Species interactions are defined by the behavioral strategies deployed by the parties involved. However, a barrier to fully understanding the processes shaping those strategies has been the limited knowledge about the diverse and complex ways in which species can interact. Here, we perform a systematic review to examine the natural history and evolutionary ecology of the interactions between two large clades with a long evolutionary history together: Diptera and Amphibians. We outline three main strategies that have evolved multiple times within Diptera: (a) adult flies feeding on amphibian blood (micropredators), (b) fly larvae feeding on anuran eggs (egg predators), and (c) fly larvae acting as parasites or parasitoids of adult frogs (myiasis). We provide a synthesis of the distinct phylogenetic and biogeographical signatures of these strategies and identify current gaps in our understanding of these complex interactions. Ultimately, this work emphasizes the intricate nature of trophic strategies that can arise between invertebrates and vertebrates.
This work aims to explore the global phylogeny of Hymenochaete (Hymenochaetales, Basidiomycota) by generating new sequences. Using molecular data (ITS and portions of nuc 28S rDNA regions), morphological comparisons, and ecological data, three new species of Hymenochaete are recognized and described here based on specimens found in Cloud Forests from Southern Brazil, representing a vegetational potential for new discoveries. For the first time, DNA sequences of ITS and nuc 28S rDNA for H. leonina and H. iodina were produced and analyzed. Moreover, sequences from H. damicornis specimens collected near to the type locality are provided also from Southern Brazil specimens, making possible the designation of a topotype, in order to bring taxonomic stability for the taxon. Finally, based on our global phylogeny allows the visualization of morphological patterns and discussion of taxa that present polyphyly and wide distribution, that is, potential cryptic species in taxonomic complexes.
Here we investigated the consumption of honeydew by bird communities in southern Brazil. We observed birds feeding on honeydew produced by scale insects on Mimosa scabrella host-trees, to clarify bird guilds—given birds could visit host-trees to feed on honeydew, honeydew-attracted insects, or both—and assessed the contribution of each bird species to beta diversity (SCBD) of bird communities across space and time. Fifteen host-trees were selected, and circular plots around them were used to assess honeydew availability and bird visits. Bird visitors were identified and counted over 180 h. We recorded 947 visits by 39 species, with 23 feeding on honeydew, 16 on honeydew-attracted insects, and three feeding on both honeydew and insects. Notably, we had 15 first-time records of bird species foraging on honeydew. Bird–bird interactions varied from affiliative to agonistic, and 60.9% of the agonistic behaviors were interspecific. The White-throated Hummingbird (Leucochloris albicollis) was the most dominant species and engaged in agonistic interactions only among conspecifics. We found an association between species visitation frequency and its contribution to beta diversity, where species commonly feeding on honeydew had lower SCBD values and thus a minimal influence on community compositional differences. Overall, we point out the relevance of honeydew consumption by birds in the region and the role honeydew plays in supporting diverse bird communities across time and space. Competition by interference, in turn, seems to be an additional force in structuring such bird communities.
The tricoloured big-eared bat, Glyphonycteris sylvestris (family Phyllostomidae), is a species frequent in bat surveys of certain Neotropical regions, but rarely recorded in the fragmented forests of eastern South America. The extent to which this lack of records is driven by the species’ abiotic niche or its sensitivity to the forest loss observed in the region remains unclear. Here, inspired by new records we have made in the southern Atlantic Forest – including the southernmost – we investigated the role of climate and forest cover in the geographic distribution of G. sylvestris. Using our primary records and data from an extensive literature search, we fitted species distribution models with ecological variables at 1 km² resolution, while accounting for sampling biases common in opportunistic data. We then used this model to predict the species’ distribution in South America under different scenarios of climate and forest cover availability. Our results suggest that both climate and forest cover shape G. sylvestris rarity in eastern South America. Although our model predicts low climatic suitability for drier regions such as the Caatinga and Chaco, it also suggests that this species could be frequent in the Atlantic Forest and in forest formations of the Cerrado if most landscapes had not been altered by human activities in these regions. Our study elucidates the southern distribution limits of G. sylvestris, highlights its vulnerability to habitat loss, and reinforces the importance of landscapes with high forest cover to maintain South American bat diversity.
Plantago rahniana é uma espécie herbácea endêmica e ameaçada, encontrada nos campos de altitude de Santa Catarina. A escassez de informações sobre sua biologia reprodutiva, combinada ao status de conservação da espécie, torna relevantes os estudos sobre sua germinação. Considerando a distribuição natural da espécie e o conhecimento existente sobre o gênero Plantago, partiu-se da hipótese de que a espécie exibe dormência fisiológica, a qual pode ser superada por tratamentos que simulem suas condições ambientais. As sementes foram coletadas e beneficiadas, seguidas pela aplicação dos seguintes tratamentos: controle, luz, ácido giberélico em três concentrações e estratificação em três períodos distintos. Após 40 dias de experimento, oito indicadores de germinação foram avaliados nos oito tratamentos. Os resultados demonstram que o controle apresenta baixa germinação com alta viabilidade, confirmando a presença de dormência. As respostas aos tratamentos com GA?, estratificação e luz confirmaram a dormência fisiológica. As maiores taxas de germinação ocorreram com GA? 0,5 mM e 7 dias de estratificação, porém diferiram na dinâmica germinativa. Enquanto a estratificação promoveu uma germinação mais rápida e mais síncrona, o GA? induziu um processo lento e mais assíncrono. A luz também estimulou a germinação, porém sem obrigatoriedade. O tratamento de 1 dia de estratificação não foi o suficiente para a superação da dormência. Essa dependência da duração da estratificação para a superação da dormência sugere uma vulnerabilidade significativa às mudanças climáticas, o que pode comprometer ainda mais seu status de conservação. Conclui-se que P. rahniana apresenta dormência fisiológica, eficientemente superada pela simulação de frio (estratificação). Os dados obtidos neste estudo preenchem lacunas no conhecimento sobre sua germinação e servem de base para estudos futuros e planos para a conservação da espécie e da biodiversidade dos campos de altitude do sul do Brasil.
Grassland ecosystems are shaped by disturbance regimes and environmental factors, with fire and herbivory historically maintaining biodiversity in grasslands. However, fire suppression in protected areas has led to unintended ecological consequences, including species dominance and litter accumulation, which limit space for herbaceous communities and increase the risk of severe fires. We assessed the influence of fire regimes, and local biotic and abiotic factors on species diversity in subtropical highland grasslands of southern Brazil. We expect species diversity to be lower in sites with longer periods without disturbances, as this may favor fast growing, dominant species and lead to an accumulation of litter. We sampled vegetation and environmental variables, and calculated fire regimes to assess their effects on species richness (alpha diversity) and species replacement (beta diversity). We found litter volume and community dominance increased with species richness, while with more bare soil there were fewer species. Prolonged time without fire and biomass accumulation contributed to greater dominance, but dominance was lower in steeper terrain. In terms of beta diversity, species replacement was influenced by litter, live biomass, soil depth, and rock cover. Our study suggests changes in disturbance regimes can have short-term effects, with litter accumulation negatively impacting diversity and increasing the likelihood of catastrophic fires due to the buildup of flammable material. Our findings highlight the indirect role of fire regimes in shaping diversity, with litter accumulation emerging as a critical factor influencing species richness, composition, and community dynamics, as well as increasing fire risk.
Steep elevational gradients are natural laboratories for understanding species–environment relationships, as they provide highenvironmental heterogeneity over accessible distances. If species can colonize all available environments, their distributionsbecome mainly a product of their niches, offering a unique opportunity to study these dynamics. Here, we capitalized on thisideal scenario to test whether ecological traits and evolutionary history interact with environmental variables to shape the occu-pancy of 27 bat species along a ~1300 m elevational gradient in subtropical Brazil. Using a multi-species modeling approach, weintegrated data from mist-netting and acoustic recorders, environmental variables, ecological traits, and phylogeny to generateestimates that represent the entire bat assemblage. We found that most bat species in our study area are restricted to low eleva-tions, with only two high-elevation specialists. Ecological traits typically associated with bat–environment relationships, such asbody mass, trophic level, wing morphology, and roost type, were poor predictors of species' responses to environmental variables.However, species' occupancy varied with site temperature (and thus, elevation) in a phylogenetically conserved manner. Based onprevious studies, we speculate that physiological traits conserved within certain clades, such as the ability to enter torpor, likelydrive these patterns. Our study sheds light on the deterministic drivers of bat occupancy along a heterogeneous environmentalgradient and suggests that bat elevational niches are phylogenetically conserved in subtropical Brazil.
Seed germination and seedling growth are often limited by extreme abiotic conditions and negative biotic interactions, while facilitation can enhance early plant performance. These positive interactions may be mediated by soil microbial communities (SMC), adding a key component to vegetation dynamics. We evaluated SMC effects from a grassland-forest gradient on the performance of Araucaria angustifolia, a critically endangered tree that acts as a nurse species in forest expansion over grasslands. We expected beneficial effects from SMC associated with adult Araucaria and forest soils.
Elevation gradients provide excellent semi-experimental conditions to investigate how the spatial distribution of biodiversityis shaped by the environment. Here, we investigate how temperature, productivity, and elevation are related to the diversity ofanuran assemblages in a montane region of the southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We sampled 20 half-hectare plots between2020 and 2021, distributed along a sharp elevation gradient. Anuran species richness and abundance decreased with increasingelevation. We show a positive relationship between ambient temperature and frog species richness and abundance, highlight-ing the importance of temperature in shaping assemblages along the elevation gradient. In contrast, productivity did not affectspecies richness and abundance, suggesting that available energy via resources does not limit local frog diversity. We furtherobserved marked differences in the composition of anuran assemblages between low and high elevation areas, which were re-lated to temperature. Beta diversity is mainly driven by species replacements among assemblages, which were likely related toenvironmental conditions. These findings highlight the importance of incorporating protected areas that encompass the entirerange of elevations to capture the full complement of landscape-scale diversity. This is crucial as species showed limited distribu-tions, and the marked effects of temperature should be explicitly considered under future scenarios of elevated upslope warming.
Investigamos la morfología de frutos y semillas, la germinación y los parámetros del crecimiento inicial de Crinodendron brasiliense, una especie arbórea en peligro de extinción y endémica de los bosques montanos del sur de Brasil. Obtuvimos el tamaño y la forma de frutos y semillas, el número de lóbulos por fruto y el número de semillas por fruto, además de evaluar los parámetros de germinación y crecimiento inicial – desconocidos para la especie. Demostramos que la planta madre influyó significativamente en la morfología de frutos y semillas, así como en las tasas de crecimiento inicial. La tasa de germinación de la especie fue extremadamente baja (0.003–0.004 semillas por día), lo que podría ser una causa importante para explicar su pequeño tamaño poblacional y restringida distribución. La escarificación térmica fue ineficaz para la germinación de semillas. Inesperadamente, el tipo de contenedor afectó significativamente el éxito de la germinación, ya que las semillas plantadas en bandejas germinaron más rápido y en tasas más altas que las semillas plantadas en semilleros. Tal resultado sugiere que una mayor humedad del suelo podría mejorar el éxito de la germinación. Nuestro estudio es el primer registro documentado de la propagación de esta especie y proporciona aspectos esenciales sobre la biología reproductiva y el desarrollo inicial de Crinodendron brasiliense. Destacamos la necesidad urgente de realizar más estudios e iniciativas de conservación colaborativas para evitar la extinción de esta especie.
Global change is predicted to induce shifts in anuran acoustic behavior, which can be studied through
passive acoustic monitoring (PAM). Understanding changes in calling behavior requires automatic
identification of anuran species, which is challenging due to the particular characteristics of neotropical
soundscapes. In this paper, we introduce a large-scale multi-species dataset of anuran amphibians
calls recorded by PAM, that comprises 27 hours of expert annotations for 42 different species from two
Brazilian biomes. We provide open access to the dataset, including the raw recordings, experimental
setup code, and a benchmark with a baseline model of the fine-grained categorization problem.
Additionally, we highlight the challenges of the dataset to encourage machine learning researchers to
solve the problem of anuran call identification towards conservation policy. All our experiments and
resources have been made available at https://soundclim.github.io/anuraweb/.
Microglossum is a genus of bright colored earth tongues with hyaline ascospores. Although relatively common in the North Hemisphere, there are very few collections of this genus in South America. In Brazil, one species is recognized: Microglossum rickii, which belongs to the scaly-stipitate group. However, we have now identified three additional species, based on fresh and herbarium specimens of this genus in Brazil that do not match any known species. Therefore, we are describing them as new species: Microglossum azeurum, characterized by bright blue ascomata and found in Southern Brazil, sister to an unnamed Microglossum species from Chile, and M. sourellae and M. popovkinii, both featuring pale yellow ascomata and distributed in Midwestern Brazil, with M. popovkinii extending also to Northeastern Brazil, retrieved as sister to Microglossum macrosporum clade.
Durante coletas de macrofungos no estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil, alguns espécimes de fungos briófilos foram coletados. Estes foram identificados como Rickenella fibula, representando dessa forma, o primeiro registro da espécie na Mata Atlântica brasileira. Caracteriza-se pelos basidiomas alaranjados, píleos com 3–5 mm de diâmetro, 13–20 lamelas com 1–2 lamélulas entre cada lamela, basidiósporos elipsóides com 4.8–7.2 × 2.0–3.3 μm e cistídios com 36.5–51.1 × 5.2–8.4 μm. Uma descrição macro e micromorfológica, fotografias destas estruturas, um mapa de distribuição desta espécie na América do Sul e a filogenia desta espécie são aqui discutidas.
Aim: Although many studies have described spatial patterns along elevational gradi-ents, only a handful have investigated their temporal dynamics, which remain poorly understood. Here we investigate patterns of frog spatiotemporal diversity (Anuran: Amphibia) along a subtropical elevational gradient, and assess the importance of tem-perature in explaining observed patterns.Location: An extensive Brazilian Atlantic Forest elevational gradient ranging from 200 m to 1800 m above sea level.Ta xo n: Anuran amphibians.Methods: We sampled anurans once each month between September 2017 and August 2018 at 38 ponds along the gradient. We then applied generalized additive models to evaluate the spatiotemporal patterns of anuran diversity (measured as Hill's numbers of order q= 0, 1 and 2) and abundance, and understand the extent to which this variation is explained by ambient temperature.Results: We found seasonal changes in the shape and magnitude of anuran diversity along the elevational gradient. While anuran diversity showed mid-elevation peaks between spring and summer, a low-to- mid elevation plateau was observed during au-tumn and winter. Abundance peaked at mid-elevations between spring and summer, remained high in the lowlands, and decreased in the highlands between autumn and winter. Overall, anuran diversity and abundance increased from spring to summer but then sharply declined towards winter, showing a nonlinear positive relationship with mean temperature. Temperature accounted for most of the observed spatial and spa-tiotemporal variation, rather than temporal trends in anuran diversity and abundance.Main Conclusions: Our results suggest that in addition to temperature, other fac-tors such as intrinsic species characteristics may regulate anuran activity patterns throughout the year along the elevational gradient. This study highlights how local anuran diversity is dynamic across the elevational gradient, emphasizing the relevance of considering seasonality to better understand diversity patterns in montane envi-ronments, which can be critical to inform conservation strategies.
Neste estudo, caracterizamos a estrutura populacional de vimeiros invasores (Salix × rubens), determinamos o estágio do processo de invasão e identificamos fatores relevantes para o estabelecimento de plantas em regeneração em um sistema ribeirinho subtropical no sul do Brasil.
Disturbances caused by land management via fire and cattle grazing can alter the population structure of keystone species that change the output of vegetation dynamics. Adult araucaria trees (Araucaria angustifolia) can facilitate the establishment of other woody plants and, thus, influence the expansion of forests over grasslands in the highlands of southern Brazil. Here we aimed to check araucaria population structure under two types of management - with or without fire and grazing- and in three habitat types: forests, shrublands and grasslands. We sampled araucaria populations in 40 transects (100×4 m), half of each located in the forest, and the other half, in variable extensions of shrublands or grasslands. Of the 40 transects, 18 were under management with fire and grazing and 22 in a protected area where the two disturbances are prevented (São Joaquim National Park). Overall, we sampled 339 araucaria seedlings, 59 saplings, 44 juveniles and 128 adults. Population structure differed both among habitats, between types of management, and between the same habitats but under distinct types of management. Population density was 1.4 times higher in areas with fire and grazing than without such disturbances, which was caused mostly by a larger number of seedlings. Under fire and grazing, we found 1.4 times more adults in forests, 5.7 times more seedlings in shrublands and 5.3 times more seedlings in the grassland than in the same habitat but without disturbances. Our results indicate that araucarias reach and germinate under all conditions but rarely surpass the seedling stage in grasslands and shrublands where fire and grazing is used. Consequently, fire and grazing disturbances should slow down forest expansion over shrublands and grasslands. In contrast, when disturbances are barred, araucarias can grow large enough to trigger their facilitative effect and then gear up the pace of forest expansion.
The Neotropical species Fomitiporia apiahyna was repeatedly shown to form a lineage with multiple sublineages that could correspond to different phylogenetic species, hence forming a highly diverse species complex. Due to their inconspicuous morphological features, species delimitation in this complex needs an integrative taxonomic perspective. In this study, we have performed multilocus molecular (ITS, ncLSU, TEF-1α, and RPB2) analyses in order to delimit the phylogenetic placement of specimens previously determined as F. apiahyna and to determine the phylogenetic diversity in term of clades that could be equated to species. Both morphological, ecological, and distribution data have been integrated to better delimit species boundaries. The F. apiahyna sensu lato lineage was shown to encompass four clades, corresponding to the four species: F. apiahyna sensu stricto, which is confirmed based on specimens originating from the type locality and here epitypified; F. nubicola sp. nov., proposed based on specimens found on Drimys angustifolia and Drimys sp., a relic plant species distributed exclusively in fragmented forests of high altitude areas in southern Brazil; F. conyana sp. nov., proposed from specimens previously suggested as the closest to F. apiahyna s.s.; and F. murrilli sp. nov., proposed based on specimens found on the locally exotic Eucalyptus sp. and another undefined angiosperm in southern Brazil. Additionally, Phellinus elegans emerged from the synonymy of F. apiahyna and the new combination Fomitiporia elegans is proposed. An identification key to the Neotropical species with pileate basidioma also is provided. Phylogenetically delimited species are strongly supported by ecological data, and in the case of F. conyana by clear-cut morphological data. It is expected that, with the redefinition of F. apiahyna s.s., other phylogenetic species will emerge in the near future.
Upper montane ecosystems in Brazil are little known, and their structural and functional aspects poorly understood. Our goals were to describe tree species diversity and community structure, and to characterize tree species in relation to their ecological traits, phytogeographic history and conservation status in an upper montane araucaria forest remnant. A total of 26 species belonging to 18 families were found in a 1-hectare permanent plot. The tree community mainly comprised trees with diameters of less than 20 cm and heights of between 6.5 and 9.5 m. Drimys angustifolia and Myrceugenia regnelliana had the highest importance values. Most species were shade tolerant while most individuals were pioneers. Most species and individuals presented zoophily and zoochory. Most sampled species and individuals were related to araucaria forests. Seven species are threatened to some degree while one species, Crinodendron brasiliensis, besides threatened, is also endemic to the region. The presence of endemic and endangered species demonstrates that the studied area serves important conservation purposes. Furthermore, the present study demonstrates the important role that upper montane regions have for conservation and describes the structural patterns of still poorly studied habitats, reinforcing the importance such systems have in maintaining species diversity at high elevations.
Estudos de longo prazo em biodiversidade vêm sendo instituídos em diversos países. No Brasil, destaca-se o Programa de Pesquisa em Biodiversidade (PPBio) e seu método de amostragem para pesquisa de longo prazo (RAPELD). Para definir a localização geográfica dos sistemas de parcelas amostrais (grades ou módulos de pesquisa), deve-se considerar a heterogeneidade ambiental e a infraestrutura de acesso. Neste artigo, foi realizada uma caracterização da heterogeneidade ambiental do Parque Nacional de São Joaquim e de seu entorno, bem como uma avaliação da infraestrutura de acesso, a fim de auxiliar na localização dos módulos de pesquisa. Para identificar e selecionar as variáveis que melhor explicaram a heterogeneidade ambiental, foram utilizados dados de sensoriamento remoto e aplicadas técnicas de estatística descritiva e multivariada. A seleção das variáveis foi feita por meio de uma Análise de Componentes Principais (ACP) e, com as variáveis selecionadas, realizou-se uma análise de agrupamento para gerar o mapa de heterogeneidade ambiental. Entre as 21 variáveis analisadas, as que melhor explicaram a heterogeneidade ambiental foram altitude, índice de rugosidade do terreno, declividade, horas de sol, curvatura e índice de posição topográfica. A área de estudo foi mapeada em cinco classes de heterogeneidade ambiental: vales ou planícies de baixa altitude; cumes e encostas de baixa altitude; vales ou planícies de altitude; escarpas; e cumes e encostas de altitude. Foram identificadas quatro áreas potenciais para a implantação dos módulos de pesquisa.
