scholarly journals Bird Extinctions in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest and How They Can Be Prevented

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro F. Develey ◽  
Benjamin T. Phalan
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Private Land ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Multi Stakeholder

Bird species extinctions in the Atlantic Forest of Brazil have been predicted since the early 1990s, but it has become accepted wisdom that none have yet been documented. We revisit this question in light of updates to the global Red List, and conclude that between five and seven bird species have likely been driven to extinction in the wild in this biome in recent decades, plus a further two species that occurred elsewhere in Brazil. These extinctions were the result of habitat loss in combination with other threats. A further nine Atlantic Forest bird species are Critically Endangered, plus six from elsewhere in Brazil. We review growing efforts to help these species avoid extinction using a range of tools including multi-stakeholder planning, advocacy, habitat protection and restoration on public and private land, focussed research, and intensive population management, drawing on examples from the most threatened Atlantic Forest endemics. Conservation organisations, local communities, government agencies, zoos, international funders, universities and others are working together to prevent these species from disappearing. While the political environment in Brazil has rarely been more hostile to conservation, there are also some positive trends. Rates of deforestation in the Atlantic Forest have fallen, forest restoration and recovery is increasing, and an unprecedented number of ordinary people are taking an interest in birds and participating in citizen science. With dedication, collaboration, sufficient resources, and a focus on evidence-informed solutions, we are hopeful that many of the Critically Endangered species can be pulled back from the brink of extinction.

Lymania involucrata (Bromeliaceae: Bromelioideae), a new ornamental species from Bahia, Brazil

Phytotaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 489 (2) ◽  
pp. 209-215
Author(s):  
EVERTON HILO DE SOUZA ◽  
LIDYANNE Y. S. AONA ◽  
FERNANDA V. D. SOUZA ◽  
ELTON M. C. LEME
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
Ornamental Species ◽  
Shape And Size

The authors describe, discuss, and illustrate Lymania involucrata, a new ornamental species from the Atlantic Forest in the municipality of Igrapiúna, Bahia, Brazil, here considered a critically endangered species. The new species is morphologically related to L. brachycaulis but clearly diffe According to Sousa rs from it by the well-developed, involucral primary bracts and the distinct shape and size of inflorescence, primary branches, and flowers. A map of the distribution of the species and taxonomic comments are presented.

scholarly journals Community-based study to demonstrate the presence and local perspectives of the Critically Endangered Chinese Pangolin Manis pentadactyla in Zhejiang Wuyanling, China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 15547-15556
Author(s):  
Hongying Li ◽  
Shusheng Zhang ◽  
Ji Zhang ◽  
Zupei Lei ◽  
Fangdong Zheng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mainland China ◽  
Infrared Camera ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Illegal Hunting ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
The Status ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Manis Pentadactyla ◽  
Camera Surveillance

Illegal hunting and trading of the Chinese Pangolin Manis pentadactyla has pushed this Critically Endangered species close to extinction.  While local reports have suggested its continued presence in mainland China, this has not been confirmed by a research group except for a survey of presumed pangolin burrows in 2004.  We conducted a six-month field study using infrared camera surveillance and community questionnaire survey in Zhejiang Wuyanling National Nature Reserve in China, to determine the status of Chinese Pangolins and understand local attitudes towards the conservation of this species.  Our study details the first verifiable documentation of two visual records of a Chinese Pangolin in the wild, demonstrating the suitability of pangolin habitat in Wuyanling region, and suggests an increasing awareness and strong willingness in local communities to conserve the Chinese Pangolin.  

scholarly journals Accounting for the low survival of the Critically Endangered northern bald ibisGeronticus eremitaon a major migratory flyway

Oryx ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 312-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Serra ◽  
J. A. Lindsell ◽  
L. Peske ◽  
J. Fritz ◽  
C. G. R. Bowden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Satellite Telemetry ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Range Shift ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Conservation Action ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
The Past ◽  
Geronticus Eremita ◽  
Wintering Areas

AbstractThe poor survival rate of immature northern bald ibisesGeronticus eremitaduring their first years spent outside the natal site is driving the last known wild colony of the migratory eastern population to extinction. To inform emergency conservation action for this Critically Endangered species we investigated the distribution range and behaviour of immature birds in passage and wintering areas, and the threats to which they are subject. We integrated recent satellite telemetry data with visual observations spanning 130 years. We assessed threats across the range, using satellite tracking and field surveys. Our results show that during the years before they return to the natal site in Syria, immature northern bald ibises reside away from the recently identified adult wintering site in the central Ethiopian highlands. They occur mainly across the northernmost 70–80% of the adult migratory range. Historical records suggest that immature birds spend more time along the western Arabian Peninsula now than in the past. This range shift exposes them for longer periods to threats, such as hunting and electrocution on power lines, which are absent from the wintering site used by adult birds. We suggest that other threatened and declining bird species sharing the same flyway probably face the same threats during migration.

scholarly journals Low hatching success in the critically endangered kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus) is driven by early embryo mortality not infertility

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
James L. Savage ◽  
Jodie M. S. Crane ◽  
Nicola Hemmings ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Hatching Success ◽  
Wild Population ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Early Embryo ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Major Barrier ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Underlying Causes ◽  
First Time ◽  
Effective Conservation

AbstractIn many endangered species, reproductive failure is a major barrier to recovery. The critically endangered kākāpō (Strigops habroptilus) exemplifies this challenge: 61% of their eggs fail to hatch, and of these 73% show no sign of development. Undeveloped eggs have previously been attributed to male infertility, but recent studies of non-threatened bird species suggest fertilisation failure is rare in the wild. The underlying causes of fertilisation failure and embryo death differ, so distinguishing between them is essential for effective conservation management. Here we show that the majority (72%, n=124) of undeveloped kākāpō eggs are fertilised, and combine this with conservation programme data on natural copulations, artificial inseminations, and paternity of developed eggs, to generate the most precise estimate to date of fertility in a wild population. We also demonstrate, for the first time in a wild bird, that artificial insemination results in greater numbers of sperm reaching the egg.

scholarly journals Rare mammal species in the zoological gardens of the Czech Republic and Slovakia

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (1) ◽  
pp. 225-228
Author(s):  
Jiří Volf
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Rare Species ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
In The Wild

Eighty-two species or other forms of rare mammals were kept in 19 zoological gardens of the Czech Republic and Slovakia as of 1 January 2016. Two mammal species extinct in the wild (EW category of the IUCN) were bred in the zoos in 2015. Of the kept 29 critically endangered species (CR), 17 bred successfully in 2015, while of the kept 51 endangered species (EN), 25 did. Nine zoos bred more than one third of their kept species belonging to the three categories. The breeding of rare species of perissodactyls and artiodactyls was the most successful in the respective zoos.

Using hierarchies of cause to inform conservation of a naturally rare but critically endangered shrub Lasiopetalum pterocarpum (Malvaceae s.l.)

2009 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 414 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. F. Wilkins ◽  
P. G. Ladd ◽  
B. J. Vincent ◽  
A. D. Crawford ◽  
L. W. Sage
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Life History Strategy ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Active Management ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
Hand Pollination ◽  
In The Wild

Understanding the causes of rarity and ways of managing populations of rare species is essential for their successful conservation. The present study applies the conceptual model of a hierarchy of causes to Lasiopetalum pterocarpum E.M.Benn. & K.Shep. (a critically endangered species) to understand better its reproductive and ecological attributes, possible reasons for its rarity and to determine whether this model assists in developing management strategies. L. pterocarpum subpopulations from Serpentine National Park were censused to record abundance, plant health, phenology, flower and fruit production and the presence of any seed bank. These characteristics were matched to criteria in the hierarchies of cause model. There was no evidence of recent seedling recruitment at any subpopulation. Hand-pollination produced a flower-to-fruit conversion proportion similar to that found in the field and self- and cross-pollinations produced virtually the same fruit set. Seed store in soil from beneath the native subpopulations and at a translocation site showed seed was patchily distributed and infrequent. L. pterocarpum is an obligate seeder, killed by fire and dependent on disturbance to break seed dormancy. However, smoke has no effect on germination. Seed production does not constrain population growth, because seedling regeneration after fire in 1999 was prolific at sites where plants had been growing. In the hierarchies of cause framework, the main causes of rarity for this species are taxon ecology, life-history strategy and stochasticity. Thus, concentrating active management on factors related to life history such as mosaic patch burning, fencing after fire to exclude vertebrate grazers, weed control and establishment of translocated populations will aid the preservation of this species in the wild.

scholarly journals Incorporating explicit geospatial data shows more species at risk of extinction than the current Red List

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (11) ◽  
pp. e1601367 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Ocampo-Peñuela ◽  
Clinton N. Jenkins ◽  
Varsha Vijay ◽  
Binbin V. Li ◽  
Stuart L. Pimm
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Red List ◽  
Geospatial Data ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Local Conservation ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
Risk Of Extinction

The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List classifies species according to their risk of extinction, informing global to local conservation decisions. Unfortunately, important geospatial data do not explicitly or efficiently enter this process. Rapid growth in the availability of remotely sensed observations provides fine-scale data on elevation and increasingly sophisticated characterizations of land cover and its changes. These data readily show that species are likely not present within many areas within the overall envelopes of their distributions. Additionally, global databases on protected areas inform how extensively ranges are protected. We selected 586 endemic and threatened forest bird species from six of the world’s most biodiverse and threatened places (Atlantic Forest of Brazil, Central America, Western Andes of Colombia, Madagascar, Sumatra, and Southeast Asia). The Red List deems 18% of these species to be threatened (15 critically endangered, 29 endangered, and 64 vulnerable). Inevitably, after refining ranges by elevation and forest cover, ranges shrink. Do they do so consistently? For example, refined ranges of critically endangered species might reduce by (say) 50% but so might the ranges of endangered, vulnerable, and nonthreatened species. Critically, this is not the case. We find that 43% of species fall below the range threshold where comparable species are deemed threatened. Some 210 bird species belong in a higher-threat category than the current Red List placement, including 189 species that are currently deemed nonthreatened. Incorporating readily available spatial data substantially increases the numbers of species that should be considered at risk and alters priority areas for conservation.

Living in a fragmented world: Birds in the Atlantic Forest

The Condor ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco A Pizo ◽  
Vinicius R Tonetti
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Forest Restoration ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Forest Birds ◽  
Movement Behavior ◽  
Fragmented Landscape ◽  
Bird Conservation ◽  
Conservation Units ◽  
History Of ◽  
Original Vegetation

Abstract The Atlantic Forest is the second largest tropical moist forest domain in South America after the Amazon, home to over 800 bird species (223 endemics or 27% of the avifauna). With only 28% of the original vegetation left, mostly fragmented and altered, the Atlantic Forest is a hotspot for bird conservation. We first introduce the extent, vegetation types, and exploitation history of the domain, and the composition and biogeographic affinities of its birds. We then provide an overview of the knowledge gathered so far on the ways Atlantic Forest birds thrive in the often-fragmented landscape, highlighting the landscape features that influence their occurrence and movement behavior. We end with the conservation issues affecting the Atlantic Forest birds and the actions hitherto taken to address them, including the establishment of conservation units, forest restoration, and rewilding.

Foraging behavior and association with mixed flocks by the Critically Endangered Alagoas Tyrannulet Phylloscartes ceciliae (Aves: Passeriformes: Tyrannidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 17646-17650
Author(s):  
Carlos Otávio Araujo Gussoni ◽  
Tatiana Pongiluppi
Keyword(s):  
Endangered Species ◽  
Foraging Behavior ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Food Item ◽  
Prey Capture ◽  
Catch Rate ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Advanced Stage ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
Tree Canopies

The Alagoas Tyrannulet Phylloscartes ceciliae is a Critically Endangered species with a restricted distribution to the Atlantic Forest of the Pernambuco Endemism Center.  It seems to specialize in using the sally-strike maneuver (68.85%) to catch prey on green foliage (50.82%) and in the air (34.42%).  We calculated a catch rate of 2.93 catches/minute, identified a new food item for this species (caterpillars), and included 12 species in the list of birds recorded in mixed flocks with the species.  Our results show that majority of the prey capture events by Alagoas Tyrannulet occurred inside tree canopies, thus we can infer that this species needs a more advanced stage of forest sucession, with higher trees, emphasizing the urgency for restoration programs in the region.

Stryphnodendron flavotomentosum (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae, mimosoid clade), a New Species from the Atlantic Forest, Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-74
Author(s):  
Alexandre Gibau de Lima ◽  
Juliana de Paula-Souza ◽  
Viviane Renata Scalon ◽  
Vinicius Castro Souza
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Endangered Species ◽  
Atlantic Forest ◽  
Conservation Status ◽  
Identification Key ◽  
Critically Endangered ◽  
Taxonomic Treatment ◽  
Critically Endangered Species ◽  
Brazilian Flora ◽  
A New Species

Abstract—During a taxonomic treatment of Stryphnodendron (Leguminosae, Caesalpinioideae, mimosoid clade) for the Brazilian Flora 2020 Project, one new presumably critically endangered species from the Atlantic Forest domain was found, and is so far only known to western Espírito Santo state. Stryphnodendron flavotomentosum is described and illustrated, and information on its distribution, habitat, phenology, and preliminary conservation status is provided. Additionally, an identification key for the species of Stryphnodendron from the Brazilian rainforests is presented.

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