Renata Dias Françoso

Fenologia e produção de frutos de Caryocar brasiliense Cambess. E Enterolobium gummiferum (Mart.) J.F.Macbr. em diferentes regimes de queima

The knowledge of plant reproductive and vegetative periods is extremely important for seed harvesting and seedling production. Interactions between the Cerrado (Brazilian Savanna) biota and fire are of extreme interest because these factors are intimately related and could be determinant in plant populations maintenance. For 12 months, we studied the phenology of two Cerrado native species (Enterolobium gummiferum (Mart.) J.F.Macbr. and Caryocar brasiliense Cambess.) under two fire regimes: the first was burned every two years on August (PBM) in a control site without fire for 14 years (PC). Uniformity tests were made to verify seasonality of each phenological phase. The model selection with Akaike information criterion was made using climatic variables of the study region to identify which variables better describe the phenological phases. Fruit production was estimated for both treatments. Almost every phenophase showed production peaks, except for leaf sprout of C. brasiliense in PC and leaf fall of C. brasiliense in the two treatments, and E. gummiferum in PC. In general, the phenological behaviour of both species did not differ from other studies. However, fire retarded the leaf renewal and inhibited the reproductive phases of C. brasiliense, similar to previous results for other Cerrado native species in regions with burn incidence.

Accident caused by Rhopalurus agamemnon (Koch, 1839) (Scorpiones, Buthidae).

Accidents caused by scorpions are a serious public health problem in Brazil. Rhopalurus agamemnon is a large scorpion found in the Cerrado (savanna) biome, and it is very abundant in many localities in central Brazil. The species inhabits open savanna environments, and is common inside termite mounds. However, it disappears from places where the native vegetation has been removed. The accidents reported present moderate symptoms of envenoming, but are based on questionable identifications. Here, we present a report on an accident that was certainly caused by Rhopalurus agamemnon. We conclude that the few reports available do not make it possible to evaluate the severity of such accidents and the possible risk to public health from this scorpion.

The Cerrado Biome: A Forgotten Biodiversity Hotspot

Have you heard of the Cerrado biome? Do you know what a biodiversity hotspot is? In this article, you will learn why we should care about the biodiversity in the Cerrado biome. A biome is a community of plants and animals in a large area that shares the same climate and habitat features. Tropical biomes have the greatest diversity of plants and animals on the planet. However, when it comes to tropical biodiversity, people are quick to think of the Amazon. The Cerrado has a great biodiversity that is just as important to conserve as the Amazon Biome. However, the Cerrado continues to be forgotten and neglected, leading to the devastation of its natural areas. Let us learn more about this fantastic biome and help us spread the word about the urgency of preserving the Cerrado!

Tree diversity and above-ground biomass in the South America Cerrado biome and their conservation implications

Less than half of the original two million square kilometers of the Cerrado vegetation remains standing, and there are still many uncertainties as to how to conserve and prioritize remaining areas effectively. A key limitation is the continuing lack of geographically-extensive evaluation of ecosystem-level properties across the biome. Here we sought to address this gap by comparing the woody vegetation of the typical cerrado of the Cerrado–Amazonia Transition with that of the core area of the Cerrado in terms of both tree diversity and vegetation biomass. We used 21 one-hectare plots in the transition and 18 in the core to compare key structural parameters (tree height, basal area, and above-ground biomass), and diversity metrics between the regions. We also evaluated the effects of temperature and precipitation on biomass, as well as explored the species diversity versus biomass relationship. We found, for the first time, both that the typical cerrado at the transition holds substantially more biomass than at the core, and that higher temperature and greater precipitation can explain this difference. By contrast, plot-level alpha diversity was almost identical in the two regions. Finally, contrary to some theoretical expectations, we found no positive relationship between species diversity and biomass for the Cerrado woody vegetation. This has implications for the development of effective conservation measures, given that areas with high biomass and importance for the compensation of greenhouse gas emissions are often not those with the greatest diversity.