The taxonomic distinctness of macroinvertebrate communities of Atlantic Forest streams cannot be predicted by landscape and climate variables, but traditional biodiversity indices can

Predicting how anthropogenic activities may influence the various components of biodiversity is essential for finding ways to reduce diversity loss. This challenge involves: a) understanding how environmental factors influence diversity across different spatial scales, and b) developing ways to measure these relationships in a way that is fast, economical, and easy to communicate. In this study, we investigate whether landscape and bioclimatic variables could explain variation in biodiversity indices in macroinvertebrate communities from 39 Atlantic Forest streams. In addition to traditional diversity measures, i.e., species richness, abundance and Shannon index, we used a taxonomic distinctness index that measures the degree of phylogenetic relationship among taxa. The amount of variation in the diversity measures that was explained by environmental and spatial variables was estimated using variation partitioning based on multiple regression. Our study demonstrates that taxonomic distinctness does not respond in the same way as the traditional used in biodiversity studies. We found no evidence that taxonomic distinctness responds predictably to variation in landscape metrics, indicating the need for the incorporation of predictors at multiple scales in this type of study. The lack of congruence between taxonomic distinctness and other indices and its low predictability may be related to the fact that this measure expresses long-term evolutionary adaptation to ecosystem conditions, while the other traditional biodiversity metrics respond to short-term environmental changes.Prever como as atividades antrópicas podem influenciar os vários componentes da biodiversidade é essencial para encontrar maneiras de reduzir a perda de diversidade. Este desafio envolve: a) a compreensão de como os fatores ambientais influenciam a diversidade em diferentes escalas espaciais e, b) desenvolver formas de medir essas relações de uma maneira rápida, econômica e de fácil comunicação. Neste estudo, nós investigamos se a paisagem e as variáveis bioclimáticas podem explicar a variação nos índices de biodiversidade em comunidades de macroinvertebrados de 39 riachos de Mata Atlântica. Adicionalmente às medidas tradicionais de diversidade, por ex.: riqueza de espécies, abundância e índice de Shannon, nos utilizamos índice de distinção taxonômica que mede o grau de relação filogenética dentre os taxa. A quantidade de variação nas medidas de diversidade que foi explicado por variáveis ambientais e espaciais foi estimada utilizando a variação particionada baseada em regressão múltipla. O presente estudo demonstra que o índice de distinção taxonômica não responde da mesma maneira que os índices tradicionais utilizados em estudos de biodiversidade. Nós não encontramos nenhuma evidência de que a distinção taxonômica responde previsivelmente à variação métricas da paisagem, indicando a necessidade de incorporação de preditores em múltiplas escalas neste tipo de estudo. A falta de congruência entre a distinção taxonômica e outros índices e sua baixa previsibilidade pode estar relacionada com o fato de esta medida expressar adaptações evolutivas de longo prazo para as condições ambientais, enquanto as outras métricas tradicionais respondem às alterações ambientais de curto prazo.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul – UFMS, Av. Costa e Silva, 1500, Cidade Universitária, CEP 79804-970, Campo Grande, MS, BrazilPrograma de Pós-graduação em Entomologia e Conservação da Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados – UFGD, Rodovia Itahum, Km 12, Cidade Universitária, CEP 70804-970, Dourados, MS, BrazilLaboratório de Entomologia Aquática, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto – FFCLRP, Universidade de São Paulo – USP, Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, Monte Alegre, CEP 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brazil.Laboratório de Ecologia Espacial e Conservação – LEEC, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Biodiversidade, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, Av. 24 a 1515, Bela Vista, CEP 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, BrazileLaboratório de Análise e Síntese em Biodiversidade, Programa de Pós-graduação em Ecologia e Biodiversidade, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista – UNESP, Av 24 a 1515, Bela Vista, CEP 13506-900, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil.FAPESP: 2013/50424-1CNPq: 480933/2012-0CNPq: 303293/2009-8CNPq: 476484/2008-

Integrating geographic ranges across temporal scales

Geographic ranges are a fundamental unit of biogeography and macroecology. Increasingly, paleontologists and ecologists alike are reconstructing geographic ranges of species from fossils, in order to understand the long-term processes governing biogeographic and macroevolutionary patterns. As these reconstructions have become increasingly common, uncertainty has arisen over the equivalency of paleo-ranges and modern ranges. Here, we argue geographic ranges are time-averaged at all temporal scales, and reflect the biotic and abiotic processes operating across the equivalent range of time and space scales. This conceptual framework integrates the study of geographic ranges reconstructed using modern and ancient data, and highlights the potential for ranges to illuminate processes responsible for diversity patterns over intervals spanning days to tens of millions of years of Earth history

Synergistic effects of seed disperser and predator loss on recruitment success and long-term consequences for carbon stocks in tropical rainforests

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:33:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017-12-01The extinction of large frugivores has consequences for the recruitment of large-seeded plants with potential lasting effects on carbon storage in tropical rainforests. However, previous studies relating frugivore defaunation to changes in carbon storage ignore potential compensation by redundant frugivores and the effects of seed predators on plant recruitment. Based on empirical data of the recruitment success of a large-seeded hardwood tree species (Cryptocarya mandioccana, Lauraceae) across a defaunation gradient of seed dispersers and predators, we show that defaunation increases both seed dispersal limitation and seed predation. Depending on the level of seed predator loss, plant recruitment is reduced by 70.7-94.9% as a result of the loss of seed dispersers. The loss of large seed predators increases the net seed mortality by 7-30% due to the increased abundance of small granivorous rodents. The loss of large seed dispersers can be buffered by the compensatory effects of smaller frugivores in seed removal, but it is not sufficient to prevent a decrease in plant recruitment. We show that the conservation of both seed predators and dispersers is necessary for the recruitment of large-seeded plants. Since these plants contribute substantially to carbon stocks, defaunation can jeopardize the maintenance of tropical forest carbon storage.Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Zoologia Laboratório de Primatologia, Avenida 24A, CP199 1515Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Ecologia Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação, Avenida 24A, 1515 CP199Escola Superior de Agricultura Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ) Universidade de São Paulo (USP) Departamento de Ciências Florestais, Avenida Pádua Dias, 11Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Zoologia Laboratório de Primatologia, Avenida 24A, CP199 1515Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Ecologia Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação, Avenida 24A, 1515 CP19

White-lipped peccary movement and range in agricultural lands of Central Brazil

White-lipped peccaries (WLPs) are known as forest-dependent species and are thus expected to respond negatively to deforestation. Yet, little is known about how WLP herds use agricultural lands where high portions (i.e., more than 50%) of the native forest have been removed. In order to understand how WLPs access and use forested habitats nested within agricultural landscapes, we analyzed WLP movement (i.e., linear distances moved) at varying temporal intervals (3 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 168 h, and 720 h) and monthly herd ranges (MCP 30%, 50%, 70%, and 90%) in two agricultural regions of Central Brazil. Short- and long-term movement did not show variation across months or seasons. Yet, long-term movement and ranges positively correlated with the diversity of available fruits and negatively correlated with the percent of forest cover. Furthermore, the negative relationship between ranges and forest cover was more pronounced during the wet season, with herds in areas with less forest cover having ranges twice as large as those in areas with more forest cover. Our results suggest that short-term movement is most likely reflective of internal drivers (e.g., body shape, physiology). On the other hand, long-term movement and ranges respond to external drivers, which, in this case, are most likely changes in the spatiotemporal distribution of fruiting trees in areas with less forest cover. Our results provide important information for the conservation of this keystone species by establishing that WLPs are negatively affected by forest removal, of which the consequences may be exacerbated with seasonality.Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Vanderbilt UniversityDepartment of Biological Sciences Vanderbilt UniversityPeccary Project/IUCN/SSC Peccary Specialist GroupInstituto de Biociências Departamento de Ecologia and Laboratório de Ecologia Espacial e Conservação (LEEC) Universidade Estadual and Paulista (UNESP)Instituto de Biociências Departamento de Ecologia and Laboratório de Ecologia Espacial e Conservação (LEEC) Universidade Estadual and Paulista (UNESP

Seed Dispersal by Primates and Implications for the Conservation of a Biodiversity Hotspot, the Atlantic Forest of South America

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:28:06Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2016-06-01Primates play a fundamental role as seed dispersers, particularly in tropical rainforests. Because defaunation and fragmentation are leading several primate species to local extinction, it is fundamental to understand the role of primates as effective seed dispersers. Here we present a systematic review of studies of seed dispersal by primates in a biodiversity hotspot, the Atlantic Forest of South America, to 1) highlight gaps in our knowledge, 2) determine species richness and proportion of seed species dispersed, and 3) test the relationship between primate body size and the size of dispersed species. Our review found 79 studies of the diet of six ecospecies (Callithrix, Leontopithecus, Callicebus, Sapajus, Alouatta, Brachyteles) but only 20 of these report information on seed dispersal, and none of these are on Callithrix or Callicebus. We found a strong bias in the distribution of species and regions, with most of the studies concentrated in southeastern Brazil. All ecospecies dispersed a large proportion of the seed species they handled (72.1–93.6%). Brachyteles dispersed the highest diversity of plants (N = 73), followed by Sapajus (N = 66), Leontopithecus (N = 49), and Alouatta (N = 26). Although we found no significant relationship between primate body size and the size of seeds dispersed, Brachyteles disperse a higher diversity of large-seeded species than smaller-bodied primates. These results suggest that the local extinction of large primate species may lead to dramatic changes in the plant community, as many large-seeded plants are inaccessible to smaller arboreal frugivores. We propose guidelines for future research on primate seed dispersal to enable the evaluation of seed dispersal effectiveness and to improve our understanding of the fundamental role of primates in this key ecosystem process.Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)Laboratório de Primatologia Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP)Laboratório de Primatologia Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP

Landscape Use and Co-Occurrence Patterns of Neotropical Spotted Cats

Small felids influence ecosystem dynamics through prey and plant population changes. Although most of these species are threatened, they are accorded one of the lowest research efforts of all felids, and we lack basic information about them. Many felids occur in sympatry, where intraguild competition is frequent. Therefore, assessing the role of interspecific interactions along with the relative importance of landscape characteristics is necessary to understand how these species co-occur in space. Here, we selected three morphologically similar and closely related species of small Neotropical cats to evaluate the roles of interspecific interactions, geomorphometry, environmental, and anthropogenic landscape characteristics on their habitat use. We collected data with camera trapping and scat sampling in a large protected Atlantic forest remnant (35,000 ha). Throughout occupancy modeling we investigated whether these species occur together more or less frequently than would be expected by chance, while dealing with imperfect detection and incorporating possible habitat preferences into the models. We used occupancy as a measure of their habitat use. Although intraguild competition can be an important determinant of carnivore assemblages, in our system, we did not find evidence that one species affects the habitat use of the other. Evidence suggested that proximity to the nature reserve (a more protected area) was a more important driver of Neotropical spotted cats' occurrence than interspecific interactions or geomorphometry and environmental landscape characteristics-even though our entire study area is under some type of protection. This suggests that small felids can be sensitive to the area protection status, emphasizing the importance of maintaining and creating reserves and other areas with elevated protection for the proper management and conservation of the group