We reviewed the occurrences and distributional patterns of migratory species of birds in Brazil. A species was classified as migratory when at least part of its population performs cyclical, seasonal movements with high fidelity to its breeding grounds. Of the 1,919 species of birds recorded in Brazil, 198 (10.3%) are migratory. Of these, 127 (64%) were classified as Migratory and 71 (36%) as Partially Migratory. A few species (83; 4.3%) were classified as Vagrant and eight (0,4%) species could not be defined due to limited information available, or due to conflicting data.

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An overview of migratory birds in Brazil

The Cerrado (Brazilian savanna) is a biodiversity hotspot with a history of fire that goes back as far as 10 million years. Fire has influenced the evolution of several aspects of the vegetation, including reproduction and life cycles. This study tested how fire by-products such as heat and smoke affect the germination of six species common to two Cerrado open physiognomies: wet grasslands and the campo sujo (grassland with scattered shrubs and dwarf trees). We subjected seeds collected in northern Brazil to heat shock and smoke treatments, both separately and combined, using different temperatures, exposure times, and smoke concentrations in aqueous solutions. High temperatures and smoke did not break seed dormancy nor stimulate germination of the Cerrado study species. However, seeds were not killed by high temperatures, indicating that they are fire-tolerant. Our findings differed from those of other fire-prone ecosystems (mostly of Mediterranean vegetation), where fire stimulates germination. Moreover, we provide important information regarding germination strategies of non-woody Cerrado plants, showing the importance of considering the tolerance of seeds to high temperatures when evaluating fire-related traits in fire-prone ecosystems.


Resumo

O fogo e um importante fator ecologico que influencia a dinâmica populacional das plantas. Consequencias imediatas do fogo sao o aumento da temperatura acima do solo e producao de fumaca, que podem afetar a germinacao de diversas especies. O Cerrado (savana brasileira) e um hotspot de biodiversidade, cuja evolucao esta atrelada a influencia do fogo ha mais de 10 milhoes de anos. Diversos aspectos da vegetacao, incluindo a reproducao e os ciclos de vida de diferentes especies, estao relacionados a coexistencia com o fogo.



Objetivos

Esse estudo tem como objetivo elucidar o efeito do calor e da fumaca na germinacao de seis especies comuns em duas fisionomias abertas do Cerrado: campo umido e campo sujo.



Metodos

Sementes das seis especies foram coletadas na regiao do Jalapao, Tocantins, Brasil, e submetidas a choques de temperatura e tratamentos de fumaca, separadamente e combinados, em diferentes temperaturas, tempos de exposicao e concentracoes de solucao aquosa de fumaca.



Resultados Importantes

Altas temperaturas e fumaca nao quebraram a dormencia nem estimularam a germinacao das especies de Cerrado estudadas. Entretanto, as sementes nao foram mortas pelas altas temperaturas, indicando sua tolerância ao fogo. Nossos resultados se diferenciam daqueles de realizados em outros ecossistemas pirofiticos (especialmente sobre a vegetacao mediterrânea), nos quais o fogo estimula a germinacao. Alem disso, o estudo prove informacoes importantes sobre estrategias de germinacao de plantas nao lenhosas do Cerrado e mostra a importância de se considerar a tolerância de sementes a altas temperaturas para o estabelecimento de estrategias de manejo em ecossistemas sujeitos a queimadas.

Does Fire Trigger Seed Germination in the Neotropical Savannas? Experimental Tests with Six Cerrado Species

Fire management is an important issue in the Brazilian Cerrado, since both anthropogenic high intensity fires and complete fire suppression can reduce the biodiversity in this biome. In this paper, we highlight the trends in scientific literature about fire effects in the Cerrado, aiming to detect possible gaps and to indicate directions of future scientific research. We searched for articles in the periodic database Web of Knowledge from 1991 to 2016, and observed an increase in the number of publications throughout the years. Most articles were associated with Brazilian institutions (58%), followed by those with collaboration between Brazilian and international institutions (33%), and those published by authors exclusively from international institutions (9%). Most articles addressed the effects of fire on biodiversity (77%), followed by articles about abiotic environment (19%), and then biotic interactions or interactions between organisms and environment (4%). The most studied taxonomic group was plants (75%), followed by mammals (8%) and insects (6%), with the remaining taxa comprising about 11% of publications. The Federal District was the federative unit with the greatest number of studies (31%). The majority of studies was conducted in areas with fewer fire events, whereas areas with major incidence of fires are poorly studied. Our data shows that studies on the effect of fires on the Brazilian Cerrado are geographically and taxonomically biased. This lack of knowledge limits the extrapolations about the effects of fire on this biome. Therefore, we emphasize the need for investment in research in areas with high fire frequency and also for an increase in knowledge about these effects on the biota, especially on the fauna. This action is fundamental to support the development of public policies for effective and directed fire management in the Cerrado.

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Trends and gaps of the scientific literature about the effects of fire on Brazilian Cerrado

Avian influenza or bird flu is a highly contagious acute viral disease that can occur in epidemics and cross-border forms in poultry and wild birds. The characteristics of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) allow the emergence of new viral variants, some with zoonotic and pandemic potential. AIVs have been identified in Latin America; however, there is a lack of understanding of these viruses at the regional level. We performed a systematic literature review on serological or molecular evidence of AIVs circulation in Latin America. Methods were designed based on the PRISMA and STROME guidelines. Only peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 to 2015 and data was analysed based on country, viral subtype, avian species, and phylogenetic origins. From 271 studies initially found only twenty-six met our inclusion criteria. Evidence of AIVs infection was found in most Latin American countries, with Mexico as the country with the largest number of conducted studies and reported cases during the period analysed, followed by Chile and Argentina. Most of the AIVs were early reported through surveillance systems and at least 14 different subtypes of influenza viruses were reported in birds, and the presence of both low (92.9%) and high (7.1%) pathogenic AIVs was shown in Latin America. Of the reported AIVs in Latin America, 43.7% belong to migratory birds, 28.1% to local wild birds, and 28.1% to poultry. The migratory bird population mainly comprises families belonging to the orders Anseriformes and Charadriformes. We highlight the importance of epidemiological surveillance systems and the possible role of different migratory birds in the transmission of AIVs within the Americas. Our findings demonstrate the limited information on AIVs in Latin America and highlight the need of more studies on AIVs at the regional level, particularly those focused on identifying the endemic subtypes in regional wild birds.

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Avian influenza in Latin America: A systematic review of serological and molecular studies from 2000-2015.

A novel avian paramyxovirus (APMV) isolated from a migratory bird cloacal swab obtained during active surveillance in April 2012 in the Lagoa do Peixe National Park, Rio Grande do Sul state, South of Brazil was biologically and genetically characterized. The nucleotide sequence of the full viral genome was completed using a next-generation sequencing approach. The genome was 14,952 nucleotides (nt) long, with six genes (3'-NP-P-M-F-HN-L-5') encoding 7 different proteins, typical of APMV. The fusion (F) protein gene of isolate RS-1177 contained 1,707 nucleotides in a single open reading frame encoding a protein of 569 amino acids. The F protein cleavage site contained two basic amino acids (VPKER↓L), typical of avirulent strains. Phylogenetic analysis of the whole genome indicated that the virus is related to APMV-10, -2 and -8, with 60.1% nucleotide sequence identity to the closest APMV-10 virus, 58.7% and 58.5% identity to the closest APMV-8 and APMV-2 genome, respectively, and less than 52% identity to representatives of the other APMVs groups. Such distances are comparable to the distances observed among other previously identified APMVs serotypes. These results suggest that unclassified/calidris_fuscicollis/Brazil/RS-1177/2012 is the prototype strain of a new APMV serotype, APMV-15.

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Novel avian paramyxovirus (APMV-15) isolated from a migratory bird in South America.

Aquatic birds are the natural reservoir for avian influenza viruses (AIV). Habitats in Brazil provide stopover and wintering sites for water birds that migrate between North and South America. The current study was conducted to elucidate the possibility of the transport of influenza A viruses by birds that migrate annually between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. In total, 556 orotracheal/cloacal swab samples were collected for influenza A virus screening using real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR). The influenza A virus-positive samples were subjected to viral isolation. Four samples were positive for the influenza A matrix gene by rRT-PCR. From these samples, three viruses were isolated, sequenced and characterized. All positive samples originated from a single bird species, the ruddy turnstone (Arenaria interpres), that was caught in the Amazon region at Caete Bay, Northeast Para, at Ilha de Canelas. To our knowledge, this is the first isolation of H11N9 in the ruddy turnstone in South America. (Resume d'auteur)

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Leonardo L. Bomfim

Papers

Avian influenza virus (H11N9) in migratory shorebirds wintering in the Amazon Region, Brazil.