NEW RECORDS OF ANOPHELES HOMUNCULUS IN CENTRAL AND SERRA DO MAR BIODIVERSITY CORRIDORS OF THE ATLANTIC FOREST, BRAZIL

Two new records of Anopheles homunculus in the eastern part of the Atlantic Forest are reported. This species was found for the first time in Barra do Ouro district, Maquine municipality, Rio Grande do Sul state, located in the southern limit of the Atlantic Forest. The 2nd new record was in the Serra Bonita Reserve, Camacan municipality, southeast Bahia state. These records extend the geographical distribution of An. homunculus, suggesting that the species may be widely distributed in coastal areas of the Atlantic Forest. It is hypothesized that the disjunct distribution of the species may be caused by inadequate sampling, and also difficulties in species identification based only on female external characteristics. Species identification was based on morphological characters of the male, larva, and pupa, and corroborated by DNA sequence analyses, employing data from both 2nd internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA and of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I.

Bioaccumulation pattern of lanthanides in pteridophytes and magnoliophytes species from Atlantic Forest

The availability of chemical elements for plants is mainly dependent on the nature of the soil and characteristics of each species. The transfer factors of lanthanides from the soil to the tree leaves of the Atlantic Forest, Brazil, were calculated for one fern species (Alsophila sternbergii-Pteridophyta division) and four magnoliophytes species (Bathysa australis, Euterpe edulis, Garcinia gardneriana and Guapira opposita-Magnoliophyta division) obtained in two areas of Serra do Mar State Park and collected in two different seasons. Samples were analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The soil-to-plant transfer factor (TF = C(plant):C(soil)) in magnoliophytes species was correlated to the mass fraction of lanthanides in the soil, described by a exponential model (TF = a.C (soil) (-b) ). Despite the tree fern Alsophila sternbergii presented a hyperaccumulation of lanthanides, this species did not have a significant relationship between TF and mass fraction in soil. Results indicated that plants of Magnoliophyta division selected the input of lanthanides from the soil, while the same was not observed in Alsophila sternbergii.

THE CONVERSION OF THE ATLANTIC FOREST IN ANTHROPOGENIC LANDSCAPES: LESSONS FOR THE CONSERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY OF TROPICAL FORESTS

The Brazilian Atlantic forest has been an excellent laboratory for investigations regarding tropical forest ecology and the fragility of tropical ecosystems in face of human disturbances. In this article, we present a synthesis about the spatial distribution of Atlantic forest biodiversity and forest response to human disturbances, as well as the ongoing conservation efforts based on a review of several investigations in this biota. In general, studies have documented an uneven distribution of biodiversity throughout the Atlantic forest region, revealing alarming rates of habitat loss at low altitudes, while protected areas concentrate at higher altitudes. It has been suggested that the remaining forest habitat is moving towards an early-successional systems across human-modified landscapes. Such regressive forest succession increases the threats for several animals and plant groups. Based on these findings, we propose seven guidelines in order to enhance the provision of ecosystem services and the conservation value of human-modified landscapes, reducing the species extinction risk in the Atlantic forest and in other irreplaceable tropical biotas.

Spatial distribution of arboviral mosquito vectors (Diptera, Culicidae) in Vale do Ribeira in the South-eastern Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Mosquitoes are vectors of arboviruses that can cause encephalitis and hemorrhagic fevers in humans. Aedes serratus (Theobald), Aedes scapularis (Rondani) and Psorophora ferox (Von Humboldt) are potential vectors of arboviruses and are abundant in Vale do Ribeira, located in the Atlantic Forest in the southeast of the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil. The objective of this study was to predict the spatial distribution of these mosquitoes and estimate the risk of human exposure to mosquito bites. Results of the analyses show that humans are highly exposed to bites in the municipalities of Cananeia, Iguape and Ilha Comprida. In these localities the incidence of Rocio encephalitis was 2% in the 1970s. Furthermore, Ae. serratus, a recently implicated vector of yellow fever virus in the State of Rio Grande do Sul, should be a target for the entomological surveillance in the southeastern Atlantic Forest. Considering the continental dimensions of Brazil and the inherent difficulties in sampling its vast area, the habitat suitability method used in the study can be an important tool for predicting the distribution of vectors of pathogens.

Divide to conquer: a complex pattern of biodiversity depicted by vertebrate components in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

The identification of northern and southern components in different vertebrate species led researchers to accept a two-component hypothesis for the Brazilian Atlantic forest (BAF). Nevertheless, neither a formal proposal nor a meta-analysis to confirm this coincidence was ever made. Our main objective here was therefore to systematically test in how many vertebrate components the BAF could be divided by analysing existing empirical data. We used two approaches: (1) mapping and comparing the proposed areas of vertebrate endemism in the BAF and (2) analysing studies mentioning spatial subdivisions in distinct forest-dependent vertebrates within the biome, by the use of panbiogeography. The four large-scale endemism area components together with the six small-scale panbiogeographical ones allowed the definition of three BAF greater regions, subdivided into nine vertebrate components, latitudinally and longitudinally organized. Empirical time estimates of the diversification events within the BAF were also reviewed. Diversification of these vertebrates occurred not only in the Pleistocene but also throughout the Miocene. Our results confirm the BAF's complex history, both in space and time. We propose that future research should be small-scale and focused in the vertebrate components identified herein. Given the BAF's heterogeneity, studying via sections will be much more useful in identifying the BAF's historical biogeography. (c) 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 107, 39-55.

Climatic oscillations shape the phylogeographical structure of Atlantic Forest fire-eye antbirds (Aves: Thamnophilidae)

In the present study, mitochondrial (mt)DNA sequence data were used to examine the genetic structure of fire-eye antbirds (genus Pyriglena) along the Atlantic Forest and the predictions derived from the river hypothesis and from a Last Glacial Maximum Pleistocene refuge paleomodel were compared to explain the patterns of genetic variation observed in these populations. A total of 266 individuals from 45 populations were sampled over a latitudinal transect and a number of phylogeographical and population genetics analytical approaches were employed to address these questions. The pattern of mtDNA variation observed in fire-eye antbirds provides little support for the view that populations were isolated by the modern course of major Atlantic Forest rivers. Instead, the data provide stronger support for the predictions of the refuge model. These results add to the mounting evidence that climatic oscillations appear to have played a substantial role in shaping the phylogeographical structure and possibly the diversification of many taxa in this region. However, the results also illustrate the potential for more complex climatic history and historical changes in the geographical distribution of Atlantic Forest than envisioned by the refuge model. (c) 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 105, 900824.

Carbon and nitrogen stock and fluxes in coastal Atlantic Forest of southeast Brazil: potential impacts of climate change on biogeochemical functioning

The Atlantic Forest is one of the most important biomes of Brazil. Originally covering approximately 1.5 million of km(2), today this area has been reduced to 12% of its original size. Climate changes may alter the structure and the functioning of this tropical forest. Here we explore how increases in temperature and changes in precipitation distribution could affect dynamics of carbon and nitrogen in coastal Atlantic Forest of the southeast region of Brazil The main conclusion of this article is that the coastal Atlantic Forest has high stocks of carbon and nitrogen above ground, and especially, below ground. An increase in temperature may transform these forests from important carbon sinks to carbon sources by increasing loss of carbon and nitrogen to the atmosphere. However, this conclusion should be viewed with caution because it is based on limited information. Therefore, more studies are urgently needed to enable us to make more accurate predictions.

A model of road effect using line integrals and a test of the performance of two new road indices using the distribution of small mammals in an Atlantic Forest landscape

Effects of roads on wildlife and its habitat have been measured using metrics, such as the nearest road distance, road density, and effective mesh size. In this work we introduce two new indices: (1) Integral Road Effect (IRE), which measured the sum effects of points in a road at a fixed point in the forest; and (2) Average Value of the Infinitesimal Road Effect (AVIRE), which measured the average of the effects of roads at this point. IRE is formally defined as the line integral of a special function (the infinitesimal road effect) along the curves that model the roads, whereas AVIRE is the quotient of IRE by the length of the roads. Combining tools of ArcGIS software with a numerical algorithm, we calculated these and other road and habitat cover indices in a sample of points in a human-modified landscape in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, where data on the abundance of two groups of small mammals (forest specialists and habitat generalists) were collected in the field. We then compared through the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) a set of candidate regression models to explain the variation in small mammal abundance, including models with our two new road indices (AVIRE and IRE) or models with other road effect indices (nearest road distance, mesh size, and road density), and reference models (containing only habitat indices, or only the intercept without the effect of any variable). Compared to other road effect indices, AVIRE showed the best performance to explain abundance of forest specialist species, whereas the nearest road distance obtained the best performance to generalist species. AVIRE and habitat together were included in the best model for both small mammal groups, that is, higher abundance of specialist and generalist small mammals occurred where there is lower average road effect (less AVIRE) and more habitat. Moreover, AVIRE was not significantly correlated with habitat cover of specialists and generalists differing from the other road effect indices, except mesh size, which allows for separating the effect of roads from the effect of habitat on small mammal communities. We suggest that the proposed indices and GIS procedures could also be useful to describe other spatial ecological phenomena, such as edge effect in habitat fragments. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Botanical Origin of Protein Sources Used by Honeybees (Apis mellifera) in an Atlantic Forest

Productive and reproductive traits of beehives are influenced by climate and food availability in the region where the bees are reared or maintained, thus honey and pollen storage, egg-laying conditions of the queen as well as comb occupation are subject to seasonal variations. The present study was conducted in the apiary of the Department of Entomology and Acarology, College of Agriculture Luiz de Queiroz, ESALQ/USP, in the municipality of Piracicaba, in an area containing fruit trees, ornamental plants and a fragment of a native forest. The objective was to identify protein sources used by honeybees (Apis mellifera) over a whole year (2010-2011) in remnants of the Atlantic forest, information that can be used in the conservation and restoration of degraded areas. For sample preparation, the acetolysis method was adopted (Eredtman 1952) and the quantitative analysis was performed by counting successive samples of 900 grains per sample which were grouped by botanical species and/or pollen types. The results show that the bees used various plant types in the area, including ruderal species, to maintain their colonies. Apis mellifera seeks food sources in all plants in the surroundings of the apiary, including herbaceous, shrubs, trees, native or introduced. Eucalyptus sp. played an important role as a food source in all seasons due to its wide availability around the apiary and its high flower production. The most frequent pollen types (greater than 10% of the sample) were Anadenanthera sp., Acacia sp, Miconia sp. and Eucalyptus sp. in winter; Philodendron sp., Mikania cordifolia, Parthenium and Eucalyptus sp. in spring; Alternanthera ficoidea, Chamissoa altissima and Eucalyptus sp. in summer; Philodendron sp., Raphanus sp. and Eucalyptus sp. in autumn.

Two new genera of Pteronemobiini crickets from the Brazilian Atlantic forest (Orthoptera, Grylloidea, Trigonidiidae, Nemobiinae)

Two new genera and species of Pteronemobiini crickets (Grylloidea: Trigonidiidae: Nemobiinae) are described from southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest: Kevanemobius paulistorum gen. n. et sp. n., and Pepoyara jagoi gen. n. et sp. n. The position of these genera among other Pteronemobiini is briefly discussed.

Improving Planting Stocks for the Brazilian Atlantic Forest Restoration through Community-Based Seed Harvesting Strategies

High-diversity reforestation can help jumpstart tropical forest restoration, but obtaining viable seedlings is a major constraint: if nurseries do not offer them, it is hard to plant all the species one would like. From 2007 to 2009, we investigated five different seed acquisition strategies employed by a well-established tree nursery in southeastern Brazil, namely (1) in-house seed harvesters; (2) hiring a professional harvester; (3) amateur seed harvesters; or (4) a seed production cooperative, as well as (5) participating in a seed exchange program. In addition, we evaluated two strategies not dependent on seeds: harvesting seedlings from native tree species found regenerating under Eucalyptus plantations, and in a native forest remnant. A total of 344 native tree and shrub species were collected as seeds or seedlings, including 2,465 seed lots. Among these, a subset of 120 species was obtained through seed harvesting in each year. Overall, combining several strategies for obtaining planting stocks was an effective way to increase species richness, representation of some functional groups (dispersal syndromes, planting group, and shade tolerance), and genetic diversity of seedlings produced in forest tree nurseries. Such outcomes are greatly desirable to support high-diversity reforestation as part of tropical forest restoration. In addition, community-based seed harvesting strategies fostered greater socioeconomic integration of traditional communities in restoration projects and programs, which is an important bottleneck for the advance of ecological restoration, especially in developing countries. Finally, we discuss some of the limitations of the various strategies for obtaining planting stocks and the way forward for their improvement.

Land-use and land-cover change in Atlantic Forest landscapes

The Atlantic Forest is one of the most threatened tropical biomes, with much of the standing forest in small (less than 50 ha), disturbed and isolated patches. The pattern of land-use and land-cover change (LULCC) which has resulted in this critical scenario has not yet been fully investigated. Here, we describe the LULCC in three Atlantic Forest fragmented landscapes (Sao Paulo, Brazil) between 1960-1980s and 1980-2000s. The three studied landscapes differ in the current proportion of forest cover, having 10%, 30% and 50% respectively. Between the 1960s and 1980s. forest cover of two landscapes was reduced while the forest cover in the third landscape increased slightly. The opposite trend was observed between the 1980s and 2000s: forest regeneration was greater than deforestation at the landscapes with 10% and 50% of forest cover and, as a consequence, forest cover increased. By contrast, the percentage of forest cover at the landscape with 30% of forest cover was drastically reduced between the 1980s and 2000s. LULCC deviated from a random trajectory, were not constant through time in two study landscapes and were not constant across space in a given time period. This landscape dynamism in single locations over small temporal scales is a key factor to be considered in models of LULCC to accurately simulate future changes for the Atlantic Forest. In general, forest patches became more isolated when deforestation was greater than forest regeneration and became more connected when forest regeneration was greater than deforestation. As a result of the dynamic experienced by the study landscapes, individual forest patches currently consist of a mosaic of different forest age classes which is likely to impact bio-diversity. Furthermore, landscape dynamics suggests the beginning of a forest transition in some Atlantic Forest regions, what could be of great importance for biodiversity conservation due to the potential effects of young secondary forests in reducing forest isolation and maintaining a significant amount of the original biodiversity. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Epidemiology of Brazilian spotted fever in the Atlantic Forest, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil

The tick-borne bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii is the aetiological agent of Brazilian spotted fever (BSF). The present study evaluated tick infestations on wild and domestic animals, and the rickettsial infection in these animals and their ticks in 7 forest areas adjacent to human communities in the Sao Paulo Metropolitan Area (SPMA). The results were compared to ecological traits of each sampled area. Two main tick species, Amblyomma aureolatum and Rhipicephalus sanguineus, were collected from dogs. The major ticks found on small mammals and birds were Ixodes loricatus and Amblyomma longirostre, respectively. Both anti-R. rickettsii antibodies and R. rickettsii-infected ticks were detected on dogs from only 2 areas in the southern part of the SPMA, which were considered to be endemic for BSF; the remaining 5 areas were considered to be non-endemic. Ecologically, the BSF-endemic areas clearly differed from the non-endemic areas by the presence of significantly more degraded forest patches in the former. The present results corroborate historical observations that have indicated that all human cases of BSF in the SPMA were contracted in the southern part of this metropolitan area. However, not all forest patches in the southern part of the SPMA were shown to be associated with BSF endemism.

NATURAL REGENERATION IN ABANDONED FIELDS FOLLOWING INTENSIVE AGRICULTURAL LAND USE IN AN ATLANTIC FOREST ISLAND, BRAZIL

The time required to regrowth a forest in degraded areas depends on how the forest is removed and on the type of land use following removal. Natural regeneration was studied in abandoned old fields after intensive agricultural land use in areas originally covered by Brazilian Atlantic Forests of the Anchieta Island, Brazil in order to understand how plant communities reassemble following human disturbances as well as to determine suitable strategies of forest restoration. The fields were classified into three vegetation types according to the dominant plant species in: 1) Miconia albicans (Sw.) Triana (Melastomataceae) fields, 2) Dicranopteris flexuosa (Schrader) Underw. (Gleicheniaceae) thickets, and 3) Gleichenella pectinata (Willd.) Ching. (Gleicheniaceae) thickets. Both composition and structure of natural regeneration were compared among the three dominant vegetation types by establishing randomly three plots of 1 x 3 m in five sites of the island. A gradient in composition and abundance of species in natural regeneration could be observed along vegetation types from Dicranopteris fern thickets to Miconia fields. The gradient did not accurately follow the pattern of spatial distribution of the three dominant vegetation types in the island regarding their proximity of the remnant forests. A complex association of biotic and abiotic factors seems to be affecting the seedling recruitment and establishment in the study plots. The lowest plant regeneration found in Dicranopteris and Gleichenella thickets suggests that the ferns inhibit the recruitment of woody and herbaceous species. Otherwise, we could not distinguish different patterns of tree regeneration among the three vegetation types. Our results showed that forest recovery following severe anthropogenic disturbances is not direct, predictable or even achievable on its own. Appropriated actions and methods such as fern removal, planting ground covers, and enrichment planting with tree species were suggested in order to restore the natural forest regeneration process in the abandoned old fields.

Phylogeographic Structure and Karyotypic Diversity of the Brazilian Shrew Mouse (Blarinomys breviceps, Sigmodontinae) in the Atlantic Forest

Blarinomys breviceps possesses cryptic and burrowing habits with poorly documented genetics and life history traits. Due to its rarity, only a few specimens and DNA sequences have been deposited in collections worldwide. Here, we present the most comprehensive cytogenetic and molecular characterization of this rare genus. Phylogenetic analyses based on partial cytochrome b sequences were performed, attempting to establish the relationships among individuals with distinct karyotypes along the geographic distribution of the genus in the Atlantic Forest. Classical and molecular cytogenetics, using banding patterns and FISH of telomeric and whole chromosome X-specific painting probes (obtained from the Akodontini Akodon cursor) were used to characterize and compare the chromosomal complements. Molecular phylogenetic analyses recovered 2 main geographically structured clades, northeastern and southeastern with pair-wise sequence divergences among specimens varying between 4.9 and 8.4%. Eight distinct karyomorphs are described: (A) 2n = 52 (50A, XX), (B) 2n = 52 (48A, XY+2Bs), (C) 2n = 45 (42A, XY+1B), (D) 2n = 43 (37A, XX+4Bs), (E) 2n = 37 (34A, XY+1B), (F) 2n = 34 (32A, XX), (G) 2n = 31 (27A, XX+2Bs), (H) 2n = 28 (26A, XY), all with the same number of autosomal arms (FNA = 50). Variation of 0-4 supernumerary chromosomes (Bs) presenting heterogeneity in morphology and distribution of interstitial telomeric sequences (ITSs) is reported. ITSs are also found in some metacentric autosomes. The phylogeographic separation between 2 major lineages with high levels of genetic divergence, and the wide karyotypic diversity indicate that B. breviceps is a diverse group that warrants taxonomic re-evaluation. Copyright (C) 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel