Neotropical Biology and Conservation

Neotropical Biology and Conservation 18(1): 83-95 DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.18.e101409 Authors: Hilton Entringer Jr, Ana Carolina Srbek-Araujo Abstract: The land crab Johngarthia lagostoma is endemic to Trindade Island, Atol das Rocas, Fernando de Noronha and Ascension Islands. The natural history of the species in non-breeding periods is little known. Therefore, here we reported the formation of non-breeding groups and evaluated the chromatic populational pattern of J. lagostoma in Trindade Island. Records were obtained between April and June 2015. The groups were characterized according to their location, terrain elevation, environmental characteristics and specimens’ behavior. The chromatic pattern was defined by the classification of individuals between yellow and purple, and the proportion of each color was compared between populational units (previously defined based on genetic differences). Non-breeding groups were recorded in four locations in Trindade Island, at altitudes < 40 m, and all of them were in locations with food resources and sediment suitable for the construction of shelters. Isolated individuals or the absence of the species were observed in the most inhospitable places, indicating that the maintenance of the species depends on portions of suitable habitat amid the currently arid matrix. Yellow individuals (96.4%) were predominant on Trindade Island and the chromatic pattern differed from the other populations. Color patterns seem to follow genetic differences between populations, and the founder effect may account for current patterns. From the data obtained, we emphasize that the maintenance of the species may depend on food, sediment suitable for shelters construction, humidity and shade. Due to the significant population decline in other regions, the need to define guidelines for the conservation of the species on Trindade Island is highlighted. In this context, the regeneration of insular vegetation and prohibiting the known anthropic consumption of individuals may represent important strategies for the maintenance of the species. HTML XML PDF

Neotropical Biology and Conservation 18(1): 73-82 DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.18.e97653 Authors: Autumn B. Phillips-Lewis, Thomas D. Lambert, Gregory H. Adler Abstract: Small mammals, particularly rodents, are often important seed-dispersal agents in Neotropical forests. Directional seed dispersal into tree-fall gaps may enhance seedling survival of light-demanding species and thus influence forest regeneration. To examine this proposition, we tracked seeds of a light-demanding palm (Attalea butyracea), with a focus on spiny rats (Proechimys semispinosus), the most-likely seed-removal agents. We established seed-removal stations at three distances relative to 28 gaps (gap center, gap edge, and intact forest 10 m from a gap edge) in a lowland forest in Central Panama. We placed five fresh fruits (with their seed) in semi-permeable exclosures to exclude larger mammals at each station and tracked the directions in which seeds were moved and deposited intact. More seeds were moved toward or into gaps when removed from gap center or edge stations; however, seeds dispersed from intact forest stations showed no such directionality. Small mammals may have dispersed seeds into and within tree-fall gaps because they favored caching seeds in areas that offered increased cover, which is typical of gaps, and consequently protection from predation. The lack of directional dispersal from intact forest stations may have been because spiny rats were able to find sufficient cover in the young intact forest that was closer than the gaps. In older forest, the contrast between intact forest and gaps may be greater, resulting in directed dispersal into gaps. HTML XML PDF

Neotropical Biology and Conservation 18(1): 53-72 DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.18.e86548 Authors: Paulo Henrique Rosa Martins, Leon Rabinovitch, Juliana Capela de Orem, Waldeyr Mendes C. Silva, Felipe de Araujo Mesquita, Maria Ines Andre de Magalhães, Danilo de Andrade Cavalcante, Adriana Marcos Vivoni, Edmar Justo de Oliveira, Vera Cristina Pessoa de Lima, Josiane Teixeira Brito, Marlene Teixeira De-Souza Abstract: The aerobic endospore-forming bacteria (AEFB) comprise species of Bacillus and related genera and have long been regarded as prominent constituents of the soil bacterial community. The wide diversity of AEFB renders appropriate categorisation and generalisations a challenging task. We previously isolated 312 AEFB strains from Brazilian soils that we designated SDF (Solo do Distrito Federal) strains. To better understand the SDF diversity and explore their biotechnological potential, we addressed the biochemical and physiological profiles of these 312 environmental strains by performing 30 tests in this work. Of these, the 16S rRNA gene sequences segregated 238 SDF strains into four genera in the family Bacillaceae and two in the Paenibacillaceae. Bacillus spp. were the most prevalent, followed by species of Paenibacillus. We summarised the phenotypic test relationships among selected SDF strains using a Pearson correlation-based clustering represented in heatmaps. In practice, biochemical and physiological profiles are often less discriminatory than molecular data and may be unstable because of the loss of traits. Although these test reactions are not universally positive or negative within species, they may define biotypes and be efficient strain markers, enhancing the accuracy of unknown sample identification. It can also help select the most representative phenotypes of samples. Along with the other phenotypic and genotypic data, the present results are of great importance for the robust classification of the SDF strains within the scope of the polyphasic approach. HTML XML PDF

Neotropical Biology and Conservation 18(1): 31-51 DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.18.e98437 Authors: Víctor H. Montalvo, Carolina Sáenz-Bolaños, Eduardo Carrillo, Todd K. Fuller Abstract: Jaguars (Panthera onca) are a landscape species of conservation importance and our understanding of environmental and anthropogenic drivers of jaguar occurrence is necessary to improve conservation strategies. We reviewed available literature to simply describe environmental and anthropogenic variables used and found to be significant in occurrence modeling. We reviewed 95 documents published from 1980 to 2021 that focused on jaguar occurrence and that used 39 variable types (21 anthropogenic, 18 environmental) among different techniques, scales, and approaches. In general, these variables included both anthropogenic (roads, land use, human activities, and population) and environmental (climate, vegetation, ecological interactions, topographic, water, and others) factors. Twelve variables were identified as affecting jaguar occurrence overall, eleven at local scale and seven at broad scales (regional and continental). Focusing more specifically on the variables that correlate with occurrence should help researchers to make better predictions in areas without quantitative jaguar data. HTML XML PDF

Neotropical Biology and Conservation 18(1): 13-29 DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.18.e98374 Authors: María Florencia Aranguren, Melina Alicia Velasco, Clara Trofino-Falasco, María Gimena Pizzarello, David Gustavo Vera, Igor Berkunsky Abstract: Neotropical temperate grasslands comprise the Pampas ecoregion in Argentina. This region is also the center of agricultural development in Argentina, which has led to a significant simplification and homogenization of the landscape. The Tandilia Mountains, located in the Southeast of the ecoregion, house one of the last remnants of the highland grassland that acts as a refuge for several native species, including both endemic and threatened species. This work aims to present an updated inventory of mammal species that inhabit the highland grassland remnants of the Tandilia Mountains. We used several sources of information to compile the list, including museum collections, citizen science projects (i.e., iNaturalist, EcoRegistros, and Argentinian Network for Monitoring Run Over Fauna), literature, and personal observations. We recorded 40 species of mammals, which include 32 native species and eight exotic species. The richest orders were Rodentia (42.5%), Chiroptera (17.5%), and Carnivora (12.2%). The native mammals found in the Tandilia Mountains represent 44% of the mammal diversity of the Pampas ecoregion, among which there are endemic species of the ecoregion, species whose populations are declining globally, and threatened species. Unfortunately, the presence of protected areas in the system is limited to a few small ones, which highlights the urgency of increasing the number and variety of protected areas. The information presented in this work contributes to the knowledge of biodiversity and the planning of conservation actions for the last remnants of highland grasslands. HTML XML PDF