Marcelo Pereira de Barros

Bird community in a forest patch isolated by the urban matrix at the Sinos River basin, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, with comments on the possible local defaunation

We compared the avifauna recorded in a recent survey in an urban park (Parque Municipal Henrique Luís Roessler, Parcão) and surroundings, Novo Hamburgo, RS, with past data, to evaluate the possible alterations in species composition over time. Of the 265 species compiled as original elements of that region, 114 were found at Parcão. Among forest species, 37% were considered locally extinct. The most affected guild was the large frugivores, with nine extinct species and one survivor (Trogon surrucura). Birds highly sensitive to disturbance as well as endemic species were the most extinguished. The possible causes for this loss are fragmentation, hunting and environmental changes. The diversity today is threatened, thus conservation measures are necessary in that region. The most important actions are: maintenance of ecological corridors, protection of natural remnant areas and the establishment of protected areas.

Levantamento da ictiofauna da Floresta Nacional de Canela, na região superior da bacia hidrográfica do Rio Caí, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Data referring to a survey of the fish fauna at Floresta Nacional de Canela, a National Conservation Unity located in the upper region of Rio Cai basin, in higher altitudes of Serra Geral do Rio Grande do Sul are presented in this study. Nine sites were sampled in several aquatic environments, including a swamp, dams and streams situated inside and in the nearby area of the unity. In order to capture the specimens, hand net, seine net, fishing lines, gill nets and baited traps were used. Altogether 20 species were found, belonging to 10 families and 6 orders. Hyphessobrycon luetkenii had a wider distribution, occurring in almost all of the sampled points, while Callichthys callichthys was recorded in only one site. In the dams, the order Perciformes was the most representative, followed by Cypriniformes and Characiformes. These environments are characterized by the dominance of family Cichlidae (Perciformes), of which most of the Neotropical species have preference for stagnant water environments. The occurrence of four exotic introduced species is highlighted (Ctenopharingodon idella, Cyprinus carpio, Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Micropterus salmoides) with distribution restricted to the dams. For the streams, a greater specific richness of Characiformes and Siluriformes of small size was observed, a pattern that had already been found in the South American streams. It is also featured, the presence of species with non defined taxonomic status, such as Trichomycterus sp. and Astyanax aff. scabripinnis, reinforcing the importance of surveys on headwaters streams from Rio Grande do Sul, in order to obtain information to subsidize measures to conserve these environments. Despite the fact that the exotic species were registered only in the dams, their eradication from the conservation unity is recommended, considering the threats that they may represent for the native ichthyofauna and for the other aquatic ecosystems of the region.

Adenoviruses of canine and human origins in stool samples from free‑living pampas foxes (Lycalopex gymnocercus) and crab‑eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous) in São Francisco de Paula, Rio dos Sinos basin

The spread of enteric viruses of domestic animals and human beings to wild species can be facilitated by the resistance of these viruses on the environment and their ability to be transmitted by water and contaminated food. The health status of the populations of pampas foxes Lycalopex gymnocercus) and crab-eating foxes (Cerdocyon thous) is largely unknown and the landscapes occupied by these animals in southern Brazil have been threatened by human occupation and expansion of agriculture. In this work, the search of genomes of human and canine adenoviruses in feces from these wild carnivores was used to track the dissemination of domestic animals and human pathogens to the free-living populations in a wildlife reserve located in southern Brazil. This was performed by virus-specific differential real-time polymerase chain reactions (qPCR) on stool specimens, avoiding capture and additional stress to the animals. Genus-specific conventional reverse-transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR) was complementarily performed aiming the detection of enteroviruses (EV) and rotaviruses (RV) on these same samples. HAdV genomes were found on 14 out of the 17 (82.35%) stool samples analysed, whereas CAV was found co-infecting 5 of these samples. RV genomes were detected on 7 of the 17 samples (41.18%) and all samples were negative for EV. The results point to the dispersion of HAdV and RV at a high rate to these species of South American wild carnivores, which can be an effect of growing anthropisation of the habitat of these animals.

Birds of two protected areas in the southern range of the Brazilian Araucaria forest

Over 70% of threatened birds in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, south Brazil, inhabit forest environments. The creation and maintenance of protected areas is one of the most important measures aiming to mitigate these problems. However, the knowledge of the local biodiversity is essential so that these areas can effectively preserve the natural resources. Between 2004 and 2009 we sampled the avifauna in two conservation units in Rio Grande do Sul: Floresta Nacional de Canela (FNC) and Parque Natural Municipal da Ronda (PMR), both representative of the Mixed Humid Forest (Araucaria Forest). A total of 224 species was recorded, 116 at FNC and 201 at PMR, ten of which threatened regionally: Pseudastur polionotus, Odontophorus capueira, Patagioenas cayennensis, Amazona pretrei, A. vinacea, Triclaria malachitacea, Campephilus robustus, Grallaria varia, Procnias nudicollis and Sporophila melanogaster. Richness and species composition seem to be related to different stages of forest conservation, to size and connectivity, as well as to the diversity of environments. The better conservation of PMR compared to FNC, allied to its geographic position, results in a richer avifauna, with a larger amount of rare and endangered species, as well as species sensitive to disturbance and endemic to the Atlantic Rainforest. We suggest management actions aiming the conservation and the long-term recovery of natural environments at these sites.

Genetic damage induced by water pollutants in the freshwater fish Hyphessobrycon luetkenii (Characidae) in a reservoir of the Canela National Forest, Brazil

Fish have been shown to act as sentinel organisms in genetic toxicology studies and the micronucleus (MN) test using fish erythrocytes has been successfully used to evaluate the genotoxic impact of environmental pollutants on aquatic environments. This study used the MN test of peripheral blood of specimens of a native fish species (Hyphessobrycon luetkenii) to evaluate the genotoxicity of the water of two unconnected reservoirs of the Canela National Forest in southern Brazil. Fish were caught in the reservoirs and MN frequencies in blood smears were determined. Baseline MN frequency of H. luetkenii was determined in the uncontaminated reservoir (reference site) and compared with the results obtained at two different sampling periods (winter and spring) in the reservoir which receives discharges of industrial and municipal wastes. In the spring season, MN frequency in the contaminated reservoir was about five times higher than in the reference site (0.51‰ and 0.10‰, respectively). The results of this study indicate that some fish populations are at risk of exposure to genotoxic pollutants in the Canela National Forest.