Austral Ecology最新文献

The growing demand for lithium has led to an increased focus on understanding the impact of mining waste on ecosystems in the surrounding area. This study aimed to investigate the effect of con the growth and establishment of an invasive C₄ herbaceous species (Melinis minutiflora) and a native C₃ herbaceous species (Stylosanthes capitata) from native areas of Brazil. We grow plants in three substrates: soil without LOT, a mixture of 50% soil and 50% LOT (soil + LOT) and only LOT. Melinis minutiflora plants grown in the soil + LOT treatment showed higher growth and vegetative biomass production than S. capitata plants in the same treatment. Also, M. minutiflora plants grown in soil + LOT and LOT had a higher chlorophyll b index than S. capitata plants. The findings suggest that invasive M. minutiflora plants may benefit from soils contaminated with LOT. In areas surrounding LOT, M. minutiflora could establish, grow and spread faster, potentially affecting ecosystem processes. Understanding the impact of environmental disturbances on native areas and their consequences for the growth of invasive and native species is crucial for ecosystem management and preservation.

Agricultural expansion has had negative impacts on biodiversity worldwide. Regions with high human pressure, such as the Dry Chaco in South America, require rapid studies to understand the environmental impacts and potential biodiversity loss. Ecoacoustics has been proposed as an efficient method for promoting rapid assessment of threatened regions. Using a unique field-based bird community dataset, we evaluated the performance of two commonly used acoustic indices (acoustic diversity index and acoustic complexity index) on representing avian richness in continuous forest and forest corridors of the Paraguayan Dry Chaco. Our results from manual identification of recordings showed a higher species richness in continuous forest sites (40–61 species) than in forest corridors (22–36 species). In contrast, we found no difference in acoustic indices between sites in continuous forest or corridors. Contrary to our initial expectation, there was not a significant association between acoustic indices and bird species richness when considered across all sites. However, we found a partial and weak correlation between species richness and index values for forest corridors. We argue that habitat fragmentation and edge effects might have altered the soundscape of forest corridors, favouring bird activity rather than richness, which affects the acoustic indices response. Our study suggests that acoustic indices must be considered cautiously because other variables, besides species richness, are involved in soundscape characterisation (e.g., species vocal activity).

Butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) are among the most well-studied organisms, with a vast literature covering their ecology, evolution, and natural history. However, many aspects of their biology continue to be discovered and rediscovered, including their wild feeding behaviours, preferences, causes and consequences. Here, we present and describe photographic and video records of adult butterflies exploiting unusual sources, including previously undocumented feeding behaviours for some species, and supporting natural history note novelties in already known feeding behaviours for others. We gathered a total of 23 records of primarily nectar- and fruit-feeding butterfly species exploiting diverse sources, including fungi, flowering plants, withered plant parts, and a dead caterpillar. All records were made in different regions of Brazil, during field expeditions and naturalist walks, and were classified according to the butterfly species/groups involved, the type of resource exploited, and the location of the record. These records reinforce that butterflies can exhibit various feeding behaviours and may be involved in interspecific interactions and/or respond to food availability due to anthropogenic actions. Furthermore, this compilation of records reinforces the importance of publishing and sharing natural history observations to support and enhance the quality of ecological and taxonomic studies.

Grasslands are often mis-defined, mainly due to the legacy of colonial narratives in several regions, which have described them as deforested, unproductive or wastelands. They have been largely ignored in global conservation and protection policies, leading to increased exploitation. Although there is much accumulated evidence on the ecosystem services that grasslands provide, in Uruguay, this ecosystem is still neglected in parts of society and for most sustainability policies. Twenty percent of Uruguayan grasslands have been replaced by other land uses (crops and forestry) in recent decades. Nevertheless, large areas of natural grasslands still remain and their preservation is crucial. The aim of this work was to show the value of Uruguayan grasslands through a brief review of their natural history and their multiple natural assets (i.e., biodiversity, ecosystem services, cultural identity and economic activities). We also outline some of the advances in public policy initiatives, but emphasise that such policies are critically underdeveloped in terms of conservation, threatening the existence of grasslands in Uruguay for future generations.

The Juan Fernández Wrasse, Malapterus reticulatus, previously considered endemic to the Desventuradas and Juan Fernández Islands, is reported for the first time on the continental shelf of Chile. Observations were gathered from reports shared by divers and spearfishers on social media platforms. A machine learning model confirmed these records, providing evidence of the species presence along the coast of central Chile. Therefore, these records expand the known range of the fish.

The lizard genus Uracentron, family Tropiduridae, is composed of the species Uracentron flaviceps (Guichenot, 1855) and Uracentron azureum (Linnaeus, 1758). Both species have arboreal habits and are endemic to the Amazon. Here we report a new geographical record of Uracentron azureum guentheri from western Pará State, Brazil, and the first record for the species in the Tapajós/Xingú interfluve. Two specimens were recorded in a fragment of secondary forest on the right bank of the Curuá-Una River, downstream of the Curuá-Una Hydroelectric Power Plant dam, in Santarém, Pará, Brazil. The specimen has colour and morphological features that fit guentheri subspecies. With this new record, Uracentron azureum guentheri is now known in 15 locations in Peru (Loreto department) and Brazil (Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Pará, and Rondônia States), expanding its distribution approximately 209 km southeast of the nearest previously known location (Oriximiná Municipality). Recording and reporting such new geographical records is essential since it allows distribution gaps to be filled and is important for understanding biodiversity patterns, speciation processes and phenotypic variations, as well as contributing to conservation planning. The identification of priority areas for protection can be improved with such data, helping to reduce environmental impacts and preserve local biodiversity.