Winner-loser plant trait replacements in human-modified tropical forests.

Anthropogenic landscape modification may lead to the proliferation of a few species and the loss of many. Here we investigate mechanisms and functional consequences of this winner-loser replacement in six human-modified Amazonian and Atlantic Forest regions in Brazil using a causal inference framework. Combining floristic and functional trait data for 1,207 tree species across 271 forest plots, we find that forest loss consistently caused an increased dominance of low-density woods and small seeds dispersed by endozoochory (winner traits) and the loss of distinctive traits, such as extremely dense woods and large seeds dispersed by synzoochory (loser traits).

Effects of deforestation on multitaxa community similarity in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Habitat loss can lead to biotic homogenization (decrease in β diversity) or differentiation (increase in β diversity) of biological communities. However, it is unclear which of these ecological processes predominates in human-modified landscapes. We used data on vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants to quantify β diversity based on species occurrence and abundance among communities in 1367 landscapes with varying amounts of habitat (<30%, 30-60%, or >60% of forest cover) throughout the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Taxonomical and functional analyses of epifaunal polychaetes associated with spp.: the effects of coral growth morphology.

Background: The increasing habitat heterogeneity and complexity shows positive effects over different communities, leading to environmental diversity, access to resources and reducing the effectiveness of predation. In the present study we evaluate the structural and functional patterns of polychaete assemblages of three species with different coral morphology. has a massive growth pattern; also is a massive coral but forms a crevice in the corallum base; and has a meandroid pattern.

Gene Flow and Genetic Structure Reveal Reduced Diversity between Generations of a Tropical Tree, Penn., in Atlantic Forest Fragments.

The Atlantic Forest remnants in southern Bahia, Brazil, contain large tree species that have suffered disturbances in recent decades. Anthropogenic activities have led to a decrease in the population of many tree species and a loss of alleles that can maintain the evolutionary fitness of their populations. This study assessed patterns of genetic diversity, spatial genetic structure, and genetic structure among Penn.

Structure of marginal coral reef assemblages under different turbidity regime.

Sediment load can influence both the population distribution and structures of coral reef communities. We investigated whether coral assemblages on inshore and more turbid reefs differ from those on offshore reefs in the largest coral reefs of the Southwest Atlantic. We compared inshore and offshore reefs (with different turbidity climatologies) in terms of benthic and coral assemblage structures, abundances and individual sizes of coral populations and recruitment patterns.

Biodiversity thresholds in invertebrate communities: The responses of dung beetle subgroups to forest loss.

Extinction thresholds have been predicted to be critical values of habitat loss in which an abrupt reduction in populations occurs through the interaction between reduced habitat and increased isolation in the landscape. In communities, extinction thresholds are referred to as 'biodiversity thresholds'. The biodiversity threshold values documented so far occur between 30% and 50% of habitat cover in landscapes.

Do invasive corals alter coral reef processes? An empirical approach evaluating reef fish trophic interactions.

Understanding how invasive species affect key ecological interactions and ecosystem processes is imperative for the management of invasions. We evaluated the effects of invasive corals (Tubastraea spp.) on fish trophic interactions in an Atlantic coral reef.

Functional decay in tree community within tropical fragmented landscapes: Effects of landscape-scale forest cover.

As tropical rainforests are cleared, forest remnants are increasingly isolated within agricultural landscapes. Understanding how forest loss impacts on species diversity can, therefore, contribute to identifying the minimum amount of habitat required for biodiversity maintenance in human-modified landscapes. Here, we evaluate how the amount of forest cover, at the landscape scale, affects patterns of species richness, abundance, key functional traits and common taxonomic families of adult trees in twenty Brazilian Atlantic rainforest landscapes.

Birds in Anthropogenic Landscapes: The Responses of Ecological Groups to Forest Loss in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

Habitat loss is the dominant threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in terrestrial environments. In this study, we used an a priori classification of bird species based on their dependence on native forest habitats (forest-specialist and habitat generalists) and specific food resources (frugivores and insectivores) to evaluate their responses to forest cover reduction in landscapes in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. From the patch-landscapes approach, we delimited 40 forest sites, and quantified the percentage of native forest within a 2 km radius around the center of each site (from 6 - 85%).

DNA barcoding in Atlantic Forest plants: What is the best marker for Sapotaceae species identification?

The Atlantic Forest is a phytogeographic domain with a high rate of endemism and large species diversity. The Sapotaceae is a botanical family for which species identification in the Atlantic Forest is difficult. An approach that facilitates species identification in the Sapotaceae is urgently needed because this family includes threatened species and valuable timber species.

Natural humic substances effects on the life history traits of Latonopsis australis SARS (1888) (Cladocera--Crustacea).

Cultivation medium is one of the first aspects to be considered in zooplankton laboratory cultivation. The use of artificial media does not concern to reproduce natural conditions to the cultivations, which may be achieved by using natural organic compounds like humic substances (HS). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a concentrate of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from the Negro River (NR(1)) and an extraction of humic acids (HA) from humus produced by Eisenia andrei on the life history traits of laboratory-based Latonopsis australis SARS (1888).

Differential responses of emergent intertidal coral reef fauna to a large-scale El-Niño southern oscillation event: sponge and coral resilience.

There is a paucity of information on the impacts of the 1997-8 El Niño event and subsequent climatic episodes on emergent intertidal coral reef assemblages. Given the environmental variability intertidal reefs experience, such reefs may potentially be more resilient to climatic events and provide important insights into the adaptation of reef fauna to future ocean warming. Here we report the results of a 17-year (1995-2011) biodiversity survey of four emergent coral reef ecosystems in Bahia, Brazil, to assess the impact of a major El Niño event on the reef fauna, and determine any subsequent recovery.

Optimization of DNA extraction from fresh leaf tissues of Melanoxylon brauna (Fabaceae).

Melanoxylon brauna (Fabaceae - Caesalpinioideae) is an endemic and valuable hardwood tree species in the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest; it is comparable to African ebony wood. We tested three protocols of DNA extraction based on the citrimonium bromide (CTAB) method and evaluated the quantity, purity and integrity of the DNA. We also determined whether these procedures interfere with PCR amplification in order to develop a protocol for M.