Researchers in Brazil compared leaf damage caused by insects and pathogens in areas with and without the presence of mammals such as tapirs, deer and peccaries. Absence of the animals led to loss of microorganisms that cause leaf disease, potentially affecting long-term eco-evolutionary processes and reducing biodiversity in tropical forests.
The increase was confirmed by an analysis of satellite images, contrasting with a drop in deforestation and the total number of fires detected in the Amazon. The Brazilian government’s center for forest fire prevention says it is partnering with other institutions to combat wildfires in the region.
A study conducted over a period of 14 years in the Brazilian savanna-like biome shows its typical vegetation rapidly becoming ‘cerradão’ – a biodiversity-poor forest formation – while resistance to drought and wildfires weakens.
The researchers trained computer vision models to identify Brazilian mammals must susceptible to roadkill in real time and are partnering with toll road operators to test the system in real-world situations.
For the first time in South America, researchers recorded the use of ultrasound by a frog endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest in Brazil, which has more species of amphibians than any other country. Other frogs may use very high-frequency calls for the same purpose.
The number may be an underestimate in light of gaps in studies of the problem, according to the authors of a report issued by the Brazilian Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.
An analysis of occurrence records for ten lizard and snake species found in three South American biomes – the Caatinga and Cerrado in Brazil and the Chaco in Argentina and Paraguay – showed that rising temperatures in the coming decades could lead to extinction in some cases and drastic habitat loss in others. The authors advocate an increase in full-protection conservation units suited to these animals.
Farmers in the Paraíba Valley region of São Paulo state received economic incentives such as payment for environmental services to adopt conservation practices and protect native vegetation.
A research project led by the State University of Campinas investigated how manipulation of native species in this Brazilian savanna-like biome can prevent reinvasion of restored areas by exotic grasses. The results emphasize the importance of fostering species diversity.
The event, which is supported by FAPESP, is for young researchers and environmental technicians. Thirty applicants from Brazil and 30 from other countries will be selected.
With the new contributions from abroad, the Scientific Expeditions call, issued in partnership with the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, now has a fund totaling some BRL 94 million.
The study analyzed data for 13 Atlantic Rainforest restoration areas involving ten species of native trees that could be commercially useful to the timber industry. Publication of the findings comes during the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
A study published in the journal Science shows for the first time the degree of threat to all tree species in the biome, classifying 65% as vulnerable or endangered to some extent. According to the authors, their findings are conservative – the actual situation could be even more alarming.
Surveys conducted in the Cerrado since the 1990s show falling biodiversity as the agricultural frontier advances in the vicinity of Emas National Park. Species with biotechnological potential are dwindling and even disappearing.
A study conducted in sustainable-use reserves shows that local game species become less abundant about 5 kilometers away from the nearest human community, but the negative effects of anthropic activity can be mitigated by appropriate management strategies.
Plant species native to the Brazilian savanna-like biome grow thick bark to protect their internal tissues and hide organs that assure resprouting below the ground, according to an article in Flora by researchers at São Paulo State University.
The findings evidenced high susceptibility to climate change by 2050 in 15%-18% of the areas with the most neglected biodiversity.
Record levels of destruction of native vegetation in the Brazilian savanna, the second-largest biome in South America, motivated the letter published in Nature Sustainability. The scientists who wrote it stress the need for specific measures to conserve the Cerrado’s rich biodiversity.
Subnational funding agencies and Brazil’s National Scientific Council will partner to allocate almost BRL 60 million to research projects that explore little-known areas of the world’s largest tropical forest.
The researchers correlated data on the animal’s ecological niche and connectivity among populations with existing and planned hydropower development sites in Brazil’s South region. They estimated that 30% of its habitat could be lost, heightening the risk of extinction.
Available free of charge on the internet, the platform simulates fire propagation in the savanna biome three times a day and is in use in nine conservation units.
Primates in a Brazilian national park spend 41% of their time on the ground. Territoriality influences stone tool use, the behavior of females while on heat, and care of disabled individuals.
An article in Science by 35 researchers affiliated with institutions in Brazil and elsewhere shows that carbon emissions resulting from forest degradation are equivalent to emissions from deforestation. The authors analyzed degradation due to fire, edge effects, illegal logging and extreme drought.
The study by Brazilian researchers showed that the microscopic arachnids rid stingless bee colonies of excessive fungi and serve as food for the larvae of these honey-making insects.
The mechanism has resulted from evolution over millions of years to protect the buds that enable plants to survive fire. A study conducted in an environmental protection unit in São Paulo state (Brazil) can contribute to strategies for mitigating the effects of climate change.
