Competition is common between closely related species, no less between birds. For tits in temperate forests, competition for food and space is usually stronger during winter, as foraging opportunities are few. Many species with an otherwise broad diet, therefore,  start eating the same available food items and thus increase their overlap in the use of food resources. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether coal tits and marsh tits compete with each other. The observations were made in 10 selected locations with varying types of forests. In the study, 20 entrants and 20 blacks were observed for 5 minutes per individual. Every minute the position of the individual was noted in the tree.The results indicate an asymmetrical competition between the species because marsh tits changed its habitat use and were found lower in trees in the presence of coal tits, whereas coal tits did not change its habitat use in the presence of marsh tits. The movement by the Marsh tits can then reduce competition and give both species a better chance of living together. / Konkurrens är vanligt mellan närbesläktade arter, inte minst mellan fåglar. Konkurrensen om mat och boplatser blir oftast starkare på vinterhalvåret då det är svårare att hitta mat och många arter som annars föredrar olika sorters föda då börjar äta samma sort. Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka om svartmes och entita konkurrerar med varandra. Observationerna gjordes på 10 utvalda platser med varierande skogstyper. I studien observerades 20 entitor och 20 svartmesar i 5 minuter per individ. Varje minut noterades individens position i trädet. Resultaten visar att det kan förekomma en asymmetrisk konkurrens mellan arterna då entitan flyttade sig nedåt i höjdnivå i närvaro av svartmes, medan svartmes inte ändrade plats i närvaro av entita. Entitans nedflyttning kan då minska konkurrensen och ge båda arter bättre möjlighet till samlevnad.

The biological diversity on planet Earth is astounding. Understanding the origins of this diversity, and how it is maintained, are the twin goals of ecology and evolutionary biology. An early and oft-repeated insight in this investigation is that that similar organisms cannot coexist indefinitely. Theory predicts that individuals and species will compete for limited resources and whichever has even a slight advantage will drive all others extinct in a process known as ‘competitive exclusion’. By diversifying, species avoid competition, thereby ‘stabilizing’ their coexistence. Yet natural systems often display levels of diversity that are surprisingly high, given this theory and investigations of how the similarity of coexisting species is maintained have received much less attention. Using a combination of field studies and experiments I demonstrate that highly similar species of freshwater amphipods may compete for resources without resulting in competitive exclusion. These findings suggest that there exist a range of interactions among Hyalella amphipods, ranging from strong stabilizing effects due to ecological trade-offs, to weakly stabilizing effects, to a total lack of stabilizing effects among various pairs of species in this system. These findings demonstrate how the relative strength of stabilizing forces may vary among coexisting species. Although much effort has been dedicated to enumerating and classifying the ways in which ecological and evolutionary forces promote diversity among species, there has been far less attention paid to mechanisms such as convergent evolution, habitat filtering, competition for non-substitutable resources, and non-ecological speciation, among others. I surveyed current theory that may explain the high levels of similarity among species often found in natural systems. I describe how several ecological and evolutionary mechanisms may operate to promote the coexistence of similar species and present results from new theoretical combinations of mechanisms to demonstrate how they may further act in concert with one another. / text

Guilds of species that share ecological similarities or recent ancestors are often the basis of studies concerning habitat partitioning. An interesting result of many of these studies is that means of partitioning in one area of sympatry may be different from those in disjunct areas of overlap. Here, we quantified the differences in habitat preference of two forest thrushes in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) has recently expanded its breeding range south along the spine of the Appalachians into the spruce-fir forests of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. There, it shares breeding habitat with the congeneric Veery (C. fuscescens), previously the only forest thrush breeding in this area. We used several multivariate analyses of habitat variables within both species' territories to understand how these species partition the available habitat and to test if these means of partitioning are similar to those found by other studies. We calculated the niche overlap to be 0.248, indicating that the habitat structures preferred by these two species are highly distinct. Hermit Thrushes generally preferred forest with a high degree of canopy closure, high percent coverage of leaf litter, and low percent cover below 3.0 m. Veery territories generally had a high percent of cover between 0.5 and 3.0 m (i.e., the shrub layer) and less canopy closure than the Hermit Thrush plots. Our data suggest that the Hermit Thrush is expanding south because it is attracted to the maturing of the spruce forests in this region.

Guilds of species that share ecological similarities or recent ancestors are often the basis of studies concerning habitat partitioning. An interesting result of many of these studies is that means of partitioning in one area of sympatry may be different from those in disjunct areas of overlap. Here, we quantified the differences in habitat preference of two forest thrushes in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The Hermit Thrush (Catharus guttatus) has recently expanded its breeding range south along the spine of the Appalachians into the spruce-fir forests of Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. There, it shares breeding habitat with the congeneric Veery (C. fuscescens), previously the only forest thrush breeding in this area. We used several multivariate analyses of habitat variables within both species' territories to understand how these species partition the available habitat and to test if these means of partitioning are similar to those found by other studies. We calculated the niche overlap to be 0.248, indicating that the habitat structures preferred by these two species are highly distinct. Hermit Thrushes generally preferred forest with a high degree of canopy closure, high percent coverage of leaf litter, and low percent cover below 3.0 m. Veery territories generally had a high percent of cover between 0.5 and 3.0 m (i.e., the shrub layer) and less canopy closure than the Hermit Thrush plots. Our data suggest that the Hermit Thrush is expanding south because it is attracted to the maturing of the spruce forests in this region.

A maioria dos rios do semiÃrido apresentam regimes irregulares e intermitentes, com um sà perÃodo anual de escoamento na chegada das precipitaÃÃes pluviomÃtricas que caracterizam o perÃodo chuvoso. Nesses rios, as perturbaÃÃes hidrolÃgicas naturais exercem forte influÃncia na organizaÃÃo do sistema, sendo as interaÃÃes alimentares complexas e modificadas pela sazonalidade e pela produtividade do sistema. A dieta de peixes pode variar de acordo com a disponibilidade de recursos alimentares de origem autÃctone ou alÃctone, bem como em resposta à variaÃÃo sazonal. A hipÃtese do presente estudo à de que em um rio do semiÃrido as espÃcies de peixes herbÃvoras/ onÃvoras apresentam partilha de recursos trÃficos. O objetivo foi determinar a partilha de recursos trÃficos a partir da dieta de quatro espÃcies de peixes no rio Curu. As coletas foram realizadas em um trecho do rio Curu (Pentecoste, CearÃ), no perÃodo chuvoso de 2010. Foi analisado o conteÃdo estomacal de 197 indivÃduos das seguintes espÃcies: Astyanax bimaculatus (27), Astyanax fasciatus (79), Poecilia vivipara (90) e Hypostomus jaguribensis (1), pelo mÃtodo volumÃtrico e frequÃncia de ocorrÃncia, para o cÃlculo do Ãndice alimentar (IAi). Com os dados morfomÃtricos foi obtido o Quociente Intestinal (QI). A amplitude de nicho foi estimada atravÃs do Ãndice de Levins e a sobreposiÃÃo trÃfica atravÃs do Ãndice de Pianka. PadrÃes de sobreposiÃÃo de nicho trÃfico foram calculados e estatisticamente testados contra um modelo nulo, atravÃs dos algoritmos de randomizaÃÃo RA3 e RA4. A dieta de A. bimaculatus foi constituÃda por 13 itens, e a de A. fasciatus constituÃda por 15, com preferÃncia alimentar pela alga filamentosa Spirogyra em ambas as espÃcies, sendo a importÃncia alimentar de 89,34% para A. bimaculatus e 96,86% A. fasciatus. A dieta de P. vivipara foi constituÃda por 60 itens, com maior importÃncia para as algas diatomÃceas (28,82%), clorofÃceas (23,17%) e cianofÃceas (5,2%), tendo as clorofÃceas Spirogyra e Closterium, maior importÃncia alimentar com 12,89% e 8,85%, respectivamente e fragmentos de insetos aquÃticos com 39,18%. A dieta de H. jaguribensis esteve constituÃda por 42 itens alimentares, com maior importÃncia para Spirogyra com 23,42%, e Compsopogon com 19%. O grupo diatomÃcea apresentou maior nÃmero de itens na dieta com 21 tÃxons e 16,38% de IAi, seguido pelo item alimentar detrito com 27,72% de importÃncia. De acordo com o quociente intestinal A. bimaculatus e A. fasciatus apresentam intestino caracterÃstico de carnÃvoro/onÃvoro e P. vivipara de herbÃvoro. A anÃlise de variÃncia (ANOVA) para os valores mÃdios do quociente intestinal dos peixes analisados foi significativa com F= 3,50, df = 2, p< 0,05. A largura de nicho foi maior em P. vivipara com 1.32, seguido por A. bimaculatus com 0,78 e A. fasciatus com 0,426. Maior sobreposiÃÃo de nicho ocorreu entre as espÃcies de Astyanax com o valor de 0,98. A anÃlise dos modelos nulos realizados pelos itens totais e os itens agrupados indicou que os valores observados foram sempre maiores do que os esperados para a matriz RA3 e RA4. A variÃncia mÃdia observada tambÃm foi maior do que a simulada. De acordo com a dieta das quatro espÃcies analisadas, destacam a importÃncia de itens de origem autÃctone, principalmente as algas. Os modelos nulos indicam que as espÃcies de peixes herbÃvoras/onÃvoras apresentam partilha de recursos trÃficos, ou seja, a competiÃÃo nÃo à o agente estruturador dessa comunidade. / The semiarid rivers present two patterns: the intermittent and the irregular one, with a single flowing off period per year, during the rainy season. In these rivers, the natural hydrological disturb acts as an important factor driving the organization of the system, in which feeding interactions are complex and modified by seasonality and system productiveness. Fishes often feed on autochthonous or allochthonous resources, with their diets varying according to the with seasonal variation of food availability. The hypothesis of this the present study is that in the semiarid river herbivorous/onivorous fish species present trophic resources partitioning. The major aim of this study the present investigation is was to determine the trophic resources partitioning for four species of fishes at in the Curu River. Field work collections were carried out throughout the rainy season, at the Curu River, in Pentecoste city town, in Cearà state. The stomach content of 197 individuals of the species Astyanax bimaculatus (27), Astyanax fasciatus (79), Poecilia vivipara (90) e Hypostomus jaguribensis (1) was analyzed through the volumetric method in order to obtain for the frequency of each feeding item, so that the Index of Alimentary Importance (IAi) could have been measured. The morphometric data were used to obtain the intestinal quotient (IQ), the niche breadth estimated for the Levinsâ index and the trophic overlap for the Piankaâs index. Patterns of trophic niche overlap were calculated and statistically tested against a null model using the randomization algorithms RA3 and RA4. A. bimaculatus and A. fasciatus fed on 13 and 15 items, respectively. Both species presented feeding preferences for the filamentous algae Spirogyra sp., encompassing 89.34% and 96.86% of their diets, respectively. Poecilia viviparaâs diet comprised 60 items, mainly made up of algae (Bacillariophyta - 28.82%, Chlorophyta - 23.17% and Cyanophyta â 5.2%). Amongst the âgreen algaeâ, Spirogyra sp. (12.89%) and the Closterium sp. (8.85%) were the chief principal items eaten. Aquatic insects (39.18%) made up the second most important item. A total of 42 items compounded the diet of H. jaguribensis, which detritus (27,72%), the algae Spyrogira sp. (23.42%) and Compsopogon sp. (19%) were the foremost most important items. The diatom group comprised the most abundant item, with 21 taxa and 16.38% of IAi. According to the intestinal quotient, A. bimaculatus e A. fasciatus showed a typical carnivorous/omnivorous intestine, whereas P. vivipara showed a herbivorous one. The analysis of variance shows that the intestinal quotient varied among species (F = 3.50; d.f = 2; p < 0.05). The niche breadth was greater for P. vivipara (1.32), followed by A. bimaculatus (0.78) and A. fasciatus (0.426). The higher niche overlap occurred within the Astyanax species (0.98). The null model analysis carried out for the total and clustered grouped items indicated that the observed values were always higher than the expected ones for the RA3 and RA4 matrices. In addition, the mean observed variance was higher than the simulated one. The four studied fish species fed mainly on autochthonous items, chiefly on algae. The null models demonstrated that there is a resource partitioning amongst these herbivorous/omnivorous fish species, where competition seems not to be the structuring agent.

No description available.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:31:59Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 4017.pdf: 3689983 bytes, checksum: f15b289ba85e2141d06ae104015f2757 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-06-07 / The trophic ecology is one of the most important aspects to understand the role of a species in the community and in the ecosystem functioning. Studies regarding the feeding of fishes coupled to the ecomorphology of a species become important tools in understanding their ecological role and position in the environment. The present study aimed to analyze the types and amount of food consumed by eleven species of fishes collected in six streams of Alcântara, Maranhão state, and assess their possible interspecific interactions. The specimens were collected in the rainy season, in January, and in the dry season, in November 2008. The analysis of morphology of the fish species was performed by measuring 17 characteristics and calculating 16 ecomorphological attributes. Analysis of the contents of the digestive tract was performed quantitatively and qualitatively. In order to determine the feeding habits of each species the frequency of occurrence, volume and alimentary index of each food item consumed were calculated. The majority of individuals analyzed was collected in the streams Igarapé do Camarajó and Igarapé do Brito. The trophic structure of fish assemblages of these two streams was diversified in both, rainy and dry seasons. The habit of the benthivore species Micropoecilia cf. parae and Apistogramma cf. piauienses was corroborated by their morphology. In the rainy season, there was a higher niche overlap in the diet of insectivorous species in the stream Igarapé do Camarajó, but the morphology of these species showed distinct spatial occupation of the habitat, thus allowing their coexistence. In the dry season most species had food overlap due to the consumption of organic detritus in the Igarapé do Camarajó stream and due to the consumption of chironomid larvae in the Igarapé do Brito stream. Fishes of Camarajó and Brito streams were more likely to feeding specialization in the rainy season and increased diversification of the items consumed during the dry season, indicated, respectively, by larger and smaller niche breadth. The changes in the trophic structure, in the niche overlap and in the niche breadth of fish community in the six streams studied indicate that fluctuations on the hydrological cycle in these streams are an important factor in the throphic dynamics of these fish communities. / Um dos aspectos mais relevantes no entendimento do papel de uma espécie na comunidade à qual pertence e no funcionamento nos ecossistemas refere-se à sua ecologia trófica. Estudos sobre a alimentação de peixes atrelados à ecomorfologia das espécies são ferramentas importantes no entendimento do papel ecológico das espécies e de sua ocupação do meio. O presente estudo teve como objetivos estudar as características da alimentação e da ecomorfologia da ictiofauna amostrada em seis igarapés maranhenses e avaliar suas possíveis interações interespecíficas. Os exemplares analisados foram coletados na estação chuvosa, em janeiro, e na estação seca, em novembro, de 2008. Para análise da ecomorfologia destas espécies foram obtidas 17 medidas e com elas calculados 16 atributos ecomorfológicos. A análise do conteúdo do tubo digestório foi realizada quali e quantitativamente. Para a determinação do hábito alimentar de cada espécie foram calculados a frequência de ocorrência, o volume e o índice alimentar de cada item consumido. A maioria dos indivíduos analisados foi coletada nos igarapés do Camarajó e do Brito. A estrutura trófica da assembléia de peixes destes dois igarapés foi diversificada em ambas estações, chuvosa e seca. O hábito bentófago das espécies Micropoecilia cf. parae e Apistogramma cf. piauiensis foi corroborada por suas morfologias. Na estação chuvosa, observou-se maior sobreposição de nicho na dieta dos insetívoros no igarapé do Camarajó, porém, os atributos ecomofológicos destas espécies indicaram distinta ocupação de nicho espacial entre elas, permitindo, assim, a coexistência. Já na estação seca, no igarapé do Camarajó, a maioria das espécies teve sobreposição alimentar devido ao consumo de detritos orgânicos e no igarapé do Brito pelo consumo de quironomídeos. Os peixes dos igarapés do Camarajó e do Brito apresentaram maior tendência à especialização alimentar na estação chuvosa e maior diversificação dos itens consumidos na estação seca, ambas indicadas pela maior e menor amplitude de nicho, respectivamente. As mudanças na estrutura trófica, na sobreposição e no espectro alimentar da ictiofauna dos seis igarapés maranhenses estudados, indicam que as flutuações decorrentes do ciclo hidrológico constituem, nestes igarapés, um fator importante na dinâmica destas comunidades de peixes.

Submitted by Marlene Santos (marlene.bc.ufg@gmail.com) on 2016-05-04T19:47:04Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Helen Rosa da Silva - 2015.pdf: 1580503 bytes, checksum: b52d04d79b983417cb07f98a43ae918d (MD5) license_rdf: 19874 bytes, checksum: 38cb62ef53e6f513db2fb7e337df6485 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2016-05-05T13:09:29Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Helen Rosa da Silva - 2015.pdf: 1580503 bytes, checksum: b52d04d79b983417cb07f98a43ae918d (MD5) license_rdf: 19874 bytes, checksum: 38cb62ef53e6f513db2fb7e337df6485 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-05-05T13:09:30Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Dissertação - Helen Rosa da Silva - 2015.pdf: 1580503 bytes, checksum: b52d04d79b983417cb07f98a43ae918d (MD5) license_rdf: 19874 bytes, checksum: 38cb62ef53e6f513db2fb7e337df6485 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-03-26 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Understanding how species are distributed across space and what determines where they live is one of the oldest goals in Ecology. The concept of niche is very closely related to this goal. In fact, environmental variables are frequently used to predict the potential distribution of species. Niche amplitude is an important concept which helps us to understand which part of the available environmental space each species occupies, and how much of their niches overlap. Here we used a measure of niche amplitude based on the minimum and maximum tolerances of terrestrial vertebrates (except reptiles) for each variable related to climate. We calculated a single measure of niche amplitude for each species by considering together all chosen environmental variables. We used this number to first investigate the presence of latitudinal gradient in niche amplitude across the study area, which comprised the whole terrestrial globe. There is a significant correlation between niche amplitude and latitude for Old World birds. Second we tried to identify some phylogenetic structure in niche amplitude for birds. For this goal, we calculated the pair-wise niche overlap, and then compared the degree of overlap with pair-wise phylogenetic distances. We found no relationship between niche overlap and phylogenetic distance. We conclude that the absence of phylogenetic signal in niche overlap is due to the high dispersion capability of birds in general. If species have a high geographic range, they consequently have high niche amplitude, and therefore high overlap rates. Finally, we found a clear tendency of positive local spatial autocorrelation in mean niche overlap, as neighbor cells tend to show similar rates of niche overlap between species. / Compreender os fatores que determinam a distribuição das espécies no espaço geográfico é uma das questões mais importantes em ecologia. O conceito de nicho é fortemente relacionado a essa questão. Não por acaso, variáveis ambientais são comumente usadas para inferir a distribuição potencial de espécies. Amplitude de nicho é uma medida importante que nos possibilita saber que proporção do espaço ambiental cada espécie ocupa. Assim, podemos também identificar que proporção do espaço ocupado por cada espécie, seu nicho, é sobreposta pelo nicho das espécies coexistentes. No presente trabalho utilizamos uma medida de amplitude de nicho específica baseada na soma das tolerâncias para cada variável climática utilizada. Utilizamos essa medida para investigar, primeiramente, a presença de estrutura espacial, especificamente gradiente latitudinal, na amplitude de nicho de vertebrados terrestres (exceto répteis), numa escala global. Apenas aves do Velho Mundo apresentaram amplitude de nicho negativamente associada à latitude. Posteriormente, investigamos a presença de estrutura filogenética na amplitude de nicho em Aves, baseados na hipótese de conservação de nicho. Para esse objetivo calculamos a sobreposição de nicho par-a-par e então correlacionamos essa medida com as distâncias filogenéticas. Não houve correlação entre proximidade filogenética e sobreposição de nicho. Tal resultado pode estar relacionado à grande capacidade de dispersão de aves. Se a área de ocupação geográfica é ampla, a amplitude das tolerâncias é em geral alta e consequentemente a sobreposição média entre diferentes espécies. Finalmente houve forte indício de autocorrelação espacial positiva na sobreposição média por célula entre células próximas, indicando que áreas próximas tendem a apresentar espécies com taxas semelhantes de sobreposição de nicho.

Submitted by Marlene Santos (marlene.bc.ufg@gmail.com) on 2014-09-17T21:01:01Z No. of bitstreams: 2 José Neiva Mesquita Neto.pdf: 2799737 bytes, checksum: 590e98d41066ac6babc47eeb04637796 (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Rejected by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com), reason: Marlene, olhe nas orientações a questão da citação, a qual deve ser de acordo com a NBR 6023: ALCÂNTARA, Guizelle Aparecida de. Caracterização farmacognostica e atividade antimicrobiana da folha e casca do caule da myrciarostratadc.(myrtaceae). 2012. 41 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em Ciências Farmacêuticas) - Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, 2012. on 2014-09-18T12:33:01Z (GMT) / Submitted by Marlene Santos (marlene.bc.ufg@gmail.com) on 2014-09-18T19:01:02Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) José Neiva Mesquita Neto.pdf: 2799737 bytes, checksum: 590e98d41066ac6babc47eeb04637796 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luciana Ferreira (lucgeral@gmail.com) on 2014-09-19T11:32:20Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) José Neiva Mesquita Neto.pdf: 2799737 bytes, checksum: 590e98d41066ac6babc47eeb04637796 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-09-19T11:32:20Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) José Neiva Mesquita Neto.pdf: 2799737 bytes, checksum: 590e98d41066ac6babc47eeb04637796 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-09-19 / Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / Plant-pollinator interactions in syncronopatric species of Psychotria (Rubiaceae). Psychotria species are commonly found in the understory of forested areas in tropical regions, and are important components for the functioning of these ecosystems. Many species of the genus are sympatric and bloom during the same period, being considered potentially syncronopatrics. For this reason, this genus has been considered as a good model to infer general patterns and mechanisms of speciation in the tropics. In the first paper of this dissertation, the interactions between potentially sympatric species of Psychotria and their pollinators were analyzed in order to verify the possible existence of sharing, specialization or generalization of pollinators and plants in the analyzed system. Then, data of secondary studies that contained identifying pollinators of Psychotria were analyzed From these data, we generated graphs and analyzes of interaction networks and niche overlap. Altogether, nine species of Psychotria and 25 species of pollinators of occurrence in the Atlantic Forest were included in the analyzes. The plant with the most generalist network is Psychotria tenuinervis and the pollinators with the highest proportion of links and consequently with more important role in the network belonged orders Lepidoptera and Hymenoptera. Psychotria species showed niche overlap in pollination and pollinator sharing. The period of greatest intensity of flowering coincided with the rainy season in the Atlantic Forest, with up to seven species coflowering. Because Psychotria species occur in sympatry and have flowering overlap and asymmetric interactions with flower visitors, it is possible that they are involved in a process of facilitation in pollination. The second paper aimed to investigate if four sympatric populations of Psychotria show pollinators sharing and pollination niche overlap . Another objective was to determine if their flowering season are synchronics. We found a dual synchrony in this system, the first in the intensity of flowering among the populations of Psychotria and the second in the increase of the abundance of flowers and pollinators. The species of Psychotria showed sharing fundamental niche of pollination and positive impact on reproductive success. However, we note that the sharing of pollinators can not be generalized to the entire system, but to the modules or pairs of species. Thus, each species of Psychotria has one or more species of preferential pollinator for sharing and that this relationship is not always reciprocal. This reinforces that the interactions among the plant species are asymmetric. / Interação planta-polinizador em espécies sincronopátricas de Psychotria (Rubiaceae). Psychotria contribui de forma importante para a diversidade florística tropical e são comumente encontradas em sub-bosque de áreas florestadas em regiões tropicais, sendo importantes componentes para o funcionamento destes ecossistemas. Muitas espécies do gênero são simpátricas e florescem em um mesmo período do ano, sendo consideradas potencialmente sincronopátricas. Por esta razão, este gênero tem sido considerado como um bom modelo para inferir padrões e mecanismos gerais de especiação nos trópicos. No primeiro artigo, as interações entre espécies potencialmente simpátricas de Psychotria e seus polinizadores foram analisadas com o objetivo de verificar a possível existência de partilha, de especialização ou generalização de polinizadores e plantas no sistema analisado. Para isso, foram incluídas informações secundárias de estudos que continham a identificação em nível de espécie de polinizadores de Psychotria. A partir desses dados, foram gerados grafos e realizadas análises de redes de interação e sobreposição de nicho. Ao todo, foram incluídas nas análises nove espécies de Psychotria com registro de ocorrência para a Mata Atlântica, sendo que elas interagiram com 25 espécies de polinizadores. A planta mais generalista da rede foi Psychotria tenuinervis e os polinizadores que concentraram maior número de links e consequentemente com papel mais importante na rede pertenceram as ordens Lepidoptera e Hymenoptera. As espécies de Psychotria apresentaram sobreposição de nicho na polinização com partilha de polinizadores. O período de maior intensidade de floração coincidiu com o período chuvoso na Mata Atlântica, com até sete espécies apresentando coflorescimento. Assim, pode-se inferir que a polinização em Psychotria demanda polinizadores generalistas. Pelo fato das espécies de Psychotria ocorrerem em simpatria, possuírem floração sobreposta e interações assimétricas com visitantes florais, é possível que estejam envolvidas em um processo de facilitação na polinização. Já o segundo artigo objetivou averiguar se quatro populações simpátricas de Psychotria, em cofloração, apresentaram partilha de polinizadores e sobreposição de nicho na polinização. Além disso, objetivou verificar se existe sincronia entre as populações vegetais e destas com comunidade de polinizadores. Foi encontrada uma dupla sincronia nesse sistema, sendo a primeira na intensidade de floração entres as populações de Psychotria e a segunda no aumento da abundância de flores e de polinizadores. As espécies de Psychotria apresentaram partilha fundamental do nicho da polinização e com reflexo positivo no sucesso reprodutivo. No entanto, verificamos que a partilha de polinizadores não pode ser generalizada a todo o sistema, mas sim a módulos ou pares de espécies. Dessa forma, cada espécie de Psychotria possui uma ou mais espécies preferencias para partilha de polinizadores e que nem sempre essa relação é reciproca. Isso reforça que as interações entre as plantas são assimétricas.

Intraguild competition and predation have been recognised as important ecological factors influencing the population dynamics of carnivores. The effects of these interactions are often asymmetrical due to a size-related dominancy hierarchy. However, it has been suggested that competitively subordinate carnivores can minimise the costs of predation and competition through spatial and temporal avoidance. Here I investigate the ecological and behavioural mechanisms by which cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) coexist with competitively stronger lions (Panthera leo) and spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta). Fieldwork was carried out in the Okavango Delta, northern Botswana, between October 2008 and August 2011. A total of 20 Global Positioning System (GPS) radio-collars were fitted on all known cheetahs (n=6), lion prides (n=5) and spotted hyaena clans (n=6) in the study area (approx. 3 000 km²). Pre-programmed radio-collars recorded locations and activity continuously for each individual and these data were complemented with direct behavioural observations. Cheetah data were analysed with respect to the temporal and spatial likelihood of encountering lions and spotted hyaenas. Results suggest that the response to the risks posed by other predators is species-specific, habitat-specific and dependent on the immediacy of the risk. Resource partitioning was not the main mechanism for coexistence as cheetahs overlapped extensively with lions and spotted hyaenas in time, space and habitat use. Instead, cheetahs adjusted their spatial distribution in response to immediate risks or adapted their habitat use depending on their vulnerability (e.g. behaviours such as feeding or with differing levels of moonlight at night). In general, cheetah temporal and spatial distribution is a hierarchal process, firstly driven by resource acquisition and thereafter fine-tuned by predator avoidance. In addition, habitat heterogeneity seemed to be key in facilitating coexistence. Understanding the behavioural mechanisms that interacting apex predators adopt to regulate these negative interactions could be crucial to carnivore conservation, especially as human-related habitat loss is forcing species into ever smaller areas.