Article
Plant Sciences
Johanna R. Jantzen, Paulo J. F. Guimaraes, Leandro C. Pederneiras, Ana L. F. Oliveira, Douglas E. Soltis, Pamela S. Soltis
Summary: This study reveals the evolutionary processes that have contributed to the high biodiversity of Neotropical savannas, using Tibouchina s.s. as an example. The findings highlight the importance of geographic and ecological divergence, polyploidy and hybridization in the diversification of Tibouchina s.s., and also demonstrate that it harbors greater diversity than previously thought with polyphyletic species, polyploid species, and previously undocumented species.
BOTANICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Isamara Mendes-Silva, Drielly Queiroga, Eduardo S. Calixto, Helena M. Torezan-Silingardi, Kleber Del-Claro
Summary: The Polistinae wasp Brachygastra lecheguana in the Brazilian tropical savanna utilizes a combination of visual, chemical, and possibly tactile cues to find endophytic weevil larvae inside floral buds. The use of multiple cues guarantees a high predation rate, potentially benefiting the reproduction of the host plant.
Article
Ecology
Thaynah F. Rosa, Flavio Camarota, Lino A. Zuanon, Richard Tito, Jonas B. Maravalhas, Scott Powell, Heraldo L. Vasconcelos
Summary: Fire suppression can lead to loss of endemic species and increase the risk of severe fires. A study on Neotropical savanna arboreal ant communities showed significant changes in species richness and composition after severe fires, particularly among species with strictly arboreal nesting habits.
Article
Ecology
Thayse Cavicchioli Cazetta, Emerson M. Vieira
Summary: Seed removal rates were reduced in forests with a history of burning, with larger vertebrates playing a significant role in seed dispersal. The effects of fire were consistent across species, but particularly impacted those with the largest seeds. The decline in seed predation by small rodents in burned forests could have long-term consequences on plant communities and species coexistence.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
K. Neves, B. Santos, T. Schultz, D. Gotzek, R. C. R. Abreu, G. Durigan, H. L. Vasconcelos
Summary: Although savanna woody encroachment is a global phenomenon, its effects on savanna biodiversity remain poorly understood. This study investigated how the increase in tree cover in a fire-suppressed savanna landscape affects the diversity of neotropical ant communities. The results showed that tree cover had a significant influence on all aspects of diversity, with transitions between savanna and forest having the strongest effect. This suggests that fire suppression policies may decrease ant diversity and homogenize ant fauna at the landscape scale.
INSECT CONSERVATION AND DIVERSITY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Penelope J. Jones, James M. Furlaud, Grant J. Williamson, Fay H. Johnston, David M. J. S. Bowman
Summary: Savanna fire management is a global debate, and our study highlights smoke pollution as another critical consideration. Increased early dry season burning leads to more smoke pollution, negatively impacting air quality.
Article
Ecology
Marina Correa Scalon, Davi Rodrigo Rossatto, Imma Oliveras, Raquel Carolina Miatto, Emma Fiona Gray, Fabricius Maia Chaves Bicalho Domingos, Fernanda Thiesen Brum, Marcos Bergmann Carlucci, William Arthur Hoffmann, Ben Hur Marimon-Junior, Beatriz S. Marimon, Augusto Cesar Franco
Summary: The study found that bark thickness varies among savanna tree species in different regions, with thicker inner bark observed in areas with long dry seasons and frequent fires. This supports the idea that investing in inner bark thickness and bark moisture may be the most advantageous strategy in plant communities facing high evaporative demand and fire risk.
BASIC AND APPLIED ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Luciana O. Furtado, Giovana Ribeiro Felicio, Paula Rocha Lemos, Alexander V. Christianini, Marcio Martins, Ana Paula Carmignotto
Summary: The study investigated a small mammal community at the southeastern boundary of Cerrado, revealing that woody encroachment negatively affected the abundance of some small mammals but favored others. This suggests that active management of open formations may be necessary to maintain Cerrado biodiversity, especially for endemic species associated with open areas.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Jingyu Peng, Lindsay R. Triplett, George W. Sundin
Summary: The study revealed that high-level induction of hok has a lethal effect on E. amylovora cells, while low-level expression of hok primes the bacterium for stress responses against further membrane and antibiotic stress. The mechanisms of hok toxicity and stress response priming were characterized.
Article
Ecology
Hylton Adie, Geoff Nichols, Michael J. Lawes
Summary: The coastal forests in eastern southern Africa are in a putative alternative stable state in an open ecosystem mosaic. Two hypotheses of the origins of these forests are examined: facilitation and nucleation. The study found that the facilitation pathway resulted in impoverished tree assemblages, while the bush-clump nucleation pathway had random assemblages of savanna species. Most coastal forest tree species exhibited functional traits consistent with those expected from savanna environments. The management of these formations as successional forests is questioned.
Article
Ecology
Clarice Vieira Souza, Agueda Lourenco, Emerson Monteiro Vieira
Summary: Fire occurrence influences the distribution of key resources for fauna in natural ecosystems. Understanding how species respond to fire-induced changes is crucial for fire management strategies suitable for biodiversity conservation. This study investigated the impact of fire regimes on the space used by medium and large mammals in a fire-prone savanna ecosystem, and found that different mammal species responded differently to fire-related variables.
Article
Plant Sciences
Shaoyang Li, Hongyuan Ma, Mark K. J. Ooi
Summary: Fire cues can enhance seed germination in saline-alkaline grasslands, with different effects on different species. The combined treatment had little effect on most species compared to single fire cues treatments.
Article
Ecology
Joao Vitor de Alcantara Viana, Vinicius Lourenco Garcia de Brito, Celine de Melo
Summary: This study investigated the impact of fires on the camouflage strategy of arthropods, finding that burned backgrounds were preferred by Ronderosia bergii specimens. In addition, black and brown morphotypes of R. bergii showed contrasting patterns of coloration on burned and unburned backgrounds.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Frederico Piontkowski de Souza Almeida, Luiz Felippe Salemi
Summary: This study assessed the effect of prescribed fire on physical variables of soil in the Brazilian Tropical Savanna. The results showed that prescribed fire does not significantly alter water repellency, infiltration capacity, and soil resistance to penetration in this ecosystem.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES-AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
E. Calazans, A. Lopes, L. Girotto, A. L. O. de Paula, A. C. Franco, C. S. Ferreira
Summary: The invasive grass Arundo donax L. produces sterile flowers in Brazil and propagates through rhizomes and stem fragments. Fragment size, desiccation period, and water column height affect its bud sprouting capacity. Cutting the plant without removing it can intensify its invasion potential, especially in the rainy season.
AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Isabele F. Rebolo, Heloiza L. Zirondi, Alessandra Fidelis, Alexander Christianini
Summary: Plant-animal interactions can aid in biological invasions. In the Cerrado, native ants are dispersing seeds of the African grass Urochloa decumbens, facilitating its gradual spread to locations without significant anthropogenic soil disturbances.
Article
Ecology
Paulina Meller, Marion Stellmes, Alessandra Fidelis, Manfred Finckh
Summary: This study provides the first comprehensive understanding of the often overlooked growth form of geoxyle species by analyzing their diversity, functionality, ancestry, and ecology. It highlights the importance of frost as a correlate of geoxyle diversity and emphasizes the need for further studies to understand this important growth form.
JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Vagner Zanzarini, Alan N. Andersen, Alessandra Fidelis
Summary: This study describes the variation in flammability among different growth forms and seasons in Brazilian Cerrado, and finds that grasses are the most flammable growth form, with the highest flammability in the middle of the dry season. Dead biomass, moisture content, and specific leaf area are strongly correlated with flammability.
Article
Plant Sciences
Arvind Bhatt, L. Felipe Daibes, Xingxing Chen, Deshui Yu, Yanli Niu, David J. Gallacher
Summary: The role of seed mucilage in the germination process of subtropical monsoonal species is significant in terms of germination timing and seed adhesion to soil.
Article
Plant Sciences
Alessandra Fidelis, Heloiza L. Zirondi, Davi R. Rossatto, Vagner Zanzarini
Summary: Post-fire flowering is an important plant trait in fire-prone ecosystems. In a study conducted in a tropical savanna, it was found that both wet- and dry-season fires can stimulate flowering in grass species. Exclusion of fire led to a decrease in the number of flowering individuals and reproductive tillers of grass species.
JOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Aline Bertolosi Bombo, Beatriz Appezzato-da-Gloria, Alessandra Fidelis
Summary: Belowground bud bank regeneration is an important strategy for plants in fire-prone areas, relying on dormant and viable buds stored underground. The diversity of underground bud-bearing organ system, combined with frequent fire events, ensures the availability of a bud bank that enables plants to survive and regrow after disturbances. Changes in fire exclusion and frequency can affect the persistence and regeneration traits of the herbaceous layer in tropical savannas.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Juliana Teixeira, Lara Souza, Soizig Le Stradic, Alessandra Fidelis
Summary: Fire is an important environmental factor in tropical savanna ecosystems, influencing functional diversity, carbon pools, and fluxes. The study found that fire promoted biomass increase, improved functional diversity, and had varying effects on carbon balance. However, the specific role of functional diversity and ecosystem structure in mediating the impact of fire on ecosystem functions needs further investigation.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Arvind Bhatt, L. Felipe Daibes, David J. Gallacher, Alfredo Jarma-Orozco, Marcelo F. Pompelli
Summary: This study investigated the effects of drought stress on seed germination in wetland species. It was found that germination percentage decreased with an increase in polyethylene glycol concentration, and species showed significant variation in their germination response to the concentration. Seeds were able to recover their germinability after the alleviation of water stress, but the extent of recovery varied among species.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Review
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elise Buisson, Sally Archibald, Alessandra Fidelis, Katharine N. Suding
Summary: Grasslands, covering nearly 40% of terrestrial biosphere, are home to vast biodiversity and provide livelihoods for over 1 billion people. Despite the rapid destruction and degradation of grasslands, recent research shows that complete recovery of biodiversity and essential functions takes a long time or may not occur at all. Grassland restoration has received less attention compared to restoration of forests, mainly because grasslands are considered to be able to reassemble quickly. Recognizing grassland restoration as a long-term process that aims to achieve old-growth endpoints, taking feedbacks and threshold shifts into account, is crucial in guiding the recovery of this globally important ecosystem.
Article
Ecology
Carlos A. Ordonez-Parra, Roberta L. C. Dayrell, Daniel Negreiros, Antonio C. S. Andrade, Leticia G. Andrade, Yasmine Antonini, Leilane C. Barreto, Fernanda de V. Barros, Vanessa da Cruz Carvalho, Blanca Auxiliadora Dugarte Corredor, Antonio Claudio Davide, Alexandre A. Duarte, Selma Dos Santos Feitosa, Alessandra F. Fernandes, G. Wilson Fernandes, Maurilio Assis Figueiredo, Alessandra Fidelis, Leticia Couto Garcia, Queila Souza Garcia, Victor T. Giorni, Vanessa G. N. Gomes, Carollayne Goncalves-Magalhaes, Alessandra R. Kozovits, Jose P. Lemos-Filho, Soizig Le Stradic, Isabel Cristina Machado, Fabiano Rodrigo Maia, Andrea R. Marques, Clesnan Mendes-Rodrigues, Maria Cristina T. B. Messias, Leonor Patricia Cerdeira Morellato, Moemy Gomes de Moraes, Bruno Moreira, Flavia Peres Nunes, Ademir K. M. Oliveira, Yumi Oki, Alba R. P. Rodrigues, Carolina Pietczak, Jose Carlos Pina, Silvio Junio Ramos, Marli A. Ranal, Joao Paulo Ribeiro-Oliveira, Flavio H. Rodrigues, Denise G. Santana, Fernando M. G. Santos, Ana Paula M. S. Senhuk, Rodrigo A. Silveira, Natalia Costa Soares, Olivia Alvina Oliveira Tonetti, Vinicius Augusto da Silveira Vieira, Leticia Cristiane de Sena Viana, Marcilio Zanetti, Heloiza L. Zirondi, Fernando A. O. Silveira
Summary: The Rock n' Seeds database provides functional trait data and germination experiments from Brazilian rock outcrop vegetation, including 16 functional traits for 383 taxa and 48 germination experiments for 281 taxa. This database will be valuable for synthesizing germination data, advancing comparative functional ecology, and guiding seed-based restoration and biodiversity conservation in tropical megadiverse ecosystems.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Izadora S. de Carvalho, Swanni T. Alvarado, Thiago Sanna Freire Silva, Carlos Leandro de Oliveira Cordeiro, Alessandra Fidelis, Raysa Valeria Carvalho Saraiva, Fabio A. M. M. A. Figueiredo, Jose Roberto P. de Sousa, Tiago Massi Ferraz
Summary: The aim of this study was to reconstruct the fire history of Chapada das Mesas National Park and its surroundings over a period of 28 years. The results showed that 86% of the park's area experienced at least one fire event between 1990 and 2017. However, there was a change in the seasonality of fires after the establishment of the park.
JOURNAL FOR NATURE CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
A. Bhatt, L. F. Daibes, X. Chen, D. J. Gallacher
Summary: Incorporating native shrubs in restoration projects can enhance biodiversity conservation and sustainability of ecosystem functions. However, there is a lack of information on seed propagation and availability of planting materials for shrubs in forest restoration.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Gabriella Damasceno, Alessandra Fidelis
Summary: The impacts of invasive alien species are influenced by their abundance and do not follow linear trends due to ecological interactions. Abundance-impact curves help inform management interventions by showing how per-capita impact changes as the invader becomes more abundant. This study found that increasing abundance of the invasive grass Urochloa decumbens had nonlinear effects on microhabitat properties, but linearly reduced temperature fluctuations. The invader had higher per-capita effects on native grasses at low abundance levels and on species richness at moderate invasion levels.
BIOLOGICAL INVASIONS
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Caio S. Ballarin, Guilherme Jose Mores, Guilherme Alcaras de Goes, Alessandra Fidelis, Tatiana Cornelissen
Summary: Plant-animal interactions are important in terrestrial ecosystems and provide ecological information for biodiversity conservation. However, there is still limited knowledge about how fire affects these interactions. Therefore, conducting a systematic review to evaluate the effects of fire on plant-animal interactions is crucial for guiding future research.