In South Africa, the unsustainable use of natural resources by domestic livestock has led to resource depletion and serious land degradation. Rangeland degradation, especially bush encroachment and soil erosion, is particularly acute in the North-West Province, where all districts show signs of desertification and a loss of biodiversity resulting in a deterioration of human and animal health. This has a major impact on livestock productivity and the economic viability of livestock farming with serious consequences for the livelihoods of pastoral communities. It is important to recognise ecological change before irreversible changes occur. The aim of this study, which falls within the Global Environmental Facility Desert Margins Programme (GEF-DMP), was to investigate to what extent vegetation in combination with ant communities can be used as indicators of ecosystem change due to anthropogenic human induced land-use patterns and how can this information be used in land degradation management and biodiversity conservation in the semi-arid western rangelands of Southern Africa. Sites, representing a degradation gradient (relative poor and relative good rangeland condition extremes) within each of three Tribal-, three Commercial- and three Reserve areas, were surveyed. The impacts of these land uses on the herbaceous species composition, woody-, soil- and ant components were evaluated. Both the woody and herbaceous species components reflected the existence of a rangeland condition/degradation gradient across the larger study area. The herbaceous species composition reflected similar degradation tendencies within the Commercial and Reserve land uses, with sites being associated with low rangeland as well as high rangeland condition scores. The tendencies differed between these two land uses based on the woody degradation gradient. The entire Tribal herbaceous- and woody species components showed a transitional shift towards another state, which differed significantly from the Commercial and Reserve land uses. Both the Tribal herbaceous and woody components were associated with low to intermediate rangeland condition ranges, with no significant rangeland condition gradient existing within the Tribal land use. Understanding and quantification of the soil-vegetation dynamics hold important implications for rangeland degradation management. This study provided criteria for selecting the most appropriate measures when incorporating the soil parameters as additive data in the multivariate analyses with the vegetation, ant and nominal environmental data. Different land use practices resulted in different soil patterns, with significant gradients pertaining to the soil stratum and openness/woodiness groups. There was a significant though neglectable difference pertaining to the rangeland condition/degradation gradient based on the soil component. Ants have been extensively used as bio-indicators, also with regard to the monitoring of the environmental effects of rangeland pastoralism. Ant species compositional patterns and functional groups displayed congruent clustering and diversity patterns as those of the vegetation and soil components. In contrast to the vegetation components, ant assemblages did not reflect a degradation gradient, but rather reflected environmental changes (modifications) to the habitat structure and - heterogeneity as a result of different land use disturbances. Both vegetation and ant diversity measures were mainly associated with the Tribal land use. These diversity indices were indicators of habitat complexity, heterogeneity and moderate disturbance, rather than indicators of a rangeland condition/degradation gradient. The diversity patterns are best described by a dichotomy between the humped-shaped productivity/diversity and the habitat complexity/heterogeneity models. Vegetation and ant diversity measures for this study should be considered as environmental indicators of habitat disturbance rather than as biodiversity indicators. It is suggested that vegetation, soil and ant patterns are best described by the state-and-transition model, which encompasses both equilibrium and non-equilibrium systems. The resilient nature of these rangelands, typical of non-equilibrium systems, was reflected by the low to intermediate differences between land uses with regard to the herbaceous, woody, soil and ant components. However, densitydependent coupling of herbivores to key resources resulted in transitional shifts and modification of the vegetation composition and structure within and between land uses, displaying the equilibrium dynamics pertaining to these rangelands. Small disturbances in these rangelands may result in detrimental “snowball” interactive biotic-biotic /abiotic cascades. Spatial heterogeneous patterns within and between land uses as displayed by the vegetation, soil and ant parameters, necessitate that monitoring and management at patch, paddock and landscape scale should be conducted, cautioning against the extrapolation and over simplification of management strategies across all land uses. Because these arid rangelands are linked socio-ecological systems, it is not possible to address biophysical issues associated with land degradation without including the human dimensions. A “Key assessment matrix” is provided for monitoring and management purposes pertaining to land degradation and diversity aspects within and between the different land uses, and can be used by the land user, extension officer and scientist. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Botany))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Invasive alien species (IAS) pose a serious threat to ecosystems and societies worldwide. Local ecological knowledge (LEK) is increasingly valued as a means of understanding environmental issues; however, its application in the context of IAS research has been limited. The overall objective of this study was to document the LEK of farmers and Weed Supervisors to gain insight into a recent IAS, Odontites serotina. I conducted semi-structured interviews with farmers and Weed Supervisors with O. serotina management experience. Results indicated that the socio-economic impacts for farmers were severe in affected rural communities. However, participants had developed promising control techniques, including the application of compost mulch. I used this LEK as well as data on species occurrence, environmental variables, and measures of propagule pressure to forecast the potential distribution of O. serotina across Manitoba. The risk map generated will be useful for guiding future monitoring and public outreach efforts.

In South Africa, the unsustainable use of natural resources by domestic livestock has led to resource depletion and serious land degradation. Rangeland degradation, especially bush encroachment and soil erosion, is particularly acute in the North-West Province, where all districts show signs of desertification and a loss of biodiversity resulting in a deterioration of human and animal health. This has a major impact on livestock productivity and the economic viability of livestock farming with serious consequences for the livelihoods of pastoral communities. It is important to recognise ecological change before irreversible changes occur. The aim of this study, which falls within the Global Environmental Facility Desert Margins Programme (GEF-DMP), was to investigate to what extent vegetation in combination with ant communities can be used as indicators of ecosystem change due to anthropogenic human induced land-use patterns and how can this information be used in land degradation management and biodiversity conservation in the semi-arid western rangelands of Southern Africa. Sites, representing a degradation gradient (relative poor and relative good rangeland condition extremes) within each of three Tribal-, three Commercial- and three Reserve areas, were surveyed. The impacts of these land uses on the herbaceous species composition, woody-, soil- and ant components were evaluated. Both the woody and herbaceous species components reflected the existence of a rangeland condition/degradation gradient across the larger study area. The herbaceous species composition reflected similar degradation tendencies within the Commercial and Reserve land uses, with sites being associated with low rangeland as well as high rangeland condition scores. The tendencies differed between these two land uses based on the woody degradation gradient. The entire Tribal herbaceous- and woody species components showed a transitional shift towards another state, which differed significantly from the Commercial and Reserve land uses. Both the Tribal herbaceous and woody components were associated with low to intermediate rangeland condition ranges, with no significant rangeland condition gradient existing within the Tribal land use. Understanding and quantification of the soil-vegetation dynamics hold important implications for rangeland degradation management. This study provided criteria for selecting the most appropriate measures when incorporating the soil parameters as additive data in the multivariate analyses with the vegetation, ant and nominal environmental data. Different land use practices resulted in different soil patterns, with significant gradients pertaining to the soil stratum and openness/woodiness groups. There was a significant though neglectable difference pertaining to the rangeland condition/degradation gradient based on the soil component. Ants have been extensively used as bio-indicators, also with regard to the monitoring of the environmental effects of rangeland pastoralism. Ant species compositional patterns and functional groups displayed congruent clustering and diversity patterns as those of the vegetation and soil components. In contrast to the vegetation components, ant assemblages did not reflect a degradation gradient, but rather reflected environmental changes (modifications) to the habitat structure and - heterogeneity as a result of different land use disturbances. Both vegetation and ant diversity measures were mainly associated with the Tribal land use. These diversity indices were indicators of habitat complexity, heterogeneity and moderate disturbance, rather than indicators of a rangeland condition/degradation gradient. The diversity patterns are best described by a dichotomy between the humped-shaped productivity/diversity and the habitat complexity/heterogeneity models. Vegetation and ant diversity measures for this study should be considered as environmental indicators of habitat disturbance rather than as biodiversity indicators. It is suggested that vegetation, soil and ant patterns are best described by the state-and-transition model, which encompasses both equilibrium and non-equilibrium systems. The resilient nature of these rangelands, typical of non-equilibrium systems, was reflected by the low to intermediate differences between land uses with regard to the herbaceous, woody, soil and ant components. However, densitydependent coupling of herbivores to key resources resulted in transitional shifts and modification of the vegetation composition and structure within and between land uses, displaying the equilibrium dynamics pertaining to these rangelands. Small disturbances in these rangelands may result in detrimental “snowball” interactive biotic-biotic /abiotic cascades. Spatial heterogeneous patterns within and between land uses as displayed by the vegetation, soil and ant parameters, necessitate that monitoring and management at patch, paddock and landscape scale should be conducted, cautioning against the extrapolation and over simplification of management strategies across all land uses. Because these arid rangelands are linked socio-ecological systems, it is not possible to address biophysical issues associated with land degradation without including the human dimensions. A “Key assessment matrix” is provided for monitoring and management purposes pertaining to land degradation and diversity aspects within and between the different land uses, and can be used by the land user, extension officer and scientist. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Botany))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2007.

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 82-90).

Thesis (M.S.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Biological Studies, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Submitted by Claudia Rocha (claudia.rocha@udesc.br) on 2017-12-11T13:34:57Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PGEF16MA070.pdf: 2448624 bytes, checksum: 4869319201ca98d0673aaafa7f95a8ce (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-12-11T13:34:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PGEF16MA070.pdf: 2448624 bytes, checksum: 4869319201ca98d0673aaafa7f95a8ce (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-26 / UNIEDU / This study aimed to evaluate the potential of Eucalyptus badjensis wood for the production of particleboard, as well as mixing it with the wood of Pinus spp. and further compare the effect of using different amounts of urea-formaldehyde adhesive (UF) on the properties of the produced panels. Thus particles were made using panels of E. badjensis and Pinus spp., As well as the mixture of two species in homogeneous composition and multilayer panels panels in proportions 25%/50%/25% using the levels of 8%, 10% and 12% of the urea formaldehyde adhesive. Were realized the analyzes of compression ratio, thickness swelling and water absorption in 2 and 24 hours of immersion in water, not return rate in thickness, modulus of elasticity (MOE) and modulus of rupture (MOR) , Traction perpendicular to the surface (Internalbond) and screw pullout , aiming to enhance discussion of the results were also conducted chemical analyzes of wood , particle geometry and basic wood density. With this study it was concluded that the Eucalyptus badjensis has the potential for making particleboards, as average values presented statistically better or equal to Pinus spp. all properties examined in the same manner was observed that the increase in adhesive, content causes an improvement in the properties of the panels / O presente estudo teve como objetivo avaliar o potencial da madeira de Eucalyptus badjensis para a produção de painéis de madeira aglomerada, bem como de sua mistura com a madeira de Pinus spp. e ainda comparar o efeito da utilizando diferentes teores do adesivo ureia-formaldeído (UF) nas propriedades dos painéis produzidos. Desse modo foram confeccionados painéis utilizando partículas de E. badjensis e de Pinus spp., bem como com a mistura das duas espécies em painéis de composição homogênea e painéis multicamada nas proporções 25%/50%/25 % utilizando os teores de 8%, 10% e 12% do adesivo ureia-formaldeído. Foram realizadas as análises de densidade aparente, razão de compactação, absorção de água e inchamento em espessura em 2 e 24h de imersão em água, taxa de não retorno em espessura (TNRE), modulo de elasticidade (MOE), modulo de ruptura (MOR), tração perpendicular à superfície (ligação interna) e arrancamento de parafuso com o objetivo de aprimorar a discussão dos resultados também foram realizadas análises químicas da madeira, da geometria de partículas e da densidade básica da madeira. Com o presente trabalho foi possível concluir que a madeira de Eucalyptus badjensis apresenta potencial para a confecção de painéis do tipo aglomerado, uma vez que apresentou valores médios melhores ou iguais ao Pinus spp. em todas as propriedades analisadas, do mesmo modo foi observado que o aumento nos teores de adesivo ocasiona uma melhora nas propriedades dos painéis

abstract: The Committee on Rare and Endangered Wildlife Species (CREWS) of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) made important and lasting contributions to one of the most significant pieces of environmental legislation in U.S. history: the Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA). CREWS was a prominent science-advisory body within the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) in the 1960s and 1970s, responsible for advising on the development of federal endangered-wildlife policy. The Committee took full advantage of its scientific and political authority by identifying a particular object of conservation--used in the development of the first U.S. list of endangered species--and establishing captive breeding as a primary conservation practice, both of which were written into the ESA and are employed in endangered-species listing and recovery to this day. Despite these important contributions to federal endangered-species practice and policy, CREWS has received little attention from historians of science or policy scholars. This dissertation is an empirical history of CREWS that draws on primary sources from the Smithsonian Institution (SI) Archives and a detailed analysis of the U.S. congressional record. The SI sources (including the records of the Bird and Mammal Laboratory, an FWS staffed research group stationed at the Smithsonian Institution) reveal the technical and political details of CREWS's advisory work. The congressional record provides evidence showing significant contributions of CREWS and its advisors and supervisors to the legislative process that resulted in the inclusion of key CREWS-inspired concepts and practices in the ESA. The foundational concepts and practices of the CREWS's research program drew from a number of areas currently of interest to several sub-disciplines that investigate the complex relationship between science and society. Among them are migratory bird conservation, systematics inspired by the Evolutionary Synthesis, species-focused ecology, captive breeding, reintroduction, and species transplantation. The following pages describe the role played by CREWS in drawing these various threads together and codifying them as endangered-species policy in the ESA. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Biology 2011

Ecótonos campo-floresta no sul do Brasil são originados pela expansão de ecossistemas florestais sobre os campestres, um processo natural gerado por mudanças climáticas de larga escala espacial e temporal. Este processo provoca mudanças vegetacionais que consequentemente modificam os padrões de distribuição, composição e riqueza faunística. Assim, ecótonos campo-floresta são sistemas adequados para inferir sobre a influência de processos históricos, biogeográficos e ecológicos na estruturação de comunidades. Para respondermos questões relacionadas a processos agindo em diferentes escalas espaciais, distribuímos as amostragens de modo a obtermos um panorama espacial da estrutura das assembléias. Assim, a proposta de estudo desenvolvido no Capítulo I foi avaliar o papel do ambiente e de dinâmicas espaciais sobre a composição, riqueza de espécies e número de indivíduos em metacomunidades de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores de ecótonos campo-floresta. Os resultados demonstram que os componentes ambiental, espacial e a estrutura espacial do ambiente contribuem igualmente na explicação da variância na composição de espécies, enquanto o ambiente foi mais importante em explicar mudanças na riqueza de espécies e número de indivíduos. Assim, concluímos que requerimentos de nicho das espécies e processos regionais como a limitação da dispersão, o distanciamento de centros de especiação e distribuição geográfica e o processo de expansão florestal conjuntamente explicam variações na estrutura de metacomunidades de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores em ecótonos campo-floresta no Sul do Brasil. No Capítulo II, inferimos sobre os processos gerando os padrões de coexistência de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores em assembléias baseando-se em afinidades filogenéticas e funcionais. Considerando estas similaridades, avaliamos se a diferenciação de nicho ou os filtros ambientais compõem processos importantes para explicar os padrões de coexistência em escalas de hábitat, paisagem e região. Os resultados apontam um padrão de agrupamento filogenético e funcional em todas as escalas avaliadas, embora um padrão de repulsão foi registrado no interior florestal, atestando a influência da diferenciação de nicho estruturando as assembléias de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores nesta porção do gradiente campo-floresta. A predominância do padrão de agrupamento filogenético e funcional afirma a ação de filtros ambientais como processos majoritariamente importantes em explicar os padrões de coexistência de espécies e indivíduos de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores nas escalas avaliadas. Desta forma, o estudo compõem uma das primeiras tentativas para definir os processos de estruturação de assembléias de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores neotropicais combinando aspectos taxonômicos, funcionais e filogenéticos, levantando também questões de conservação da biodiversidade nos sistemas ecológicos estudados. / Grassland-forest ecotones in southern Brazil are originated by forest expansion on grasslands, a natural process generated by climate shifts in large spatial and temporal scales, which causes vegetation changes and likely affects distribution, composition and faunal richness patterns. Thus, grassland-forest ecotones in southern Brazil are suitable systems to infer about influence of historical, biogeographical and ecological processes structuring communities. In order to make these inferences, we spatially sampled non-flying small mammals to characterize the spatial structure of species assemblages. The study proposal of Chapter I was to evaluate the role of environment and spatial dynamics on the composition, species richness and individuals number of nonflying small mammals metacommunities in grassland-forest ecotones. The results shows that environment, space and spatial structure of environment explained equally variations in species composition, while environment variables was the most important component explaining changes in species richness and number of individual. Thus, we conclude that niche requirements and regional processes like dispersal limitation, increase in distance of speciation cores and geographic distribution centers and the forest expansion process explain together variation in metacommunities structure of non-flying small mammals in grassland-forest ecotones at southern Brazil. In Chapter II, we inferred the coexistence patterns of non-flying small mammals based on phylogenetic and functional affinities. Considering these ecological similarities, we evaluate whether niche differentiation or environmental filters processes are responsible for patterns of species coexistence in habitat, landscape and regional scales. Results indicated a phylogenetic and functional cluster across all evaluated scales, although phylogenetic and functional repulsion was registered at forest interior, proving the importance of niche differentiation structuring non-flying small mammals assemblages in this grassland-forest gradient portion. Prevalence of phylogenetic and functional cluster across all scales attests environmental filters as important processes explaining species and individual coexistence patterns in habitat, landscape and regional scales. Therefore, this study comprises one of first attempts to define processes underlying the structure of neotropical non-flying small mammals assemblages combining taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic aspects, concurrently addressing important questions to biodiversity conservation in the ecological systems under study.

O Arquipélago de São Pedro e São Paulo (ASPSP) localiza-se cerca de 1100 km do litoral do Rio Grande do Norte, e está constituído por quatro ilhas maiores dispostas em semicírculo formando uma enseada com profundidades que variam ente 3 a 18 m. Vários estudos sobre a fauna existente no ASPSP foram realizados, entretanto, este é apenas o segundo trabalho com foco na ostracofauna do arquipélago. No material analisado, coletado na enseada, foram reconhecidas 14 espécies, dez gêneros e oito famílias; dentre estes, foi descrito um gênero e espécie novos para a família Hemicytheridae e uma nova espécie para o gênero Keijcyoidea. Dez espécies foram deixadas em nomenclatura aberta, sendo muito provável a existência de outras espécies novas, já que o ASPSP é uma área muito distante tanto de outras ilhas oceânicas quanto de continentes. Aspectos ecológicos e zoogeográficos complementam o estudo da riqueza específica da fauna aqui analisada. Loxocorniculum tricornatum Krutak possui a maior abundância, perfazendo um total de 4214 espécimens (1150 coletados vivos). Keijcyoidea sp. nov. A (539 espécimens, sendo 153 vivos) e Xestoleberis sp. 2 (179 indivíduos, dos quais 69 vivos) ocupam o segundo e o terceiro lugar em abundância, respectivamente. As espécies L. tricornatum e Triebelina sertata Triebel, esta última um ostracode cosmopolita tropical, ocorrem no Brasil não somente no ASPSP, mas também no Atol das Rocas e nas regiões de águas quentes da plataforma continental brasileira; T. sertata é também registrada na Ilha da Trindade. Curiosamente, espécies pandêmicas de mares rasos e quentes, como Kangarina abyssicola (Mueller), Kotoracythere incospicua Brady, Keijia demissa Teeter, Neomonoceratina mediterranea (Ruggieri) e Tenedocythere ex. gr. transoceanica Teeter, não foram registrados no ASPSP. / The Archipelago of São Pedro and São Paulo (ASPSP), located about 1,100 km of the coast of the Rio Grande do Norte State, consists of four major islands arranged in a semicircle forming a cove with depths between three and 18 m. Many studies on the archipelago fauna were performed, however, this is only the second one focusing its ostracode fauna. In the study material, 14 species, ten genera and eight families were identified, including a new genus and species of Hemicytheridae, and a new species of Keijcyoidea. Ten species were left in open nomenclature, and the existence of other new ones is very probable, since the ASPSP is very distant from both other oceanic islands and continents. Ecological and zoogeographical remarks complement this faunal study. Loxocorniculum tricornatum Krutak possesses the greatest abundance, with a total of 4214 specimens (1150 collected alive). Keijcyoidea sp. nov. A (539 specimens, being 153 alive) and Xestoleberis sp. 2 (179 individuals, being 69 alive) occupy the second and third place in abundance, respectively. The species L. tricornatum and Triebelina sertata Triebel, the latter a tropical cosmopolitan ostracode, occur in Brazil not only in the ASPSP, but also in the Rocas Atoll and in the region of warm waters of the Brazilian continental shelf; T. sertata is also recorded around the Trindade Island. Surprisingly, pandemic species of shallow and warm seas, as Kangarina abyssicola (Mueller), Kotoracythere incospicua Brady, Keijia demissa Teeter, Neomonoceratina mediterranea (Ruggieri) and Tenedocythere ex. gr. transoceanica Teeter, were not found in ASPSP.

Ecótonos campo-floresta no sul do Brasil são originados pela expansão de ecossistemas florestais sobre os campestres, um processo natural gerado por mudanças climáticas de larga escala espacial e temporal. Este processo provoca mudanças vegetacionais que consequentemente modificam os padrões de distribuição, composição e riqueza faunística. Assim, ecótonos campo-floresta são sistemas adequados para inferir sobre a influência de processos históricos, biogeográficos e ecológicos na estruturação de comunidades. Para respondermos questões relacionadas a processos agindo em diferentes escalas espaciais, distribuímos as amostragens de modo a obtermos um panorama espacial da estrutura das assembléias. Assim, a proposta de estudo desenvolvido no Capítulo I foi avaliar o papel do ambiente e de dinâmicas espaciais sobre a composição, riqueza de espécies e número de indivíduos em metacomunidades de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores de ecótonos campo-floresta. Os resultados demonstram que os componentes ambiental, espacial e a estrutura espacial do ambiente contribuem igualmente na explicação da variância na composição de espécies, enquanto o ambiente foi mais importante em explicar mudanças na riqueza de espécies e número de indivíduos. Assim, concluímos que requerimentos de nicho das espécies e processos regionais como a limitação da dispersão, o distanciamento de centros de especiação e distribuição geográfica e o processo de expansão florestal conjuntamente explicam variações na estrutura de metacomunidades de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores em ecótonos campo-floresta no Sul do Brasil. No Capítulo II, inferimos sobre os processos gerando os padrões de coexistência de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores em assembléias baseando-se em afinidades filogenéticas e funcionais. Considerando estas similaridades, avaliamos se a diferenciação de nicho ou os filtros ambientais compõem processos importantes para explicar os padrões de coexistência em escalas de hábitat, paisagem e região. Os resultados apontam um padrão de agrupamento filogenético e funcional em todas as escalas avaliadas, embora um padrão de repulsão foi registrado no interior florestal, atestando a influência da diferenciação de nicho estruturando as assembléias de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores nesta porção do gradiente campo-floresta. A predominância do padrão de agrupamento filogenético e funcional afirma a ação de filtros ambientais como processos majoritariamente importantes em explicar os padrões de coexistência de espécies e indivíduos de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores nas escalas avaliadas. Desta forma, o estudo compõem uma das primeiras tentativas para definir os processos de estruturação de assembléias de pequenos mamíferos não-voadores neotropicais combinando aspectos taxonômicos, funcionais e filogenéticos, levantando também questões de conservação da biodiversidade nos sistemas ecológicos estudados. / Grassland-forest ecotones in southern Brazil are originated by forest expansion on grasslands, a natural process generated by climate shifts in large spatial and temporal scales, which causes vegetation changes and likely affects distribution, composition and faunal richness patterns. Thus, grassland-forest ecotones in southern Brazil are suitable systems to infer about influence of historical, biogeographical and ecological processes structuring communities. In order to make these inferences, we spatially sampled non-flying small mammals to characterize the spatial structure of species assemblages. The study proposal of Chapter I was to evaluate the role of environment and spatial dynamics on the composition, species richness and individuals number of nonflying small mammals metacommunities in grassland-forest ecotones. The results shows that environment, space and spatial structure of environment explained equally variations in species composition, while environment variables was the most important component explaining changes in species richness and number of individual. Thus, we conclude that niche requirements and regional processes like dispersal limitation, increase in distance of speciation cores and geographic distribution centers and the forest expansion process explain together variation in metacommunities structure of non-flying small mammals in grassland-forest ecotones at southern Brazil. In Chapter II, we inferred the coexistence patterns of non-flying small mammals based on phylogenetic and functional affinities. Considering these ecological similarities, we evaluate whether niche differentiation or environmental filters processes are responsible for patterns of species coexistence in habitat, landscape and regional scales. Results indicated a phylogenetic and functional cluster across all evaluated scales, although phylogenetic and functional repulsion was registered at forest interior, proving the importance of niche differentiation structuring non-flying small mammals assemblages in this grassland-forest gradient portion. Prevalence of phylogenetic and functional cluster across all scales attests environmental filters as important processes explaining species and individual coexistence patterns in habitat, landscape and regional scales. Therefore, this study comprises one of first attempts to define processes underlying the structure of neotropical non-flying small mammals assemblages combining taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic aspects, concurrently addressing important questions to biodiversity conservation in the ecological systems under study.