Felipe Santana Machado

Small mammals in high altitude phytophysiognomies in southeastern Brazil: are heterogeneous habitats more diverse?

The Chapada das Perdizes is considered a region of high biodiversity, but there are few studies that describe the small mammals in the region, mainly in higher portions of the area. The primary objective of this study was to estimate the richness and abundance of terrestrial small mammals within three different vegetation types in the high altitude region of southern Minas Gerais and to evaluate the relationship between the community composition of terrestrial small mammals and the heterogeneity of phytophysiognomies. Pitfall and cage trap grids were arranged in natural field, semi-deciduous and cloud forests. A total of 26 species was recorded. The compositions of the three phytophysiognomies were significantly different. The expansive study area is located in a region of tension between the Cerrado and Atlantic Forests and should be preserved due to high diversity and ecological importance.

Vertical stratification in bat assemblages of the Atlantic Forest of south-eastern Brazil

Tropical forests are three-dimensional spaces with species and resources heterogeneously distributed. The vertical stratification of tropical forest biotas has been observed for several organisms and regions, but, surprisingly, the vertical structuring of large areas of important tropical forests, such as Brazils Atlantic Forest, remains poorly studied. Here, we addressed the use of different Atlantic Forest strata by bats, comparing ensemble composition and relative abundance between the understorey and the canopy. A total of 618 bats belonging to 31 species and four families were recorded, including 11 species of frugivores and seven species of gleaning insectivores, the two trophic guilds predominantly represented in our sampling. Fifteen species were captured exclusively in the canopy, and six exclusively in the understorey, and many of those species were represented by a low number of captures ( Chiroderma villosum was exclusively captured in the canopy, Artibeus lituratus was netted predominantly in the canopy and Carollia perspicillata and Desmodus rotundus were mostly captured in the understorey. Although processes such as resource partitioning between species and ecomorphological constraints may explain the differential use of forest strata, this remains little understood because of the scarcity of data for the Atlantic forest canopies.

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.

Tree diversity of small forest fragments in ecotonal regions: why must these fragments be preserved?

Descriptions of biodiversity from ecotonal regions are lacking. This knowledge gap results from the difficulty of identifying elements from both biomes/domains and the advancement of human activities that generate small forest fragments. Here it is shown that small forest fragments in an ecotonal region have species richness and abundance in line with other inventories in preserved and non-preserved areas as well as composition and structure differentiated by the presence of species from both domains. The beta diversity among fragments reflects a high turnover supported by the formation of centers of dominance among the most abundant species. Finally, functional diversity favors the group that is tolerant of a wide range of environmental variables and is associated with faunal components. The results indicate that these fragments are important from a conservation standpoint because of the intersection of elements from threatened biomes, which must be managed coherently. However, Brazilian legislation is constantly modified and still allows anthropogenic changes that prevent the persistence of species.

Influence of the Edge Effect on a Soil Seed Bank of a Natural Fragment in the Atlantic Forest

The edge effect is defined as the change of biotic and abiotic characteristics in the first meters of a forest fragment from the edge towards its interior. In fragments formed by human activities, this change generates increased richness and abundance, as well as changes in the structure of the forest species of soil seed bank in the border region. This study demonstrates that in natural fragments of cloud forests, the abundance and richness positively influence the linear relation from the edge to interior, mainly by distances of 120 and 180 meters from the edge. This effect can be a result of new plant growth, or ‘pioneer’ occupation in gaps in the forests generated by large fallen trees.

Food bar labels: consumer behaviour and veracity of the available information

The search for high nutritional value, convenience, low-calorie foods with pleasant sensory characteristics which provide health benefits, makes food bars a promising product in the food sector, and they are already being considered as healthy alternatives according to common sense. The objectives of this study were: (i) to evaluate the interest and the way in which consumers understand the information on food labels; (ii) to determine consumer habits; and (iii) to determine the sugar contents of commercial food bars (conventional, sugar-free and light) to confirm the veracity of the information available on the labels of these products. Regarding the consumption of food bars, the majority of the respondents consumed this product and, although most of them considered them to be a healthy product due to the allegation of being rich in fibre and cereals, even with the knowledge of the presence of sugar, the main reasons taken into consideration when buying them were convenience and practicality. Socio-demographic variables such as gender, age, income and educational level influenced the standards and behaviours of consumption of the product. The quantification of sugar in commercial food bars indicated that these products could be considered as foods with intermediate to high amounts of sugar. The results obtained for sugar-free bars were even more worrying because the concentrations of sugar found indicated a lack of compliance with applicable regulations for this category for all the brands evaluated.