Publications by authors named "Vitule J"

Non-native species can be major drivers of ecosystem alteration, especially through changes in trophic interactions. Successful non-native species have been predicted to have greater resource use efficiency relative to trophically analogous native species (the Resource Consumption Hypothesis), but rigorous evidence remains equivocal. Here, we tested this proposition quantitatively in a global meta-analysis of comparative functional response studies.

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Article Synopsis
  • Protected areas are crucial for biodiversity conservation, but they face significant threats from biological invasions, which disrupt ecological balance and conservation efforts.
  • A quantitative analysis of 300 documented effects from 44 invasive species reveals that these invasions have consistently negative impacts on both living organisms and environmental conditions within protected areas worldwide.
  • To combat the challenges posed by invasive species, it is essential to invest in research on ecological dynamics, implement strong monitoring and prevention strategies, and increase global awareness about these threats.
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The introduction of invasive species has become an increasing environmental problem in freshwater ecosystems due to the high economic and ecological impacts it has generated. This systematic review covers publications from 2010 to 2020, focusing on non-native invasive freshwater bivalves, a particularly relevant and widespread introduced taxonomic group in fresh waters. We collected information on the most studied species, the main objectives of the studies, their geographical location, study duration, and type of research.

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  • The study evaluates how human activities affect water quality and fish health in the Guaraguaçu River, Brazil, by using top predator fish, Hoplias malabaricus, as indicators.
  • Fish were sampled from three different sectors representing varying levels of human impact, revealing significant neurotoxic effects and oxidative stress in fish from more impacted areas.
  • Despite no pesticides found in water samples, harmful biomarkers indicated serious health issues in fish, demonstrating that water quality can impact biota even without visible pollutants.
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The Neotropical region hosts 4225 freshwater fish species, ranking first among the world's most diverse regions for freshwater fishes. Our NEOTROPICAL FRESHWATER FISHES data set is the first to produce a large-scale Neotropical freshwater fish inventory, covering the entire Neotropical region from Mexico and the Caribbean in the north to the southern limits in Argentina, Paraguay, Chile, and Uruguay. We compiled 185,787 distribution records, with unique georeferenced coordinates, for the 4225 species, represented by occurrence and abundance data.

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Unlabelled: We described the spatial and temporal dynamics of aquatic macrophytes in a Neotropical coastal estuarine river, and identified the negative effects associated to the presence and dominance of the invasive tanner grass. We compared macrophyte beds along the Guaraguaçu River (South Brazil) over four years, using taxonomic and functional dimensions. Biodiversity descriptors were higher in the driest periods compared to the rainiest, although this difference seems to be decreasing over the studied years.

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Citizen science is an excellent tool in studies of the spatial distribution of non-native species. In Brazil, Opsanus beta has recently been introduced. Studies indicate the occurrence of this species in five estuaries off the Brazilian coast (Guanabara Bay, Sepetiba Bay, Santos Bay, Paranaguá Estuarine Complex and Guaratuba Bay).

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Article Synopsis
  • Global freshwater biodiversity is facing a significant decline, and overcoming this issue requires ambitious goals and substantial funding.
  • Research and conservation efforts for freshwater ecosystems are currently underfunded compared to those for land and marine environments.
  • A global consultation has highlighted 15 key priority needs across five research areas to enhance stewardship and strengthen the management and conservation of freshwater biodiversity.
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The Tocantins-Araguaia Basin is one of the largest river systems in South America, located entirely within Brazilian territory. In the last decades, capital-concentrating activities such as agribusiness, mining, and hydropower promoted extensive changes in land cover, hydrology, and environmental conditions. These changes are jeopardizing the basin's biodiversity and ecosystem services.

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Biological invasion is one of the main threats to native biodiversity. For a species to become invasive, it must be voluntarily or involuntarily introduced by humans into a nonnative 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.

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Opsanus beta is endemic to the Gulf of Mexico and has recently been introduced to the Brazilian coast; probably the introduction is via ballast water and/or oil rigs. In this study, the presence of the species is recorded for the first time in Guaratuba Bay, on the southern coast of Brazil. In this region there are no port terminals, which suggests that O.

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Terrestrial animals are negatively affected by habitat loss, which is assessed on a landscape scale, whereas secondary effects of habitat loss, such as crowding, are usually disregarded. Such impacts are inherently hard to address and poorly understood, and there is a growing concern that they could have dire consequences. We sampled birds throughout a deforestation process to assess crowding stress in an adjacent habitat remnant in the southern Brazilian Atlantic Forest.

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Construction of water diversions is a common response to the increasing demands for freshwater, often resulting in benefits to communities but with the risk of multiple environmental, economic, and social impacts. Water-diversion projects can favor massive introductions and accelerate biotic homogenization. This study provides empirical evidence on the consequences of a proposed law intended to divert water from two large and historically isolated river basins in Brazil: Tocantins to São Francisco.

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Among the topics related to invasion science, the least studied are parasite co-introduction and spillback. This leads to an uncertainty in invasion ecology theories and applications to management. Therefore, the present study brings a systematic review of published information on the metazoan parasite fauna of Micropterus salmoides, a widely introduced fish, with the aim of comparing information about the composition and richness of the associated parasite communities in its native and introduced regions.

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The Convention on Biological Diversity proposed the Aichi Biodiversity Targets to improve conservation policies and to balance economic development, social welfare, and the maintenance of biodiversity/ecosystem services. Brazil is a signatory of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and is the most diverse country in terms of freshwater fish, but its national policies have supported the development of unsustainable commercial and ornamental aquaculture, which has led to serious disturbances to inland ecosystems and natural resources. We analyzed the development of Brazilian aquaculture to show how current aquaculture expansion conflicts with all 20 Aichi Targets.

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Data generated by citizen science is particularly valuable in ecological research. If used discerningly with data from traditional scientific references, citizen science can directly contribute to biogeography knowledge and conservation policies by increasing the number of species records in large geographic areas. Considering the current level of knowledge on south Brazilian avifauna, the large volume of data produced by uncoordinated citizen science effort (CS), and the growing need for information on changes in abundance and species composition, we have compiled an updated, general list of bird species occurrence within the state of Paraná.

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Non-native tree plantations represent 7% of the world's forests and 1.24% of the Brazilian vegetation. Planted areas are expected to increase in the near future; thus, it is important to systematize existing knowledge on the ecological effects of plantations to aid forest management and biodiversity conservation.

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African sharptooth catfish Clarias gariepinus is native to most of Africa and small parts of Asia, but has been introduced to 37 countries mainly for aquaculture. This review of introductions, establishment, spread and impact of C. gariepinus in Brazil and outside of its native range in South Africa provides evidence that the species has been able to overcome all barriers to invasion in both countries.

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