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The most important condition of ecological restoration is the identification of reference ecosystems, which function as a guide for assertive practice with which biological integrity and ecosystem structure and function can be compared. For restoration and conservation projects to be effective in the current scenario of biodiversity and ecosystem services decay worldwide, it is fundamental to understand the soil-plant interactions in each environment. In this study, we evaluated the structure and composition of the flora in 45 plots, equally distributed in three preserved areas (reference ecosystems) of Atlantic Forest in the upper Rio Doce watershed, Southeast Brazil. We also tested whether differences in species composition were influenced by edaphic factors, both in the adult tree and sapling strata. In both tree and sapling strata, Fabaceae was the species-richest family, followed by Myrtaceae, and Lauraceae. The Fabaceae family also showed the highest importance value for both strata. The soils of the riparian forests were highly heterogeneous among the studied sites. Co-inertia analyses indicated a clear edaphic-floristic gradient in both tree (RV = 0.467; p < 0.001) and sapling (RV = 0.478; p < 0.001) strata, with a connection of 46.7% and 47.8% between the edaphic and floristic matrices for trees and saplings, respectively. We identified the groups of tree and sapling strata species that were strongly associated with either nutritionally richer or poorer soils on each studied site. Understanding how ecological and life-history traits of plant species relate with edaphic factors is an important step to provide scientific-based knowledge to support policies for ecosystem recovery and restoration in the stretches of the Rio Doce watershed.

Our motivation for writing this editorial is to alert the academic community about the risks of predatory publishing in Biology. By piggy-backing on the open access (OA) movement and taking advantage of the “publish or perish” culture in a system that prioritises quantity over quality, predatory publishing has grown exponentially in recent years and spread across all areas of knowledge. Thousands of predatory journals and books have emerged and (provided a fee is paid) they publish scientific papers and chapters without submitting them to rigorous peer review. Now there are even predatory meetings, which promise to accept talks and publish complete works for a fee, also without reviewing them properly. These profit-making machines can damage both academia and society, putting at risk the quality of science and public trust in it, the well-being of the population, the conservation of biodiversity and the mitigation of climate change. We show the modus operandi behind invitations to contribute to predatory journals, books and meetings and suggest ways to separate the wheat from the chaff. Finally, we discuss the need to create regulatory agencies that perform a careful and systematic evaluation of the activities carried out by publishers.

The increase in rates of habitat loss requires an understanding of how biodiversity is distributed. Campo rupestre is an old, climatically buffered, and infertile landscape located in Brazil. Considered a biodiversity hotspot, the campo rupestre is mainly threatened by mining activity that requires a large operating area. Campo rupestre is known for its restricted distribution area and high abiotic heterogeneity, which modulates species coexistence and richness. To recognise the association between habitat type and plant communities, we propose to describe the floristic composition of herbaceous and shrub components in four habitats of the campo rupestre comprising quartzite and ferruginous substrate. We classified habitat types by the main surface soil features. In each habitat, we sampled ten 100-m2 plots to access information on the shrub and ten 1-m2 plots for the herbaceous component. Altogether we sampled 153 species, belonging to 38 families. The cluster analysis ordered by Sorensen metric indicates a clear distinction of species composition in the shrub component in the four habitats. However, the floristic composition of the herbaceous component was similar between the four habitats but showed a distinction when contrasting with the substrate type. Our results highlight the local taxonomic distinction between habitat types and substrates, indicating that the ecological distinction among substrate types of the campo rupestre cannot be overlooked in conservation and restoration actions.

The quality of the environment and the host plant influence the development of the galls as well as the performance of gall inducing insects. The effect of nutrients and water availability on the development of galls induced by Rhopalomyia chrysothamni (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) on Chrysothamnus nauseosus subsp. hololeucus (Asteraceae) was tested. The study was conducted in a xeric area with no signs of disturbances in Coconino National Forest, Arizona, USA. Individuals of C. nauseosus randomly selected underwent three treatments of water and nutrients availability. At the end of the growing season, the number of attacked plants, abundance and the development of galls in each treatment were evaluated. The differences in habitat quality simulated by the fertility and humidity conditions influenced both the number of attacked plants and the growth of galls. Plants with lower hydric-nutritional quality were more attacked by the galling insect. Otherwise, when both water and nutritional stresses were relieved plants developed galls with higher dry biomass and density. Therefore, this field experimental study indicates that while galling females attacked plants more in xeric environments, the galls grew larger in relatively more mesic conditions. The results showed a trade-off between the quantity and quality of galls of R. chrysothamni depending on the nutritional quality of the host plants.

Global sustainability rests on a myriad of benefits provided by natural ecosystems that support human livelihoods and well-being, from biodiversity persistence to climate regulation. The undeniable importance of conserving tropical forests has drawn most of the conservation spotlight towards it. However, open ecosystems such as the Brazilian Campo Rupestre (rupestrian grassland), have been historically overlooked despite their high diversity and key associated ecosystem services. We highlight major current threats to the persistence of the Campo Rupestre emphasizing its ecological, social, cultural, geo-environmental, and economic importance. We call attention to the importance of the Campo Rupestre as a reservoir of biodiversity and ecosystem services and offer priority actions that resulted from discussions involving scientists, industry representatives, environmental managers, and other members of civil society. Proposed actions include efforts related to ecological restoration, sustainable ecotourism, protection of traditional ecological knowledge, identification of emerging research questions, and development of tailored public policies. Such issues are integrated into a framework that collectively represents a road map to safeguard the Campo Rupestre from further degradation and steer its historical overexploitation towards sustainable management. Safeguarding the future of non-forest biomes like this poses a challenge to current paradigms of nature conservation. By establishing priorities and guidelines, we propose an actionable plan, which we hope can support informed decision-making policy towards a sustainable use of the Campo Rupestre.

Climate change affects biodiversity in various ways but not linearly. Mountaintop species and ecosystems are expected to experience the strongest impacts of climate change. Lower tolerances to changes in habitat and decreased available surface area with increasing elevation should lead to smaller ranges and even extinctions of endemic species living on mountaintops. Thus, the potential impacts of climate change must be understood in order to achieve sound and long-lasting conservation and management of mountaintops. We evaluated the potential impacts of climate change on the distribution and conservation status of ten endemic bird species of eastern Brazil mountaintops based on ecological niche models. The models predicted a gradual reduction of suitable area for all species with a projected contraction of up to 94%, upwards shifts from 1039 to 1470 m in elevation, and range shifts from 7 to 373 km for 2070. Five groups of mountainous regions are highlighted as crucial for the current conservation of endemic birds. If these projections materialize, nine species of birds should be recognized as being under some level of threat. To diminish these effects, public policies and land conversion at local and regional scales and global reduction of greenhouse gas emissions are urgently needed.

Ecological communities vary considerably in space and time and understanding such changes has fundamental relevance for ecology and conservation sciences. Mountains provide an excellent scenario for studies addressing spatial and temporal variation, as they vary in conditions and resources in a small geographic region. Here, we aimed to understand the patterns of variation in ant metacommunity composition across time and along an elevational gradient in a tropical mountain, focusing both on the taxonomic and functional facets of diversity. We used a β-diversity metric and broke it into nestedness and turnover to estimate short-term temporal changes in ant metacommunity composition. We tested the following hypotheses: (i) taxonomic and functional temporal β-diversity increase along the elevational gradient and (ii) turnover is the main component driving taxonomic temporal β-diversity and nestedness for functional temporal β-diversity. Rejecting our first hypothesis, we found that both taxonomic and functional temporal β-diversity did not increase with elevation. Yet, the values were always high, indicating that both species and functional traits are highly variable over time. In accordance with our second hypothesis, we found that turnover was the main component of taxonomic β-diversity. Yet adding complexity to our hypothesis, the contribution of nestedness to functional β-diversity decreased with increasing elevation. These results suggest that at low elevations, the turnover in species composition may then cause changes in trait composition because of the loss of some traits, yet preserving the most common functions (nested functional communities), while at high elevations functional capabilities may change over time (turnover of traits). In the context of global warming, where tropical mountain insects are expected to change their distributional range upwards, it is extremely important to consider the importance of the turnover on the temporal variation in functional traits and functions of ant metacommunity at higher elevations.

Tackling complex environmental issues requires transdisciplinary solutions that cannot be achieved, unless we integrate scientific disciplines and communicate science directly with civil society actors, decision-makers, and stakeholders. Alexander von Humboldt offered an approach to integrate knowledge across disciplines aiming to broadly understand human-environmental issues, yet current scientific practices largely ignore that holistic transdisciplinary approach. Here, we develop a conceptual framework for sustaining mountain environmental integrity and securing their ecosystem services based on transdisciplinarity. We use headwater systems located in old tropical mountains as examples of meta-ecosystems because they supply water for multiple human uses and are home to disproportionately high levels of species richness and endemism. We describe the vulnerability of mountains to global changes in the Anthropocene and discuss difficulties in implementing sustainable development goals for them. Specifically, we indicate the importance of mountains to human water supplies and the conflicts between anthropogenic disturbances and riparian stream meta-ecosystems for providing ecosystem services particularly failures. We also argue that the interplay between academia and other sectors of society must improve and increase the permeability of scientific knowledge into policy- and decision-making, which is crucial for improving natural resource management and sustaining ecosystem services. We argue that the prioritization of tropical montane headwater systems is a feasible, desirable and strategic issue to be included in the global sustainability agenda. Failure to implement sustainable development goals in global mountains is likely to continue resulting in catastrophic events with harsh consequences for both humans and global biodiversity.

Brazil is the most biodiverse country in the world. It performed an expansion of its Protected Areas system in order to better preserve nature and to accomplish international agreements, such as the Target 11 of the Convention on Biological Diversity, which establishes a minimum percentage of territorial coverage and adequate management of Protected Areas (PAs). We evaluated the achievement of those objectives by analyzing the distribution of Conservation Units (CUs), Indigenous Territories and other classes of PAs on Brazilian biomes, as well as their current management situation. The country is unlikely to meet the target due to the lack of PAs outside the Amazon biome and to poor CUs management conditions, whose main causes are the fragile financial situation of environmental agencies and the high costs of land tenure regularization. In addition to other environmental policies setbacks, the Brazilian environmental leadership is seriously threatened.

Mining causes profound impacts on biodiversity. In Brazil, mining pressure is intense, especially in highly biodiverse regions such as the Espinhaço range. We analyzed the direct and indirect effects of mining on the potential geographic range of 32 anuran and eight bird species endemic to the eastern Brazil mountaintops. We also assessed the mining impacts on the local biodiversity rate of both species groups. Currently, 36.44% and 28.80% of the median potential distribution of the anuran and bird species, respectively, are affected directly or indirectly by mining. More than half of the range for eight anuran species and more than 40% of two birds species's ranges are influenced by this anthropogenic activity. Regions with suitable environmental characteristics for more than one species are highly affected by mining: 67% of the pixels that are suitable for 16 species (2109 km2) are currently impacted by mining. These results indicate that mining activities present a considerable threat to both anurans and birds endemic of the eastern Brazil mountaintops. We discuss many aspects related to the loss of potential habitat for these species, and call for management strategies to avert the ongoing wave of mining impacts.

In the middle of a political and fiscal crisis, the Brazilian government is applying successive budget cuts, including in science funding. Recent cuts radically affect research programs on biodiversity that are crucial components for the design and monitoring of public policies for nature conservation and sustainable development. We analyze the consequences of such cuts on the Research Program on Biodiversity (PPBio), the largest biodiversity research network in Brazil (626 researchers, nine networks in all Brazilian biomes). Brazil holds a substantial part of the world's biodiversity and of tropical forests that play a significant role for regional and global climate stability. If underfunding is maintained, the dismantling of the Brazilian PPBio will have consequences that go beyond biodiversity knowledge itself but affect society as a whole. Brazil will likely fail to reach the National Targets for Biodiversity 2011–2020, and it will be difficult to fulfill the restoration target of the Brazilian NDC and to advance with the sustainable development goals.

ABSTRACT Topographic gradients in terra firme forests are associated with pronounced changes in soil texture, soil nutrients and distance to the water-table, thereby creating different hydric and nutritional conditions for plants and their associated herbivore community. The aim of this study was to investigate galling species and host plant richness and gall species composition across topographic habitats differing in nutrient and water stress in the Brazilian Amazon rainforest. Nineteen 250 x 3 m plots were randomly sampled in the valley, slope, plateau-slope transition, and plateau habitats in terra firme forests. All individual dicotyledonous plants 1 to 3 meters high were examined for the presence of insect galls. Galling species and host plant richness differed significantly among the studied habitats and were higher in slope habitats (drier habitats), as expected. More humid areas (valleys) showed the lowest richness of galling species, and a lower number of understory host plants. PERMANOVA and PERMDISP results demonstrated that the gall species composition differed significantly in the valley, slope, plateau-slope transition, and plateau areas. However, these structural differences in species composition could be due to unequal dispersion of variability among forest habitats. Our data suggested that spatial heterogeneity, such as a mosaic of local water status and nutrient availability resulting from the topographic conditions, can affect host plants and their associated galling insects.

Ecophysiological responses of plants are useful for monitoring the success of ecological restoration projects that target species conservation. In this study we evaluated the ecophysiological traits of individuals of Chamaecrista semaphora from a natural population and from a site under restoration. Water potential and chlorophyll a fluorescence parameters were measured both in adult and young plants of the two populations. No difference in water potential was found between sites, but individuals in the restored site had higher water potential at predawn. Adults in the natural site presented lower daily values of potential quantum yield, indicating the occurrence of photoinhibition. Individuals in the restored site also presented higher maximum relative electron transport rate (ETRMAX). No difference was found in leaf carbon isotope discrimination values (σ13C) between plants growing in restored and natural sites, suggesting similar water use efficiency. These results indicate that C. semaphora individuals in the restored site had similar or better photosynthetic and water economy performances than individuals at the natural site. Methodologies traditionally employed to assess stress response of plants, such as chlorophyll a fluorescence and procedures used to evaluate the efficiency of water use, allowed us to verify the success of restoration procedures using an endangered species.

ABSTRACTMistletoes obtain nutrients and water from their hosts, with varying effects among those hosts. We assessed the factors that influence the colonization of the mistletoe Struthanthus flexicaulis on Baccharis dracunculifolia and the subsequent effects on host performance. We evaluated the incidence of S. flexicaulis according to size (height classes) and architecture of the host as well as its effects on various physiological parameters of the host. Furthermore, we assessed the occurrence of insect galls induced by Baccharopelma dracunculifoliae(Psyllidae), including the number of leaves infected, and the mortality of infected and non-infected branches. Taller hosts had a higher abundance of mistletoes (60%, p> 0.05). Physiological parameters of hosts were not affected by parasitism, although galling occurred more often (p 0.05) on infected branches. Taller individuals are more colonized by mistletoes and more architecturally complex hosts support a greater number of mistletoes. Mistletoe causes a top-down effect on host-associated organisms on parasitized branches. Mistletoes had a strong top-downeffect on B. dracunculifolia due to a reduction in the number of leaves on parasitized branches and the replacement of the bush crown, as well as an increased incidence of insect galls. Furthermore, the occurrence of a heavy parasite load increased the mortality rate of the host branches.

ABSTRACTWe examined the distribution of Coccoloba cereifera,a tropical endemic species that occurs in a small area in the Espinhaço mountain range, southeastern Brazil. It is hypothesized that its narrow distribution is strongly related to the spatially scattered distribution of sandfields. However, this soil type extends far beyond the small region where C. cereifera is currently found, indicating that other factors might be involved in the distribution of this species. Coccoloba cereifera also displays all traits of a relict population in a microrefugium. As a result, we were encouraged to explore other factors potentially related to the distribution of the species. In an attempt to aid in the understanding of the processes and mechanisms that lead C. cereiferato present the narrow actual distribution, we applied two distribution modelling approaches to investigate the potential distribution of the species beyond the small known distribution area. The distribution seems to be strongly associated with sandy patches/grasslands formed among rocky outcrops and is limited by some topoclimatic and/or topographic features. Some of them related to the existence of a microrefugium, a fact also suggested by the pattern of distribution of the species in the past. From the management point of view, the existence of a microrefugium in this area calls for changes in conservation efforts and priorities.

ABSTRACTSyagrus glaucescens is an endemic palm found in the rupestrian grasslands of the Espinhaço Mountains in southeastern Brazil. It is highly associated with quartzitic soils and exhibits strong intra-specific morphological variation in the different areas where it occurs. Allometric traits were used to verify whether there are any significant differences in the morphological traits between populations of this species located in two distinct areas. In the region of the Serra do Cipó individuals exhibit decumbent stems whereas on the Diamantina Plateau stems are straight and perpendicular to the ground. Soil quality was related to plant morphological traits to test the hypothesis that allometric variation is influenced by soil nutritional differences. Stem shape and size differed significantly among individuals inhabiting the two different regions: individuals in Serra do Cipó were shorter and had fewer leaves compared to individuals found in the Diamantina Plateau. Water retention capacity and nutrient absorption of the soils of the two sites were markedly different. In Serra do Cipó the soils were more acid, with higher aluminum saturation and lower sand content compared to the soils in Diamantina. These traits correlated with stem shape and indicate that soil acidity and aluminum saturation influence the architecture of S. glaucescens.

Ground-dwelling ants have shown consistent resilience to fire in savanna environments. We carried out a study to investigate how ant community structure responds to fire in a harsh and fragile Cerrado ecosystem, the campos rupestres. We studied the change in the ant communities on a local scale subjected to fire in two rocky outcrop habitats at two different elevations (800m above sea level and 1300m a.s.l.). Pitfall trap samples were set at three different periods after a fire event: one, four, and ten months later. Overall, one hundred and fifteen ant species were collected. On a local scale, at the altitude of 800 m asl, no difference in richness and composition of the ant community was found between burned and control plots, whereas at 1300 m asl the burned areas showed higher richness and different ant composition in comparison to control areas. Differences were clear in the rainy period, four months after the fire. Ten months later, no difference between the richness of ant species in burned and unburned plots was found at higher altitudes, even though the plots showed distinct species composition. These data support the hypothesis that fire must be a structuring disturbance factor for some groups in the ant assemblages and indicate that ant community structure at higher elevations is somehow influenced by the recover of the campos rupestre vegetation.

We obtained the first data on spatial distribution of a spherical galling insect (Hymenoptera, Eulophidae) at the Caryocar brasiliense Camb. (Caryocaraceae) tree level. This work was developed in two pastures in Montes Claros, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The areas studied were: pasture 1 (in activity) and pasture 2 (abandoned pasture = savanna in recovery). We evaluated the distribution of spherical galls in: foliage orientation (slope), among leaves (border and interior of the tree crown), among leaflets (right, central, left), distal, median, and proximal as well as border, central area, and adjacent to the mid leaf vein of the leaflet, and difference between areas in 10 infested trees per area. The smaller number of spherical gall/leaflet was observed in pasture 1 than in pasture 2. More spherical galls were found on the northern in pasture 1, but in the pasture 2, the lower spherical galls were observed on the northeast than other slopes. The average number of spherical galls did not differ statistically among the three leaflets of C. brasiliense in pasture 2. However, in pasture 1, we observed highest number of spherical galls in the central leaflet. More spherical galls were found in the border than interior of the tree crown. The average number of spherical galls did not differ statistically among the longitudinal region on leaflet of C. brasiliense. The spherical gall insect preferred to colonize the leaf margin than the central portion or near mid vein on transversal regions on a leaflet.

Diversity of gall-inducing insects in the tropical dry forest (caatinga) of Pernambuco. We report on the richness of galling insects in the vegetation of caatinga of Pernambuco state, Brazil. We recorded 64 different types of galls collected primarily from leaves and stems of 48 species of host plants belonging to 17 families and 31 genera. The most common gall morphological types were spheroid and discoid, glabrous, predominantly green and with one chamber. The main gall inducing taxon was the Cecidomyiidae (Diptera). The results of this study contribute to existing knowledge of galling insect and host-plant diversity in caatinga.

Bruggmanniella doliocarpi, a new galling species associated with Doliocarpus dentatus (Dilleniaceae) is described and illustrated (male, female, pupa, larva and gall) based on material from Minas Gerais, Brazil. The new species is compared to the other known Neotropical species. This is the first report of Bruggmanniella for Minas Gerais and in association with Dilleniaceae.Bruggmanniella doliocarpi, uma nova espécie galhadora associada com Doliocarpus dentatus (Dilleniaceae) é descrita e ilustrada (macho, fêmea, pupa, larva e galha) com base em material coletado em Minas Gerais, Brasil. A nova espécie é comparada com as outras espécies neotropicais conhecidas. Esse é o primeiro registro de Bruggmanniella para Minas Gerais e em Dilleniaceae.

Pattern of attack of a galling insect reveals an unexpected preference-performance linkage on medium-sized resources. The Plant Vigor Hypothesis (PVH) predicts oviposition preference and higher offspring performance on longer and fast-growing shoots, and although several studies have tested its predictions, long-term studies concerning the patterns of host selection by galling species are still lacking. The PVH was tested in this study using Bauhinia brevipes (Fabaceae) as the host of a leaf gall midge, Asphondylia microcapillata (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) during three consecutive years. Shoots were collected from the same 80 plants between 2001 and 2003 and shoot length, number of healthy and galled leaves, gall number, and mortality factors were recorded. Nearly 600 galls were found on the 5,800 shoots collected. Medium-sized shoots supported from 46 to 70% of all galls, with greater gall survival rate in 2002 and 2003. A decrease in parasitism rate coupled with an increase in gall predation lead to a constant similar gall survivorship rate in all years (x = 22.7%). Although gall abundance varied among years (122 in 2001, 114 in 2002 and 359 in 2003) preference for longer shoots was not observed because the percentage of galled shoots and galled leaves were higher on medium shoot length classes in all years. The observed distribution of gall abundance and galled shoots were always greater than the expected distribution on medium shoot length classes. These findings do not support the PVH, and show that A. microcapillata can maximize the female preference and larval performance on medium-sized shoots of B. brevipes.A Hipótese do Vigor de Plantas (HVP) prevê uma oviposição preferencial e alta performance da prole em ramos longos e de crescimento rápido da planta hospedeira. Embora diversos estudos tenham testado suas predições, estudos de longa duração focados no padrão de seleção de planta hospedeira por insetos galhadores ainda são escassos. A HVP foi testada neste estudo usando Bauhinia brevipes (Fabaceae) como planta hospedeira de uma galha foliar induzida por Asphondylia microcapillata (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) por três anos consecutivos. Ramos foram coletados das mesmas 80 plantas entre 2001 e 2003 e o tamanho do ramo, número de ramos galhados e sadios, número de galhas e fatores de mortalidade foram registrados. Aproximadamente 600 galhas de A. microcapillata foram coletadas em 5.800 ramos de B. brevipes. Ramos médios suportaram entre 46% e 70% do total de galhas, e a taxa de sobrevivência das galhas foi maior em 2002 e 2003. Uma diminuição da taxa de parasitismo associada com um aumento da taxa de predação de galhas resultou em uma sobrevivência similar em todos os anos (x = 22,7%). A abundância de galhas variou entre os anos (122 em 2001, 114 em 2002 e 359 e 2003). A preferência por ramos longos não foi observada porque a porcentagem de ramos galhados e folhas galhadas foram maiores em ramos de classes de tamanho intermediário por dois anos. A distribuição observada da abundância de galhas e ramos galhados foi sempre maior do que a distribuição esperada em classes de ramos médios. Estes resultados não suportam a HVP, e mostram que A. microcapillata pode maximizar a preferência da fêmea e a performance larval em ramos de tamanho médio de B. brevipes.

Two new species of Lopesia Rübsaamen (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) associated with Mimosa hostilis (Mimosaceae) in Brazil Two new species of Lopesia Rübsaamen (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae, Lopesiini), L. mimosae Maia, sp. nov. and L. pernambucensis Maia, sp. nov., that induce galls on Mimosa hostilis Benth. (Mimosaceae) are described and illustrated based on material from "caatinga" in Pernambuco, Brazil.

A riqueza de insetos galhadores é maior nas latitudes intermediárias em hábitats quentes e com vegetação esclerófila sob estresse hídrico e de nutrientes. Em regiões tropicais, os campos rupestres são indicados como hábitats ricos em espécies de insetos galhadores. Neste trabalho, foram descritas as galhas induzidas por insetos e suas plantas hospedeiras na porção sul da Cadeia do Espinhaço, sudeste do Brasil. Foram selecionados 60 sítios em seis regiões ao longo na porção sul da Cadeia do Espinhaço no estado de Minas Gerais. Em cada sítio 100 plantas foram amostradas totalizando 6.000 plantas censuradas ao longo de um gradiente altitudinal de 668 a 1860m. Foram encontrados 241 morfotipos de galhas em 142 espécies de plantas distribuídas em 29 famílias e de um total de 384 espécies de plantas amostradas. As famílias mais ricas em espécies de insetos galhadores foram Asteraceae (42%), principalmente espécies do gênero Baccharis. A maior parte das galhas (85%) foi induzida por insetos da família Cecidomyiidae seguidos por Lepidoptera (4%) e Homoptera (3%). Os ramos foram os órgãos mais freqüentemente atacados (72%) enquanto que os morfotipos mais comuns foram o elíptico (37%) e o globóide (36%). A espécie de planta hospedeira que apresentou mais morfotipos de galhas foi Baccharis pseudomyriocephala com 10 galhas distintas. Este estudo sustenta a afirmativa que campos rupestres apresentam uma elevada riqueza em espécies de insetos galhadores.Galling species richness is higher at intermediate latitudes on warm habitats and sclerophyllous vegetation under water and nutrient stress. In the tropical region, galling species richness is higher in rupestrian fields. Here the gall-inducing insects and their host plants of the southern portion of the Espinhaço range, southeastern Brazil are described. 60 study sites from six distinct regions along the Espinhaço range, at Minas Gerais state were selected. In each study site 100 plants were sampled summing up to 6,000 plants censused along an altitudinal gradient ranging from 668m to 1860m a.s.l. A total of 241 distinct galls morphotypes were found on 142 host plant species belonging to 29 families from a total 384 species censused. The richest galling fauna was found in the Asteraceae (42%), mainly the genus Baccharis. The largest proportion of galls (85%) was induced by Cecidomyiidae followed by Lepidoptera (4%) and Homoptera (3%). Stems were the most frequently galled plant organ (72%) while the most common shapes were elliptical (37%) and globoid (36%). The host plant species presenting the highest number of gall morphotypes types was Baccharis pseudomyriocephala with 10 galls. This study supported the assertion that rupestrian fields present the highest galling species richness.

For the first time, we identified the insect herbivore that induces one of the most conspicuous galls on the leaves of Caryocar brasiliense Camb. (Caryocaraceae), a widespread, typical cerrado woody plant of large economic importance. The gall inducing organism is a new and undescribed species of Eurytoma sp. (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae). Furthermore, we recorded its spatial distribution within C. brasiliense trees. More Eurytoma galls were found on the eastern tree slope, followed the southern and northern slopes. More galls were found in the interior of the tree crown, i.e., on the proximal portion of the stems compared to the terminal portion. At the leaf level, more galls were found on the median region compared to the distal or proximal, perhaps due to the lower trichome density found in there. Leaf colonization by Eurytoma sp. may initiate at the leaf margin but after colonization reaches 50% the central portion starts to be colonized.Pela primeira vez foi identificado o inseto herbívoro que induz uma das galhas foliares mais conspícuas em Caryocar brasiliense Camb. (Caryocaraceae), uma planta amplamente distribuída no Cerrado brasileiro e de relevante importância econômica. O galhador identificado, preliminarmente, como uma nova espécie ainda não descrita de Eurytoma (Hymenoptera, Eurytomidae). Além disso, foi observado a distribuição espacial desse galhador na copa das árvores de C. brasiliense. O lado leste da planta apresentou maior abundância de galhas de Eurytoma sp. seguido pelos lados sudeste e nordeste. No interior da copa houve um maior número de galhas em relação à porção mais externa. Em relação às folhas, a maior abundância ocorreu na porção mediana comparada às regiões proximal e distal, provavelmente devido ao menor número de tricomas na porção mais central da folha. Após colonizar cerca de 50% das folhas marginais Eurytoma sp. inicia a colonização das folhas na porção central da folha.

Asphondylia fructicola sp. nov. is described and illustrated on the basis of the larva, pupa, male, female, and gall. This species induces galls on fruits of Solanum sp. (Solanaceae) in Amazonia, Brazil.Asphondylia fructicola sp. nov. é descrita e ilustrada com base na larva, pupa, macho, fêmea e galha. Essa espécie induz galhas nos frutos de Solanum sp. (Solanaceae) na Amazônia, Brasil.

Highly diverse forms of galling arthropods can be identified in much of southeastern Brazil's vegetation. Three fragments of a Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest (SDTF) located in the southern range of the Espinhaço Mountains were selected for study in the first survey of galling organisms in such tropical vegetation. Investigators found 92 distinct gall morphotypes on several organs of 51 host plant species of 19 families. Cecidomyiidae (Diptera) was the most prolific gall-inducing species, responsible for the largest proportion of galls (77%) observed. Leaves were the most frequently galled plant organ (63%), while the most common gall morphotype was of a spherical shape (30%). The two plant species, Baccharis dracunculifolia (Asteraceae) and Celtis brasiliensis (Cannabaceae), presented the highest number of gall morphtypes, displaying an average of 5 gall morphotypes each. This is the first study of gall-inducing arthropods and their host plant species ever undertaken in a Brazilian SDTF ecosystem. Given the intense human pressure on SDTFs, the high richness of galling arthropods, and implied floral host diversity found in this study indicates the need for an increased effort to catalogue the corresponding flora and fauna, observe their intricate associations and further understand the implications of such rich diversity in these stressed and vulnerable ecosystems.Artrópodes indutores de galhas são muito ricos em espécies nas formações vegetais no sudeste do Brasil. Três fragmentos de Floresta Sazonal Tropical Seca (FSTS) foram selecionados nas montanhas do sudeste da cadeia do Espinhaço para a primeira pesquisa de organismos indutores de galhas nesse tipo de vegetação. Encontramos 92 morfotipos distintos de galhas em vários órgãos de 51 espécies de plantas hospedeiras pertencentes à 19 famílias. A maioria das galhas (77%) foi induzida pela família Cecidomyiidae (Diptera). A folha foi o órgão mais atacado (63%), enquanto o morfotipo mais comum foi a forma esférica (30%). As espécies hospedeiras que apresentaram um maior número de morfotipos de galhas foram Baccharis dracunculifolia (Asteraceae) e Celtis brasiliensis (Cannabaceae), cada uma com cinco morfotipos de galha. Este é o primeiro estudo com galhas induzidas por artrópodes em áreas FSTS no Brasil. Dada a intensa pressão antrópica nas áreas de FSTS, a alta riqueza encontrada nesse estudo de artrópodes indutores de galhas aponta a necessidade de um maior esforço para se compreender a diversidade desses ecossistemas.

Fire represents an important disturbance to ant communities in areas of fire regime. Otherwise, little is known about the effects of fire on ant communities in areas of non-fire regimes, such as in the Amazonian region. We evaluated the long-term effect of fire on ant species richness in a rain forest (Bacaba Plateau) burned 15-years ago and compare our data with the data of primary unburned forest. A total of 85 ant species distributed in 21 genera and 14 tribes were collected; among them, 72 and 44 species were found on the litter and vegetation, respectively. The fire damaged forest studied supports an intermediate richness of ants when compared to a primary unburned rain forest in the same region. A comparative analysis of ant species richness showed that the Bacaba Plateau presented a different ant fauna when compared with the primary unburned forests, suggesting that fire can alter ant species composition. Although, our results cannot be conclusive on the effects of fire on ant community, they represent a pioneer data on human induced fire in tropical rain forests.O fogo representa uma importante perturbação para a comunidade de formigas em áreas de regime de fogo. No entanto, pouco se conhece sobre os efeitos do fogo na comunidade de formiga em áreas de não-regime, tal como a região da Amazônia. Nós analisamos o efeito de longo prazo do fogo sobre a riqueza de formiga numa floresta tropical queimada 15 anos atrás e comparamos nossos dados, com os de uma floresta primária não-queimada. Foram coletadas um total de 85 espécies de formigas distribuídas em 21 gêneros e 14 tribos, dentre eles 72 e 44 espécies foram encontradas na liteira e vegetação, respectivamente. Esta área de floresta queimada, com 85 espécies, pode suportar uma riqueza intermédia de formigas quando comparadas com uma floresta tropical primária não-queimada, com 29, 22 e 98 espécies na mesma região. Uma análise comparativa da riqueza de espécies de formigas mostrou que o platô Bacaba apresentou uma diferente fauna de formigas quando comparado com as florestas primárias não queimadas, sugerindo que o fogo pode alterar a composição das espécies. Embora, nossos resultados sobre os efeitos do fogo não sejam conclusivos, eles representam dados pioneiros sobre incêndios induzidos por humanos em floresta tropical.

The plant architecture hypothesis predicts that variation in host plant architecture influences insect herbivore community structure, dynamics and performance. In this study we evaluated the effects of Macairea radula (Melastomataceae) architecture on the abundance of galls induced by a moth (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae). Plant architecture and gall abundance were directly recorded on 58 arbitrarily chosen M. radula host plants in the rainy season of 2006 in an area of Cerrado vegetation, southeastern Brazil. Plant height, dry biomass, number of branches, number of shoots and leaf abundance were used as predicting variables of gall abundance and larval survival. Gall abundance correlated positively with host plant biomass and branch number. Otherwise, no correlation (p > 0.05) was found between gall abundance with shoot number or with the number of leaves/plant. From a total of 124 galls analyzed, 67.7% survived, 14.5% were attacked by parasitoids, while 17.7% died due to unknown causes. Larvae that survived or were parasitized were not influenced by architectural complexity of the host plant. Our results partially corroborate the plant architecture hypothesis, but since parasitism was not related to plant architecture it is argued that bottom-up effects may be more important than top-down effects in controlling the population dynamics of the galling lepidopteran. Because galling insects often decrease plant fitness, the potential of galling insects in selecting for less architectural complex plants is discussed.A hipótese da arquitetura de planta prediz que variações na arquitetura da planta hospedeira influenciam a comunidade de insetos herbívoros, sua dinâmica e performance. Neste estudo o efeito da arquitetura de Macairea radula (Melastomataceae) na abundância de galhas induzidas por uma mariposa (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) foi avaliado. A arquitetura da planta e a abundância de galhas foram diretamente registradas em 58 indivíduos de M. radula arbitrariamente selecionados durante a estação chuvosa de 2006 em uma área de Cerrado no sudeste brasileiro. A altura da planta, biomassa seca, número de ramos e abundância de galhas foram utilizados como variáveis para prever a abundância de galhas e sobrevivência das larvas. A abundância das galhas foi positivamente correlacionada com a biomasssa seca e o número de ramos secundários. Por outro lado, nenhuma correlação (p > 0.05) foi encontrada entre a abundância de galhas e ramos terciários e número de folhas por planta. De um total de 124 galhas analisadas, 67,7% sobreviveram, 14,5% foram parasitadas e 17,7% morreram por causas indeterminadas. No entanto, o parasitismo e sobrevivência das larvas não foram influenciados pela complexidade arquitetônica da planta hospedeira. Os resultados corroboram parcialmente a hipótese de arquitetura da planta, mas como o parasitismo não foi relacionado com a arquitetura da planta, os efeitos reguladores de níveis inferiores da cadeia alimentar possivelmente são mais importantes do que os efeitos de níveis superiores da cadeia alimentar na dinâmica populacional do galhador.

We observed the occurrence of large numbers of galls induced by Parkiamyia paraensis (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) on the leaflets of Parkia pendula (Fabaceae) in northern Para, Brazil. We addressed two questions in this study: i) what is the proportion of attacked plants in the field, and nursery conditions?; and ii) what is the impact of galls on the host plant? An average of 86% of the plants were galled in the field. Galled P. pendula were distinct from healthy individuals due to their prostrated architecture and death of terminal shoots. Approximately 50% of the total available leaves and 35% leaflets were attacked by P. paraensis on saplings under nursery conditions. Each one-year old plant supported an average of 1,300 galls, and an average of 60g allocated to galled tissue. Otherwise, attacked individuals were taller and heavier than healthy plants. Attacked plants weighed five times more than healthy plants. When the weight of the galls was removed, the total weight (aerial part without galls) of attacked plants was drastically reduced, indicating that most of the biomass of attacked plants was due to the attack by P. paraensis galls. Although the data indicate a paradox, as young plants attacked by the galling herbivore appear to develop more vigorously than unattacked plants, we suggest that P. paraensis negatively affect P. pendula development.Observou-se a ocorrência de um grande número de galhas induzidas por Parkiamyia paraensis (Diptera, Cecidomyiidae) nos folíolos de Parkia pendula (Fabaceae) no norte do Pará, Brasil. Este estudo foi direcionado para responder duas perguntas: i) qual é a proporção de plantas atacadas no campo e em condições de estufa? e ii) qual é o impacto das galhas na planta hospedeira? Uma média de 86% das plantas apresentaram galhas no campo. Indivíduos com galhas de P. pendula eram distintos dos indivíduos saudáveis devido à arquitetura curvada e pela morte dos ramos terminais. Aproximadamente 50% do total de folhas e 35% dos folíolos de plantas jovens foram atacados por P. paraensis em condições de estufa. Para cada ano de idade, a planta apresentou uma média de 1.300 galhas e uma média de 60g alocadas para o tecido galhado. Indivíduos atacados eram mais altos e mais pesados que plantas saudáveis. Plantas atacadas possuíam cinco vezes mais biomassa que plantas saudáveis. Quando o peso das galhas foi removido, o peso das plantas atacadas (parte aérea sem galhas) foi drasticamente reduzido, indicando que a maior parte da biomassa de plantas atacadas foi tomada pelas galhas de P. paraensis. Embora possa existir um paradoxo, onde plantas jovens atacadas por herbívoros galhadores desenvolvam mais vigorosamente do que plantas não atacadas, sugere-se que P. paraensis afetem negativamente o desenvolvimento de P. pendula.

Problems regarding the order of authorship of scientific papers have become more frequent and more abusive. These problems may have heightened due to the ever increasing pressure to "publish or perish" in the academic world, given that the publication of scientific articles has become the benchmark of success in a field with few job opportunities. This article reviews the abuses in the authorship of scientific papers. Different examples are given of the most common problems and recommendations are provided for authors and journal editors.Problemas relacionados a determinação de autoria de trabalhos científicos são freqüentes. Estes problemas vêm se agravando em decorrência da supervalorização do número de publicações no mundo acadêmico, uma vez que, a publicação de artigos científicos tornou-se uma referência de sucesso em um campo com poucas oportunidades de trabalho. Este artigo revê os abusos na autoria de artigos científicos. Diferentes exemplos são citados dos problemas mais comuns e recomendações básicas são feitas para autores e editores.

The effects of ants on the insect community on inflorescences of Byrsonima crassifolia (Malpighiaceae) were tested in an ant exclusion experiment in a cerrado vegetation in southeastern Brazil. Forty-four species of insects (23 families) and nine species of ants (6 genera and 3 subfamilies) were found on the inflorescences of B. crassifolia. The exclusion of ants, primarily Camponotus sericeiventris and Camponotus spp., reduced the treehopper population to 20% of the original abundance. Ant exclusion and time influenced the abundance of chewing (Exclusion, POs efeitos de formigas na comunidade de insetos em inflorescências de Byrsonima crassifolia (Malpighiaceae) foram testados em um experimento de exclusão em uma vegetação de cerrado no Sudeste do Brasil. Quarenta e quatro espécies de insetos (23 famílias) e nove espécies de formigas (seis gêneros e três subfamílias) foram encontradas nas inflorescências de B. crassifolia. A exclusão das formigas, principalmente de Camponotus sericeiventris e de Camponotus spp. reduziu a população de membracídeos para 20% da abundância original. Exclusão das formigas e o tempo influenciaram a abundância de insetos mastigadores (exclusão, P

Os insetos têm sido considerados importantes indicadores de mudanças ambientais e da qualidade de habitats. Apesar de seu hábito séssil, fácil visualização, abundância, e especificidade de hospedeiro, insetos indutores de galhas não têm sido utilizados em estudos desta natureza. Neste estudo foi investigado o uso potencial de insetos galhadores associados a duas espécies de plantas hospedeiras ruderais (Baccharis dracunculifolia e Vernonia polyanthes: Asteraceae) como bioindicadores da qualidade de habitats. Procurou-se responder às seguintes questões: (i) A diversidade de insetos galhadores é afetada pelo tipo de uso e ocupação da paisagem (solo)?; (ii) A resposta das comunidades de insetos galhadores difere entre as duas espécies de plantas hospedeiras?; (iii) A diversidade de insetos galhadores é influenciada por características bióticas e físicas dos biótopo urbanos? Foram coletadas 6.226 galhas, pertinentes a 6 espécies de insetos galhadores associados à V. polyanthes e 11 espécies associadas à B. dracunculifolia. Não foi encontrada nenhuma diferença na riqueza de insetos galhadores entre os biótopos amostrados. No entanto, a abundância de insetos galhadores apresentou diferenças significativas quanto ao tipo de uso e ocupação da paisagem. As galhas foram mais numerosas em biótopos menos urbanizados, sendo observado uma relação forte e positiva com a porcentagem de cobertura vegetal do biótopo. As comunidades de insetos galhadores de ambas as espécies de plantas hospedeiras apresentaram respostas diferenciais quanto ao tipo de uso da paisagem. Os resultados sugerem três fatores que podem estar envolvidos com a diversidade de insetos galhadores em áreas urbanas: (i) estrutura dos habitats num biótopo; (ii) abundância e distribuição espacial do recurso planta hospedeira e; (iii) freqüência e intensidade do manejo de reservas, parques, jardins e terrenos baldios de uma dada área urbana. Constatou-se ainda que áreas verdes em espaços urbanos são de fundamental importância na manutenção da diversidade de insetos.Insects have been considered as important bioindicators of environmental changes and habitat quality. In spite of its sessile habit, easy localization, abundance and host specificity, insects that induce galls have not been utilized in studies of this nature. It was investigated the suitability of gall-inducing insects associated to two ruderal host plant species (Baccharis dracunculifolia and Vernonia polyanthes: Asteraceae) as bioindicators of habitat quality. The following questions were addressed: (i) is gall-inducing insect diversity influenced by different types of land use?; (ii) are the responses of galling insect communities different between host plants?; (iii) how does the biotic and physical features of the biotope influence the gall-inducing insect diversity? It was found 6,226 galls, belonging to six galling insect species on V. polyanthes and 11 galling species on B. dracunculifolia. No difference was found in galling species richness among land use types. Nevertheless, gall-forming insect abundance was statistically different among the biotopes studied. Insect galls were more numerous in biotopes with lower urbanization levels. Gall abundance showed a strong and positive relationship with the percentage of vegetal cover. Gall-forming insect communities on both host species showed differential responses to the different land use types. The results suggest that three factors may be involved with galling insect diversity in urban areas: (i) habitat structure in the biotope; (ii) resource abundance (host plant abundance and distribution); and (iii) frequency and intensity of management in reserves, parks, city squares, wastelands found at a given urban area.

Marcetia taxifolia (A. St.-Hil.) DC. (Melastomataceae) é um arbusto amplamente distribuído nos campos rupestres da Serra do Cipó, Brasil. É uma espécie com potencial na recuperação de áreas degradadas e este estudo apresenta os primeiros dados sobre o efeito da luz e da temperatura na germinação de suas sementes. Sementes foram coletadas em maio/2001 e foram submetidas a testes de germinação nas temperaturas constantes de 15, 20, 25, 30 e 35ºC sob fotoperíodo de 12 horas e em ausência de luz durante 30 dias. Foram encontradas diferenças significativas entre a percentagem de germinação e tempo médio de sementes submetidas ao tratamento claro e escuro a 15, 20, 25 e 30ºC (p < 0,05; todos). Sob a temperatura de 35ºC, a germinação foi completamente inibida. As maiores percentagens de germinação foram obtidas a 15 e 20ºC, as quais foram superiores a 25 e 30ºC (ANOVA = 13,65; p < 0,001). Os dados contribuem para estudos posteriores que visem a propagação da espécie com fins de reabilitação ambiental.Marcetia taxifolia (A. St.-Hil.) DC. (Melastomataceae) is a shrub widely distributed in the rupestrian fields of Serra do Cipó, Brazil. In spite of M. taxifolia being a potential species to be used in land rehabilitation, no complete study has been conducted regarding its seed germination. The goal of this work was to evaluate the effect of light and temperature on seed germination of M. taxifolia. Seeds were collected in May/2001 and were submitted to germination tests at constant temperatures of 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35ºC under a photoperiod of 12 hours, and in the absence of light for 30 days. There were statistically significant differences between seed germination and mean time of germination for seeds submitted to the light and dark treatments at 15, 20, 25 and 30ºC (p < 0,05; all). Seed germination under 35ºC was totally inhibited. The higher germination percentages were obtained at 15 and 20ºC, which differed significantly from the temperatures of 25 and 30ºC (ANOVA = 13,65; p < 0,001). The data contribute to further studies focusing the propagation of M. taxifolia for land rehabilitation purposes.

Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the patterns of host plant utilization by herbivorous insects in natural communities. We tested four hypotheses aiming to understand the pattern of attack by gall-inducing insects on the dioecious shrub, Baccharis pseudomyriocephala (Asteraceae). The shrub occurs in the Parque Estadual do Itacolomi, Southeastern Brazil, and supports ten species of galling insects. The following hypotheses were tested: i) male plants are more attacked by galling insects than female plants; ii) larger plant modules are preferentially attacked by galling insects; iii) galling insects perform better on larger modules than on smaller modules; iv) galling insects increase in abundance with meristematic availability. To address these questions, 240 plants (120 of each sex) were sampled in both reproductive and vegetative periods. We recorded the growth rate (4 cm), inflorescence and fruit production, attack rates of the galling insects, and their survivorship and mortality per shoot (module). Modules were separated into size classes (cm) and analyzed by regressions and ANCOVAs. Module size and reproductive effort were positively correlated with host plant size. We did not observe any effect of host plant gender on either variables. In the same way, host plant sex did not show any influence on the abundance and richness of galling insects. Although the abundance of galling insects showed a positive correlation with shoot size, the trend disappeared when the analyses were performed taking into consideration the number of galls per unit of growth (number of galls/cm of shoot) or biomass (number of galls/dry weight). Larval survivorship was not influenced by shoot size. Also, we observed that the abundance of one species of hemipteran galling insect showed a positive relation with leaf biomass. Therefore, we conclude that gender and vigor of this plant species do not influence the community structure of its galling herbivores.

Stressed plants are generally more attacked by galling insects. In this study we investigated the relationship between population abundance and species richness of galling insects on the tree Alchornea castaneaefolia A. JUSS. (Euphorbiaceae), submited to stress induced by the hemiparasite Psittacanthus sp. (Loranthaceae) in the Amazon, Brazil. Branches of A. castaneaefolia attacked by the hemiparasite were more heavily infested by galling insects than non-attacked branches. The field observations partially corroborate the hypothesis that there would be an optimal level of host-plant stress for galling insect establishment.

The plant vigour hypothesis (PVH) predicts that females of galling insects preferentially oviposit on the most vigorous plants or plant modules, where their offspring's performance is highest. In the years 1995 to 1998, we evaluated the responses of species of two different guilds, two chewing species, Pantomorus sp. and Naupactus lar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and one galling species, Contarinia sp. (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae), to the length of shoots that were assumed to show the vigour of the tropical shrub Bauhinia brevipes (Leguminosae). The abundance of the chewing herbivores was not influenced by shoot length, since attack rates were randomly distributed among shoot length classes. The abundance of Contarinia galls increased with increasing shoot length, as proposed by the PVH. However, when we related the attack rate to unit length of shoot (cm), which denotes the resource availability per unit length, there was no effect of shoot length on Contarinia sp. These data corroborate the idea of a continuum of responses to plant quality, even when different herbivores feed on the same host plant.

Brethesia Maia, new genus and Brethesia myrciae Maia, new species of Cecidomyiidae are described and illustrated (male, female, pupa and gall) based on material collected in Minas Gerais (Brazil). This new species induces leaf galls on Myrcia retorta (Myrtaceae).Brethesia myrciae, um novo gênero e espécie de Cecidomyiidae que induz galhas em Myrcia retorta (Myrtaceae) são descritos e ilustrados (macho, fêmea, pupa e galha) baseados em material coletado em Minas Gerais (Brazil).

Several ecological, genetic, and environmental factors are known to influence tannin concentration in plant tissues. In this study, the effects of seasonality, water availability, and sex of the plant on tannin concentration in the dioecious shrub Baccharis dracunculifolia were assessed. The effects of water availability on plant shoot growth and its relationship to tannin concentration were also experimentally evaluated. Tannins occurred in B. dracunculifolia from November to May, peaking during the summer (December to March). However, no relationship between tannin concentration, rainfall and temperature was found. No difference in tannin concentration and shoot growth was found between plants in the irrigated and control treatments, this suggesting that tannin production was affected by factors other than water availability, such as light intensity or plant phenology. There was a negative relationship between tannin concentration and shoot growth, possibly due to a trade-off between these metabolic activities. Plant gender did not influence tannin concentration and shoot growth, indicating that B. dracunculifolia did not show a differential resource allocation between male and female individuals.Vários fatores ecológicos, genéticos e ambientais podem influenciar a concentração de taninos em tecidos de uma planta. Neste estudo, os efeitos da sazonalidade, disponibilidade de água e sexo da planta sobre a concentração de taninos no arbusto dióico Baccharis dracunculifolia foram avaliados. Também foram verificados os efeitos da disponibilidade de água sobre o crescimento de ramos da planta e a relação com a concentração de taninos. Os indivíduos de B. dracunculifolia produziram taninos de novembro a maio, apresentando maiores concentrações durante o verão (dezembro a março). Entretanto, não foram encontradas relações entre a concentração de taninos e a precipitação e a temperatura, assim como também não foram observadas diferenças na concentração de taninos e crescimento de ramos entre plantas irrigadas e controle, sugerindo que a produção dessas substâncias seja afetada por outros fatores, como intensidade de luz ou fenologia da planta. Houve relação negativa entre a concentração de taninos e o crescimento de ramos, possivelmente em virtude de um "trade-off' entre estas atividades metabólicas. Não foram observadas diferenças intersexuais na concentração de taninos e crescimento de ramos, indicando que B. dracunculifolia não apresenta distribuição diferencial de recursos entre indivíduos masculinos e femininos.

A riqueza e abundância de herbívoros associados a uma planta hospedeira são influenciadas por variações nas defesas físicas e químicas da planta as quais são mediadas pela qualidade do habitat. Neste estudo, 36 indivíduos de Copaifera langsdorffii distribuídos equitativamente entre habitats de Cerrado “sensu stricto”, Matas Ciliares e Floresta Estacional Decidual foram usadas para avaliar os efeitos do habitat na esclerofilia foliar, produção de taninos e na fauna de insetos herbívoros associados. Observou-se maior riqueza e abundância de herbívoros mastigadores em plantas dos habitats de Mata Ciliar e Cerrado comparativamente à Floresta Estacional Decidual. Porém, a riqueza e abundância de insetos herbívoros sugadores não diferiu entre os habitats. Não foi encontrada relação entre a riqueza ou abundância de herbívoros com a concentração de taninos e a esclerofilia foliar de C. langsdorffii. Estas variáveis também não variaram entre os habitats. É provável que nesses ambientes a esclerofilia não esteja relacionada apenas com a herbivoria, e que alguns herbívoros podem não ser afetados negativamente ou beneficiados pela concentração de taninos encontrada. O lançamento de folhas por C. langsdorffi apenas no fim da estação seca na Floresta Decidual pode constituir um mecanismo de escape de herbivoria. Porém, para uma análise mais detalhada há necessidade de estudos a longo prazo sobre nos diversos tipos de ambientes nos quais esta espécies esta distribuída bem como da pressão exercida pelos seus herbívoros.

The oviposition behaviour of the braconid parasitoid, Compsobracon mirabilis ( Szépligeti, 1901) is described. Observations were conducted in a cerrado region located in Três Marias, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The oviposition occurred in a branch of Alibertia concolor (Cham.) K. Schum. 1889 (Rubiaceae), inside of which there were thirteen larvae of an unidentified species of Lepidoptera.O comportamento de oviposição do braconídeo parasitóide, Compsobracon mirabilis (Szépligeti, 1901) é descrito. As observações foram conduzidas em uma região de cerrado localizada em Três Marias, Minas Gerais, Brasil. A oviposição foi feita em um ramo de Alibertia concolor (Cham.) K. Schum.1889 (Rubiaceae), no interior do qual havia treze larvas de uma espécie de Lepidoptera não identificada.

Os Campos rupestres têm destaque no cenário mundial da conservação por sua enorme riqueza em espécies e alta taxa de endemismo. É considerado um ecossistema ameaçado devido à intensa e progressiva descaracterização que vêm sofrendo pela ação antrópica. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever os padrões fenológicos reprodutivos e vegetativos em seis espécies arbustivas endêmicas dos campos rupestres da Cadeia do Espinhaço, simpátricas na Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais, e testar a relação entre suas fenofases e a estacionalidade climática. Esperamos que as espécies tenham suas fenofases fortemente relacionadas às variações entre as estações seca e úmida. As observações fenológicas foram conduzidas mensalmente nas fenofases reprodutivas (flor, fruto e dispersão) e vegetativas (queda de folhas e brotamento). De acordo com a combinação dos padrões fenológicos reprodutivos, vegetativos e sazonalidade, foi possivel distinguir quatro estratégias fenológicas para as seis espécies avaliadas. Dessa forma, o presente estudo mostrou uma grande diversidade de padrões fenológicos, mesmo considerando o pequeno número de espécies amostradas. Por outro lado, em todas as espécies as fenofases reprodutivas apresentaram um padrão significativamente sazonal, com alta concentração de espécies reproduzindo em uma dada estação do ano, sugerindo uma importância destacada da sazonalidade do clima na definição dos padrões fenológicos em campos rupestres.

ABSTRACT Previous ecological studies of dioecious plant species have found that female plants preferentially occur at lower altitudes where there are typically better nutritional conditions, while male plants often occur in less favorable sites. We compared the ecophysiological performance of male and female plants in three populations of the dioecious Baccharis concinna, an endemic species of rupestrian grasslands of Serra do Cipó, in southeastern Brazil. We hypothesized that physiological differences between the sexes would explain the distribution patterns of the populations. Analyses of the tissue content of phosphorus (P), calcium (Ca), potassium (K) and sodium (Na), and carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes, were used to assess nutritional status and water use efficiency (WUE) in plant leaves, stems and roots of male and female plants in three populations located along an elevational gradient. Differences among populations were related to decreased nutrient levels and WUE at higher elevations, but an effect of sex was found only for %C, with male plants having slightly higher values. In conclusion, the sex ratios in the studied populations of B. concinna could not be attributed to differences in nutrient acquisition and WUE.