Foraging, diet and community structure in an epigaeic ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) assemblage: the role of recruitment

The significance of recruitment systems for community structure of epigaeic ants in a tropical upland forest in southern Brazil was evaluated by examining patterns of spatial occurrence at fixed points. Normal exploratory activity was evaluated with pitfall traps, while the effect of recruitment and diet was evaluated by using honey and sardine baits at the same points. Through techniques developed for environmental impact assessment, the significance of recruitment was evaluated following perturbation, or the placement of bait. Of the 46 species encountered, 15 were sufficiently frequent to study. Of these, only 6 showed significant spatial frequency changes at baits when compared with pitfall trap collections. In one analysis, monthly differences were important for a few smaller species, suggesting thermic limitations, while bait types either increased or decreased spatial point usage. The magnitude of spatial point variation is an index for the strength of recruitment in community organization. Bait types suggest nutritional possibilities of each species. Both recruitment and diet are probably functions of the species composition of the ant community.

Feeding habits and habitat use in Bothrops pubescens (Viperidae, Crotalinae) from southern Brazil

Bothrops pubescens is a member of the neuwiedi complex that occurs in southern Brazil and Uruguay. We studied the ecology of B. pubescens from a field site (at Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil) and based on preserved specimens from the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. In Santa Maria, individuals were collected during visual encounter surveys (VES), in pitfall traps with drift fences and during incidental encounters. Most snakes found in the field were on the ground, mainly on leaf litter, in mosaics of light and shadow or in completely shaded areas. In disturbed areas, snakes were usually associated with country houses and agricultural fields. Snakes were found much more frequently in forests and forest edges than in open habitats. The diet of B. pubescens comprised small mammals (56.2% of individual prey found), anurans (21.2%), lizards (7.5%), snakes (7.5%), birds (5.0%), and centipedes (2.5%). Prey predator mass ratios ranged from 0.002-0.627, and larger snakes tended to consume larger prey. Bothrops pubescens seems to be able to survive in disturbed areas, mainly those close to forests, and this ability may be facilitated by its generalized feeding habits. Copyright 2005 Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles.

Snake assemblage in a disturbed grassland environment in Rio Grande do Sul State, southern Brazil: Population fluctuations of Liophis poecilogyrus and Pseudablabes agassizii

A mark-recapture study of a snake assemblage using pitfall traps with drift fences was carried out in a disturbed grassland environment (e.g. cattle breeding and cultivations), located in the Pampa Biome, in the central region of the Rio Grande do Sul State, southern Brazil. From February 2001 to January 2004 we caught 272 snakes belonging to 20 species from the following families: Elapidae (5%), Viperidae (10%), and Colubridae (85%). The assemblage had a unimodal seasonal pattern of activity, and the highest number of captures occurred between September and May. There was a positive and significant correlation between the number of captures and monthly minimum and maximum average temperatures. Recruitment was observed from January to April. During the study, the area was affected by human activities, which altered the community structure: Pseudablabes agassizii was negatively affected by habitat devastation while Liophis poecilogyrus took advantage of this. Our results reinforced the impression that Pseudablabes agassizii is a habitat specialist species. We extend the understanding of the susceptibility of this species to environmental destruction in open natural environments of South America, and propose its use as a potential bio-indicator of the Pampa biome. We also discuss the importance of conservation strategies for snakes in grasslands of southern Brazil. © Finnish Zoological and Botanical Publishing Board 2007.

Ant diversity in a sugarcane culture without the use of straw burning in southeast, são paulo, Brazil

Problem statement: One of the current requirements of agroecosystem management is the maintenance of biodiversity. Manual sugarcane harvesting with the previous burning of straw has been gradually replaced by mechanical harvesting in Brazil. However, the diversity of Formicidae, which can be a natural pest controller, has not been studied in this new system yet. Approach: This study was carried out to assess the diversity of ants in an exclusively mechanically harvested sugarcane culture based on the hypothesis that species richness and abundance will increase with the deposition of straw in this culture system. Ants were sampled using pitfall traps in six sugarcane cultivars during three consecutive harvest cycles. Results: A total of 8,139 ants, distributed in 39 species, were collected. Richness, abundance and diversity differed between harvest cycles, especially in the first cycle, when the soil did not have any straw and in the two last cycles and the straw layer was about 10-15 cm thick. The communities found in the second and third cycles were similar and the maintenance of straw in the culture contributed to a greater species diversity, particularly of generalist predaceous taxa, which may contribute to the natural control of pests. Conclusion: The diversity of ants increased with straw deposition, including of taxa that may be beneficial to the sugarcane culture. However, new studies of the predatory and competition relations in this agroecosystem are necessary. © 2010 Science Publications.

Herpetofauna, municipality of Porto Murtinho, Chaco region, state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Among the physiographic regions included in the central South American diagonal of open formations, the Chaco, with some endemic species, represents the southernmost dry area. In Brazil, the Chaco is found in southwestern corner of Mato Grosso do Sul state, mostly in the municipality of Porto Murtinho along the Paraguay and Apa rivers. From February 2008 to December 2009, we carried out an inventory of amphibians and reptiles in Porto Murtinho, using pitfall traps, time-limited searches, and occasional encounters. A total of 34 amphibian and 39 reptile species were registered. Although some typical Chacoan species were found, most of the species are open area dwellers that also occur in other open biomes, such as the Cerrado and Caatinga. © 2010 Check List and Authors.

Impacts of agricultural activities in remaining forest: Campinas/SP, Brazil

Forest fragmentation occurs normally in an area around the city or with high agricultural influence, such as the Forest of Quilombo that lies in Metropolitan Campinas/SP- Brazil. This forest is one such example since it is separated from the other forest fragments in the region for several types of human action. The objective of this study is to analyze the macro and micronutrients and soil edaphic insect fauna in the forest, pasture and sugar cane and inferring the impacts caused by the Mata do Quilombo cattle farming and urban expansion in chemical aspects of soil. Samples were collected in June/11, according to the procedure of method traps pitfall traps. In addition, at each sampling point four composite samples were collected for soil fertility analysis. Samples were collected at six points: pasture, degraded forest (near pasture), preserved forest (near pasture), degraded forest (near cane sugar), preserved forest (near cane sugar), and sugar cane sugar. The samples thus prepared were analyzed Ca, P, K, Mg, pH, organic matter, H + Al, Sum of Base (SB), Base Percentage Saturation (V%), Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) and trace elements (S, B, Cu, Fe, Mg and Zn). Generally it can be seen that the group of organisms of soil fauna presented with little biodiversity. The number of individuals also shows little species, taxonomic groups showing the highest degree of impact that the remaining forest has suffered. Regarding the analysis of fertility it can be observed that the soil of the surrounding areas of the forest is under direct influence of agriculture. © 2013 WIT Press.

Anurofauna em uma área de ecótono entre Cerrado e Floresta Estacional: diversidade, distribuição e a influência de características ambientais

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Diversidade e distribuição dos lagartos de uma área de ecótono entre Cerrado e Mata Atlântica, no sudeste do Brasil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Diversidade de anfíbios anuros na Serra da Mantiqueira na região do Pico dos Marins

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Aranhas (Arachnida, Araneae) sobre bromélias em um remanescente de Mata Atlântica no estado do Espírito Santo: associações específicas, arquitetura das bromélias e estrutura de comunidades

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Influência de componentes locais e da paisagem na estrutura de uma metacomunidade de anfíbios anuros em uma paisagem fragmentada na Região Neotropical

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Diversidade e estrutura de taxocenoses de anfíbios anuros em uma paisagem fragmentada no centro-oeste paulista

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Estrutura da fauna de formigas epígeas em fragmentos de Floresta Atlântica Semidecidual com diferentes tamanhos

Pós-graduação em Biologia Animal - IBILCE

Diversidade e distribuição sazonal de Carabidae (Insecta, Coleoptera) em diferentes culturas

Pós-graduação em Agronomia (Entomologia Agrícola) - FCAV

Análise de fauna, flutuação populacional e preferência pelo hábitat de Carabidae e Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) na região de Guaíra, Estado de São Paulo

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)