Birds of Parque Estadual Ilha do Cardoso: ecology, conservation and natural history

The Parque Estadual Ilha do Cardoso (PEIC), located on extreme South of São Paulo’s cost, in Brazil, holds an important Atlantic Forest remnant which still in a good state of conservation, but lack a deepen study about the avian community that habits the island. This study aimed to elaborate a census of avian species that occur in the park approaching richness, occurrence frequency, occurrence status and the structure of trophic guilds. A total of 25 field expedictions occurred between September 2015 and September 2017 during five days each, the field work included different ecosystems as mangrove, restinga, forest, sandbank, beach and marine. The census was made combine three different techniques used in ornithological studies: visual identification, auditory identification and catch by mist-nets (with five fixed sites in mangrove, restinga and forest). Were recorded 335 avian species, with 28 of them endemic from Brazil and 33 being threatened with extinction. Seventy-three species were recorded in all sampled months (FO 100%), while 46 were recorded in just one month (FO = 4%). About occurrence status, 55% of species are residents, 20% occasional visitors, 13% unusual residents, 6% migratory and 6% visitors. According the recorded species were recognized 25 trophic guilds based on food items, corporal size and strata that commonly forage, which of most representative in the community, the guild of “of insectivorous of medium-strata” (N = 55), “canopy omnivorous” (N = 33), “aquatic invertebrates consummers” and “piscivorous” (N = 31). Finally, with the current study, we aimed through a significative field effort bring a better knowledge about avifauna of PEIC, which could be a good base when is necessary take actions that aim to park management and the Conservation Unities around it.

The Environmental and Cultural Importance of the Metropolitan Park of Abaeté-Bahia from its Vegetation Formations / A Importância Ambiental e Cultural do Parque Metropolitano de Abaeté-Bahia a partir das suas Formações Vegetais

The Abaeté Metropolitan Park is one of the largest ecological leisure centers in the Northeast of Brazil, built on 225 hectares of urbanized area, located in the city of Salvador, Bahia, in the neighborhood of Itapuã and bordering the municipality of Lauro de Freitas , and the Deputed Luis Eduardo Magalhães International Airport is integrated into the Park, following the beach line. Due to its location, the predatory patterns of recent years, in the way of dealing with environmental issues, have grown on a geometric scale. Characterized by a rich hydrological complex and a diversified Phyto physiognomic mosaic whose religiosity is linked to the Afro-indigenous culture; this park demands effective actions for the conservation of its remaining natural resources.This rich forest remnant, an important national and world heritage, presented in this article, needs to be protected and for this it is necessary to spread the dynamics of this ecosystem, the functioning of its fauna and flora and its local relations with its water and geological resources.

Morphological and morphometric studies on the scapula and humerus of Binturong (Arctictis Binturong)

Natural Habitat of Binturong is the forest remnant of South-east Asia. Common characteristic features of a Binturong are its shout legs, thick black body coat and prehensile tail. After collecting the samples from Aizawl Zoological Park, Mizoram with permission from the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate change, Government of Mizoram, those were macerated by the combination of boiling hot water and HODifferent morphometric parameters of scapula and humerus were measured. Scapula of Binturong was a flat almost square shaped bone with similar width in both dorsal and ventral border with a wide scapular neck, average circumference of which is around 8.04 cm. Average maximum length and width of the scapula of Binturong was 8.81 cm and 6.56 cm, respectively. A small foramen was seen at the neck of the scapula perforating the ventral portion of the scapular spine. Average maximum total length of Binturong Humerus was 12.81 cm. Proximal extremity of the humerus carries a caudally present oval shaped head, average maximum width of which is about 2.05cm. Distal extremity of the Binturong humerus is consists of a supracondylar foramen, a radial fossa, a olecranon fossa, lateral and medial condyle and epicondyle. Since not much work has been done on the related field in this particular animal, therefore this present study was conducted to get the baseline data about the two bones of forelimb in Binturong, which can play a predominant role in disease diagnosis, treatments and other applied fields of veterinary biology.

Bionomy of Mosquitoes in Bamboo Internodes in an Atlantic Forest Remnant of the State of Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

ABSTRACT Living bamboo stalks are one of the most specialized habitats for mosquito oviposition and immature development. Most of the mosquito species that breed in these habitats are sylvatic, and some are of importance for public health as possible vectors of pathogens. Perforated internodes are a very specialized environment due to the difficulty of access. Furthermore, due to their relatively simple fauna, they represent a valuable model for ecological studies that may be applicable to more complex environments. This study aims to assess the mosquito bionomics of species raised in bamboo internodes. Therefore, the diversity of mosquito species and the influence of abiotic variables (pH and temperature) on the distribution of mosquitoes that breed in this habitat were analyzed. The study area is a fragment of Atlantic Forest within the Association of da Armada (ATA) in Nova Iguaçu, state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Immature mosquitoes were sampled with suction tubes (mouth aspirators) between August 2017 and July 2018. A total of 3,170 larvae were collected in 5 bamboo plants, each with 8 stalks perforated. Of these, 688 larvae reached the adult stage, representing 10 genera and 19 species. The most common species were Culex neglectus (43%), Trichoprosopon digitatum (22%), Culex iridescens (8%), Sabethes identicus (7%), and Orthopodomyia albicosta (7%). The richness of the immatures collected in the ATA was 19 species, with a diversity of 1.10 and Shannon evenness of 0.57. A diverse composition of Culicidae in bamboo stalks was found, although dominance was low.

Breeding birds of ‘Nomentum’ nature reserve (central Italy): a forest remnant landscape surrounded by an agro-urbanized matrix

We carried out a standardized breeding bird atlas of “Nomentum” nature reserve (central Italy), located in a fragmented hilly forest near a large urbanized area (Rome). In order to obtain data about local composition, occurrence, distribution and richness, we correlated data with environmental heterogeneity and vegetation structure variables. We recorded 58 species in 48 500x500 m-wide atlas units, with Parus major, Corvus cornix, Turdus merula, Sylvia atricapilla, Sylvia melanocephala, as the most occurring in frequency (> 80%). Although synanthropic species represent only slightly more than 20% in number and urban environments are relatively reduced in size, these species show a higher mean occurrence when compared to mosaic species, despite the fact that these last are higher in species number and mosaic habitats are widely diffused. Local urbanization may disrupt communities, facilitating opportunistic species linked to these environments (i.e. synantropic) and inducing a decline in mosaic species. Moreover, the homogenization induced by anthropization could, at least partially, explain the lack of correlation between habitat diversity and species richness, at local scale. Finally, tree density and diameter do not affect total bird richness at this spatial grain/scale. In this regard, further analyses could test for possible correlations between habitat variables and single ecological guilds.

Linking Plant Functional Traits to Demography in a Fragmented Landscape

Habitat loss in highly deforested landscapes such as the Brazilian Atlantic Forest has been severely affecting the diversity and survival of palm species. As some species are more sensitive than others, trait responses to the environment, as well as environmental effects on fecundity, growth, and mortality rates, may affect species demography. Considering this context, we studied functional and demographic responses of three palm species (Astrocaryum aculeatissimum, Euterpe edulis, and Geonoma schottiana) to habitat loss in the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil by measuring morpho-physiological traits related to plant growth and light acquisition for photosynthesis. We also tested the response of population fitness to fragment size. Plant survival and growth was subsequently monitored in 2006 and 2007, and population dynamics were summarized in pool matrices for large and small forest fragments in the monitoring periods comprehending one full year between 2005–2006 and 2006–2007. The asymptotic growth rate of populations (defined here as population fitness, λ) in five forest fragments was then calculated. Diameter of individuals of the demography plots (from year 2005 to 2007) was used to calculate the relative diameter growth rate. Later, in 2015, we measured a set of morpho-physiological functional traits in palms in the same plots used in the demographic studies. While A. aculeatissimum populations were stable in both monitoring periods in small and large fragments, E. edulis populations were predicted to decline due to intense predation by monkeys in the large fragment, but were stable in the smaller fragments, and G. schottiana populations were stable in the large fragments in both monitoring periods, but populations in the smaller fragments were predicted to decline in the second period, i.e., with lower fitness in these fragments. In addition, the functional traits analyzed showed that G. schottiana is a forest interior species associated with the shade/understory environment response. E. edulis was also affected by the size of the fragment, but due to a disruptive interaction with a predator and showed intermediate functional traits values. On the other hand, A. aculeatissimum thrived in areas with higher and lower incidence of light and was not demographically affected by forest remnant size. This suggests that E. edulis and A. aculeatissimum are habitat generalists. We concluded that differences in the ecophysiological performance of palms due to distinct morpho-physiological functional traits related to leaf economic spectrum, such as LDMC or specific leaf area (SLA) and to photosynthetic responses to light environment as electron transport rate (ETR) and saturation irradiance (Ik) were linked to the demographic variation observed in forest remnants of different size.

The Remnant Leiopelma Pakeka (Anura: Leiopelmatidae) Population on Maud Island: Population Size, Distribution and Morphology

<p>Leiopelma pakeka is an archaic frog native to New Zealand, and until recently was restricted to a 15ha forest remnant on the south-east face of Maud Island. The L.pakeka population appears to be growing and spreading out from the forest remnant. This study investigated the population size, structure, and distribution of L. pakeka on Maud Island in 2006. The forest remnant was searched using 106 randomly placed 25m2 plots. Population size was estimated using a bootstrap method repeated 10,000 times, adjusted for likelihood of emergence, likely maximum plot population size, and area. The average population size was 34,449 frogs, which is much higher than a 1994 minimum number alive estimate of 19,312. The new figure, however, is similar to another recent estimate of 39,563, based on an update of the 1994 figure. Distributional patterns within the forest remnant were similar to the 1994 study, with most frogs between 90-170m above sea level. The comparability of the population size estimates indicates that L. pakeka numbers have reached the carrying capacity of the forest remnant. The distribution of the remnant L. pakeka population was determined by thoroughly searching the south-east face of Maud Island, thereby minimising the possibility of missing frogs. A total of 232 frogs were found. Frogs generally colonised areas within 50m of the remnant; movement was greater in regenerating forest (75m in the southwest and 100m in the north east) than in pastoral areas (<25m). The size of frogs increased with distance from the forest remnant (weight, girth, condition index, and average snout-vent and tibio-fibula lengths). The size increases may be indications of competitive release, as frog density decreased with distance from the forest remnant. The size range of Leiopelma pakeka was extended by the current study from 50.5mm to at least 52mm snout-vent length. A total of 15 L. pakeka were found on Fort Road, approximately 350m from the remnant. These frogs were most likely in the area before 1994. The Fort Road frogs were compared to the forest remnant L. pakeka, and were not morphologically distinct as only patterning differed significantly. Fort Road L. pakeka may belong to a separate subpopulation. L. pakeka distribution was significantly affected by habitat. Important variables were vegetation type, and rock, canopy, sub-canopy, and leaf litter cover. The size of emergent frogs (tibio-fibula length) was significantly and positively correlated with relative humidity.</p>

The Remnant Leiopelma Pakeka (Anura: Leiopelmatidae) Population on Maud Island: Population Size, Distribution and Morphology

<p>Leiopelma pakeka is an archaic frog native to New Zealand, and until recently was restricted to a 15ha forest remnant on the south-east face of Maud Island. The L.pakeka population appears to be growing and spreading out from the forest remnant. This study investigated the population size, structure, and distribution of L. pakeka on Maud Island in 2006. The forest remnant was searched using 106 randomly placed 25m2 plots. Population size was estimated using a bootstrap method repeated 10,000 times, adjusted for likelihood of emergence, likely maximum plot population size, and area. The average population size was 34,449 frogs, which is much higher than a 1994 minimum number alive estimate of 19,312. The new figure, however, is similar to another recent estimate of 39,563, based on an update of the 1994 figure. Distributional patterns within the forest remnant were similar to the 1994 study, with most frogs between 90-170m above sea level. The comparability of the population size estimates indicates that L. pakeka numbers have reached the carrying capacity of the forest remnant. The distribution of the remnant L. pakeka population was determined by thoroughly searching the south-east face of Maud Island, thereby minimising the possibility of missing frogs. A total of 232 frogs were found. Frogs generally colonised areas within 50m of the remnant; movement was greater in regenerating forest (75m in the southwest and 100m in the north east) than in pastoral areas (<25m). The size of frogs increased with distance from the forest remnant (weight, girth, condition index, and average snout-vent and tibio-fibula lengths). The size increases may be indications of competitive release, as frog density decreased with distance from the forest remnant. The size range of Leiopelma pakeka was extended by the current study from 50.5mm to at least 52mm snout-vent length. A total of 15 L. pakeka were found on Fort Road, approximately 350m from the remnant. These frogs were most likely in the area before 1994. The Fort Road frogs were compared to the forest remnant L. pakeka, and were not morphologically distinct as only patterning differed significantly. Fort Road L. pakeka may belong to a separate subpopulation. L. pakeka distribution was significantly affected by habitat. Important variables were vegetation type, and rock, canopy, sub-canopy, and leaf litter cover. The size of emergent frogs (tibio-fibula length) was significantly and positively correlated with relative humidity.</p>

Activity of biochemical biomarkers in grasshoppers Abracris flavolineata (De Geer, 1773) (Orthoptera: Acrididae: Ommatolampidinae)

Biochemical biomarkers are commonly used in environmental monitoring programs due to their sensitivity to certain pollutants. From this perspective, their responses can be used as indicators of environmental quality. The present study aimed to determine the activity of the catalase (CAT) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) enzymes in grasshoppers Abracris flavolineata (De Geer, 1773) from two forest remnant areas in Serra da Jiboia (BA) and compare them between males and females. The specimens were collected at two sites in Serra da Jiboia (Bahia, Brasil), named ‘Baixa de Areia’ and ‘Baixa Grande’. The animals were actively collected in the morning using a sweep net and a 2.5 h sampling effort. In total, 160 individuals were collected, with 80 individuals from each sampling site, 50 males and 30 females. After identification, an incision was made in the lateral region of the abdomen to remove the midgut, which was used to extract the CAT and GST enzymes. The results obtained demonstrated that CAT and GST activity did not vary significantly between sampling areas. However, with regard to sex, enzyme activity was significantly higher in males (p<0.005) in both locations. This is a pioneer study on the responses of CAT and GST activity in grasshoppers in Brazil.