Boracéia Biological Station: an ornithological review

Boracéia Biological Station, near the city of Salesópolis, SP, is located in one of the most well-defined centers of endemism in eastern Brazil - the Serra do Mar Center. While the station was established only in 1954 under the auspices of the Museu de Zoologia da Universidade de São Paulo, the avifauna of this locality had already attracted the attention of ornithologists by the 1940s, when the first specimens were collected. Here we describe the ornithological history of the Boracéia Biological Station with a review of all the bird species recorded during more than 68 years, including recent transect and mist-netting records. Boracéia's records were found in museums, literature and unpublished reports that totaled 323 bird species when recent data is also considered. Of these, 117 are endemic to the Atlantic forest and 28 are threatened in the state. Although there are a few doubtful records that need to be checked, some species are the only sightings in the state. Boracéia includes a recently discovered species near the station site and is extremely important for the conservation of Atlantic forest birds.

Arbovírus Ilheus em aves silvestres (Sporophila caerulescens e Molothrus bonariensis)

OBJETIVO: Relatar o isolamento do vírus Ilheus no Estado de São Paulo e avaliar o seu impacto para a saúde pública. MÉTODOS: O isolamento de vírus foi realizado em camundongos albinos Swiss, a partir de sangue de aves silvestres, capturadas com redes de espera tipo mist net, armadas no nível do solo, no Parque Ecológico do Tietê, São Paulo. A identificação das cepas isoladas foi feita pelos testes de inibição da hemaglutinação, fixação de complemento e neutralização em camundongos. Amostras de plasma de aves e de mamíferos silvestres foram submetidas à pesquisa sorológica para detecção de anticorpos inibidores de hemaglutinação. RESULTADOS: Foram isoladas duas cepas do vírus Ilheus em sangue de aves das espécies Sporophila caerulescens e Molothrus bonariensis e detectados anticorpos em aves das espécies Columbina talpacoti, Geopelia cuneata, Molothrus bonariensis e Sicalis flaveola, em sagüis das espécies Callithrix jacchus e Callithrix penicillata e no quati Nasua nasua. CONCLUSÕES: O isolamento do vírus Ilheus e a detecção de anticorpos específicos em aves residentes, migratórias e de cativeiro, em sagüis e quatis, comprovam a presença desse agente no Parque Ecológico do Tietê. O comportamento migratório de aves silvestres pode determinar a introdução do vírus em outras regiões. Considerando-se a patogenicidade para o homem e a confirmação da circulação desse agente viral em área urbana, freqüentada para atividade de lazer e de educação, o risco de ocorrência de infecção na população humana não pode ser descartado.

Relative effects of fragment size and connectivity on bird community in the Atlantic Rain Forest: Implications for conservation

It is known that large fragment sizes and high connectivity levels are key components for maintaining species in fragments; however, their relative effects are poorly understood, especially in tropical areas. In order to test these effects, we built models for explaining understory birds occurrence in a fragmented Atlantic Rain Forest landscape with intermediate habitat cover (3%). Data from over 9000 mist-net hours from 17 fragments differing in size (2-175 ha) and connectivity (considering corridor linkages and distance to nearby fragments) were ranked under a model selection approach. A total 1293 individuals of 62 species were recorded. Species richness, abundance and compositional variation were mainly affected by connectivity indices that consider the capacity of species to use corridors and/or to cross short distances up to 30 m through the matrix. Bird functional groups were differently affected by area and connectivity: while terrestrial insectivores, omnivores and frugivores were affected by both area and connectivity, the other groups (understory insectivores, nectarivores, and others) were affected only by connectivity. In the studied landscape, well connected fragments can sustain an elevated number of species and individuals. Connectivity gives the opportunity for individuals to use multiple fragments, reducing the influence of fragment size. While preserving large fragments is a conservation target worldwide and should continue to be, our results indicated that connectivity between fragments can enhance the area functionally connected and is beneficial to all functional groups and therefore should be a conservation priority. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Diversidade de morcegos (Mammalia, Chiroptera) em remanescentes florestais do município de Fênix, noroeste do Paraná, Brasil

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

Boracéia Biological Station: an ornithological review

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Bird species of black water inundation forests in the Jau National Park (Amazonas state, Brazil): their contribution to regional species richness

We compared the relative contribution of blackwater inundation forest (igapo) and unflooded (terra firme) forest for regional bird species diversity in the lower Rio Negro region. For analyses of habitat preference we used mist-net samples and an unpublished bird species check-list. The igapo forest had lower bird species diversity than the terra firme forest. However, some 14% of the forest bird species in the region are restricted to igapo forest. Species composition was found to be distinct between the understories of the two forest types. Common forest bird guilds in the Neotropics such as ant-following birds avoid igapo forest. The differential habitat selection among birds in the inundated and unflooded forest is likely to result from vegetation structure and biological interactions such as aggressive behaviour. Since the inundated forest has a typical biota, conservation efforts needs to be directed to protect these habitats. Unfortunately, inundation forests are threatened by several human actions, especially dam construction. The extent of protected areas in the Brazilian Amazon is insufficient for the adequate protection of the inundated habitats, because it includes only 3% of the total area.

Diversidade de morcegos (Chiroptera; Mammalia) em três áreas do noroeste paulista, com ênfase nas relações tróficas em Phyllostomidae

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Maid of the Mist, Niagara, U.S.A.

The description of the image is "(6) Majestically Grand - the Falls from the 'Maid of the Mist,' Niagara, U.S.A.". The reverse of the image reads "You are on the deck of the small but sturdy little steamer that runs along near the foot of the falls. At this moment you are pretty nearly mid-stream, looking south. The American shore are up over your left shoulder. That tall, dark cliff at the extreme left of what you see is Goat Island. The people up there outlined against the sky look like dolls and no wonder; they are more than 160 feet above your head. Some of them are looking off over the unspeakable grandeurs of the Horseshoe Fall there at the right; some are without doubt looking down at the very boat and remarking that the passengers look like dolls. It is an awesome experience to go so near that never-ceasing downpour of waters from the sky. The air is full of the roar and iridescent spray, and it seems as if the boat must be drawn in under the overwhelming floods never to rise again. Yet, curiously enough, the river right around the boat is not so madly excited as you might expect. It seems more like some great creature, dazed, bewildered, stunned by some incredible experience and not yet quite aware of what has happened. (When it gets down into the Whirlpool Rapids, two miles below here, it is dramatically alive to its situation!) The gigantic curve of the cliffs, reaching in up-stream straight ahead, makes a contour line of over 3000 feet before it comes up against the Canadian banks on the west (right). Geologists say that the Falls ages ago must have been at least seven miles farther down the river (behind you) and have gradually won their way back. Even now the curve of the Horseshoe is worn away from two to four feet in a year. No wonder; 12, 000, 000 cubic feet of water (about 375, 000 tons) sweep over the rocks in one minute, and the same the next minute and the next and the next. See Niagara through the Stereoscope, with special maps locating all the landmarks about the Falls.

Maid of the Mist, Niagara Falls, U.S.A.

The image is described as "(5) 'Maid of the Mist' - Nymph of the mighty cataract, Niagara Falls, U.S.A.".

Effect of wounds applied to the bases of herbaceous cuttings on the rooting of four Japanese apricot clones (Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) in an intermittent mist system

The Japanese apricot (Prunus mume Sieb. et Zucc.) is a fruit tree of the Rosaceae family which produces very acid and bitter fruits, highly appreciated by Orientals. In Brazil, this species has been studied as a rootstock for peach and nectarine trees, its main advantage being the reduction in plant vigour, which can favour the production of compact trees and orchard cultural treatments. This study was conducted in the Vegetable Production Department of FCAV/UNESP, Jaboticabal Campus, São Paulo State, Brazil, and the objective was to examine the effect of wounding the herbaceous cutting bases on the rooting of four Japanese apricot clones. The clones were obtained from plants under cultivation in the Instituto Agronomico de Campinas, Brazil, and were identified as Clones 02, 05, 10 and 15. The stock plants, obtained through herbaceous cuttings, were maintained under lath house conditions (50% of natural light). Cuttings 12 cm long with 3 to 5 leaves were collected from these clones and prepared. The experiment was carried out in a completely randomised design with 4 repetitions of 20 cuttings per replication, in a factorial 4 x 2 design, the clone factor having 4 levels (Clones 02, 05, 10 and 15) and the wounding factor at 2 levels of incisions into the cutting base (with and without). All the cuttings were treated with 2000 mg.L-1 of IBA for five seconds. Differences between the clones were observed concerning the rooting percentage, dead cuttings, number and length of roots. The incision (wound) at the base of the herbaceous cuttings of the Japanese apricot increased the number of roots and improved the distribution of these in the damaged tissue but the results were not considered sufficiently beneficial to make the treatment worthwhile.

Anne of Geierstein, or, The maiden of the mist /

Includes glossaries.

Out of mist,

Poems.

Anne of Geierstein, or, The maiden of the mist ; Count Robert of Paris /

Includes indexes.

A collection of miscellany letters, selected out of Mist's Weekly journal ....

Selections from the Weekly journal from 1716 to 1721; two additional volumes appeared in 1727.

Anne of Geierstein or The maiden of the mist.

Encabezamiento tomado de The New Encyclopedia Britannica, 10, 566.