The advertisement call of P. maximus consisted of a single multipulsed note, with carrier frequency emitted in 1,250 Hz and mean duration of 2.10 s. The record from Castelo extends in approximately 140 km eastward from the previous geographic distribution admitted for the species.

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Oviposition observation of Tropidodryas serra (Serpentes: Dipsadidae)

Neotropical Biology and Conservation ◽

10.3897/neotropical.14.e35410 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 137-141

Author(s):

Edelcio Muscat ◽

Elsie Rotenberg ◽

Iberê Farina Machado

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Forest ◽

Reproductive Cycle ◽

Rainy Season ◽

Wide Distribution ◽

Egg Laying ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Brazilian Atlantic Forest ◽

Governmental Organization ◽

In Captivity ◽

Reproductive Events

Tropidodryas serra is an endemic snake from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and despite its wide distribution, little is known about its ecology. Tropidodryas serra is an oviparous snake, but there are few available data on its reproductive cycle. In this paper, we present the first report of oviposition of T. serra in captivity with successfully hatching. A pregnant female was captured in the area of Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Dacnis Project, Ubatuba-SP, southeastern Brazil, and held captive. The spawning of 7 eggs and the development of offspring were observed. The eggs (measuring 4x1.35 cm in average) hatched in 90 days, with 6 healthy neonates and 1 stillborn. Based on a unique successful hatching of T. serra eggs in captivity, the present study confirmed with naturalistic data reproductive characteristics of the species, such as egg laying in December and low number of atresic eggs, corroborating that the species should present few reproductive events and concentrated throughout the rainy season.

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Tropical dendrochronology applied to invasive tree species in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Journal of Forestry Research ◽

10.1007/s11676-019-01075-9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 32 (1) ◽

pp. 91-101

Author(s):

Carolina Nogueira Xavier ◽

Daniela Granato-Souza ◽

Ana Carolina M. C. Barbosa ◽

José Reinaldo Moreira da Silva

Keyword(s):

Atlantic Forest ◽

Tree Species ◽

Anthropogenic Activities ◽

Adaptive Strategy ◽

Southeastern Brazil ◽

Ecological Aspects ◽

Forest Remnant ◽

Tropical Dendrochronology ◽

Invasive Tree ◽

Invasive Tree Species

AbstractThe Atlantic Forest is one of the largest and most biodiverse rainforests of South America but anthropogenic activities are drastically changing these landscapes. The invasion of alien or exotic species is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. There are few studies of invasive species in tropical Brazilian ecosystems. This research examines growth and ecological aspects of Syzygium cumini and Clitoria fairchildiana, two invasive tree species in the Pedra Branca State Park, an Atlantic Forest remnant in southeastern Brazil. Both species were successfully dated, indicating an average age of 58 and 31 years, respectively. A positive relationship between growth and precipitation of the previous growing season suggests an ecological adaptive strategy, which could be facilitating their invasion into the environment. Cumulative growth diameter curves indicate slow and fast growth rates for S. cumini and C. fairchildiana, respectively. Growth release episodes detected in the tree rings indicate increased anthropogenic disturbances over the last 50 years.

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