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Surveying biodiversity using bioacoustics has become increasingly common worldwide, although it is mostly concentrated in temperate regions. The variety of automatic recorders, the development of free analytical tools, and several acoustic indices have increased the number of studies worldwide. The bioacoustic approach is essential for application in poorly surveyed regions with the pressure of human activities, such as the Brazilian cerrado. We tested the association of four bat diversity metrics (taxonomic, phylogenetic, and two functional diversity metrics, being one based on morphological and the other on acoustical traits, with five commonly used acoustic indices. We used a dataset of 608.4 h obtained from 30 sampling points in three protected areas in Central Brazil. Using Flexible Discriminant Analysis, we identified 21 bat species used in our subsequent analysis. The Entropy index was the best predictor of taxonomic and phylogenetic diversity, whereas the Acoustic Complexity Index was the best predictor of functional morphological diversity. We concluded that acoustic indices are suitable for estimating the diversity of insectivorous bats in the cerrado. However, we registered only part of the bat community, and bats can vary seasonally masking the real diversity of the study area; thus, this method should be used parsimoniously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species distribution modelling (SDM) gained importance on biodiversity distribution and conservation studies worldwide, including prioritizing areas for public policies and international treaties. Useful for large-scale approaches and species distribution estimates, it is a plus considering that a minor fraction of the planet is adequately sampled. However, minimizing errors is challenging, but essential, considering the uses and consequences of such models. In situ validation of the SDM outputs should be a key-step—in some cases, urgent. Bioacoustics can be used to validate and refine those outputs, especially if the focal species' vocalizations are conspicuous and species-specific. This is the case of echolocating bats. Here, we used extensive acoustic monitoring (>120 validation points over an area of >758,000 km2, and producing >300,000 sound files) to validate MaxEnt outputs for six neotropical bat species in a poorly-sampled region of Brazil. Based on in situ validation, we evaluated four threshold-dependent theoretical evaluation metrics' ability in predicting models' performance. We also assessed the performance of three widely used thresholds to convert continuous SDMs into presence/absence maps. We demonstrated that MaxEnt produces very different outputs, requiring a careful choice on thresholds and modeling parameters. Although all theoretical evaluation metrics studied were positively correlated with accuracy, we empirically demonstrated that metrics based on specificity-sensitivity and sensitivity-precision are better for testing models, considering that most SDMs are based on unbalanced data. Without independent field validation, we found that using an arbitrary threshold for modelling can be a precarious approach with many possible outcomes, even after getting good evaluation scores. Bioacoustics proved to be important for validating SDMs for the six bat species analyzed, allowing a better refinement of SDMs in large and under-sampled regions, with relatively low sampling effort. Regardless of the species assessing method used, our research highlighted the vital necessity of in situ validation for SDMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on decline of biodiversity worldwide that is leading to severe consequences for human populations. Topics include examines the conservation of biodiversity should be overseen by the government, the private sector, and local communities to increase international commitments and considered the protected areas belong to different management categories, covering several percentage of all terrestrial and inland waters and marine environments.

In order to evaluate the possibility of using this method in the Brazilian Cerrado or other open vegetation areas, we compared the performance of point counts and autonomous recording units (ARU) for avian monitoring. From September to November 2012, we surveyed birds in 13 points established in six localities in central Brazil by using simultaneously ARU and point counts for species presence only comparisons. We identified a total of 84 species and found no significant differences between the number of species obtained by each method. Differing from what we initially expected, few records in point counts were obtained only by visual detection. The number of species registered by ARU corresponded to 90.4% of all observed species. About 92% of the recorded species sang at least once during point counts. Of all species recorded, 17% were not recorded by point counts and 10% were missed by ARU. Jaccard's index of similarity was 68%. Our results indicate that the ARU can be an effective method to sample bird assemblages in open vegetation areas, such as the Brazilian Cerrado, being as efficient as the point count proceeding is. The disadvantages of ARU have already been highlighted in the literature (huge data volume to process, high costs to acquire the equipment, malfunctioning and loss, among others), but we must add that missing visual contacts with species must be considered depending of the study's scope and the type of bird species in question. Nevertheless, the use of ARU can be a cost-effective method for long-term monitoring programs and also helps to quickly obtain the necessary data to characterize species assemblages associated with highly threatened ecosystems, such as the Brazilian Cerrado. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the threat levels and impacts of habitat loss over the Cerrado Squamate fauna. The region is under severe habitat loss due to mechanized agriculture, accelerated by changes in the Brazilian National Forest Code. The Squamate fauna of the Cerrado is rich in endemics and is intrinsically associated with its surrounding microhabitats, which make up a mosaic of phitophysiognomies throughout the region. Herein we evaluate current conservation status of Squamate biogeographic patterns in the Brazilian Cerrado, the single savanna among global biodiversity hotspots. To do so, we first updated point locality data on 49 endemic Squamates pertaining to seven non-random clusters of species ranges in the Cerrado. Each cluster was assumed to be representative of different biogeographic regions, holding its own set of species, herein mapped according to their extent of occurrence (EOO). We then contrasted these data in four different scenarios, according to the presence or absence of habitat loss and the presence or absence of the current protected area (PA) cover. We searched for non-random patterns of habitat loss and PA coverage among these biogeographic regions throughout the Cerrado. Finally, with the species EOO as biodiversity layers, we used Zonation to discuss contemporary PA distribution, as well as to highlight current priority areas for conservation within the Cerrado. We ran Zonation under all four conservation scenarios mentioned above. We observed that habitat loss and PA coverage significantly differed between biogeographic regions. The southernmost biogeographic region is the least protected and the most impacted, with priority areas highly scattered in small, disjunct fragments. The northernmost biogeographic region (Tocantins-Serra Geral) is the most protected and least impacted, showing extensive priority areas in all Zonation scenarios. Therefore, current and past deforestation trends are severely threatening biogeographic patterns in the Cerrado. Moreover, PA distribution is spatially biased, and does not represent biogeographic divisions of the Cerrado. Consequently, we show that biogeographic patterns and processes are being erased at an accelerated pace, reinforcing the urgent need to create new reserves and to avoid the loss of the last remaining fragments of once continuous biogeographic regions. These actions are fundamental and urgent for conserving biogeographic and evolutionary information in this highly imperiled savanna hotspot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The greatest current threat to terrestrial fauna is continuous and severe landscape modification that destroys and degrades animal habitats. This rapid and severe modification has threatened species, local biological communities, and the ecological services that they provide, such as seed dispersal, insect predation, and pollination. Bats are important pollinators of the Cerrado (woodland savanna) because of their role in the life cycles of many plant species. However, there is little information about how these bat species are being affected by habitat loss and fragmentation. We used radio-tracking to estimate the home ranges of Glossophaga soricina (Pallas, 1776) and Lonchophylla dekeyseriTaddei, Vizotto & Sazima, 1983. The home range of G. soricina varies from 430 to 890 ha. They combine shortrange flights of up to 500 m to nearby areas with longer flights of 2 to 3 km that take them away from their core areas. The maximum flight distance tracked for L. dekeyseri was 3.8 km, and its home range varies from 564 to 640 ha. The average distance travelled by this species was 1.3 km. Our data suggest that G. soricina and L. dekeyseri are able to explore the fragmented landscape of the Central Brazilian Cerrado and that they are likely to survive in the short- to medium-term. The natural dispersal ability of these two species may enable them to compensate for continued human disturbance in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Creating and managing protected areas is critical to ensure the persistence of species but dynamic threats like land-use change and climate change may reduce the effectiveness of protected areas planned under a static approach. Here we defined spatial priorities for the conservation of non-flying mammals inhabiting the Cerrado Biodiversity Hotspot, Brazil, that overcome the likely impacts of land-use and climate change to this imperiled fauna. We used cutting-edge methods of species distribution models combining thousands of model projections to generate a comprehensive ensemble of forecasts that shows the likely impacts of climate change in mammal distribution. We also generate a future land-use model that indicates how the region would be impacted by habitat loss in the future. We then used our models to propose priority sites for mammal conservation minimizing species climate-forced dispersal distance as well as the mean uncertainty associated to species distribution models and climate models. At the same time, our proposal maximizes complementary species representation across the existing network of protected areas. Including land-use changes and model uncertainties in the planning process changed significantly the spatial distribution of priority sites in the region. While the inclusion of land-use models altered the spatial location of priority sites at the regional scale, the effects of climate change tended to operate at the local scale. Our solutions already include possible dispersal corridors linking current and future priority sites for mammal conservation, as well as a formal risk analysis based on planning uncertainties. We hope to provide decision makers with conservation portfolios that could be negotiated at the decision level. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Cerrado is one of the world's biodiversity hotspots. In the last 35 years, more than 50% of its approximately 2 million km2 has been transformed into pasture and agricultural lands planted in cash crops. The Cerrado has the richest flora among the world's savannas (>7000 species) and high levels of endemism. Species richness of birds, fishes, reptiles, amphibians, and insects is equally high, whereas mammal diversity is relatively low. Deforestation rates have been higher in the Cerrado than in the Amazon rainforest, and conservation efforts have been modest: only 2.2% of its area is under legal protection. Numerous animal and plant species are threatened with extinction, and an estimated 20% of threatened and endemic species do not occur in protected areas. Soil erosion, the degradation of the diverse Cerrado vegetation formations, and the spread of exotic grasses are widespread and major threats. The use of fire for clearing land and to encourage new growth for pasture has also caused damage, even though the Cerrado is a fire-adapted ecosystem. Ecosystem experiments and modeling show that change in land cover is altering the hydrology and affecting carbon stocks and fluxes. Cerrado agriculture is lucrative, and agricultural expansion is expected to continue, requiring improvements in and extension of the transportation infrastructure, which will affect not only the Cerrado but also the Amazon forest. Large-scale landscape modification and threats to numerous species have led to renewed interest from various sectors in promoting the conservation of the Cerrado, particularly through strengthening and enlarging the system of protected areas and improving farming practices and thus the livelihoods of local communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bird strikes at airports pose a human‐wildlife conflict (HWC) present in the world's major cities. Conflict mitigation frequently encompasses translocation, but its effectiveness in resolving HWCs is unclear. Here, we used the Burrowing Owl (Athene cunicularia) as a model species to test the effectiveness of translocation in reducing the number of bird strikes, the primary HWC at airports. We explored the translocation process, focusing on 3 aspects: 1) the influence of landscape structure on the persistence time of translocated animals at the released sites, 2) the influence of the release distance from the source on the return of translocated animals, and 3) the strike rate involving the species at the capture site at Brasília International Airport (BSB). Our results did not support burrowing owl translocation as a management option for solving the HWC at the BSB. We also found that the landscape composition did not guarantee individual persistence since the animals did not remain at release sites, regardless of the spatial configuration. Release distance did not explain the frequency of return of translocated animals to the capture site. Finally, we registered a higher number of collisions during translocation management. Thus, we believe that wildlife management programs must monitor translocated animals assessing if translocations are suited for the context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although radio collars are widely applied in movement ecology, their use in animals with changing neck circumferences is challenging. We are proposing a model of a simple, cheap, and expandable collar that is suitable for the monitoring of young terrestrial mammals. We tested the collar on young crab-eating foxes. There was no register of injuries caused by the collar to the tagged animals, and they functioned appropriately. Thus, we hope this note will encourage further researchers to use our method to monitor the movement patterns of young animals, not only for canids but also for other species of terrestrial mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The effective conservation and management of any given species frequently requires basic knowledge on its distribution, which is problematic for highly mobile, species‐ and ecologically‐rich groups, like bats. Moreover, to produce detailed distributions for continental‐sized, bat species‐rich countries, like Brazil, is difficult, especially considering that ~60% of the country has not a single formal bat record. Using Species Distribution Modelling (SDM), we assessed the potential distribution of >100 species of Brazilian bats. Location: Brazil. Methods: We (a) updated data on the distribution of 135 bat species, (b) generated SDMs for each species, (c) constructed species richness maps for Brazil, (d) determined areas of endemism and (e) identified areas harbouring threatened species. Results: Amazonia harbours the highest bat species richness (76% of the species), followed by the Atlantic Forest (66%), Cerrado (65%) and the Caatinga (53%). Richness in 5 × 5 km grid cells varied between 23 and 117 species and 70% of Brazil's territory is predicted to have 50–90 species, and 25% >90 species. Coastal Atlantic forest, mainly in its north‐eastern region, and along its contact zone with the Caatinga biome had the highest potential richness. However, there is a severe regional sampling bias: 48% of the records available were from the Atlantic Forest and 21% were from along the Amazon River. Main conclusions: Pantanal and Pampa are clearly under sampled, with <50% of their expected richness already assessed. Endemic and endangered bat species are in the Atlantic Forest, Cerrado and Caatinga, the most threatened biomes in Brazil. In addition to the seven nationally threatened bat species in Brazil, the situation for other species is worrisome: In a business‐as‐usual scenario, local extinctions in large portions of the country may happen before basic information gaps are filled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geographic distribution and habitat association of most mammalian polymorphic phenotypes are still poorly known, hampering assessments of their adaptive significance. Even in the case of the black panther, an iconic melanistic variant of the leopard (Panthera pardus), no map exists describing its distribution. We constructed a large database of verified records sampled across the species’ range, and used it to map the geographic occurrence of melanism. We then estimated the potential distribution of melanistic and non-melanistic leopards using niche-modeling algorithms. The overall frequency of melanism was ca. 11%, with a significantly non-random spatial distribution. Distinct habitat types presented significantly different frequencies of melanism, which increased in Asian moist forests and approached zero across most open/dry biomes. Niche modeling indicated that the potential distributions of the two phenotypes were distinct, with significant differences in habitat suitability and rejection of niche equivalency between them. We conclude that melanism in leopards is strongly affected by natural selection, likely driven by efficacy of camouflage and/or thermoregulation in different habitats, along with an effect of moisture that goes beyond its influence on vegetation type. Our results support classical hypotheses of adaptive coloration in animals (e.g. Gloger’s rule), and open up new avenues for in-depth evolutionary analyses of melanism in mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carnivores and their prey occurring at the extremes of their ecological niches face particular constraints in terms of habitat suitability (HS). We combined the use of camera traps and Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) to calculate HS for jaguars (Panthera onca), pumas (Puma concolor), and 4 prey species (3-banded armadillos, Tolypeutes tricinctus; 9-banded armadillos, Dasypus novemcinctus; collared peccaries, Pecari tajacu; and gray brocket deer, Mazama gouazoubira) in Serra da Capivara National Park (SCNP), located in the semiarid Caatinga biome of Brazil. We also evaluated HS in relation to water management applied in the Park since 1994. Considering the physiological limitations of the Caatinga's species, we used an "edge of niche" habitat-suitability algorithm. For all species examined, distance to waterholes was the ecogeographical variable with the greatest contribution for the ENFA. Water management implemented in SCNP helps to ensure the persistence of predators and prey species, since the combination of topographic characteristics and location of waterholes explained most of HS for the analyzed species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several lines of evidence suggest that savannas currently distributed disjointedly in the southern and northern portions of South America might have been connected and disconnected many times during the Quaternary climatic fluctuations. Here, we investigated how climate change since the Last Interglacial may have modified the distribution of bird species associated with South American savannas. We evaluated the connections between South America's savannas using 10 broadly distributed species and the impact of climate changes in community composition using 18 species endemic to Cerrado. We fit ecological niche models to each of the 28 bird species to compare the potential distribution patterns for the Last Interglacial (120 kyr BP), the Last Glacial Maximum (21 kyr BP) and the present. Our results corroborated hypotheses of past connections between northern and southern blocks of savannas through three hypothetical corridors that existed along the Andes, Atlantic Coast and through central Amazonia. In addition, our results also suggested the existence of a fourth plausible corridor located along the Madeira River, crossing Amazonia from the southwest to the northeast. Finally, our analysis showed significant changes in the community composition dynamics of endemic Cerrado species. Our results further reinforce the notion that climate change has major impacts on the distribution of savanna species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species-distribution models (SDM) are tools with potential to inform environmental-impact studies (EIA). However, they are not always appropriate and may result in improper and expensive mitigation and compensation if their limitations are not understood by decision makers. Here, we examine the use of SDM for frogs that were used in impact assessment using data obtained from the EIA of a hydroelectric project located in the Amazon Basin in Brazil. The results show that lack of knowledge of species distributions limits the appropriate use of SDM in the Amazon region for most target species. Because most of these targets are newly described and their distributions poorly known, data about their distributions are insufficient to be effectively used in SDM. Surveys that are mandatory for the EIA are often conducted only near the area under assessment, and so models must extrapolate well beyond the sampled area to inform decisions made at much larger spatial scales, such as defining areas to be used to offset the negative effects of the projects. Using distributions of better-known species in simulations, we show that geographical-extrapolations based on limited information of species ranges often lead to spurious results. We conclude that the use of SDM as evidence to support project-licensing decisions in the Amazon requires much greater area sampling for impact studies, or, alternatively, integrated and comparative survey strategies, to improve biodiversity sampling. When more detailed distribution information is unavailable, SDM will produce results that generate uncertain and untestable decisions regarding impact assessment. In many cases, SDM is unlikely to be better than the use of expert opinion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species gap analyses that adopt conservation targets based on individual species attributes recognize that some biodiversity features need more protection than others and should lead to better outcomes than uniform conservation targets. In the Brazilian Cerrado hotspot, 4 of the 30 endemic lizard species are included in the IUCN or Brazilian red lists of threatened species. For 18 species with more than 5 occurrence records, we produced distribution models using Maxent and for 12 species with less than 5 occurrence records we used a 5 km radius around the records to indicate distributions. For all species, we estimated habitat loss after discounting cleared areas from indicated distributions. Non-modeled species were considered as truly restricted-range endemics and had conservation targets set a priori as 100%. We formulated conservation targets for 18 modeled species based on three characteristics: natural rarity, vulnerability, and life-history. We estimated vulnerability from a model of future habitat loss across the Cerrado, derived with Maxent. We then performed a gap analysis considering strictly protected conservation areas. We applied percentage targets (between 12% and 23%) to estimated species distributions prior to habitat loss and evaluated the targets against the presence of the species within strictly protected conservation areas. Disturbingly, only one species is adequately protected by the current system of protected areas. We also found that one species is a minor conservation gap, whereas the remaining 28 species are either major (13) or total (5) conservation gaps. Habitat loss has erased a significant fraction of the original distribution of Cerrado endemic lizards and the existent network of protected areas is wholly inadequate to ensure their conservation. The use of conservation targets based on natural rarity, vulnerability, and life-story will support more defensible conservation guidelines than commonly used uniform targets for this threatened Neotropical savanna biome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The planning of protected areas take into consideration the current distributions of target species, disregarding possible future range shifts under climate change. This study tested potential shifts in the distribution of three xenarthran species (the giant anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla; the giant armadillo, Priodontes maximus; and the three-banded armadillo, Tolypeutes tricinctus) due to the effects of climate change under different dispersal scenarios. In addition, we tested the adequacy of the current Brazilian protected areas in preserving these species under future climate changes (future distribution for the year 2050), under full and null dispersal scenarios. The final occurrence maps were then confronted with two Brazilian reserve systems for the year 2010: one consisting of reserves for integral protection only (IPCU), and one that included also reserves for sustainable use and indigenous reserves (SUCU). In the IPCU system, none of the species have or will have ⩾10% of their distributions protected, under neither dispersal scenario. Including SUCU, however, M. tridactyla and P. maximus already are, and will still be, adequately protected in the future. T. tricinctus, which is endemic to the Brazilian semi-arid, will not reach the 10% goal under neither dispersal scenario, even under the SUCU system. We stress the need for management actions in the northeastern and central parts of Brazil. Opportunities for the creation of more reserves are highlighted, considering the potential range shifts and the natural habitats still present in these regions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Conserving animals beyond protected areas is critical because even the largest reserves may be too small to maintain viable populations for many wide-ranging species. Identification of landscape features that will promote persistence of a diverse array of species is a high priority, particularly, for protected areas that reside in regions of otherwise extensive habitat loss. This is the case for Emas National Park, a small but important protected area located in the Brazilian Cerrado, the world's most biologically diverse savanna. Emas Park is a large-mammal global conservation priority area but is too small to protect wide-ranging mammals for the long-term and conserving these populations will depend on the landscape surrounding the park. We employed novel, noninvasive methods to determine the relative importance of resources found within the park, as well as identify landscape features that promote persistence of wide-ranging mammals outside reserve borders. We used scat detection dogs to survey for five large mammals of conservation concern: giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla), maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), jaguar (Panthera onca), and puma (Puma concolor). We estimated resource selection probability functions for each species from 1,572 scat locations and 434 giant armadillo burrow locations. Results indicate that giant armadillos and jaguars are highly selective of natural habitats, which makes both species sensitive to landscape change from agricultural development. Due to the high amount of such development outside of the Emas Park boundary, the park provides rare resource conditions that are particularly important for these two species. We also reveal that both woodland and forest vegetation remnants enable use of the agricultural landscape as a whole for maned wolves, pumas, and giant anteaters. We identify those features and their landscape compositions that should be prioritized for conservation, arguing that a multi-faceted approach is required to protect these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most protected areas are too small to sustain populations of wide-ranging mammals; thus, identification and conservation of high-quality habitat for those animals outside parks is often a high priority, particularly for regions where extensive land conversion is occurring. This is the case in the vicinity of Emas National Park, a small protected area in the Brazilian Cerrado. Over the last 40 years the native vegetation surrounding the park has been converted to agriculture, but the region still supports virtually all of the animals native to the area. We determined the effectiveness of scat-detection dogs in detecting presence of five species of mammals threatened with extinction by habitat loss: maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus ), puma (Puma concolor ), jaguar (Panthera onca ), giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla ), and giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus ). The probability of scat detection varied among the five species and among survey quadrats of different size, but was consistent across team, season, and year. The probability of occurrence, determined from the presence of scat, in a randomly selected site within the study area ranged from 0.14 for jaguars, which occur primarily in the forested areas of the park, to 0.91 for maned wolves, the most widely distributed species in our study area. Most occurrences of giant armadillos in the park were in open grasslands, but in the agricultural matrix they tended to occur in riparian woodlands. At least one target species occurred in every survey quadrat, and giant armadillos, jaguars, and maned wolves were more likely to be present in quadrats located inside than outside the park. The effort required for detection of scats was highest for the two felids. We were able to detect the presence for each of five wide-ranging species inside and outside the park and to assign occurrence probabilities to specific survey sites. Thus, scat dogs provide an effective survey tool for rare species even when accurate detection likelihoods are required. We believe the way we used scat-detection dogs to determine the presence of species can be applied to the detection of other mammalian species in other ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate patterns of species richness of squamates (lizards, snakes, and amphisbaenians) in the Brazilian Cerrado, identifying areas of particularly high richness, and testing predictions of large-scale richness hypotheses by analysing the relationship between species richness and environmental climatic variables. We used point localities from museum collections to produce maps of the predicted distributions for 237 Cerrado squamate species, using niche-modelling techniques. We superimposed distributions of all species on a composite map, depicting richness across the ecosystem. Then, we performed a multiple regression analysis using eigenvector-based spatial filtering (Principal Coordinate of Neighbour Matrices) to assess environmental–climatic variables that are best predictors of species richness. We found that the environmental–climatic and spatial filters multiple regression model explained 78% of the variation in Cerrado squamate richness ( r2 = 0.78; F = 32.66; P < 0.01). Best predictors of species richness were: annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality, altitude, net primary productivity, and precipitation during the driest quarter. A model selection approach revealed that several mechanisms related to the different diversity hypothesis might work together to explain richness variation in the Cerrado. Areas of higher species richness in Cerrado were located mainly in the south-west, north, extreme east, and scattered areas in the north-west portions of the biome. Partitioning of energy among species, habitat differentiation, and tolerance to variable environments may be the primary ecological factors determining variation in squamate richness across the Cerrado. High richness areas in northern Cerrado, predicted by our models, are still poorly sampled, and biological surveys are warranted in that region. The south-western region of the Cerrado exhibits high species richness and is also undergoing high levels of deforestation. Therefore, maintenance of existing reserves, establishment of ecological corridors among reserves, and creation of new reserves are urgently needed to ensure conservation of species in these areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Substance P (SP) and neurokinins have been implicated in modulating pain and mood but little is known about their effect on sleep–wake behavior. The purpose of the present study was to examine the possible involvement of SP in sleep–wake mechanisms without activation of painful responses. Electrophysiological recordings of the sleep–wake cycle were conducted in C57BL/6J male mice that had intracerebral ventricular cannula inserted for drug administration. Initially, in order to determine the highest dose of SP that would not induce nociceptive response, 10 animals per group received administration of either SP doses or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF-sham group) through the cannula and were assessed by the hot plate test. The sleep–wake cycle of two other groups of mice was recorded for 24h before (baseline) and after receiving CSF (n =10) or SP-1mM (n =11), dose that had been determined in the previous hot plate test. SP interfered with sleep, when compared to baseline and to sham group, by reducing sleep efficiency, increasing latency of sleep and the number of awakening bouts. To examine the reversal of SP effects, eight mice were administered with an NK1 receptor antagonist before SP administration. Prior administration of the NK1 antagonist prevented the disturbances in sleep. Conclusions: The results suggest that SP produces disturbances in sleep, likely mediated by the NK1 receptor. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim: Field surveys are necessary to overcome Wallacean shortfalls. The task is even more important when human pressure on tropical—megadiverse—ecosystems is considered. However, due to financial constraints, spatial and temporal prioritization is required. Here, we used the concept of environmental complementarity to identify non‐surveyed regions for bats that are environmentally different from other already surveyed regions. We highlighted regions in Brazil where field inventories could be conducted to locate new occurrences or even new bat species. Location: Brazil. Methods: We based our analysis on environmental characterization aiming to identify dissimilar regions to those already sampled for bats in Brazil. We used 21 environmental variables to characterize 1,531 unique localities where bats occur. Then, we applied the parameters of a generalized linear model (GLM) to extrapolate the expected values of the environmental variables for the entire country. We compared the predicted values of localities with newly described bat species occurrence against the values for other bat species. Results: We found that sites from which recently discovered species were described are environmentally distinct from the sites where previously described species occur. Therefore, new occurrences and even new species could be found in regions that are environmentally dissimilar from those already surveyed. By crossing the model with a human footprint map, we defined temporal priorities for field inventories. Regions such as the Northern Cerrado and Western Caatinga should be surveyed first. Similar approaches could be undertaken for other biological groups or regions, allowing the identification of spatial congruence and the development of a comprehensive national programme for biological field inventories. Main conclusion: Newly described species occurred in environments dissimilar to those previously identified, showing that environmental complementarity analysis is a valid approach to define priority regions for new bat inventories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression is increasingly present in the population, and its pathophysiology and treatment have been investigated with several animal models, including olfactory bulbectomy ( Obx). Fish oil ( FO) supplementation during the prenatal and postnatal periods decreases depression-like and anxiety-like behaviors. The present study evaluated the effect of FO supplementation on Obx-induced depressive-like behavior and cognitive impairment. Female rats received supplementation with FO during habituation, mating, gestation, and lactation, and their pups were subjected to Obx in adulthood; after the recovery period, the adult offspring were subjected to behavioral tests, and the hippocampal levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor ( BDNF), serotonin (5- HT) and the metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic (5- HIAA) were determined. Obx led to increased anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors, and impairment in the object location task. All behavioral changes were reversed by FO supplementation. Obx caused reductions in the levels of hippocampal BDNF and 5- HT, whereas FO supplementation restored these levels to normal values. In control rats, FO increased the hippocampal level of 5- HT and reduced that of 5- HIAA, indicating low 5- HT metabolism in this brain region. The present results indicate that FO supplementation during critical periods of brain development attenuated anxiety-like and depressive-like behaviors and cognitive dysfunction induced by Obx. These results may be explained by increased levels of hippocampal BDNF and 5- HT, two major regulators of neuronal survival and long-term plasticity in this brain structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents a multi-agent model system to characterize land-use change dynamics. The replicable parameterization process should be useful to the development of simulation frameworks, important to environmental policy makers to analyze different scenarios during decision making process. The methodological two-fold approach intends to form a solid backbone based on: (i) the systematic and structured empirical characterization of the model; and (ii) the conceptual structure definition according to the agent-based model documentation protocol – Overview, Design concepts and Details. A multi-agent system for land-use change simulation was developed to validate the model, which is illustrated with a case study of the Brazilian Cerrado using LANDSAT ETM images. The simulation results prove the model importance with a figure of merit greater than 50%, what means the amount of correctly predicted change is larger than the sum of any type of error. The results are very good compared with nine popular peer-reviewed land change models. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Most of the world''s biodiversity is threatened by agricultural intensification. Agricultural intensification also is considered as major human thread to one of the world''s most threatened ecosystems, the Cerrado in Brazil. The Cerrado can be characterized as a natural mosaic of grasslands, woodlands, dry savannas and forests forming a naturally heterogeneous landscape representing the home for an enormous amount of endangered bird species. In this paper, we present a qualitative reasoning model to compare impacts of Intensive farming and traditional management on bird communities inhabiting a mosaic of savanna-forest landscape in the Brazilian Cerrado ecoregion, by using non-numerical knowledge and explicit representation of causal relations. Three groups of bird species were represented, based on their distinct use of the forest-savanna mosaic: forest specialists, forest generalists and non-forest inhabitants. The qualitative model was built in Garp3, a qualitative simulation engine. The qualitative model was successful in representing the impacts of both agricultural systems on the bird groups, addressing advantages and disadvantages of this method. The model shows that intensive agriculture leads to non-forest and forest specialists decline, whereas forest generalists are kept stable. On the other hand, traditional management may lead to either a decline or maintenance of the non-forest and maintenance of both forest groups. Replacement of traditional management by intensive agriculture may negatively affect birds. Heterogeneity is a key process to maintain diversity in agricultural landscapes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A wide range of evidences indicate climate change as one the greatest threats to biodiversity in the 21st century. The impacts of these changes, which may have already resulted in several recent species extinction, are species-specific and produce shifts in species phenology, ecological interactions, and geographical distributions. Here we used cutting-edge methods of species distribution models combining thousands of model projections to generate a complete and comprehensive ensemble of forecasts that shows the likely impacts of climate change in the distribution of all 55 marsupial species that occur in Brazil. Consensus projections forecasted range shifts that culminate with high species richness in the southeast of Brazil, both for the current time and for 2050. Most species had a significant range contraction and lost climate space. Turnover rates were relatively high, but vary across the country. We also mapped sites retaining climatic suitability. They can be found in all Brazilian biomes, especially in the pampas region, in the southern part of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, in the north of the Cerrado and Caatinga, and in the northwest of the Amazon. Our results provide a general overview on the likely effects of global climate change on the distribution of marsupials in the country as well as in the patterns of species richness and turnover found in regional marsupial assemblages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Epidemiological and dietary studies show that nutritional deficit of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFA) is directly related to the prevalence and severity of depression. Supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) during critical periods of development (pregnancy and lactation) is essential for cortical maturation, synaptogenesis and myelination, and may also mitigate the risk for cognitive deficits and psychopathologies in young adults. The present study was performed to evaluate the involvement of serotonin (5-HT) receptors, particularly of 5-HT1A, and hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression in the antidepressant effect of ω-3 PUFA supplementation. In Experiment 1, the antidepressant effects of fish oil were assessed by the modified forced swim test in adult rats. The data indicated a robust antidepressant effect produced by this supplementation and that treatment of the rats with WAY 100135 reversed this effect. In Experiment 2, cortical and hippocampal contents of BDNF, 5-HT, dopamine (DA) and its metabolites, 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC), were determined in animals subjected to the same protocol. Increased BDNF expression in the cortex and hippocampus of both age groups was detected. In 90 day-old rats, 5-HT content in the hippocampus was increased, whereas 5-HIAA formation was diminished in the fish oil group. We suggest the occurrence of a reciprocal involvement of 5-HT1A receptors activation and the hippocampal BDNF-increased expression mediated by fish oil supplementation. These data corroborate and expand the notion that supplementation with ω-3 PUFA produces antidepressant effects mediated by an increase in serotonergic neurotransmission, particularly in the hippocampus. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled ‘Anxiety and Depression’. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Activation of the immune system elicits several behavioral changes that are collectively called sickness behavior and consists in a strategy to overcome infection. Sleep deprivation can increase susceptibility to pathogens and to behavioral alterations. Thus, the present study aimed to determine how paradoxical sleep deprivation (PSD) affects the behavioral and neurochemical responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS, potent activator of the immune response). Adult inbred mice were paradoxical sleep deprived (72 h), whereas the control group was kept in their home cages. Both groups received either an injection of saline or LPS (5, 10 or 20 µg/animal ip) before behavioral tasks and tissue collection. During the recovery sleep period, LPS provoked a strong inhibition of sleep rebound due to a suppression of paradoxical sleep. PSD increased the susceptibility of mice to LPS-induced immobility in the open field, which was capable of affecting the anxiety-like behavior also. These altered behavioral responses to LPS were accompanied by reduction in dopamine turnover within the striatum and increased expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in the cortex. The study provides some insights into how the sleep–wake cycle affects the expression of sickness behavior induced by LPS. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Rat cisternal (CSF) hypocretin-1 in cerebrospinal fluid was measured after 6 or 96 h of REM sleep deprivation and following 24 h of REM sleep rebound. REM deprivation was found to increase CSF hypocretin-1 collected at zeitgeber time (ZT) 8 but not ZT0. Decreased CSF hypocretin levels were also observed at ZT8 after 24 h of REM sleep rebound. These results suggest that REM sleep deprivation activates and REM sleep rebound inhibits the hypocretin system. Increased hypocretin tone during REM deprivation may be important in mediating some of the effects of REM sleep deprivation such as antidepressant effects, hyperphagia and increased sympathetic activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]