Journal Information
Issue
Vol. 18. Issue 2.
Pages 61-144 (April - June 2020)
Essays and perspectives
Ponds, puddles, floodplains and dams in the Upper Xingu Basin: could we be witnessing the ‘lentification’ of deforested Amazonia?
Luis Schiesari, Paulo R. Ilha, Daniel Din Betin Negri, Paulo Inácio Prado, Britta Grillitsch
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2020;18:61-72
Highlights

  • Previous hydrological studies suggested that deforestation might increase lentic habitat in Amazonia.

  • Deforestation indeed resulted in more ponds, puddles and reservoirs, and wider floodplains.

  • Fish and amphibian assemblages changed consistent with lentic habitat availability.

  • A literature review indicates the four proposed drivers of hydrological change are widespread.

  • Lentification is a major, previously unaccounted form of habitat change in deforested Amazonia.

Open access
Research letters
Birds’ gap-crossing in open matrices depends on landscape structure, tree size, and predation risk
Cristina Magalhães Silva, Jader Augusto Costa Pereira, Júlia Dell Sol Passos Gusmões, Barbara Emanuelle Penha Mendes, Halissa Valente, Ana Paula Morgan, Dhiéssica Goulart, Érica Hasui
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2020;18:73-82
Highlights

  • Birds use scattered trees mainly as stepping stones and feeding sites.

  • Their use as stepping stones depends on tree size and distance to a forest patch.

  • Bird are able to move greater distances and at higher frequencies across a landscape using stepping stones.

  • Both forest cover and tree aggregation increase tree visits under predation risk.

Open access
Multiple dimensions of climate change on the distribution of Amazon primates
Lilian Sales, Bruno R. Ribeiro, Colin A. Chapman, Rafael Loyola
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2020;18:83-90
Highlights

  • Climate change will affect species distribution via variation in suitable area amount, displacement of optimal conditions, and/or exposure to non-analog conditions.

  • We found that Amazon primates will face a plethora of effects of climate change on their geographic ranges.

  • Even in cases that the species range could increase, Amazonian primates will be exposed to novel climates and might not be able to track their preferred environments.

  • Remaining populations might also become fragmented and are forecasted to occupy sub-optimal conditions at the periphery of their future ranges.

  • Conservation assessments should consider the multiple dimensions of climate change.

Open access
Recognizing sources of uncertainty in disease vector ecological niche models: An example with the tick Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato
Abdelghafar Alkishe, Marlon E. Cobos, A. Townsend Peterson, Abdallah M. Samy
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2020;18:91-102
Highlights

  • For the first time, we used the tick species Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato (distributed in different areas around the world) to characterize its global geographic distribution using ecological niche modeling, and explore the uncertainty involved in transferring models in space and time.

  • The global model (the one calibrated in all calibration areas together) predicted broad suitable areas for the species around the world.

  • Models based on each calibration area separately showed the potential geographic distribution of R. sanguineus sensu lato under current-day conditions with high agreement across the eastern United States, southern Mexico, northern South America, Brazil, Europe, North Africa, sub-Saharan countries, Asia, and Australia.

  • The global potential distributions of R. sanguineus sensu lato under future conditions were very similar between the two RCPs, but GCMs, model replicates, and model parametrizations contributed importantly to the overall variation detected.

Open access
Using functional diversity and taxonomic diversity to assess effects of afforestation of grassland on bird communities
Lucilene Inês Jacoboski, Sandra Maria Hartz
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2020;18:103-8
Highlights

  • Afforestation of grasslands does not alter taxonomic diversity and functional diversity in a similar manner.

  • The association of some traits with post-cutting stage demonstrates the plasticity of many typical open-area species that return to planted areas shortly after cutting.

  • Afforestation of southern grasslands does not result in reduced functional diversity.

  • The combination of species traits and use of functional space are relatively similar across habitats.

Open access
Climate and land-use change refugia for Brazilian Cerrado birds
Fábio Júlio Alves Borges, Rafael Loyola
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2020;18:109-15
Highlights

  • Climate and land-use changes threatens Brazilian Cerrado birds.

  • Only 13% of the Cerrado could serve as refugia for the bird species.

  • Refugia areas do not coincide with current species-rich areas.

  • ∼11% of the refugia areas overlapped with protected areas.

  • Different conservation strategies must be adopted to protect species.

Open access
Climate change will have an important impact on scorpion’s fauna in its most diverse country, Mexico
Carolina Ureta, Edgar J. González, Mercedes Ramírez-Barrón, Gerardo A. Contreras-Félix, Carlos E. Santibáñez-López
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2020;18:116-23
Highlights

  • As far as it is known Mexico is the most Scorpions diverse country in the world.

  • Scorpion hotspots and species are not being protected currently and in the future.

  • Species of medical importance will increase their distribution in the future.

Open access
Population viability analysis as a tool for giant anteater conservation
Arnaud Leonard Jean Desbiez, Alessandra Bertassoni, Kathy Traylor-Holzer
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2020;18:124-31
Highlights

  • We provide a giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla) baseline population viability model built using multi-data source;

  • A sensitivity analysis was performed to evaluate each parameter impact on the model and to guide future research efforts;

  • Baseline model showed a 5% growth rate, and the most sensitive parameters are mortality rates and the percentage of females breeding;

  • A case study based on real data showed that road kill decreases the stochastic growth rate of local giant anteater populations by half;

  • Our baseline model has the potential to ensure scientific input into conservation planning for the species.

Open access
Modeling invasive species risk from established populations: Insights for management and conservation
Javier M. Cordier, Rafael Loyola, Octavio Rojas-Soto, Javier Nori
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2020;18:132-8
Highlights

  • Information of population viability is key to invasion risk assessments via ENMs.

  • Models with and without consider non-established populations provide useful information.

  • Occurrence data of alien species must be carefully selected based on the assessed question.

Open access
Policy forums
Mining activity in Brazil and negligence in action
Gilberto Nepomuceno Salvador, Cecília Gontijo Leal, Gabriel Lourenço Brejão, Tiago Casarim Pessali, Carlos Bernardo Mascarenhas Alves, Gustavo Ribeiro Rosa, Raphael Ligeiro, Luciano Fogaça de Assis Montag
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation. 2020;18:139-44
Highlights

  • A new disaster in Brazil involving the rupture of a tailings dam reopened the discussions about socio-environmental impact.

  • The absence of actions by the companies and the lack of a management plan can imperil the efforts for environmental recovery.

  • The slowdown of Brazilian environmental legislation can generate a future darker scenario.

Open access
Perspectives in Ecology and Conservation