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Conservation of Brazil's Atlantic forest a key priority at conference in Brazilia Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology July 22, 2005 Below is a sampling of some of the Brazilian Atlantic forest conservation-related papers submitted for the conference. All descriptions are excepts from the official "Book of Abstracts" from the meeting. More abstracts. CARDOSO, EDIVANE; Haridasan, Mundayatan. Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70.919-970, Brazil, (edivane((AT))unb.br). The Triangulo Mineiro region includes native Atlantic forest segments in the major valleys of Rio Grande and Paranaiba rivers in addition to the predominant cerrado vegetation in most of the area, according to recent classifications of native vegetation. We estimated the extent of destruction of original native vegetation in 32 municipalities of this region by analyzing Landsat 7/ETM+ (R5G4B3) images of 2001 with a resolution of 120m. Of the original total of 5.12 million ha, only 1.32 million ha were found to be conserved in the native state. The remaining native vegetation included 153000 ha in hydromorphic soils (veredas and campos úmidos), 527000 ha of open woodlands (campo sujo and cerrado ralo), 87000 ha of dense woodland (cerrado denso) and 556000 ha of forest formations (cerradões, gallery forests, semideciduous and deciduous forests). Thus 25.8% of the native vegetation was still conserved in the Triangulo region in 2001. The cerrado vegetation in well drained deep soils have suffered most destruction because of agriculture, cultivated pasture, reforestation with eucalyptus and pine, besides the construction of hydroelectric projects and urban expansion LIVING IN AN EMPTY FOREST: DENSITY AND POPULATION SIZE OF GAME BIRDS AND MAMMALS IN THE ATLANTIC FOREST OF BRAZIL. BUENO, RAFAEL; Galetti, Mauro; Marques, Renato M.; Bernardo, Christine S. S.; Bovendorp, Ricardo S.; Nobre, Rodrigo A.; Gobbo, Sabrina; Steffler, Carla E.; Rubim, Paulo. Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação, Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, C.P. 199, 13506-900 Rio Claro, SP, Brasil, (RSB, MG, RMM, CSSB, RB, RAN, SG, CS, PR), rafabrc((AT))yahoo.com.br. Instituto da Biologia da Conservação (IBC), Av. P13, 293, Rio Claro, SP, Brasil (MG, RMM, RN, SG). It is crucial, especially in biodiversity hotspots such as the Atlantic forest, the understanding of the factors that determine game density and biomass. We used a distance sampling method to estimate population sizes of a range of game bird and mammal species in 9 Atlantic forest sites and compared with other 13 Atlantic forest areas and 25 Amazon areas. Game density is much higher in the Amazon than in the Atlantic forest. Only the few best protected areas in the Atlantic forest has equivalent densities and game biomass than some Amazon forests. Game density can be explained by forest productivity, but not poaching regime, while game biomass is strongly affected by poaching regime and forest productivity. The long history of human occupation, forest improverishment and poaching in the Atlantic forest may be a warning for the Amazon region. On the other hand, the chronic lack of real protection in the Procted Areas and continued detrimental human activity inside many reserves are the main threats for conservation effectiveness DENSITY OF INTRODUCED MAMMALS AND THEIR IMPACTS IN A LAND-BRIDGE ISLAND IN THE ATLANTIC FOREST. BOVENDORP, RICARDO S.; Galetti, Mauro. Departamento de Ecologia, Laboratório de Biologia da Conservação, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Av 24-A 1515, Bela Vista, 13506 900, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil, ricardob((AT))rc.unesp.br. Introduced species can compete, prey or transmit disease to native species in an area. Islands are fragile ecosystems specialy considering introduced species. Local fauna do not recognize exotic species as predators or competitors. In 1983, 14 mammal species were introduced at Anchieta Island, an 828 ha land-bridge island, located at north of São Paulo state, 400 m from Ubatuba (south-east Brazil). It was transformed in a state park in 1977 and nowadays, 90000 tourists visit the island per year. We estimated the mammal density and population size in a 213 km line transect census, during dry and wet season. The time period was from 6:30 to 11:00 h and from 17:30 and 20:00 h. Data basis were analyzed using the DISTANCE 4.1 program. Mammal groups were entered as clusters and in ungrouped format. Considering 14 mammal species introduced, five became extinct, five became highly abundant and four, are in decline. Anchieta Island has the highest mammal density for Atlantic forests (480.21 ind./km2), especially mammalian nest predators (204.91 ind./km2) and herbivores (231.83 ind/km2). Capuchin monkeys (Callithrix penicillata) have been growing, along 21 years, 130 times, and agouti (Dasyprocta spp.), 145. Those growing rates are dangerous for the conservation of the island THE DARK SIDE OF THE "ECOTOURISM" IN A HOTSPOT NATIONAL PARK OF THE ATLANTIC RAINFOREST, BRAZIL. CUNHA, ANDRÉ A. Laboratório de Vertebrados, Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro - Ilha do Fundão, RJ, 21.941-590, CP 68.020, Brazil. cunha((AT))biologia.ufrj.br. Tourism based on nature is increasing worldwide. However, recreation disturbance causes negative impacts on various components of different ecossystems. I compare large vertebrate richness and abundance, water quality and visitor perception between a visited (VT) and a nonvisited (NV) trail at the Serra dos Órgãos National Park, in a highly endemic and human populous area of the Atlantic rainforest hotspot. Richness and abundance of diurnal species were lower at VT, the woolly-spider-monkey (Brachyteles arachnoides) nowadays occurs only at NT. Fecal and total coliformes were three to ten times higher at VT. Litter, erosion, and mud were the most disgusting sign of degradation according to the visitors experiences. These aspects need to be incorporeated in the planning and monitoring of tourism based on nature to allow sustainability and biodiversity conservation of the Atlantic rainforest IMPORTANCE OF HABITAT AREA AND LANDSCAPE CONTEXT FOR FAUNA RICHNESS IN SEMIDECIDOUS ATLANTIC FOREST. CAMPIOLO, SOFIA. Nucleo de Estudos da Mata Atlantica/DCB, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, BA, 45650-000, Brazil, campiolo((AT))uesc.br. I investigated how habitat area and landscape context affect the species richness of ants, butterflies, birds, terrestrials mammals, bats, and termites in semi-decidous Atlantic Forest in Bahia, Brazil (data from Biota da Conquista e Biota de Boa Nova Project). Richness of each biological group from 10 plots was related to fragment size and landscape context. Effects of surrounding landscape were restricted to total habitat area in circles with different radius (=different scales). This resultants coeffi- cients were related with scales. Ants had the strongest significant relation species-area (0.95, p<=0.05). Correlation coefficients and scale of analysis were positively correlated for bats and terrestrials mammals and negatively correlated for ants, butterflies, termites, and birds. My results show that different biological groups demands different approaches for regional conservation planning SMALL MAMMALS AND THE LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE OF AN ATLANTIC FOREST FRAGMENTED LANDSCAPE. UMETSU, FABIANA; Pardini, Renata. DepartamentoXIX Annual Meeting of the Society for Conservation Biology ABSTRACTS de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05.508-900, Brazil, fabiume((AT))yahoo.com (UF, PR). In 20 patches of Atlantic forest, we investigated the response of small mammals to habitat quantity (patch size), connectivity (sum of forest area structurally connected to patches by native vegetation in initial stage of regeneration) and configuration (edge density in a 800-meter radio circumference around patches) and to matrix proportion (proportion of agricultural areas in a 800-meter radio circumference around patches). The relative importance of these landscape structure variables to abundance and alpha and beta diversity was investigated using multiple regression models. Small mammal diversity was primarily influenced by habitat connectivity, which was positively related to alpha diversity and negatively related to beta diversity. Small mammal total abundance, however, was mainly affected by habitat configuration, decreasing with increasing edge density. Species abundance variations, on the other hand, were related to matrix proportion. While matrixintolerant species, like the guild of forest-dwelling terrestrial small mammals, were negatively related, a generalist species showed a positive relationship, to the proportion of agricultural areas around patches. Results highlight the importance of native vegetation in initial stages of regeneration in providing connectivity and allowing richer and more homogeneous communities to be established and the influence of the matrix in determining species abundance in patches THE ROLE OF FOREST STRUCTURE, FRAGMENT SIZE AND CORRIDORS IN MAINTAINING SMALL MAMMAL ABUNDANCE AND DIVERSITY IN AN ATLANTIC FOREST LANDSCAPE. PARDINI, RENATA; Souza, Sergio M.; Braga-Neto, R.; Metzger, Jean Paul. Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil, renatapardini((AT))uol.com.br (RP, SMS, RBN). Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, 05508-900, Brazil. Using the distribution of small mammals at 26 sites in an Atlantic forest landscape, we investigated how abundance and alpha and beta diversity are affected by fragment size and presence of corridors. To account for the variability in forest structure, we described and minimized the influence of foliage density and stratification on small mammal data. Sites were distributed among three categories of fragment size and in continuous forest. For small and medium-sized categories, we considered isolated fragments and fragments connected by corridors to larger remnants. Forest structure influenced the abundance, but not the diversity of small mammal communities. Total abundance and alpha diversity were lower in small and medium-sized fragments than in large fragments and continuous forest, and in isolated compared to connected fragments. Three species were less common, but none was more abundant in smaller fragments. At least one species was more abundant in connected compared to isolated fragments. Beta diversity showed an opposite relationship to fragment size and corridors, increasing in small and isolated fragments. Results highlight the importance of secondary forest for the conservation of tropical fauna, the hyper-dynamism of small isolated fragments and the potential of corridors to buffer habitat fragmentation effects in tropical landscapes MAPPING THE RISKS TO THE BIODIVERSITY IN A CONSERVATION UNITY OF ATLANTIC FOREST. DOBROVOLSKI, RICARDO; Hasenack, Heinrich; Kindel, Andreas; Oliveira, Paulo Luiz. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, 91501-970, Brazil, ricardo((AT))ecologia.ufrgs.br. Conservation Units (CU) in the Atlantic Forest are endangered by many human activities. Therefore, adequate actions upon threats to biodiversity are needed and must be monitored in order to verify their effectiveness. The Itapeva State Park (Parque Estadual de Itapeva) is a CU which has been implemented within the Atlantic Forest area, located in Torres, RS, Brazil. With an extension of approximately 1000ha, the park is surrounded by intensively used lands. Our aim is to identify and to map the risks to biodiversity, generating a management and monitoring tool. The threats within the park area and its near buffer zone (500m) were identi- fied and mapped by the analysis of a Quickbird image from 2004, aerial photographs and corresponding field work. The risks observed include agriculture, cattle raising, selective logging of Euterpe edulis, sandboard riding, and the presence of exotic plant species such as Eucaliptus sp., Pinus sp. and Hedychium coronarium. Roads and the increasing urbanization in the buffer zone are also of great concern. This map will assist in the development of improved conservation and monitoring strategies BAT COMMUNITIES (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN ATLANTIC RAIN FOREST FRAGMENTS OF NORTHEAST BRAZIL. SÁ-NETO, RAYMUNDO J.; Mendes-Pontes, Antonio Rossano. Departamento de Ciências Naturais, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Estrada do Bem- Querer, Km 04, Vitória da Conquista - BA, 45083-900, Brazil, sa-neto((AT))uesb.br (RSN). Departamento de Zoologia, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Rua Prof. Moraes Rego, S/N, Recife-PE, 50.670-901, Brazil, rossano((AT))ufpe.br (ARMP). The aim in this study was a better understanding of the effects of the fragmentation of the highly-threatened Atlantic forest of North-eastern Brazil upon the bat communities. Three forest fragments were chosen, including two small (c. a. 500 ha) and one large (3500 ha), located at Usina Serra Grande, in the State of Alagoas, Brazil. Bats were trapped from June to December 2002, through mist nets settled between 1700h and 2400h. The animals were identified, measured, and classified into feeding guilds. A total of 34 species and 734 individuals were registered. In the smaller fragments 21 species and 214 individuals were trapped, with a diversity of 2.84 bits/individual. In the larger fragment 23 species and 520 individuals were trapped, with a diversity of 2.24 bits/individual. There was 29.4% of similarity of species between smaller and larger fragments. A significant difference was registered between the fragments in the abundance of individuals per guild, but no differen ce was found regarding richness. Despite no decline being registered in the species richness in the smaller fragments, there was a change in the abundance of guilds and in the species composition between these fragments LEAF-LITTER ANTS AND THE CONSERVATION PRIORITIES IN THE ATLANTIC RAINFOREST OF NORTHEASTERN BRAZIL. BIEBER, ANA G.; Darrault, Olivier P. G.; Ramos, Cíntia C.; Melo, Keila K.; Leal, Inara R. Departamento de Botânica, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, PE, 50.670-901, Brazil, gabieber((AT))hotmail.com. The Atlantic rainforest in the North of São Francisco River, known as Pernambuco Center of Endemism, is considered the most endangered and less known part of this hotspot. Three sites in Northeastern Brazil (Reserva Ecológica de Gurjaú and R. P. P. N. Frei Caneca, in Pernambuco, and Usina Serra Grande, in Alagoas) were chosen for an inventory of leaf-litter ants, and four remnants were selected in each site. We collected ten 1m² leaflitter samples, in each remnant. Ants were extracted from leaflitter by using Berlese funnels, identified until genus level and then sorted into morphospecies. Collections were repeated during four months in 2003. A total of 176 species was collected; Frei Caneca's remnants were the most species rich and Gurj aú's remnants were the poorest. A strong positive correlation was observed between ant diversity and altitude and area of the remnant. The remnants of Frei Caneca and Usina Serra Grande presented more species considered as indicators of well-conserved areas. These results show a strong correspondence with inventories realized in the same areas using other organisms, such as ferns, bromeliads, birds and mammals, confirming the importance of ants for performing biodiversity programs. We strongly recommend directing conservation efforts to Frei Caneca and Usina Serra Grande. Society for Conservation Biology - Brasilia 2005 News index | RSS | News Feed Advertisements: Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing |
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