Álvaro Fernando de Almeida

Are camouflaged seeds less attacked by wild birds

Wheat, corn and rice crops in Brazil use seeds treated with systemic insecticide/nematicide carbofuran, mixed to rhodamine B red dye. Carbofuran is toxic and rhodamine B is attractive to wild birds that eat up these seeds, resulting in notable mortality during planting. A field experiment was performed in southeast Brazil to evaluate if camouflaged seeds would be less consumed by wild birds in comparison to commercial seeds with red-colored rhodamine B and aposematic blue seeds. Camouflaged seeds were less removed than seeds with rhodamine B and natural colors. The camouflaging was more effective in the presence of irregularities and litter. There was no removal of blue-colored seeds. As legislation requires treated seeds to receive a different color to avoid accidents with humans, camouflaging may be used as replacement of rhodamine B to reduce mortality rates of wild birds.

Diversity of medium-sized and large mammals from Atlantic Forest remnants in southern Minas Gerais state, Brazil

Studies on mammal diversity provide the essential groundwork for the development of conservation methods and practices. The region of the Pocos de Caldas Plateau is lacks such studies, which may be a problem for future conservation actions. Here, we analyze the richness of medium-sized and large mammals from Atlantic Forest remnants on the Pocos de Caldas Plateau, Minas Gerais state. Diurnal censuses of direct observations and mammal signs were conducted, and we documented 20 species of mammals belonging to eight orders. Three species of primates, one carnivore, one cingulate, one lagomorpha, three rodents, one artiodactyla, and two marsupials were found. The largest forest remnant that presented the greatest richness is currently a conservation unit. Forest remnants are important for the consolidation of management strategies and have fundamental role for the conservation of mammal diversity in the south of Minas Gerais state.

Camouflage of Seeds, a Control Method of the Bird Mortality in Grain Crops

This chapter discusses the development of a mitigation measure against impacts caused by the ingestion of poisoned seeds by insecticides like carbofuran and carbosulfan in wheat, corn and rice fields. In accordance with Brazilian Federal Decree no 4.074 of January 2002, agrotoxins should be added to seeds mixed with dye to avoid the risk of being ingested by humans. The toxic dye rhodamine B, whose reddish-purple colour has been used for this purpose, it’s apparent and attractive to granivorous wild birds such as Columbidae and Icterinae.