Marinêz Isaac Marques

Bio: Marinêz Isaac Marques is an academic researcher from Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso. The author has contributed to research in topics: Species richness & Vochysiaceae. The author has an hindex of 18, co-authored 74 publications receiving 1262 citations.

Biodiversity and its conservation in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Abstract: The Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil, is famous for its luxurious plant and animal life. We combine a literature review with recent work and show that species diversity is large but that most major plant and animal groups contain a large number of not wetland-specific species that depend on permanently terrestrial habitats within the Pantanal, or are restricted to dry areas during the low water period. These species occur also in the neighbouring biomes of Cerrado, Amazon Forest or Chaco. Until now, very few endemic species have been described, however, there are large populations of species in the Pantanal that are considered rare or endangered in South America. The number of trees adapted to long term flooding is low in comparison with the Amazon River floodplain. We hypothesize that the reason for the lack of local endemisms and the occurrence of a large number of species with a large ecological amplitude is the climatic instability of the region of the Pantanal, which suffered severe drought during glacial periods. The instability of the actual climate, which is characterized by multi-annual wet and dry periods, has a strong impact on distribution, community structure and population size of many plant and animal species and hinders spatial segregation of populations. The dependence of the system on the flood pulse makes the Pantanal very vulnerable to human induced changes in hydrology and the predicted changes in global climate.

Sustainability Agenda for the Pantanal Wetland: Perspectives on a Collaborative Interface for Science, Policy, and Decision-Making:

Abstract: Building bridges between environmental and political agendas is essential nowadays in face of the increasing human pressure on natural environments, including wetlands. Wetlands provide critical ecosystem services for humanity and can generate a considerable direct or indirect income to the local communities. To meet many of the sustainable development goals, we need to move our trajectory from the current environmental destructive development to a wiser wetland use. The current article contain a proposed agenda for the Pantanal aiming the improvement of public policy for conservation in the Pantanal, one of the largest, most diverse, and continuous inland wetland in the world. We suggest and discuss a list of 11 essential interfaces between science, policy, and development in region linked to the proposed agenda. We believe that a functional science network can booster the collaborative capability to generate creative ideas and solutions to address the big challenges faced by the Pantanal wetland.

Quo vadis Pantanal? Expected precipitation extremes and drought dynamics from changing sea surface temperature.

Abstract: Climate change poses a critical threat to the Pantanal, the largest wetland in the world. Models indicate an increase in the frequency of extreme precipitation events and extended periods of drought. These changes can amplify consequences for Pantanal's ecological functioning, which has already experienced intensive human modification of its hydrological system and environmental health. The present study analyzed the spatial and temporal dynamics of rainfall and resulting extremes in the Brazilian area of the Upper Paraguay River Basin (UPRB) along with a co-evaluation of the global Sea Surface Temperature data (SST). The predicted results indicate that wet extreme precipitation events will become more frequent in the highlands, while severe and prolonged droughts triggered by warming SSTs in the Northern Hemisphere (North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans) will affect the Pantanal. The linear relations between precipitation with SST of very specific oceanic regions and even from specific oceanic indexes obtained in the present study significantly improve the forecasting capacity, mainly from a resulting reduction to two months of the lead-time between SST warming to concomitant precipitation impacts, and by explaining 80% of Pantanal´s precipitation variation from major oceanic indexes (e.g., ENSO, PDO, NAO, ATL3). Current SST trends will result in inter- and intra-annual flooding dynamic alterations, drastically affecting the Pantanal ecosystem functioning, with consequences for wildlife diversity and distribution. Regarding the foreseeable global climate and land use change scenarios, the results from the present study provide solid evidence that can be used at different decision-making levels (from local to global) for identifying the most appropriate management practices and effectively achieving sustainability of the anthropic activity occurring in the Pantanal.

Terrestrial arthropods from tree canopies in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Abstract: Terrestrial arthropods from tree canopies in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil This study represents a contribution to the knowledge of the diversity of arthropods associated to the canopy of Vochysia divergens Pohl (Vochysiaceae) Three trees individuals were sampled during two seasonal periods in this region: a) by spraying one tree canopy during high water (February); b) by fogging two tree canopies during low water (September/October) The 15,744 arthropods (1832±389 individuals/m2) obtained from all three trees (86 m2) represented 20 taxonomic orders, 871% were Insecta, and 129% Arachnida The dominant groups were Hymenoptera (485%; 889 individuals/m2), mostly Formicidae (445%; 814 individuals/m2), followed by Coleoptera (140%; 255 individuals/m2) and Araneae (102%; 195 individuals/m2), together representing 625% of the total catch Fourteen (70%) of all orders occurred on three trees Dermaptera, Isoptera, Neuroptera, Odonata, Plecoptera and Trichoptera were collected from only one tree Of the total, 2,197 adult Coleoptera collected (255±113 individuals/m2), 99% were assigned to 32 families and 256 morphospecies Nitidulidae (179% of the total catch; 46 individuals/m2), Anobiidae (167%; 43 individuals/m2), Curculionidae (132%; 34 individuals/m2) and Meloidae (114%; 29 individuals/m2) dominated The communitiy of adult Coleoptera on V divergens indicated a dominance of herbivores (378% of the total catch, 127 spp) and predators (352%, 82 spp), followed by saprophages (162%, 32 spp) and fungivores (108%, 15 spp) The influence of the flood pulse on the community of arboreal arthropods in V divergens is indicated by the seasonal variation in evaluated groups, causing changes in their structure and composition

Biodiversity and its conservation in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil

Abstract: The Pantanal of Mato Grosso, Brazil, is famous for its luxurious plant and animal life. We combine a literature review with recent work and show that species diversity is large but that most major plant and animal groups contain a large number of not wetland-specific species that depend on permanently terrestrial habitats within the Pantanal, or are restricted to dry areas during the low water period. These species occur also in the neighbouring biomes of Cerrado, Amazon Forest or Chaco. Until now, very few endemic species have been described, however, there are large populations of species in the Pantanal that are considered rare or endangered in South America. The number of trees adapted to long term flooding is low in comparison with the Amazon River floodplain. We hypothesize that the reason for the lack of local endemisms and the occurrence of a large number of species with a large ecological amplitude is the climatic instability of the region of the Pantanal, which suffered severe drought during glacial periods. The instability of the actual climate, which is characterized by multi-annual wet and dry periods, has a strong impact on distribution, community structure and population size of many plant and animal species and hinders spatial segregation of populations. The dependence of the system on the flood pulse makes the Pantanal very vulnerable to human induced changes in hydrology and the predicted changes in global climate.

Brazilian wetlands: their definition, delineation, and classification for research, sustainable management, and protection

Abstract: Although 20% of Brazilian territory is covered by wetlands, wetland inventories are still incomplete. In 1993, Brazil signed the Ramsar Convention but a coherent national policy for the sustainable management and protection of wetlands has yet to be established. Major gaps in the definition of a specific wetland policy are twofold: (1) the lack of standardized criteria by which wetlands are defined and delineated that reflects the specific ecological conditions of the country and (2) the lack of a national classification of wetlands that takes into account specific hydrological conditions and respective plant communities. In recent years, efforts have been made at a regional level to improve public awareness of the ecology of Brazilian wetlands, their benefits to society, and the major threats endangering them. Studies have shown that wetlands play a crucial role in the regional hydrological cycle and provide multiple benefits for local populations. Furthermore, Brazilian wetlands contribute significantly to South American biodiversity. Therefore, wetland conservation and sustainable management should be given high legislative priority. This article provides a synthesis of the current body of knowledge on the distribution, hydrology, and vegetation cover of Brazilian wetlands. Their definition, delineation, and classification at the national level are proposed in order to establish a scientific basis for discussions on a national wetland policy that mandates the sustainable management of Brazil's extremely diverse and complex wetlands. This goal is particularly urgent in the face of the continuing and dramatic deterioration of wetlands resulting from large-scale agro-industrial expansion, and hydroelectric projects as well as the projected impact of global climate change on hydrological cycles.