Amazonian freshwater habitats experiencing environmental and socieconomic threats affecting subsistence fisheries

ALHO, C.J.R.; REIS, R.E.; AQUINO, P.P.U. 2015. Amazonian freshwater habitats experiencing environmental and socieconomic threats affecting subsistence fisheries. AMBIO 44(5):412-425. doi: 10.1007/s13280-014-0610-z

Abstract. Matching the trend seen among the major large rivers of the globe, the Amazon River and its tributaries are facing aquatic ecosystem disruption that is affecting freshwater habitats and their associated biodiversity, including trends for decline in fishery resources. The Amazon’s aquatic ecosystems, linked natural resources, and human communities that depend on them are increasingly at risk from a number of identified threats, including expansion of agriculture; cattle pastures; infrastructure such as hydroelectric dams, logging, mining; and overfishing. The forest, which regulates the hydrological pulse, guaranteeing the distribution of rainfall and stabilizing seasonal flooding, has been affected by deforestation. Flooding dynamics of the Amazon Rivers are a major factor in regulating the intensity and timing of aquatic organisms. This study’s objective was to identify threats to the integrity of freshwater ecosystems, and to seek instruments for conservation and sustainable use, taking principally fish diversity and fisheries as factors for analysis.

Mastofauna do Planalto das Araucárias, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

MARQUES, R.V.; CADEMARTORI, C.V.; PACHECO, S.M. 2011. Mastofauna do Planalto das Araucárias, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Biociências 9(3):278-288. 

Abstract. Mammals from Araucaria’s Plateau, state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Wild small (including flying), medium and large mammals long term surveys were carried out in Protected areas in Araucarias Plateau in state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. Studies were done in native pine forests (Araucaria angustifolia), Araucaria plantation, recuperation stage of native vegetation after deforestation and around urban areas. Study methods included the use of Tomahawk traps, pitffal traps, mist nets, camera traps, footprints, direct observations of animals and dead animals in roads. Sixty six species of native mammals and one exotic species (hare – Lepus europaeus) were detected. Araucaria’s Plateau is important for conservation of mammals because has natural environments that support endangered species.

Curso teórico-prático: Biologia, ecologia e conservação do Boto-da-Tainha (Tursiops truncatus)

Curso teórico-prático: Biologia, ecologia e conservação da Bale-Franca-Austral (Eubalaena australis)

Journals: Community Ecology

Community Ecology

- Abreviatura: Community Ecol.

- Home Page: http://www.akademiai.com/content/119710/

- Qualis CAPES: B1 (Biodiversidade), B2 (Ciências Biológicas I).

- Taxa de Publicação: Sim.

- Idiomas: Inglês.

- Disponibilidade: Restrito. Apenas as edições mais recentes ficam disponíveis no site.

- Submissão: Online, pelo sistema Editorial Manager, com acesso na home page.

Community Ecology, estabelecida pela união de dois periódicos de ecologia, o Coenoses e a Abstracta Botanica foi gerado em um esforço de criar um fórum global comum para ecólogos de comunidade que trabalhem com comunidades de plantas, animais e/ou microbiais dos sistemas terrestres, marinhos ou de água doce. As principais áreas abordadas são: (i) teoria ecológica baseada em comunidade; (ii) modelagem de comunidades ecológicas; (iii) ecofisiologia baseada em comunidades; (iv) dinâmicas temporais, incluindo sucessão; (v) interações tróficas, incluindo cadeias alimentares e competição; (vi) análise de padrões espaciais, incluindo questões de escala; (vii) padrões de riqueza de espécies e diversidade em comunidades; (viii) amostragem de comunidades ecológicas/ (ix) métodos de análise de dados. Também publica Revisões de livros publicados, anúncios e avisos.

XVI Congresso Brasileiro de Primatologia

Barn Owl pellets (Aves: Tyto furcata) reveal a higher mammalian richness in the Restinga de Jurubatiba National Park, Southeastern Brazil

LEMOS, H.M.; SILVA, C.A.O.; PATIU, F.M.; GONÇALVES, P.R. 2015. Barn Owl pellets (Aves: Tyto furcata) reveal a higher mammalian richness in the Restinga de Jurubatiba National Park, Southeastern Brazil. Biota Neotropica 15(2):1-9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1676-06032015012114

Abstract. The northern coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro harbors the largest coastal sandy plains (restingas) of southeastern Brazil, severely threatened due to recent human occupation. In this context, mammal inventories becomes urgent to support biodiversity conservation and management policies. This paper aims to update the knowledge on the mammalian species richness of Restinga de Jurubatiba National Park by analyzing pellets of the Barn owl Tyto furcata. The analyses of 4745 mammalian bone fragments (1739 individuals) revealed the occurrence of 17 species belonging to the orders Rodentia (9 spp.), Didelphimorphia (2 spp.) and Chiroptera (6 spp.). The rodents Mus musculus and Cerradomys goytaca accounted for 77.2% of the total individuals preyed, suggesting that the Barn owl hunts in both disturbed and natural open shrub formations. A compilation of previous records, together with those provided in the present study, indicates the occurrence of 44 species of mammals in the Restinga de Jurubatiba National Park, of which six (13.6%) were exclusively detected in pellets. These new records include species adapted to open formations of the interior of Brazil that were not previously reported in restingas on the basis of voucher-specimens, such as the rodents Necromys lasiurus and Calomys tener, the latter being recorded for the first time in the littoral of Rio de Janeiro state. This study underscores the importance of owl pellet analysis as a complementary and indispensable method for inventorying mammals. The results highlight the Restinga de Jurubatiba National Park as one of the restingas in Southeastern Brazil with the highest number of mammal species.

Are otters generalists or do they prefer large, slower prey? Feeding flexibility of the Neotropical otter Lontra longicaudis in the Atlantic Forest

RHEINGANTZ, M.L.; OLIVEIRA-SANTOS, L.G.; WALDEMARIN, H.F.; CARAMASCHI, E.P. 2012. Are otters generalists or do they prefer large, slower prey? Feeding flexibility of the Neotropical otter Lontra longicaudis in the Atlantic Forest. IUCN Otter Specialist Group Bulletin 29(2):80-94.

Abstract. Despite there being several studies focusing on feeding habits of Lontra longicaudis, few studies aimed to evaluate its prey selectivity and none of them considered prey mobility. In this study, we report both its feeding flexibility and specialist feeding behaviour between two parts of Mambucaba River, Southeastern Brazil. We observed that they fed mainly on fish, crabs and crayfish. We did not observe seasonality either in diet or prey community availability. However, using ANOVA, we found differences between stretches for diet composition and in the availability of prey. Monotonic Multi-Dimensional Scaling ordination showed that the otter diet in mangroves was dominated by Brachyura and the prey availability by Brachyura, Caridea, Ariidae, Mugilidae, Gerreidae, Centropomidae and Cichlidae, while the diet in the river stretch was dominated by Cichlidae, Caridea and Heptapteridae, and the prey availability by Characidae, Erythrinidae and Heptapteridae. According to Ivlev Electivity Index, along the river few preys were consumed according to their abundance, the majority being selected. Otters preferred slower prey, no matter their size. We observed variation in the level of preference of the same prey in different stretches, with flexibility in otter diet. Otter ate few preys according to their abundance, but showed specialist feeding behaviour, eating the slowest prey of the stretch.