Relationship among Apis mellifera L. stings, swarming and climate conditions in the city of Rio Claro, SP, Brazil

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Reinforcing and expanding the predictions of the disturbance vicariance hypothesis in Amazonian harlequin frogs: A molecular phylogenetic and climate envelope modelling approach

The disturbance vicariance hypothesis (DV) has been proposed to explain speciation in Amazonia, especially its edge regions, e. g. in eastern Guiana Shield harlequin frogs (Atelopus) which are suggested to have derived from a cool-adapted Andean ancestor. In concordance with DV predictions we studied that (i) these amphibians display a natural distribution gap in central Amazonia; (ii) east of this gap they constitute a monophyletic lineage which is nested within a pre-Andean/western clade; (iii) climate envelopes of Atelopus west and east of the distribution gap show some macroclimatic divergence due to a regional climate envelope shift; (iv) geographic distributions of climate envelopes of western and eastern Atelopus range into central Amazonia but with limited spatial overlap. We tested if presence and apparent absence data points of Atelopus were homogenously distributed with Ripley's K function. A molecular phylogeny (mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene) was reconstructed using Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference to study if Guianan Atelopus constitute a clade nested within a larger genus phylogeny. We focused on climate envelope divergence and geographic distribution by computing climatic envelope models with MaxEnt based on macroscale bioclimatic parameters and testing them by using Schoener's index and modified Hellinger distance. We corroborated existing DV predictions and, for the first time, formulated new DV predictions aiming on species' climate envelope change. Our results suggest that cool-adapted Andean Atelopus ancestors had dispersed into the Amazon basin and further onto the eastern Guiana Shield where, under warm conditions, they were forced to change climate envelopes. © 2010 The Author(s).

Cerrado vegetation and global change: the role of functional types, resource availability and disturbance in regulating plant community responses to rising CO2 levels and climate warming

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

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

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

Socio-climatic hotspots in Brazil

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação dos dados decendiais de precipitação e temperatura máxima e mínima do ar simulados pelo modelo ECMWF para o estado de São Paulo

The weather and climate has a direct influence in agriculture, it affects all stages of farming, since soil preparation to harvest. Meteorological data derived from automatic or conventional weather stations are used to monitor these effects. These meteorological data has problems like difficulty of data access and low density of meteorological stations in Brazil. Meteorological data from atmospheric models, such as ECMWF (European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast) can be an alternative. Thus, the aim of this study was to compare 10-day period precipitation, maximum and minimum air temperature data from the ECMWF model with interpolated maps from 33 weather stations in Sao Paulo state between 2005 and 2010 and generate statistical maps pixel by pixel. Statistical index showed spatially satisfactory (most of the results with R 2 > 0.60, d > 0.7, RMSE < 5°C and < 50 mm; Es < 5°C and < 24 mm) in period and ECMWF model can be recommended for use in the Sao Paulo state.

Homogeneity assessment of a station climate series (1933-2005) in the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo: instruments change and urbanization effects

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Seasonal development of secondary xylem and phloem in Schizolobium parahyba (Vell.) Blake (Leguminosae : Caesalpinioideae)

The cambial activity and periodicity of secondary xylem and phloem formation have been less studied in tropical tree species than in temperate ones. This paper describes the relationship between seasonal cambial activity, xylem and phloem development, and phenology in Schizolobium parahyba, a fast growing semideciduous seasonal forest tree from southeastern Brazil. From 2002 to 2003, wood samples were collected periodically and phenology and climate were recorded monthly in the same period. S. parahyba forms annual growth increments in wood, delimited by narrow initial parenchyma bands. The reduction of the cambial activity to a minimum correlates to the dry season and leaf fall. The higher cambial activity correlates to the wet season and the presence of mature leaves. In phloem, a larger conductive region was observed in the wet season, when the trees were in full foliage. The secondary phloem did not exhibit any incremental zone marker; however, we found that the axial parenchyma tends to form irregular bands.

Permian bivalves of the Taciba Formation, Itarare group, Parana basin, and their biostratigraphic significance

A small and poorly diversified bivalve fauna from Taciba Formation, Itarare Group, Parana Basin (State of Santa Catarina, Mafra Municipality), is described in this paper for the first time, based on new findings. The fauna is recorded in a 30 cm thick interval of fine sandstone locally at the top of Taciba Formation, in the Butia quarry. The studied fossil-bearing sand-stone bed is a marine intercalation recording a brief eustatic rise in sea-level, probably following glacier retreat and climate amelioration at the end of a broad glacial scenario. The fauna is mainly dominated by productid brachiopods, which are not described here, and rare mollusk shells (bivalves and gastropods). Two bivalve species were identified: Myonia argentinensis (Harrington, 1955), and Aviculopecten multiscalptus (Thomas, 1928). The presence of Myonia argentinensis is note-worthy since this species is also present in the Baitaca assemblage found in marine siltstones (Baitaca assemblage) of the Rio do Sul Formation, cropping out at the Teixeira Soares region, Parana State. This species is also recorded in the bivalve fauna from the Bonete Formation, Pillahinco Group, Sauce Grande Basin, Buenos Aires Province, in Argentina. Hence, the marine bivalves of the Taciba Formation are associated with the transgressive event that characterizes the Eurydesma fauna, indicating a Late Asselian-Sakmarian age for the bivalve fauna. Presence of the Myonia argentinensis megadesmid species reinforces the Gondwanic nature of the studied fauna.

Are large-scale distributional shifts of the blue-winged macaw (Primolius maracana) related to climate change?

Aim To evaluate whether observed geographical shifts in the distribution of the blue-winged macaw (Primolius maracana) are related to ongoing processes of global climate change. This species is vulnerable to extinction and has shown striking range retractions in recent decades, withdrawing broadly from southern portions of its historical distribution. Its range reduction has generally been attributed to the effects of habitat loss; however, as this species has also disappeared from large forested areas, consideration of other factors that may act in concert is merited.Location Historical distribution of the blue-winged macaw in Brazil, eastern Paraguay and northern Argentina.Methods We used a correlative approach to test a hypothesis of causation of observed shifts by reduction of habitable areas mediated by climate change. We developed models of the ecological niche requirements of the blue-winged macaw, based on point-occurrence data and climate scenarios for pre-1950 and post-1950 periods, and tested model predictivity for anticipating geographical distributions within time periods. Then we projected each model to the other time period and compared distributions predicted under both climate scenarios to assess shifts of habitable areas across decades and to evaluate an explanation for observed range retractions.Results Differences between predicted distributions of the blue-winged macaw over the twentieth century were, in general, minor and no change in suitability of landscapes was predicted across large areas of the species' original range in different time periods. No tendency towards range retraction in the south was predicted, rather conditions in the southern part of the species' range tended to show improvement for the species.Main conclusions Our test permitted elimination of climate change as a likely explanation for the observed shifts in the distribution of the blue-winged macaw, and points rather to other causal explanations (e.g. changing regional land use, emerging diseases).

Reproductive phenology of a northeast Brazilian mangrove community: Environmental and biotic constraints

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Intraspecific variability of flavonoid glycosides and styrylpyrones from leaves of Cryptocarya mandioccana Meisner (Lauraceae)

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

Emerging infectious diseases in cetaceans worldwide and the possible role of environmental stressors

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

Uma experiência com modelo estatístico (MOS) para a previsão da temperatura mínima diária do ar

Uma equação de regressão múltipla MOS (da sigla em inglês para Model Output Statistics), para previsão da temperatura mínima diária do ar na cidade de Bauru, estado de São Paulo, é desenvolvida. A equação de regressão múltipla, obtida usando análise de regressão stepwise, tem quatro preditores, três do modelo numérico global do Centro de Previsão de Tempo e Estudos Climáticos (CPTEC) e um observacional da estação meteorológica do Instituto de Pesquisas Meteorológicas (IPMet), Bauru. Os preditores são prognósticos para 24 horas do modelo global, válidos para 00:00GMT, da temperatura em 1000hPa, vento meridional em 850hPa e umidade relativa em 1000hPa, e temperatura observada às 18:00GMT. Esses quatro preditores explicam, aproximadamente, 80% da variância total do preditando, com erro quadrático médio de 1,4°C, que é aproximadamente metade do desvio padrão da temperatura mínima diária do ar observada na estação do IPMet. Uma verificação da equação MOS com uma amostra independente de 47 casos mostra que a previsão não se deteriora significativamente quando o preditor observacional for desconsiderado. A equação MOS, com ou sem esse preditor, produz previsões com erro absoluto menor do que 1,5°C em 70% dos casos examinados. Este resultado encoraja a utilização da técnica MOS para previsão operacional da temperatura mínima e seu desenvolvimento para outros elementos do tempo e outras localidades.

Sea waves generated by extratropical cyclones in the South Atlantic Ocean: Hindcast and validation against altimeter data

This work presents analyses of the atmospheric conditions and the hindcast of the surface wave field when six extratropical cyclones formed and displaced over the South Atlantic Ocean (10degreesN, 60degreesS; 75degreesW, 15degreesE) between April and September 1999. These events caused high sea waves associated with hazardous conditions along the south and southeast coast of Brazil. The meteorological composite fields for these cyclones show a strong near-surface wind velocity (up to 14 m s(-1)) during its mature phase. The sea-state wave hindcast was obtained using a third-generation wave model forced by the 10-m above ground level wind field from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis dataset. Closer to the south and southeast Brazilian coast, the hindcast results showed significant wave heights of up to 5 m in some of the events. The wave hindcast results for the significant wave height were compared against satellite altimeter data at 6 h intervals. The statistical index showed a systematic underestimation of the significant wave height by 0.5 m. The correlation between wave hindcast and altimeter measurements was greater than 90%, showing a good phase reproduction by the wave model.