Orientadore: Andre Victor Lucci Freitas / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-14T10:59:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Uehara-Prado_Marcio_D.pdf: 1891833 bytes, checksum: 07fcfb4d89fca542db5456806263add0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: No presente estudo, foram examinadas respostas de artrópodes a diferentes tipos de perturbação antrópica, com o intuito de selecionar e testar indicadores ecológicos. Para tal, dez grupos de artrópodes terrestres foram selecionados e amostrados em uma reserva de Floresta Atlântica com duas áreas com histórico contrastante de perturbação: uma com corte seletivo ('conservada') e outra com corte raso e queimada ('perturbada'). A abundância de espécies exóticas foi maior na área perturbada, padrão que aparentemente é um bom indicador de perturbação antrópica. Não houve correlação significativa da riqueza de espécies entre nenhum dos taxa selecionados. Por outro lado, a composição de espécies discriminou claramente a área perturbada da conservada, e foi significativamente correlacionada entre maior parte dos grupos. A composição de espécies de borboletas frugívoras e besouros epigéicos foram os melhores indicadores de perturbação, discriminando ambas as áreas mesmo com baixa resolução taxonômica e atuando como representantes de outros grupos de artrópodes. Para poder validar os resultados encontrados na primeira etapa, foram amostradas outras duas reservas de Floresta Atlântica com diferentes tipos de perturbação antrópica, com o objetivo de se verificar se existem respostas consistentes para três diferentes fontes de perturbação. Uma vez que se mostraram boas indicadoras de perturbação, borboletas frugívoras foram escolhidas como grupo focal. Mudanças na composição de espécies, abundância total e representatividade de três subfamílias (Brassolinae, Charaxinae e Satyrinae) foram consistentes nas áreas de estudo com diferentes tipos e graus de contraste de perturbação. Os resultados indicam que borboletas frugívoras podem ser prontamente aplicadas como indicadoras de perturbação antrópica em Floresta Atlântica. Por outro lado, os efeitos de perturbações na fauna do Cerrado ainda são pouco conhecidos. No terceiro estudo, a abundância de ordens e guildas tróficas de artrópodes epigéicos foi comparada entre áreas de uma reserva de Cerrado com diferentes frequências de queima: frequente (HighFi), intermediária (MidFi) e infrequente (LowFi). Nenhuma das ordens ou guildas tróficas analisadas apresentou maior abundância na LowFi, sendo mais abundantes na HighFi ou MidFi, ou não apresentando diferença entre as frequencias de queima. Os resultados indicam que alguns grupos de artrópodes podem não apenas ser resilientes aos efeitos do fogo, mas de fato se beneficiar dele. Os resultados encontrados devem ser considerados uma primeira abordagem a partir da qual estudos mais detalhados devem ser feitos. De acordo com os resultados, Collembola e formigas são grupos focais promissores para estudos exploratórios adicionais com o intuito de verificar suas propriedades indicadoras na escala de espécie, uma vez que são abundantes nas amostras e, no caso das formigas, relativamente bem conhecidas no Cerrado. Os resultados do presente trabalho reafirmam o potencial de artrópodes como indicadores ecológicos em diferentes biomas, e apontam as direções a ser tomadas em futuros estudos nesta área. / Abstract: In this study, the responses of terrestrial arthropods to different types of anthropogenic disturbance were examined, aiming to select and test ecological indicators. Ten groups of terrestrial arthropods were selected and sampled in an Atlantic Forest reserve with two sites with contrasting histories of disturbance, one with history of selective logging (preserved) and another with history of slash-and-burn (disturbed). The abundance of exotic species was higher in the disturbed area, and this pattern seems to be an adequate indicator of anthropogenic disturbance. Species richness was not significantly correlated between any pair of taxa. In contrast, species composition was significantly correlated among most groups, and clearly discriminates the disturbed from the undisturbed site. The composition of fruit-feeding butterflies and epigaeic Coleoptera were the best indicators in this study, discriminating between the disturbed and the undisturbed sites even in higher taxonomic categories, and acting as surrogates of the remaining arthropod groups. To validate the above findings, two additional Atlantic Forest reserves with different kinds of anthropogenic disturbance were sampled, aiming to find consistent responses to the three sources of disturbance. Fruit-feeding butterflies were used as focal group due to its usefulness as ecological indicators in the first study. Shifts in the species composition, abundance and proportion of three subfamilies (Brassolinae, Charaxinae and Satyrinae) were found to be consistent in our three study areas with different disturbance types and degrees. Results indicate that fruit-feeding butterflies may be promptly employed as disturbance indicators in the Atlantic Forest. On the other hand, disturbance effects on the fauna of the Brazilian Cerrado are still poorly understood. In the third study, the abundance of epigaeic arthropod orders and trophic guilds was assessed in cerrado sites subjected to three burning frequencies: frequent (HighFi), intermediary (MidFi) and infrequent (LowFi). None of the orders or trophic guilds analyzed had higher abundance in the LowFi, being either more abundant in the HighFi or MidFi, or did not differ among the burning frequencies. Results indicate that some arthropod groups may not only be resilient to fire effect, but actually benefit from fire effect in cerrado. Based on the results, springtails (Collembola) and ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) seem to be particularly appropriate focal groups for further exploratory studies at species level aiming to verify their indicator properties, since they are abundant in samples and, in the case of ants, relatively well known in the Cerrado. To sum up, the present study supports the potential of using arthropods as ecological indicators in different biomes, showing new directions to future research. / Doutorado / Doutor em Ecologia

Ants are ecologically important, environmentally sensitive, widespread, and abundant, yet ant assemblages of many habitats remain poorly understood. Ants in inland barrens of New York State (NY) barely have been studied, but the limited data suggest such habitats are likely to support uncommon ant species and high species density for the region. To increase knowledge of these assemblages, I systematically collected ants from three inland barrens systems in NY, to create species lists and measure species density. I also investigated how hiking trails — a common man-made disturbance — may be impacting ant assemblages in these early-successional, disturbance-dependent ecosystems. My data strongly indicate uncommonly high densities of ant species in NY pine barrens, including the most northern known occurrences of some species, and show that ant assemblage composition and species density are altered on hiking trails relative to managed barrens habitat bordering the trails. I conclude that monitoring ants on hiking trails could provide valuable information, particularly on disturbance-tolerant species, and an opportunity for visitor participation and citizen science programs that could detect additional rare species.

The trace fossil, or ichnofossil record provides a different perspective on animal evolution compared to that of body fossil, as it is typically preserved in different facies and lacks the bias towards mineralised body parts. As trace fossils record behaviours, they often cannot be assigned to particular producers, except in rare cases where they are found in association with them. However, they play an important role in the study of evolution and biostratigraphy and are particularly useful in stratigraphic studies of otherwise unfossiliferous rocks.Rusophycus is a rare exception as it is a trace fossil that is typically assigned to a trilobite tracemaker. However, this does not exclude other arthropods from being considered as potential producers of Rusophycus. Indeed, the trace appears before the first trilobite body fossils and is found after their disappearance. The earlier occurrences of Rusophycus are also the earliest undoubted signs of arthropods and are from the Terreneuvian. Pre-trilobitic forms seem to be different from their younger counterpart in morphological aspect, but this has not been formally quantified.This study investigates these early Rusophycus to obtain a clearer picture of what the pre-trilobitic Rusophycus record is like and to search for temporal trends in their morphology. Pre-trilobitic occurrences are also compared with younger ones to quantify their differences and try to interpret their significance. Pre-trilobitic Rusophycus appear to have lower length:width ratios than the younger ones. Moreover, they are also, on average wider than the younger Rusophycus. This is significant as it could result from a change in producer and probably in appendages used for digging. It could as well reflect a reduction in the number of appendages used. However, these low ratios could also be the result of taphonomic variation and the preservation of only the deeper parts of the traces. A reflection on the potential producers of the pre-trilobitic Rusophycus is also provided based on what is known of the morphology of early arthropods. While no definitive conclusion can be made, the probability that at least some of the earlier Rusophycus were not made by trilobites appears to be clear.

No description available.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most important grain crop in the country. Approximately 12 million tons of maize grain is produced annually on approximately 2.5 million ha of land. However, increased farming intensity can lead to fragmentation of habitat and has a tendency to decrease the biodiversity of an area. Therefore, to ensure the continued functionality of agro-ecosystems, methods in agriculture must be assessed and adapted when necessary to ensure the persistence of biological diversity. Unfortunately, the effect of crop production on species diversity and composition in South Africa is still relatively unknown, and no baseline data exists with which to gauge the possibility of unknown extinction risks of important biological elements. The objectives of this study were to compare plant and arthropod diversity patterns and species turnover of maize agro-ecosystems between biomes (grassland and savanna) and along a maize field-field margin gradient (MAFFMAG). Surveys of maize agro-ecosystems were conducted in six provinces of South Africa, namely North-West, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Free State and the Eastern Cape. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significantly lower plant and arthropod species diversity and richness in maize fields compared to field margins. Non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed that arthropod species composition differed between biomes although not along MAFFMAGs, indicating that arthropod species composition is dependent on biome rather than distance from maize field. Floristic data revealed unique species compositions for maize fields and field margins and also for biomes. Furthermore, maize fields and field margins of grassland sites were more similar in plant species composition than the savanna localities, suggesting higher regional beta diversity for savanna regions. Spearman‘s rank order correlations revealed generally positive but weak or no relationships between plant and arthropod diversity. This study provides baseline data for identification, monitoring and conservation of priority species and will allow the future evaluation of ecosystem services provided by plants and associated arthropods, especially natural enemies of pests, in maize agro-ecosystems. / MSc (Environmental Sciences), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This thesis provides new insight concerning drivers behind differences in arthropod diversity and abundance in Baltic shore ecosystems and how the arthropod communities might be affected when the conditions in the Baltic Sea are altered due to climate change.  The focus has been on climate related changes that are unique for coastal ecosystems, especially sea level rise and changes in the inflow of marine nutrients. As sea levels rise, features in coastal landscapes will be altered, islands and habitats will be flooded and diminished, and structural connectivity within the island landscape will therefore change. This thesis shows that arthropod diversity within the two arthropod groups, spiders and beetles, increases with island size but also that diversity is positively influenced by a high number of islands in the surroundings. A changed distribution and occurrence of marine species, due to climate change or eutrophication, can also affect terrestrial organisms on the shore.  In the Baltic Sea the new conditions following climate change will decrease the prevalence of bladder-wrack and benefit filamentous algae. Algal deposits on shores reflect the marine species composition and a decreased prevalence of bladder-wrack in the Baltic Sea will also be visible on the shores.  This thesis shows that a lower proportion of bladder-wrack in the algal deposits will decrease the diversity and abundance of arthropods in these deposits. Changes in the marine environment may also affect the inflow of insects with aquatic life stages and terrestrial adult stages.  On Baltic shores, prey species with aquatic life stages, especially chironomids, constitute a large proportion of the diet of the terrestrial predatory group, wolf spiders. In freshwater system, the inflow of chironomids is known to decrease with elevated water temperatures if this is true in the Baltic Sea prey availability of wolf spiders would decrease.  This thesis supports the importance of chironomids as a prey for coastal wolf spiders, but also shows that the diet varies over season with dominance of terrestrial prey in early summer shifting to a dominance of marine prey in late summer and autumn. This seasonal variation is primarily due to a gradual increase in the consumption of chironomids over season. Climate change has the potential to alter the biogeographical conditions in coastal landscapes as well as the density and quality of marine nutrient inflow. Sea level rise will diminish and flood islands and this thesis shows that a moderate sea level rise of 0.5 meters would make the total number of islands in the outer part of Stockholm archipelago decrease with about 25 %. Sea level rise could thus have consequences for arthropod diversity in Baltic shore meadows in the near future. The combined effects of sea level rise and changed prevalence of marine species in the Baltic Sea will affect the abundance and diversity of arthropods substantially. The abundance and diversity of spiders and beetles will decrease on shores that today have a high occurrence of bladder-wrack and prey availability for coastal predators might decrease due to a decreased inflow of chironomids. Changes in the arthropod communities could have consequences also further up in the food chain, such as for shore birds feeding on these arthropods. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript.</p>

Preservation of large tracts of habitat is often recommended for long-term population viability of area-sensitive species. Large tracts may not always be available. Smaller patches, though not able to contain a viable population individually, may contribute to overall regional population viability if within the small patches pairs could successfully reproduce. By definition, area-sensitive species should have a minimum patch size threshold of habitat below which they will not likely reproduce. Two potential causes for positive relationships between patch size and production are inverse relationships between patch size and brood parasitism and patch size and food availability. My objectives were (1) to determine the minimum patch size thresholds of reproductive success for golden-cheeked warblers (Dendroica chrysoparia), black-and-white warblers (Mniotilta varia), and white-eyed vireos (Vireo griseus); (2) to determine whether thresholds for occupancy, territory establishment by males, or pairing success were indicative of thresholds of reproduction; (3) to determine whether the proportion of pairs fledging brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) young was related to patch size, and (4) to determine the affects of patch size on food availability (i.e., arthropod abundance). The Vickery index of reproductive activity was used to determine reproductive activity of each male or pair and to quantify parasitism occurrences. I collected arthropods using branch clipping to assess the relationship between patch size and arthropod abundance. I found minimum patch size thresholds of reproductive success for golden-cheeked and black-and-white warblers, but not for white-eyed vireos. Minimum patch size of reproductive success was between 15 and 20.1 ha. Minimum patch size thresholds for occupancy, territory establishment by males, and pair formation were not consistent with thresholds for reproductive success. I found no relationships between patch size and cowbird parasitism or patch size and arthropod biomass. Conservation practices for target species based on thresholds of occupancy, territory establishment, or pair formation may not address issues of reproduction. The ability to identify thresholds of reproductive success for target species could be useful in conservation and management in multiple ways including setting goals for retention and restoration of a target species’ habitat patch size.

Preservation of large tracts of habitat is often recommended for long-term population viability of area-sensitive species. Large tracts may not always be available. Smaller patches, though not able to contain a viable population individually, may contribute to overall regional population viability if within the small patches pairs could successfully reproduce. By definition, area-sensitive species should have a minimum patch size threshold of habitat below which they will not likely reproduce. Two potential causes for positive relationships between patch size and production are inverse relationships between patch size and brood parasitism and patch size and food availability. My objectives were (1) to determine the minimum patch size thresholds of reproductive success for golden-cheeked warblers (Dendroica chrysoparia), black-and-white warblers (Mniotilta varia), and white-eyed vireos (Vireo griseus); (2) to determine whether thresholds for occupancy, territory establishment by males, or pairing success were indicative of thresholds of reproduction; (3) to determine whether the proportion of pairs fledging brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) young was related to patch size, and (4) to determine the affects of patch size on food availability (i.e., arthropod abundance). The Vickery index of reproductive activity was used to determine reproductive activity of each male or pair and to quantify parasitism occurrences. I collected arthropods using branch clipping to assess the relationship between patch size and arthropod abundance. I found minimum patch size thresholds of reproductive success for golden-cheeked and black-and-white warblers, but not for white-eyed vireos. Minimum patch size of reproductive success was between 15 and 20.1 ha. Minimum patch size thresholds for occupancy, territory establishment by males, and pair formation were not consistent with thresholds for reproductive success. I found no relationships between patch size and cowbird parasitism or patch size and arthropod biomass. Conservation practices for target species based on thresholds of occupancy, territory establishment, or pair formation may not address issues of reproduction. The ability to identify thresholds of reproductive success for target species could be useful in conservation and management in multiple ways including setting goals for retention and restoration of a target species’ habitat patch size.

This project elucidated the explanatory model of dengue fever held by members of urban communities in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The study was conducted over a four-month period from May-August of 2011, and it was divided into two stages. The first stage of the project consisted of volunteer participation with dengue fever surveillance brigades in the three communities with the highest incidence of dengue fever during the beginning of 2011. This initial stage employed participant observation as its research method. The second stage was conducted in a different community within Tegucigalpa. The primary research methods employed during the second stage of the project were participant observation, semi-structured questionnaires (n=18), and ethnographic surveys (n=32). The semi-structured questionnaires were conducted in three different low-socioeconomic status neighborhoods within the research community, and the ethnographic surveys were administered in a higher-socioeconomic status neighborhood within the same community. Participant observation was conducted in all four neighborhoods. The conceptions of dengue fever were evaluated across differing socio-economic statuses and the possibility of a folk characterization of dengue fever was investigated. The study also explored new avenues for prevention and assessed the impact of surveillance and informational campaigns. In significant aspects, the results from this study ran contrary to previous investigations on the topic (Kendall et al 1991); the results indicated that participants had an explanatory model of dengue fever very similar to the biomedical explanatory model. However, results also indicated that participants had a local-particular, etiological characterization of dengue fever that did not coincide with the biomedical explanatory model of dengue fever. In the latter respect, results were similar to those reported by Kendall et al (1991). Similarly, the participants in this study recognized poor communal cohesion and inadequate/inefficient governmental support or intervention as a prime promoter of dengue fever. The lack of communal cohesion and tension towards governmental authorities in relation to dengue fever has been described by Whiteford (1997). Finally, there were no apparent differences in the explanatory models held by low-socioeconomic status and high-socioeconomic status participants. This study contributes to the fields of anthropology and public health by 1) exploring differences in explanatory models across socio-economic status, 2) discussing local etiologies of dengue fever relating to dirt/filth, and 3) assessing local conceptions of dengue fever within the framework of a folk illness.

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most important grain crop in the country. Approximately 12 million tons of maize grain is produced annually on approximately 2.5 million ha of land. However, increased farming intensity can lead to fragmentation of habitat and has a tendency to decrease the biodiversity of an area. Therefore, to ensure the continued functionality of agro-ecosystems, methods in agriculture must be assessed and adapted when necessary to ensure the persistence of biological diversity. Unfortunately, the effect of crop production on species diversity and composition in South Africa is still relatively unknown, and no baseline data exists with which to gauge the possibility of unknown extinction risks of important biological elements. The objectives of this study were to compare plant and arthropod diversity patterns and species turnover of maize agro-ecosystems between biomes (grassland and savanna) and along a maize field-field margin gradient (MAFFMAG). Surveys of maize agro-ecosystems were conducted in six provinces of South Africa, namely North-West, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Free State and the Eastern Cape. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significantly lower plant and arthropod species diversity and richness in maize fields compared to field margins. Non-metric multidimensional scaling revealed that arthropod species composition differed between biomes although not along MAFFMAGs, indicating that arthropod species composition is dependent on biome rather than distance from maize field. Floristic data revealed unique species compositions for maize fields and field margins and also for biomes. Furthermore, maize fields and field margins of grassland sites were more similar in plant species composition than the savanna localities, suggesting higher regional beta diversity for savanna regions. Spearman‘s rank order correlations revealed generally positive but weak or no relationships between plant and arthropod diversity. This study provides baseline data for identification, monitoring and conservation of priority species and will allow the future evaluation of ecosystem services provided by plants and associated arthropods, especially natural enemies of pests, in maize agro-ecosystems. / MSc (Environmental Sciences), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014