Biota Neotropica 

About: Biota Neotropica is an academic journal published by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de SP. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Species richness & Population. It has an ISSN identifier of 1676-0611. It is also open access. Over the lifetime, 1791 publications have been published receiving 29543 citations.

Rapeld: a modification of the gentry method for biodiversity surveys in long-term ecological research sites.

Abstract: Our objectives were to develop a method that would be appropriate for long-term ecological studies, but that would permit rapid surveys to evaluate biotic complementarity and land-use planning in Amazonia. The Amazon basin covers about 7 million km2. Therefore, even a sparse coverage, with one sample site per 10.000 km2, would require about 700 sampling sites. Financial considerations limit the number of sites and investment at each site, but incomplete coverage makes evaluation of biotic complementarity difficult or impossible (Reddy & Davalos 2003). Our next challenge is to install similar systems throughout Amazonia. The cost, based on modification of Al Gentry's original design is moderate (less than US$ 50.000 per site if it is not necessary to immediately identify all vascular plants in plots) and we can obtain RAP results for most taxa in the short term at much lower cost. However, biological surveys will only be relevant if the local people participate and the surveys serve as much to teach the local communities about the value of their natural resources as they serve to teach the international community about biodiversity. Therefore, we want to see each site run as a long-term ecological research project by local people and institutions. Biological surveys are an important tool in land-use planning, but only the local people can implement those plans.

Diversidade da ictiofauna do Alto Rio Paraná: composição atual e perspectivas futuras

Abstract: Langeani, F., Castro, R.M.C., Oyakawa, O.T., Shibatta, O.A., Pavanelli, C.S. & Casatti, L. Ichthyofauna diversity of the upper rio Parana: present composition and future perspectives. Biota Neotrop. Sep/Dez 2007 vol. 7, no. 3 http://www.biotaneotropica.org.br/v7n3/pt/abstract?article+bn03407032007. ISSN 1676-0603. A synthesis concerning fishes from Upper Parana River basin is presented, based on data from fish-collections, literature, and new field samples. Three hundred and ten species, pertaining to 11 orders and 38 families, are referred to the drainage, elevating anterior estimates. Concerning total species, 236 (76.1%) are autochthonous, 67 (21.6%) are allochthonous, and seven (2.3%) are exotic. Principal causes of occurrence of non-native species are: a) dispersal from the Lower Parana, after the construction of Itaipu dam, and b) escapes from aquaculture farms. Most species (65%) are small-sized, having less than 21 cm of length, and the great majority occurs only in headwaters and small streams. One of the best known and most studied in Brazil, Upper Parana ichthyofauna richness is far from reaching actual numbers, considering the exponential elevation of species presented herein. Indeed, in the last years various new species have been described and around 50 other species, already recognized as new, are now under description. The improvement on the knowledge about Upper Parana ichthyofauna is proportional to the number of researchers involved with studies in the area and, unequivocally, reflects recent initiatives stimulating and incrementing taxonomic research, and also improving access to fish collections and to poor or never-sampled areas. However, if we are going to maintain the number of species descriptions per year of last decade, the 50 new species already recognized, will be described only in the next ten years, a period too long. In consequence it is very important that scientific community and grant agencies find and offer initiatives in order to elevate the number of new taxa descriptions per year.

Egg-laying and foam-beating in Leptodactylus fuscus (Anura, Leptodactylidae)

Abstract: Species of the Leptodactylus fuscus group lay their eggs in foam nests in underground chambers the males excavate. However, little is known about the interactions between males and females while egg-laying. We recorded egg-laying behavior in Leptodactylus fuscus. Observations were possible because the chambers walls were partially damaged (small holes). Within the chamber, the male holds the female in an axillary amplexus. In a typical sequence of egg-releasing/foam-beating, the male makes alternate movements of legs in a series of kicks. After a bout of foam-beating the male releases the female removing his arms from her axils. When freed by the male, the female turned a little for a new bout of beating, being seized in an axillary amplexus again. In the species of Leptodactylus of the fuscus group the lack of thumb asperities and spines may be related to their terrestrial egg-laying behavior and to the stability the couples have within the chamber.

O que é ecologia de paisagens

Abstract: Landscape ecology is a new subject in ecology characterized by two main approaches: a geographical one, which studies how man affects and manages landscapes; and an ecological one, which emphasizes the effects of spatial structure on ecological processes and the importance of these relationships for conservation purposes. The construction of a common theoretical foundation is a difficult task with the coexistence of different and conflicting notions and definitions from these two approaches. In the present work, I present a unified notion of landscape as “a heterogeneous mosaic composed by interactive landscape units, where heterogeneity exists for at least one parameter, one specific observer and at a particular scale”. The heterogeneity is essentially interpreted through the “human eyes” in the geographical approach and through the “eyes” of other species or communities in the ecological perspective. The proposed landscape definition also shows that landscape does not necessarily correspond to broad spatial scales or a new biological level, just above the ecosystem. The scale and the biological level will be det ermined by the observer or the studied species. Landscape ecology is promoting a paradigm shift in fragmentation and biological conservation studies as far as it integrates the spatial heterogeneity and the concept of scale in the ecological analysis, transforming ecology in a more useful science for environmental problem solving.

Diversidade de ácaros (Arachnida: Acari) em Coffea arabica L. cv. Mundo Novo, nos municípios de Jeriquara e Garça, Estado de São Paulo

Abstract: O presente estudo teve como objetivo caracterizar a diversidade de acaros em cafeeiros da cultivar Mundo Novo em duas importantes regioes produtoras (Jeriquara e Garca) do Estado de Sao Paulo. Para tanto, foram coletadas amostras quinzenais de folhas, ramos e frutos, entre abril de 2001 e junho de 2003, do terco medio de 10 plantas tomadas ao acaso em cada campo. De cada planta foram tomadas 12 folhas (cada uma do terceiro ou quarto par a partir da extremidade distal de um ramo), 12 ramos (25 cm apicais) e 100 frutos. Foram coletados no total 13.052 acaros nos dois locais estudados, sendo 7.155 em Jeriquara e 5.897 em Garca. De um total de 108 especies de acaros coletados de plantas de cafe neste estudo, 45 especies foram observadas em ambos os locais estudados, que apresentaram similaridade de 56%. O numero de especies encontradas exclusivamente em Jeriquara (47) foi aproximadamente tres vezes superior ao numero de especies observadas somente em Garca (16). Em Jeriquara, a diversidade foi maior tanto na superficie das folhas, quanto nas domacias, ramos e frutos. Nos dois locais estudados, Brevipalpus phoenicis (Geijskes, 1939) e Oligonychus ilicis (McGregor 1919) foram as especies de fitofagos mais abundantes e frequentes. Os estigmeideos e fitoseideos foram os acaros predadores mais abundantes e frequentes em ambos locais. As especies mais abundantes e frequentes de predadores foram Agistemus brasiliensis Matioli, Ueckermann & Oliveira, 2002, Zetzellia malvinae Matioli, Ueckermann & Oliveira, 2002, Euseius citrifolius Denmark & Muma, 1970 e Euseius concordis (Chant 1959) em Jeriquara; e Z. malvinae, E. citrifolius e E. concordis em Garca.