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Worldwide, nature-based tourism is becoming more popular and important economically. However, there is still debate regarding its impact on wildlife in protected areas. We conducted a quasi-experimental study to investigate the effects of tourism on the mammal community of Cavernas do Peruaçu National Park, a priority area for conservation in Brazil. We used camera traps to survey tourist and non-tourist trails during 2011–2017, encompassing periods before and after tourism started in the Park. We used four metrics for assessment: species richness, probability of using trails, activity levels and daily activity patterns. After tourism began in the Park there was no significant change in species richness and the probability of using tourist trails either increased or remained stable for five of the six species assessed. The rock cavy Kerodon rupestris was the only species to be displaced from tourist areas and to show reduced overall activity on tourist trails after tourism began. The ocelot Leopardus pardalis showed reduced diurnal activity on tourist trails, an indication of temporal adjustment. Overall, our results show that the initial years of visitation at the Park had limited negative impacts on the target mammal species, supporting the possibility of accommodating tourism activity and effective conservation of wildlife in the region. However, it is essential to continue monitoring in the Park because of the expected growth in tourism and potential time lags in responses of species.

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There are several factors that can determine the pattern of habitat use by species in fragmented habitats. Here we investigated the applicability of the continuum model, which predicts that habitat use varies in a continuous way and not categorically like habitat and not-habitat, for small mammal habitat use. We also investigated if habitat-related guilds of species can change their habitual pattern of habitat use in an extremely altered landscape. This study was conducted in a highly fragmented area of Atlantic Forest in Brazil, where forest fragments are immersed in a pasture matrix. We captured mammals using pitfall traps placed in six sampling sites. In each of these sites, we selected four of five different habitats that were available in the local landscape: high-elevation forests without stream, low-elevation forests with stream, forest edges, pasture matrix without stream, and pasture matrix with stream. This study revealed that the theory of the continuum model can be applied for investigating patterns of use of fragmented forests by small mammals. We also observed, in general, low tolerance of forest species to the most disturbed habitat, the pasture matrix without stream. However, a small increase in the complexity of the vegetation, as observed in riparian pasture matrices, seems to mitigate this negative effect, making the abundance, richness, and diversity of small mammals comparable to forest habitats. These results indicate that the presence of streams may facilitate the use of the pasture matrix, contributing for the maintenance of the original community in the fragmented forest.

1. Spatial and temporal variation in networks has been reported in different studies. However, the many effects of habitat structure and food resource availability variation on network structures have remained poorly investigated, especially in individual‐ based networks. This approach can shed light on individual specialization of resource use and how habitat variations shape trophic interactions. 2. To test hypotheses related to habitat variability on trophic interactions, we investigated seasonal and spatial variation in network structure of four populations of the marsupial Gracilinanus agilis in the highly seasonal tropical savannas of the Brazilian Cerrado. 3. We evaluated such variation with network nestedness and modularity considering both cool‐dry and warm‐wet seasons, and related such variations with food resource availability and habitat structure (considered in the present study as environmental variation) in four sites of savanna woodland forest. 4. Network analyses showed that modularity (but not nestedness) was consistently lower during the cool‐dry season in all G. agilis populations. Our results indicated that nestedness is related to habitat structure, showing that this metric increases in sites with thick and spaced trees. On the other hand, modularity was positively related to diversity of arthropods and abundance of fruits. 5. We propose that the relationship between nestedness and habitat structure is an outcome of individual variation in the vertical space and food resource use by G. agilis in sites with thick and spaced trees. Moreover, individual specialization in resource‐rich and population‐dense periods possibly increased the network modularity of G. agilis. Therefore, our study reveals that environment variability considering spatial and temporal components is important for shaping network structure of populations.

To better understand the relationship between forest complexity and small mammal diversity, we investigated the vertical stratification of marsupials and rodents in 2 forest types with distinct levels of complexity in a Neotropical savanna (Brazilian Cerrado). We livetrapped mammals in gallery forests and the less-complex savanna woodland forests (locally known as “cerradao”) at ground level, in the understory (1–4 m above ground), and in the canopy (7–19 m above ground), for a total of 43,200 trap-nights. We recorded 1,335 captures of 682 individuals (4 marsupial and 7 rodent species). We compared alpha and beta diversity between forest formations evaluating the effect of sampling in multiple vertical strata on estimates of species richness, and determining species turnover among the vertical strata. Our results showed that species associations with specific vertical strata differed between forest types. Alpha diversity of the gallery forest was greater than that of the savanna woodland forest, but in both forest formations, estimates of species richness increased when all 3 vertical strata were considered. In addition, species turnover among vertical strata was higher in gallery forests than in savanna woodland forests. Our results show the importance of sampling at different heights in complex environments to obtain more reliable estimates of species richness and abundance. Furthermore, our study provides evidence for the role of environmental complexity in the vertical stratification of small mammals, with increased alpha and beta diversity in more complex environments likely due to niche subdivision.

Agonistic events can cause the death of one or more individuals involved and can be an important factor in population structure. The recording of these interactions between small mammals in situ is a difficult task. Here, we describe for the first time two intraspecific killing events occurred inside traps between male sigmodontine rodents belonging to the species Oligoryzomys nigripes and Oecomys cf. cleberi in a Neotropical savanna (Cerrado). We discuss on the nature of the aggression between the males by examining the location of injuries. Our results provide insight into intra-sexual behavioral competition that may occur.

Phyllomys is the most species-rich genus among spiny tree rats of the family Echimyidae and includes members widely distributed throughout the Atlantic Forest of South America. Among recognized species recovered in previous studies, 4 lineages are unnamed and their taxonomic distinctness needs further investigation. Biogeographic analyses recovered an Amazonian ancestor of the basal lineage leading to living Phyllomys, suggesting ancient connections between the 2 largest South American rainforests, and presence of rainforest corridors within the central Brazilian dry biomes. Based on exhaustive taxonomic sampling of Phyllomys, applying multigene phylogenetic methods, and morphological and karyological data, we described a new species of Phyllomys from central Brazil. Geographical records from the center of the Cerrado biome of central Brazil indicate an unexpected location for the distribution of the genus, given the contrast between the physical and biological characteristics of the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest habitats. Contrary to previous studies, the analysis of the ancestral geographic range performed here suggests a Cerrado ancestral distribution for Phyllomys during the late Miocene. This result favors the hypothesis of a past link between the Amazon and Atlantic Forest in central Brazil, through the region occupied today by the dry Cerrado, and that forest expansions and contractions may have occurred in Brazilian dry biomes over the course of the Tertiary.

We describe a newly developed and low-cost feeder designed for use with arboreal small mammals under any climatic condition. As part of a project on bottom-up regulation of small mammal populations in central Brazil, we present the results of 16 months of food supplementation. During the study, more than 118 kg of milled cat food were consumed, out of a total of 207 kg offered. Moreover, we registered a low rate of loss (14.05%) of feeders from falling to the ground or termite/ant colonization. The round-pot feeder described here represents a low-cost method for providing continuous food-supplementation, contraceptives, or poisoned baits to arboreal small mammals.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-10T19:52:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-01-01 Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (FAPERJ) PDA/MMA Institute BioAdantica, PROBIO I [MCT/MMA/GEF] Institute BioAdantica, PROBIO II [MCT/MMA/GEF] FAPESB NERC UESC/PROPP Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz Fundacao Grupo Boticario de Protecao a Natureza FAPESB Bol PROBIO I/MMA/GEF PROBIO II/MCT/MMA/GEF Recent studies suggest that habitat amount is the main determinant of species richness, whereas habitat fragmentation has weak and mostly positive effects. Here, we challenge these ideas using a multi-taxa database including 2230 estimates of forest-dependent species richness from 1097 sampling sites across the Brazilian Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspot. We used a structural equation modeling approach, accounting not only for direct effects of habitat loss, but also for its indirect effects (via habitat fragmentation), on the richness of forest-dependent species. We reveal that in addition to the effects of habitat loss, habitat fragmentation has negative impacts on animal species richness at intermediate (30-60%) levels of habitat amount, and on richness of plants at high ( > 60%) levels of habitat amount, both of which are mediated by edge effects. Based on these results, we argue that dismissing habitat fragmentation as a powerful force driving species extinction in tropical forest landscapes is premature and unsafe. Univ Fed Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Ambientais, Rua Sao Nicolau 210, BR-09913030 Diadema, SP, Brazil Int Inst Sustainabil, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Univ Fed Mato Grosso do Sul, Inst Biociencias, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Posgrad Ecol, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Dept Ecol, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Zool, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Imperial Coll London, Dept Life Sci, Silwood Pk Campus, Ascot SL5 7PY, Berks, England Univ Fed Rio Grande do Norte, Dept Ecol, Natal, RN, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ecol, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Florestais, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Santa Catarina, Dept Ecol & Zool, Florianopolis, SC, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Filosofia Ciencias & Letras Ribeirao Preto, Ribeirao Preto, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Bahia, Posgrad Ecol Aplicada Gestao Ambiental, Salvador, BA, Brazil Univ Fed Mato Grosso, Inst Ciencias Nat Humanas & Sociais, Sinop, MT, Brazil Univ Estadual Campinas, Posgrad Biol Vegetal, Campinas, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Santa Cruz, Lab Ecol & Conservacao Biodiversidade, Ilheus, BA, Brazil Univ Estado Rio de Janeiro, Programa Posgrad Ecol & Evolucao, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Univ Fed Bahia, Inst Biol, Salvador, BA, Brazil Inst Pro Carnivoros, Atibaia, SP, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Engn Florestal, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Sao Carlos, Dept Ciencias Ambientais, Sao Carlos, SP, Brazil Inst Florestal Estado Sao Paulo, Secao Ecol Florestal, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Pernambuco, Dept Bot, Recife, PE, Brazil Univ Estadual Sudoeste Bahia, Dept Ciencias Biol, Jequie, BA, Brazil Univ Fed Bahia, Ctr Formacao Ciencias Agroflorestais, Ilheus, BA, Brazil Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, Escola Super Agr Luiz de Queiroz, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Parana, Dept Bot, Curitiba, Parana, Brazil Univ Fed Vicosa, Dept Engn Florestal, Vicosa, MG, Brazil Univ Fed Espirito Santo, Dept Ciencias Biol, Sao Mateus, ES, Brazil Prefeitura Municipal Paulinia, Paulinia, SP, Brazil Univ Estadual Feira de Santana, Dept Ciencias Biol, Feira De Santana, BA, Brazil Univ Veiga Almeida, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Univ Paulista, Nucl Estudos Biodiversidade, Herbario UNIP, Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Minas Gerais, Dept Biol Geral, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil Univ Fed Lavras, Dept Biol, Lavras, MG, Brazil Univ East Anglia, Sch Environm Sci, Norwich NR4 7TJ, Norfolk, England Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Biol & Zootecnia, Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil Univ Fed Goias, Lab Genet & Biodiversidade, Goiania, Go, Brazil Univ Veiga Almeida, Ciencias Meio Ambiente, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil Univ Fed Sergipe, Dept Ecol, Sao Cristovao, SE, Brazil Inst Fed Espirito Santo, Vitoria, ES, Brazil Univ Estadual Feira de Santana, Posgrad Modelagem Ciencias Terra & Ambiente, Feira De Santana, BA, Brazil Univ Brasilia, Dept Ecol, Brasilia, DF, Brazil Univ Estado Rio de Janeiro, Dept Ecol, Rio De Janeiro, RJ, Brazil Inst Nacl Mata Atlantica, Santa Teresa, ES, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Biol & Zootecnia, Ilha Solteira, SP, Brazil CAPES: 88881.064976/2014-01 CAPES: 02488/09-4 CAPES: 405693/2013-3 CAPES: 88881.118819/2016-01 CAPES: 01 FAPESP: 2004/04820-3 FAPESP: 2008/01866-3 FAPESP: 2008/03724-1 FAPESP: 05/56555-4 FAPESP: 2014/14503-7 FAPESP: 2011/19767-4 FAPESP: 2013/22679-5 FAPESP: 2014/10192-7 FAPESP: 2011/040460 FAPESP: 2014/09300-0 FAPESP: 134 97/07075-1 FAPESP: 97/07075-1 FAPESP: 2013/50718-5 FAPESP: 2005/00405-4 FAPESP: 2006/04878-7 FAPESP: 2008/03500-6 FAPESP: 2011/06782-5 FAPESP: 2010/053435 FAPESP: 2014/14925-9 CNPq: 305470/2013-2 CNPq: 550077/2010-3 CNPq: 561897/2010-7 CNPq: PNX0016/2009 CNPq: 304817/2015-5 CNPq: 303897/2016-3 CNPq: 473529/2007-6 CNPq: 302574/2010-7 CNPq: 304598/2011-9 CNPq: 479203/2010-5 CNPq: 146790/2010-3 CNPq: 304242/2009-8 CNPq: 307221/2012-1 CNPq: 310901/2015-4 CNPq: 308992/2013-0 CNPq: 69014416 FAPERJ: E -26/202.174/2015 FAPESB: BOL1661/2011 FAPESB: 462/2012 NERC: NE/1(016393/1 UESC/PROPP: 135 00220-1100.1171 CAPES: 8952/2014 Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz: 002011001171 FAPESP: 1999/09635-0 CNPq: P2 308503/2014-7 Fundacao Grupo Boticario de Protecao a Natureza: 201410014 CNPq: 309030/2013-7 CNPq: 308205/2014-6 CNPq: 70/2009 CNPq: 142205/2010-9 FAPESB Bol: 0104/09 CAPES: BEX 8495/11-4 CNPq: 690144/01-6 CAPES: 2923/2011 : CAPES/FAPERJ-PAPD-E-26/202.144/2015 : MCTIC/CNPq/FAPEG/465610/2014-5

Incluye contenido parcial de los autores Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a speciesto become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonna-tive habitat. Mammals were among first taxa to be introduced worldwide for game, meat, and labor, yet the number of species introduced in the Neotropics remains unknown. In this dataset, we make available occurrence and abundance data on mammal species that (1) transposeda geographical barrier and (2) were voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into theNeotropics. Our data set is composed of 73,738 historical and current georeferenced recordson alien mammal species of which around 96% correspond to occurrence data on 77 speciesbelonging to eight orders and 26 families. Data cover 26 continental countries in the Neotrop-ics, ranging from Mexico and its frontier regions (southern Florida and coastal-central Floridain the southeast United States) to Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay, and the 13 coun-tries of Caribbean islands. Our data set also includes neotropical species (e.g.,Callithrixsp.,Myocastor coypus,Nasua nasua)considered alien in particular areas of Neotropics. The mostnumerous species in terms of records are fromBossp. (n=37,782),Sus scrofa(n=6,730), andCanis familiaris(n=10,084); 17 species were represented by only one record (e.g., Syncerus caf-fer, Cervus timorensis, Cervus unicolor, Canis latrans). Primates have the highest number of spe-cies in the data set (n=20 species), partly because of uncertainties regarding taxonomicidentification of the generaCallithrix,which includes the speciesCallithrix aurita, Callithrixflaviceps, Callithrix geoffroyi, Callithrix jacchus, Callithrix kuhlii, Callithrix penicillata, andtheir hybrids. This unique data set will be a valuable source of information on invasion riskassessments, biodiversity redistribution and conservation-related research. There are no copy-right restrictions. Please cite this data paper when using the data in publications. We alsorequest that researchers and teachers inform us on how they are using the data

The Cerrado is the second largest Brazilian biome and only 2.8% is represented by protected areas. Considering the relevance of the Cerrado and Conservation Units in preserving the mammalian diversity, we provided the first assessment of the diversity of medium- and large-sized mammal species in the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park (CVNP) and surroundings. We tested the effectiveness of the CVNP by assessing the difference in species composition within the park and its surroundings. We sampled CVNP in the rainy (October-December 2013) and dry seasons (March-June 2014) in order to characterize the seasonality within the community. We selected 36 sampling sites to evaluate the composition of the medium and large mammals in the CVNP and its surroundings, 18 in the CVNP and 18 in the park surroundings. We ordered mammalian composition and frequency of individuals data by using a Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling analysis (NMDS). We assessed the effect of season (dry and rainy seasons) and locality (within the CVNP and surroundings) on mammalian species richness with a two-way analysis of variance (Two-way ANOVA). We recorded 23 species, 13 within the CVNP and 17 species in its surroundings. Composition and frequency of records differed between dry and rainy seasons, with higher richness in the rainy season. Species’ composition and the frequency of records were also different between within the CVNP and its surroundings, with higher richness in the surroundings. These results provide information for the increase of the knowledge of mammalian ecology but also is useful as a tool for future strategies to the conservation of these species. More attention should be given to the monitoring of these species in the long term because this area still harbor some viable populations.

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-04T12:14:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-07-01 Brazilian State Funding Agency of Federal District to EMV State Funding Agency of Sao Paulo Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) Fragmented habitats generally harbour small populations that are potentially more prone to local extinctions caused by biotic factors such as parasites. We evaluated the effects of botflies (Cuterebra apicalis) on naturally fragmented populations of the gracile mouse opossum (Gracilinanus agilis). We examined how sex, food supplementation experiment, season and daily climatic variables affected body condition and haemoglobin concentration in animals that were parasitized or not by botflies. Although parasitism did not affect body condition, haemoglobin concentrations were lower in parasitized animals. Among the non-parasitized individuals, haemoglobin concentration increased with the increase of maximum temperature and the decrease of relative humidity, a climatic pattern found at the peak of the dry season. However, among parasitized animals, the opposite relationship between haemoglobin concentration and relative humidity occurred, as a consequence of parasite-induced anaemia interacting with dehydration as an additional stressor. We conclude that it is critical to assess how climate affects animal health (through blood parameters) to understand the population consequences of parasitism on the survival of individuals and hence of small population viability. Univ Brasilia, Dept Ecol, Lab Ecol Vertebrados, Inst Ciencias Biol, BR-70919900 Brasilia, DF, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias Rio Claro, Ave 24A 1515 Bela Vista, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil Univ Toronto Scarborough, Dept Biol Sci, Ctr Neurobiol Stress, Toronto, ON M1C 1A4, Canada Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias Rio Claro, Ave 24A 1515 Bela Vista, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP, Brazil Brazilian State Funding Agency of Federal District to EMV: FAPDF - 193.000.914/2015 State Funding Agency of Sao Paulo: FAPESP 2014/16320-7 CNPq: 308992/2013-0

Designing landscapes that can meet human needs, while maintaining functioning ecosystems, is essential for long-term sustainability. To achieve this goal, we must better understand the trade-offs and thresholds in the provision of ecosystem services and economic returns. To this end, we integrate spatially explicit economic and biophysical models to jointly optimize agricultural profit (sugarcane production and cattle ranching), biodiversity (bird and mammal species), and freshwater quality (nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment retention) in the Brazilian Cerrado. We generate efficiency frontiers to evaluate the economic and environmental trade-offs and map efficient combinations of agricultural land and natural habitat under varying service importance. To assess the potential impact of the Brazilian Forest Code (FC), a federal policy that aims to promote biodiversity and ecosystem services on private lands, we compare the frontiers with optimizations that mimic the habitat requirements in the region. We find significant opportunities to improve both economic and environmental outcomes relative to the current landscape. Substantial trade-offs between biodiversity and water quality exist when land use planning targets a single service, but these trade-offs can be minimized through multi-objective planning. We also detect non-linear profit-ecosystem services relationships that result in land use thresholds that coincide with the FC requirements. Further, we demonstrate that landscape-level planning can greatly improve the performance of the FC relative to traditional farm-level planning. These findings suggest that through joint planning for economic and environmental goals at a landscape-scale, Brazil's agricultural sector can expand production and meet regulatory requirements, while maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem service provision.

Food availability is considered to be a primary factor affecting animal populations, yet few experimental tests have been performed to evaluate its actual importance in species-rich ecosystems such as rainforests. It has been suggested that in such systems certain plant species may act as “keystone” resources for animals, but the importance of presumed keystone resources for populations has not been quantified experimentally. Using complementary seed removal and seed-addition experiments, we determined how the supply of a presumed keystone resource, seeds of Araucaria angustifolia, affects short-term demography of their main consumer group (small rodents) in a biodiversity hotspot, the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We hypothesized that (i) the harvest of A. angustifolia seeds by human populations has negative impacts on rodents, and (ii) these seeds are a limiting resource for rodent populations. To test these hypotheses, we monitored populations of two species of numerically dominant rodents (Delomys dorsalis and Akodon montensis) within replicated control-experimental plots. Manipulations of seed supply over 2 years had little effect on population size, body condition, survival, or reproduction of the two rodents, suggesting that, in the short-term (within one generation), their populations are not food limited in Araucaria forests. Despite apparently having all the characteristics of a keystone resource, as currently defined in the literature, the seeds of A. angustifolia had limited influence on the short-term demography of their main consumer group. In situations where purported keystone resources are seasonally abundant, their actual importance may be lower than generally assumed, and these resources then may have only localized and temporary effects on consumer populations.

Scatter-hoarding rodents may interact with the structural characteristics of their environment in several ways: by seeking dense areas inside the forest for protection during seed handling, by caching seeds close to objects that might be used as visual cues for seed recovery or by hiding themselves inside refuges such as burrows. We investigated the use of structural characteristics of the forest by a scatter-hoarder rodent (the Azara's agouti, Dasyprocta azarae) in the Brazilian Araucaria Forest. We evaluated the selection of microhabitat characteristics for feeding or caching seeds, and the selection of potential landmarks for increasing seed recovery rates. For that, we followed threaded seeds of Araucaria angustifolia (Araucariaceae) and also placed artificial caches in the forest. We predicted that agoutis (1) select feeding and caching sites whose microhabitat characteristics potentially enhance protection against predators, (2) hoard seeds preferentially near potential landmarks and (3) find artificial caches placed near potential landmarks more frequently than caches placed away (

The presence of domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) in Brazilian protected areas is fairly frequent. The interaction of such dogs with native animals leads to population declines for many species, particularly carnivores. In this paper the main threats dogs bring about Brazilian biodiversity are assessed with a focus on protected areas. We collected information from papers on the interaction of dogs and wildlife species as well as from interviews with National Park managers. Studies in protected areas in Brazil listed 37 native species affected by the presence of dogs due to competition, predation, or pathogen transmission. Among the 69 threatened species of the Brazilian fauna, 55% have been cited in studies on dogs. Dog occurrence was assessed for 31 National Parks in Brazil. The presence of human residents and hunters in protected areas were the factors most often quoted as facilitating dog occurrence. These may be feral, street or domestically owned dogs found in protected areas in urban, rural or natural areas. Effective actions to control this invasive alien species in natural areas must consider dog dependence upon humans, pathways of entry, and the surrounding landscape and context.

Sigmodontinae is a very rich clade of rodents that is widespread throughout the Neotropics. The arboreal mice Juliomys comprise a poorly known branch, with incomplete information about species richness, phylogenetic position, and geographic distribution. Based on a sample from the Atlantic Forest of Southern Brazil, we name and describe a new species for the genus. This new species can be distinguished from others in the genus by its karyotype, morphological traits, and cytochrome b ( Cytb ) gene sequence. It has a unique karyotype (2n = 32, FN = 48), and forms a well-supported monophyletic haplogroup, which is phylogenetically distant from the remaining species of Juliomys . The genetic differentiation ranges from 11.1% to 19.7%, and there are 24 molecular autopomorphies in the Cytb gene. The new species can be distinguished from J . pictipes by morphological and morphometric analyses. However, we consider the new species as cryptic, not easily recognized by morphological characteristics of other species of Juliomys . This taxon seems to be endemic to the Brazilian Araucaria Forest in the Atlantic Forest biome, occurring in sympatry with its congeneric species J. ossitenuis and J. pictipes . In this research, we describe a new species for the genus and extend species distributions in the Atlantic Forest. Sigmodontinae e um clado de roedores muito diverso com especies distribuidas por toda a regiao Neotropical. Dentre esses, as especies de roedores arboricolas inclusos em Juliomys formam um ramo pouco conhecido, com informacoes incompletas sobre a sua riqueza, posicao filogenetica e distribuicao geografica. A partir de uma amostra proveniente da porcao sul do Bioma Mata Atlântica, nomeamos e descrevemos uma nova especie para o genero, a qual pode ser distinguida das demais pelo seu cariotipo, caracteristicas morfologicas e sequencia do gene citocromo b . Essa apresenta um cariotipo unico (2n = 32, FN = 48) e forma um haplogrupo monofiletico com bom suporte, sendo filogeneticamente distante das especies restantes de Juliomys . A diferenciacao genetica dessa especie em relacao as demais varia de 11,1% a 19,7%, possuindo 24 autapomorfias moleculares no gene do citocromo b . A nova especie pode ser distinguida de J . pictipes por caracteres morfologicos e analises morfometricas. No entanto, consideramos a nova especie como criptica, nao facilmente reconhecida, pelos caracteres morfologicos, das demais que compoem Juliomys . Esse novo taxon parece ser endemico da Floresta com Araucaria no Bioma Mata Atlântica, ocorrendo em simpatria com as especies congenericas, J. ossitenuis e J. pictipes . Nesse estudo, descrevemos uma nova especie para o genero, e estendemos a distribuicao das especies na Mata Atlântica.

We investigated diet and feeding behavior of the acrobatic cavy Kerodon acrobata, a rare caviomorph rodent endemic from the Cerrado (Brazilian savannah). We tested whether its trophic niche breadth varies between seasons and whether this species shows seasonal differences in food resource use. Feeding behavior was observed through observations of foraging activities in dry forest associated with limestone outcroppings in central Brazil. K. acrobata showed a generalist diet, feeding on leaves from at least 16 native plant families, also consuming flowers and fruits collected directly from plants or litterfall as well as branches, sprouts, and bark. The diversity of feeding behavior categories did not differ significantly between rainy and dry seasons. The trophic niche breadth considering the plant species consumed, however, decreased during the dry season, when this rodent relied mainly on fallen flowers of Handroanthus serratifolius (Caricaceae; about 44 % of the identified feeding records). The diet of the acrobatic cavy was influenced by the availability of falling leaves and flowers during the dry season, when the animals focused their foraging activities on litterfall. The animals seemed not to extend their behavioral repertoire of foraging in the dry season; instead, they seasonally changed their resource exploitation strategy by altering the proportions of items used and the plant species consumed. The trophic niche breadth and plastic feeding behavior of the acrobatic cavies may explain their persistence in disturbed habitats. Their close relationship with the forests studied indicates the vulnerability of K. acrobata to activities that may threaten the integrity of dry forest areas.

The identification of interactions by predation in field can be considered as valuable complementary information for studies on feeding and interaction ecology. Here we report and describe two cases of opportunistic predation upon small mammals in forests of the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado): by the didelphid brown-eared woolly opossum Caluromys lanatus on the sigmodontine rodent Rhipidomys macrurus, and by the black-tufted-ear marmoset Callithrix penicillata on the didelphid Gracilianus agilis. Our observations suggest that opportunistic predation events on vertebrates can be advantageous for animals that feed mainly on plant items, as a way to obtain protein-rich resources.

Xenarthrans -anteaters, sloths, and armadillos- have essential functions for ecosystem maintenance, such as insect control and nutrient cycling, playing key roles as ecosystem engineers. Because of habitat loss and fragmentation, hunting pressure, and conflicts with domestic dogs, these species have been threatened locally, regionally, or even across their full distribution ranges. The Neotropics harbor 21 species of armadillos, 10 anteaters, and 6 sloths. Our data set includes the families Chlamyphoridae (13), Dasypodidae (7), Myrmecophagidae (3), Bradypodidae (4), and Megalonychidae (2). We have no occurrence data on Dasypus pilosus (Dasypodidae). Regarding Cyclopedidae, until recently, only one species was recognized, but new genetic studies have revealed that the group is represented by seven species. In this data paper, we compiled a total of 42,528 records of 31 species, represented by occurrence and quantitative data, totaling 24,847 unique georeferenced records. The geographic range is from the southern United States, Mexico, and Caribbean countries at the northern portion of the Neotropics, to the austral distribution in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. Regarding anteaters, Myrmecophaga tridactyla has the most records (n = 5,941), and Cyclopes sp. Have the fewest (n = 240). The armadillo species with the most data is Dasypus novemcinctus (n = 11,588), and the fewest data are recorded for Calyptophractus retusus (n = 33). With regard to sloth species, Bradypus variegatus has the most records (n = 962), and Bradypus pygmaeus has the fewest (n = 12). Our main objective with Neotropical Xenarthrans is to make occurrence and quantitative data available to facilitate more ecological research, particularly if we integrate the xenarthran data with other data sets of Neotropical Series that will become. Fil: Marques Santos, Paloma. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Brasil Fil: Bocchiglieri, Adriana. Universidade Federal de Sergipe; Brasil Fil: Garcia Chiarello, Adriano. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil Fil: Pereira Paglia, Adriano. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais. Instituto de Ciências Biológicas; Brasil Fil: Moreira, Adryelle. Amplo Engenharia e Gestão de Projetos ; Brasil Fil: Abba, Agustin Manuel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Centro de Estudios Parasitológicos y de Vectores; Argentina Fil: Paviolo, Agustin Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical; Argentina Fil: Gatica, Ailin. Universidad Nacional de San Luis; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; Argentina Fil: Ochoa, Ana Cecilia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - San Luis. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis. Universidad Nacional de San Luis. Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas y Naturales. Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis; Argentina Fil: de Angelo, Carlos Daniel. Universidad Nacional de Rio Cuarto. Facultad de Cs.exactas Fisicoquimicas y Naturales. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Centro Cientifico Tecnologico Conicet - Cordoba. Instituto de Ciencias de la Tierra, Biodiversidad y Ambiente.; Argentina Fil: Tellaeche, Cintia Gisele. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Centro de Estudios Ambientales Territoriales y Sociales; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta. Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas; Argentina Fil: Varela, Diego Martin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Vanderhoeven, Ezequiel Andres. Ministerio de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Caruso, María Flavia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Delegación Regional del Noroeste; Argentina Fil: Arrabal, Juan Pablo. Secretaria de Gobierno de Salud. Instituto Nacional de Medicina Tropical - Sede Puerto Iguazú Misiones; Argentina. Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico; Argentina Fil: Iezzi, María Eugenia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Di Bitetti, Mario Santiago. Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Cruz, Paula Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina. Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico; Argentina Fil: Reppucci, Juan Ignacio. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Delegación Regional del Noroeste; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Benito Santamaria, Silvia. Centro de Investigaciones del Bosque Atlántico; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Quiroga, Verónica Andrea. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Córdoba. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físicas y Naturales. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; Argentina Fil: Di Blanco, Yamil Edgardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Marás, Gustavo Arnaldo. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Delegación Regional del Noroeste; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Camino, Micaela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Centro de Ecología Aplicada del Litoral; Argentina Fil: Perovic, Pablo Gastón. Administración de Parques Nacionales. Delegación Regional del Noroeste; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Martínez Pardo, Julia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Costa, Sebastián Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; Argentina Fil: Pinheiro, Fabiana. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul; Brasil Fil: Volkmer de Castilho, Pedro. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; Brasil Fil: Bercê, William. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil Fil: Camara Assis, Julia. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho. Faculdade de Engenharia.; Brasil Fil: Rodrigues Tonetti, Vinicius. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil Fil: Alves Eigenheer, Milene. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil Fil: Chinem, Simonne. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil Fil: Honda, Laura K.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil Fil: Bergallo, Helena de Godoy. Universidade do Estado de Rio do Janeiro; Brasil Fil: Alberici, Vinicius. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil Fil: Wallace, Robert. Wildlife Conservation Society; Estados Unidos Fil: Ribeiro, Milton Cezar. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasil Fil: Galetti, Mauro. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil

Fire is a major disturbance event that affects biomes worldwide, altering vegetation structure and flora and fauna assemblages. Here, we investigated the effects of an extensive wildfire (~ 6240 ha) on small mammal assemblages in savanna woodland (cerradao) at two spatial scales (meso- and macrohabitat) in a neotropical savanna (Brazilian Cerrado). At each spatial scale, we assessed relationships between habitat structure and small mammal species composition and abundance before and after the fire in four natural patches (one burned, three unburned) using partial redundancy analysis. From July 2009 to October 2013, we captured 1319 individuals belonging to 14 species. Our results showed that the fire had consequences for small mammal assemblage at both scales. After the fire, the burned patch differed from the other patches in vegetation attributes and species composition. At a fine scale, fire increased the herbaceous layer and decreased the litter layer and understory obstruction. On a larger scale, the main consequences of fire on vegetation structure were increased variation in litter depth, tree diameter, and distance to the nearest tree. We observed a relationship between mesohabitat structure and the abundance of species with different habitat requirements during the post-fire succession. Fire favored the invasion of generalist species from open Cerrado habitats (rodents Calomys tener, Calomys expulsus, Cerradomys scotti, and Necromys lasiurus) at the expense of more specialized forest species. Our results reinforce the relevance of incorporating multi-scale habitat heterogeneity in future studies assessing the effects of fire on wildlife.

Evaluation of the fundamental niche under controlled conditions can provide relevant information about physiological, evolutionary, and ecological aspects of an organism, without the influence of external factors. We investigated how allometric, phylogenetic, and adaptive components contribute to arboreal walking performance by 7 sigmodontine rodents of the Brazilian savanna (Cerrado). We captured the rodents in the field and evaluated their performances by measuring stride length, stride frequency, and velocity on 5 horizontal supports: flat board and cylindrical plastic tubes with diameters of 5.0, 3.5, 2.5, and 2.0cm. Arboreal rodents exhibited higher velocities than terrestrial species by increasing stride frequency and decreasing stride length on supports with smaller diameters. However, terrestrial species decreased both stride frequency and stride length or tended to maintain stride length and vary stride frequency. Our results reveal a strong association between realized arboreal walking performances (as inferred by proportion of arboreal captures) and stride length and frequency. However, performance metrics were weakly related to body mass and exhibited no phylogenetic effects. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that dynamically stable arboreal walking is facilitated by increased velocity. Arboreal walking performance is likely related to ecological factors rather than phylogenetic constraints.A avaliação do nicho fundamental por meio de condições controladas pode fornecer informações relevantes sobre aspectos fisiológicos, evolutivos e ecológicos de diferentes organismos, excluindo a influência de fatores externos. Considerando tal abordagem, nós investigamos como componentes alométricos, filogenéticos e adaptativos podem contribuir para a habilidade de locomoção arborícola em sete espécies de roedores sigmodontíneos do Cerrado. Os roedores foram capturados no campo e tiveram suas performances avaliadas por meio de medidas de tamanho de passos, frequência de passos e velocidade em cinco suportes horizontais distintos: tábua, e tubos cilíndricos de plástico com diâmetros de 5,0, 3,5, 2,5 e 2,0cm. Nossos resultados revelaram que roedores arborícolas apresentaram maiores velocidades em comparação com roedores mais terrestres. Adicionalmente, as espécies arborícolas mantiveram ou aumentaram a velocidade em suportes com menores diâmetros, enquanto que os roedores terrestres tenderam a reduzir a velocidade. Para as espécies arborícolas, tais velocidades foram obtidas por meio do aumento da frequência de passos e diminuição do tamanho dos passos. Entretanto, espécies primariamente terrestres diminuíram tanto a frequência quanto o tamanho dos passos, ou tenderam a manter a o tamanho de passos e variar a frequência de passos. Nossos resultados revelaram uma forte associação entre capturas acima do solo e o tamanho e frequência de passos. Contudo, tais aspectos da habilidade de locomoção tiveram fraca relação com a massa corporal e não tiveram relação com a filogenia das espécies analisadas. Nossos resultados corroboram a hipótese de que roedores necessitam aumentar velocidade como forma de manter a locomoção arborícola dinamicamente estável. Entretanto, a habilidade de locomoção é provavelmente mais relacionada com fatores ecológicos do que com restrições filogenéticas.

Habitat selection is a scale-dependent process of paramount importance to the understanding of how species deal with environmental variation. This process has practical implications for wildlife conservation, aiding in the identification of key resources for animals and in the definition of scales relevant to the proposal of practical conservation actions. In this study, we investigated in different spatial scales the habitat selection of the maned three-toed sloth (Bradypus torquatus), a threatened and endemic arboreal folivore of the Atlantic rainforest (vulnerable, sensu IUCN). We radio-tracked and monitored seven sloths for 18 months in landscapes of Southern Bahia, Brazil, the current core region of the species’ distribution. The average values of the home-range estimates were low, but varied considerably among individuals regardless of the estimator (from 0.95 to 27.8 ha, MCP method, and from 0.39 to 21.52 ha, fixed kernel method). At the landscape scale, the maned sloths preferred early secondary forest and shade cacao plantations, avoided open areas, and occupied late secondary forest as expected compared to its availability. At the home range scale, however, the sloths did not show preference for any forest category, though, again, avoided open areas. At smaller spatial scales, the sloths were highly selective towards forest patches characterized by complex vegetation structures (i.e., areas with a high density of trees, closed and dense canopies), and selected large trees with lianas and bromeliads and also with connected crowns. The high selectivity observed at finer scales appeared to be the result of limited spatial perception and experience due to the species’ characteristic slow mobility. Our results support the notion that maned sloths can effectively occupy (and even select for) disturbed forested habitats. However, we do not know whether sloth populations are viable in landscapes containing only disturbed habitats or low proportions of undisturbed habitats.

Fire is a major form of disturbance in terrestrial ecosystems, mainly in tropical savannas. In these ecosystems, the effects of large wildfires are potentially high on small and relatively less mobile animals, like small mammals. We investigated the effects of an extensive wildfire (≈ 6,240 ha) in September 2011 on populations of 2 arborealscansorial small mammals—the gracile mouse opossum, Gracilinanus agilis, and the long-tailed climbing mouse, Rhipidomys macrurus—in 4 savanna woodland patches (1 burned, 3 unburned) of the highly threatened Brazilian Cerrado. We assessed population densities from 2009 to 2013 and for G. agilis, we estimated apparent survival and recapture probabilities with Cormack—Jolly—Seber models. Both species showed strong, negative fire responses, including sudden collapse and slow recovery (at least more than 1 year). These observed responses were probably a consequence of both the phytophysiognomic features of the habitat and severity of the fire with the resulting changes on th...

Subsistence hunting can change the demographic structure of wild mammal populations, increasing the proportion of young animals, inducing females to reproduce early and increasing litter sizes. We examined the relationship between hunting pressure and age structure in the Vulnerable white-lipped peccaryTayassu pecari, analysing the distribution of age classes at seven sites in the region Terra do Meio in the Brazilian Amazon. These sites differ in the number of human inhabitants and hence were subject to differing hunting pressures. We completed semi-structured interviews with local people to assess the importance of hunting and of the white-lipped peccary as food. We also estimated the age of hunted white-lipped peccaries by assessing tooth eruption and tooth wear in skulls of hunted individuals. Our results indicated that the white-lipped peccary was the most frequently hunted terrestrial animal in the region. Fishing, followed by hunting, provided the main sources of animal protein. Our data suggest there is no relationship between age structure and hunting at the study sites. The social structure and mobility of white-lipped peccaries seem to minimize the effects of hunting on age structure. Our results, similar to previous studies, show that the age structure of the white-lipped peccary is robust to hunting impacts. Other factors may have stronger effects on age structure than subsistence hunting. We suggest that deforestation may explain the prevalence of older individuals in peccary populations to the north of our study sites.

Individual specialization can influence important ecological and evolutionary traits and both inter- and intra- individual variation in resource use can drive niche shifts in natural populations. We evaluated the predominance of these two factors for determining seasonal differences in the trophic niche of the didelphid marsupial Gracilinanus agilis (Burmeister, 1854) in the highly seasonal Brazilian savanna. In the three sampled sites, the population of G. agilis increased its dietary niche width in the warm-wet season, when food resources are more abundant, and there were no differences between sexes and no interaction between season and sex. However, the evaluation of intra-individual variation indicated that females reduce the number of items consumed during the warm-wet season, whereas males show no seasonal differences. Inter-individual variation nonetheless followed the overall population pattern because both sexes increased their spread with respect to food-item consumption in the warm-wet season. Additionally, we found positive relationships between body length and diet only in the warm-wet season, when larger animals fed more on invertebrates and less on fruits than the small ones. Our results show a previously unknown pattern for mammals, in which the trophic niche is wider during the high-resource season as a result of inter-individual variation along the body-size axis. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 111, 737-747. ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS: between-individual component - Cerrado - Didelphidae - gracile mouse opossum - seasonality - within-individual component.

We studied the seed predation and scatter-hoarding behaviour of Azara's agoutis Dasyprocta azarae (Rodentia: Dasyproctidae) in relation to the seeds of the Brazilian ‘pine’, Araucaria angustifolia (Araucariaceae), the rodent's main winter food source. We compared seed-removal rates, seed-caching rates, cache distances and recovery rates between a summer period of food abundance (with a low demand for A. angustifolia seeds and no such seeds naturally available) and a winter period of food scarcity (with a high demand for A. angustifolia seeds). We investigated whether the relative seed value affected the rodent's seed-handling behaviour. We predicted that during the high seed-demand period (winter): (1) cache distances would be greater; (2) fewer seeds would be stored; (3) more seeds would be recovered and the seed-recovery time would be lower. In support of our first two predictions, the caching distances were greater in winter (mean ± SE = 15.67 ± 5.11 m) than in summer (9.40 ± 1.59 m), and agoutis hoarded >9 times more seeds in summer (55) than in winter (6). Our third prediction was not supported, and the proportion of unrecovered caches and buried seed recovery times did not differ between winter (mean ± SE = 3.00 ± 0.00 days, n = 5 seeds) and summer (11.05 ± 3.68 days, n = 20 seeds). The high resource density (during summer) rather than the density of A. angustifolia seeds likely influenced seed fate. Agoutis acted mainly as predators, leaving few intact seeds, caching a low proportion of handled seeds (≅ 8%) and rapidly consuming the caches. Agoutis may cache seeds to keep them safe from competitors on a short-term basis rather than maintaining medium- or long-term reserves for use during food-scarcity periods.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-11-26T17:06:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2016-08-01 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) As biodiversity loss rapidly increases through habitat degradation in the Amazon rainforest, the need to characterize and understand the species diversity becomes even more important. In this study we used empirical and published datasets to assess the diversity patterns and produce the first overview of the sphingid fauna in the Brazilian Amazon. We compared the diversity patterns in distinct areas in the biome by analyzing hawkmoth assemblages considering both species composition and abundance, and asked whether these communities are structured according to environmental factors. Additionally, we provide information of diel activity pattern of sphingids and evaluated the importance of time in sampling effort. We found that the Brazilian Amazon may harbor more than 80 % of the hawkmoth species that occur in Brazil and more than half of the species recorded in South America. Species composition and assemblage structure is determined by the quality of the habitat (disturbed or undisturbed vegetation), temperature and relative humidity. Finally, we show that the temporal activity of sphingids presents distinct patterns at different taxonomic levels, highlighting the importance of full night collections to better characterize the fauna. Our results show that habitat alteration can be an important factor affecting sphingid assemblages, illustrating the importance of Protected Areas in species maintenance. Embrapa Cerrados, Rodovia BR 020,Km 18,CP 08223, BR-73310970 Planaltina, DF, Brazil Univ Brasilia, Posgrad Ecol, Brasilia, DF, Brazil Univ Brasilia UnB, Inst Ciencias Biol, Dept Ecol, Lab Ecol Vertebrados, CP 04457, BR-70919970 Brasilia, DF, Brazil Inst Chico Mendes Conservacao Biodiversidade ICMB, Ctr Nacl Pesquisa & Conservacao Biodiversidade Ce, IBAMA, SCEN Trecho 2, BR-70818900 Brasilia, DF, Brazil Univ Brasilia UnB, Posgrad Zool, Brasilia, DF, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Bot, Dist Rubiao Jr S-N, BR-18618970 Sao Paulo, Brazil Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Bot, Dist Rubiao Jr S-N, BR-18618970 Sao Paulo, Brazil CNPq: 308153/2007-3 CNPq: 484469/2013-4

We investigated the relation between the footprint shape of the fore and hind feet of sigmodontine rodents and their levels of arboreal activity. Footprint shape was obtained by analyzing the impressions left by identified animals captured in the field after being forced to pass through ink-tracking tunnels or by pressing their previously inked feet on a paper sheet. We used geometric morphometric techniques that use superimposition of landmarks (centers of the pads) to obtain footprint shape variables, which were reduced using multivariate analysis (principal component analysis). Arboreal activity was inferred on the basis of the proportions of individuals captured in arboreal traps (1.5–2.5 m height). Regression analysis of body size and the variable that best represented the footprint shapes (first principal component—PC1) did not indicate significant allometric effects on such shapes. We did not detect any significant phylogenetic effects on the arboreal activity of the rodents, either. The results indicated that the PC1 concerning footprint shapes of ten sigmodontine rodents efficiently reflects the degree of use of arboreal strata by these animals. The species studied showed different levels of arboreal activity and their hind footprints (r 2 = 0.94) were better indicators of arboreality than the fore footprints (r 2 = 0.53). These findings suggest a likely trade off for the fore feet functions. Such functions are probably not strictly related to locomotion. Other biomechanical functions (e.g., shock absorption) and/or manipulation (e.g., food manipulation and grooming) may exert relatively greater influence on the shape of fore feet.

Herbivory of large mammals is a key factor influencing plant communities, with effects on plant growth, survival and reproduction. These effects may be more pronounced when the herbivores are exotic ungulates. We evaluated the impacts of buffaloes (density of 1 individual per hectare) on sapling and shrub assemblages in a semideciduous seasonal forest in southern Brazil. We also investigated whether these impacts could affect the long-term maintenance of forest communities. To address these points, we used two distinct approaches in fragments of seasonal forests located in buffalo farms: firstly, by establishing a buffalo-exclusion experiment (over 14 months), and secondly, by comparing areas with three different histories of buffalo occurrence (protected from buffalo encroachment for 3 and 10 years and freely accessed by buffalo). In both approaches, we evaluated the following ecological attributes: plant cover, richness, diversity (Shannon index), biomass and average height. The results of the exclusion experiment did not indicate any significant effect of buffalo exclusion for the evaluated ecological attributes. On the other hand, species composition differed between communities when comparing buffalo presence versus 10 years of buffalo exclusion. Moreover, richness increased and average height decreased after this 10-year period. We also detected an increase in diversity and a retraction of soil compaction, after 10 years of exclusion. We conclude that forest patches do not show short-term responses to buffalo removal. Nevertheless, in the long-term absence of large herbivores, the forest tends to develop in complexity by increasing in species richness.

A análise dos padrões microscópicos de pelos de mamíferos é uma técnica não-invasiva que pode auxiliar na identificação dos marsupiais brasileiros. O objetivo deste trabalho foi identificar padrões microscópicos dos pelos-guarda (cutícula e medula) de marsupiais ocorrentes no Rio Grande do Sul (RS), propondo uma chave dicotômica para sua identificação a partir dessas estruturas. Além disso, nós apresentamos, com detalhes, os padrões tricológicos de espécimes do gênero Monodelphis, um gênero ainda taxonomicamente obscuro que requer revisão no RS. Obtivemos o material analisado por meio da coleta de pelos de marsupiais capturados em campo ou provenientes de coleções de diferentes instituições. Identificamos os padrões dos pelos de dez espécies de marsupiais: Caluromys lanatus, Chironectes minimus, Didelphis aurita, Didelphis albiventris, Cryptonanus guahybae, Gracilinanus agilis, Gracilinanus microtarsus, Lutreolina crassicaudata, Micoureus paraguayanus e Philander frenatus. Os indivíduos do gênero Monodelphis foram analisados em conjunto, como parte do grupo dimidiata. Encontramos três padrões dentro desse grupo, sugerindo que possa haver uma terceira espécie além das duas normalmente reconhecidas (M. brevicaudis e M. dimidiata). A análise dos padrões microscópicos dos pelos possibilitou a identificação, com sucesso, da grande maioria das espécies à que pertencem os marsupiais do Rio Grande do Sul. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que as duas espécies de Monodelphis grupo dimidiata possam ocorrer com uma distribuição distinta no estado, estando uma presente principalmente na porção norte e a outra na porção leste do RS, com sobreposição na região central. The analysis of mammalian hairs is a non-invasive technique that may help in the identification of Brazilian marsupials. Our objective was to identify microscopic patterns of marsupial guard-hairs (cuticle and medulla) from species with occurrence in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, southern Brazil. We also present a hair-based identification key for this group. Specifically for Monodelphis, a still taxonomically obscure genus that needs revision, we present detailed description of observed hair patterns. We obtained the analyzed material by collecting hair samples of marsupials captured in field or else deposited in different zoological collections. We identified hair patterns of ten marsupial species: Caluromys lanatus, Chironectes minimus, Didelphis aurita, Didelphis albiventris, Cryptonanus guahybae, Gracilinanus agilis, Gracilinanus microtarsus, Lutreolina crassicaudata, Micoureus paraguayanus and Philander frenatus. Individuals of the Monodelphis genus were analyzed together, considered as part of the dimidiata group. We found three distinct patterns for this group, suggesting the possible occurrence of a third species besides the two already recognized (M. brevicaudis and M. dimidiata). These morphs show distinct distribution in the state, with some degree of distribution overlap. The analysis of microscopic patterns of mammal hairs allowed the successful identification of the great majority of marsupials that occur in the Rio Grande do Sul state. Our results suggest that the two Monodelphis species of the dimidiata group might occur with a distinct distribution in the state, one of them occupying mainly the northern part and the other one the eastern region, with some overlap in the central part of the state.

Patterns in distribution and local abundance of species within a biome are central concerns in ecology and allow the understanding of the effects of habitat loss on rates of species extinction; provide support for the creation and management of reserves; and contribute to the identification and quantification of the processes that allow niche partitioning by species. However, despite the importance in the conservation and management of the ecosystems, most systematized information on the abundance and distribution of small mammals is restricted to the northern hemisphere or forest ecosystems. For tropical biomes, an important part of this information remains dispersed and difficult to access in the form of theses, technical reports, or unpublished data sets. Here we present a comprehensive data set of abundance and richness of small mammals in the Cerrado, the largest Neotropical savanna. This data set includes 2,599 records of 446 sites from 96 studies. More than 50% of references in this data set are peer-reviewed journal articles, but 45.78% of communities were compiled from theses. The data set comprises 24,283 individuals of 55 genera and at least 118 species of small mammals including 29 marsupials, two lagomorphs (one exotic), and 87 rodents (three exotic). Local species richness ranged from 1 to 26 species (5.82 ± 3.55, average species richness ± SD). We observed hyperdominance of a few species; the 10 most abundant species in this data set represented 60.19% of all recorded individuals. The hairy-tailed bolo mouse (Necromys lasiurus) represented over than 20% of all individuals and occurred at more than 50% of sites. Furthermore, we identified 18 environments, 16 native vegetation types, and 2 anthropic environments. Typical savanna and gallery forest were the most frequently sampled vegetation types (comprising 46.94% of all sampled sites) and the most speciose ones (57 species for typical savanna and 53 species for gallery forest). The information contained in this data set can be used to analyze ecological questions such as the relationship between local abundance and regional distribution, the relevance of local and regional factors to community structuring, and the role of phylogenetic mechanisms in community assemblage. It can also be useful in conservation efforts in this biodiversity hotspot. No copyright, proprietary, or cost restrictions apply. Please cite this paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data.

EnglishThe crab-eating fox, Cerdocyon thous, and the pampas fox, Lycalopex gymnocercus, are two endemic canids from the neotropics that are sympatric in the Rio Grande do Sul State, southern Brazil. Previous studies indicated that both species feed mainly on small mammals, without marked differences between their diets, at least when small-mammal genera are not determined. In the present study, our objective was to evaluate the similarity in diet composition of those foxes, identifying the genera of small mammal consumed. Besides that, we also investigated potential patterns of prey selection by the canids. We analyzed 222 samples of fox feces from the National Park of Aparados da Serra (NPAS) in southern Brazil (29°10’S, 50°05’W) collected from 2000 to 2005. Fox species were determined by identification of hairs found in scats. We also conducted, between 2000 and 2002, a survey of small mammals using capture-mark-recapture techniques. Our results indicated that the species studied do not differ significantly in relation to the small mammals they consume. We also detected that both canids seem to prefer feeding on rodents of the genus Akodon. On the other hand, rodents of the genus Oligoryzomys were consumed less than would be expected. Our results indicated that prey similarity is very high for the studied canids, even under a more refined analysis of small-mammal preys. This pattern supports the suggestion that niche differentiation between C. thous and L. gymnocercus probably occurs through other mechanisms than diet (e.g. habitat or activity time). portuguesO graxaim-do-mato (Cerdocyon thous) e o graxaim-do-campo (Lycalopex gymnocercus) sao dois canideos endemicos da regiao Neotropical que ocorrem em simpatria no estado do Rio Grande do Sul, sul do Brasil. Estudos anteriores indicaram que ambas as especies se alimentam principalmente de pequenos mamiferos, sem diferencas detectaveis em suas dietas, ao menos quando nao ha a determinacao dos generos de mamiferos consumidos. No presente estudo, o objetivo foi avaliar a real similaridade na composicao da dieta desses animais, procurando identificar os generos de pequenos mamiferos consumidos. Alem disso, investigaram-se possiveis padroes de selecao de presas pelos canideos. Para isso, foram analisadas 222 amostras fecais coletadas no Parque Nacional dos Aparados da Serra (RS) entre os anos de 2000 e 2005, identificando a especie de canideo por meio de analise de pelos. Tambem foi realizado, entre 2000 e 2002, um levantamento de pequenos mamiferos ocorrentes na area, mediante a utilizacao de tecnicas de captura, marcacao e recaptura. Os resultados indicaram que as duas especies de canideos nao diferem significativamente em relacao aos generos de pequenos mamiferos consumidos. Alem disso, verificou-se que as duas especies parecem preferir se alimentar de roedores do genero Akodon. Por outro lado, esses canideos predaram as especies do genero Oligoryzomys em grau menor do que o esperado. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a similaridade de dieta entre os canideos estudados e muito alta, mesmo sob uma analise mais refinada dos itens consumidos por esses animais. Tais resultados fundamentam a hipotese de que a separacao de nicho entre C. thous e L. gymnocercus deve ocorrer por meio de fatores diferentes da dieta, como habitat ou horario de atividade.

Since pristine Atlantic Forest remnants are vanishing, and biological reserves are in short, conservation of biodiversity will largely depend on proper management of the anthropogenic matrix. Here, we test (1) the effectiveness of ecologically-managed tree monocultures in maintaining Araucaria Forest biodiversity, (2) how this effectiveness change among taxa, and (3) we discuss management principles that can be used by the forestry industry in order to contribute positively to biodiversity conservation. The study was conducted in the Sao Francisco de Paula National Forest, southern Brazil, an environmental mosaic composed mostly of patches of Araucaria Forest and ecologically-managed monocultures of Araucaria, Pinus and Eucalyptus. Using standardized sampling methods in these four main habitats, we have recorded the richness and species composition of small mammals, birds, leaf-litter frogs, butterflies, galling insects, spiders, opiliones, flatworms, woody plants, epiphytic angiosperms, epiphytic ferns, lichens, and fruit-body producing fungi. Overall, we recorded 506 species in Araucaria Forest, 181 (36%) of which were exclusive of this habitat while 325 (64%) could be found in at least one monoculture. Distribution patterns of species richness and number of records across taxonomic groups showed that a large biodiversity can be found inside ecologically-managed plantations of Araucaria, Pinus, and Eucalyptus. For all studied taxa, except for epiphytic angiosperms and fruit-body producing fungi, more than half of the Araucaria Forest species could be found living on monocultures. We discuss how the actual management practices of the forest industry can be improved to contribute positively to the conservation of the Atlantic Forest biodiversity.

The ecology and reproductive biology of the crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous) and the pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus) were studied in Itapua State Park, an Atlantic Forest fragment. In this study we describe their activity patterns (diel, lunar, and seasonal), reproductive period, density, spatial distribution, and habitat overlap. The crab-eating fox was more abundant than the pampas fox, occurring in all types of habitats and overlapping with the pampas fox only in the southern portion of the study area, covered by open vegetation. Both canid species presented nocturnal habits and C. thous showed no significant differences in activity among lunar phases or else year season. The density of C. thous was estimated to be 0.78 ind/km2. The crab-eating fox reproduced once a year, generating pups during spring (October to December). In comparison with C. thous populations from lower-latitude regions the relatively low density and one reproductive event per year that we observed are probably related to a colder climate, shorter photoperiod, and shortage of food resources in the winter, characteristic of southern Brazil.

The neotropical otter (Lontra longicaudis Olfers, 1818) is a semi-aquatic mustelid distributed from the North of Mexico to the South of Uruguay, from sea level to an altitude of 3000 m. The species occurs in rivers, streams, artificial canals, ponds, lagoons, estuaries, marshes, and marine environments. It is generally solitary except during the reproductive season. This otter is predominantly active during the day, including dawn and dusk, but also shows some nocturnal activity (Emmons and Feer 1997; Eisenberg and Redford 1999; Lariviere 1999).

We analyzed social patterns indicative of the mating system and parental care in a population of the southern bamboo rat (Kannabateomys amblyonyx). This arboreal rodent feeds exclusively on bamboo stems and leaves. We conducted fieldwork from August 2003 to October 2004 in southern Brazil (308209–308279S, 508509– 518059W), in patches of introduced Chinese bamboo (Bambusa tuldoides). We captured 18 individuals, 7 of which were adults that received radiotransmitters and were followed from 1 to 12 months. Another 5 animals (adults or subadults) received colored collars. We observed paternal care, delayed juvenile dispersal, and reduced degree of sexual dimorphism, all of which are traits typical of social monogamy. Mated males showed a direct parental behavioral repertoire similar to that of females (with the obvious exception of nursing), including grooming, huddling, and food provisioning. Potential monogamy in this species seems to be a flexible strategy linked to low density of bamboo patches. Females were confined to widely spaced, small home ranges, decreasing the possibility of male defense of and access to .1 female. The arboreal habits of the species possibly increase the risk of inexperienced young falling from trees or else being depredated when moving exposed through branches. This risk is probably reduced by the extensive biparental care observed, including the providing of low-energy plant food to young in the nest.