Submitted by Maike Costa (maiksebas@gmail.com) on 2016-06-03T13:25:42Z No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivo total.pdf: 1373125 bytes, checksum: 538f490a20de3b312b4cb7e4d6fb671f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-03T13:25:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 arquivo total.pdf: 1373125 bytes, checksum: 538f490a20de3b312b4cb7e4d6fb671f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-08-27 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / The objectives this study were analyze aspects of the natural history of populations of the lizard Gymnophthalmidae Anotosaura vanzolinia present in Paraíba, through information about microhabitat, morphology, diet, and reproduction. The data used this study are samples from Forest Park Complexo Aluízio Campos and a forest located in the district São José da Mata, both in Paraíba. Sampling was conducted monthly from March-April, July-August 2011 and May 2013 to June 2014, using pitfall traps and active searching diurnal, from 08.00 to 17.00, where we analyzed the microhabitat use, air temperature and substrate and solar incidence. Individuals were collected in shaded environments, found mainly buried in the soil, confirming its fossorial behavior. Their diet consisted mainly of soil insects, being termites and ants the most important prey for their feed. Ants were more important for juveniles, which showed niche breadth significantly greater than adults. The species showed sexual dimorphism in size and body shape, with females larger snout-vent lengths than males. Its reproduction occurs during rainy season, with hatchling emerging at the end of the rainy season and early dry season, with average snout-vent length 18.85 ± 0.44 mm. The clutch size is fixed to two eggs per pregnant female and they deposit more than clutch during breeding season. / Os objetivos desse trabalho foram analisar aspectos da história natural de populações do lagarto Gymnophthalmidae Anotosaura vanzolinia presente na Paraíba, através de informações sobre uso do microhabitat, morfometria, dieta e reprodução. Os dados utilizados nesse estudo são provenientes de coletas realizadas no parque florestal Complexo Aluízio Campos e em um fragmento florestal localizado no distrito de São José da Mata, ambos na Paraíba. As coletas foram realizadas mensalmente entre março-abril, julho-agosto de 2011 e de maio de 2013 a junho de 2014, utilizando-se de armadilhas de queda pitfall-traps e de buscas ativas diurnas, das 08h00 às 17h00, onde foram analisados o microhabitat utilizado, temperatura do ar e do substrato e a incidência solar. Os indivíduos foram coletados em ambientes sombreados, encontrados principalmente enterrados no solo, confirmando seu comportamento fossorial. Sua dieta consistiu principalmente de insetos de solo, sendo formigas e cupins as presas mais importantes de sua alimentação. Formigas foram mais importantes em indivíduos juvenis, que apresentaram largura de nicho significativamente menor que a de indivíduos adultos. A espécie apresentou dimorfismo sexual no tamanho e forma do corpo, sendo fêmeas com maiores comprimentos rostro-cloacal que machos. Sua reprodução ocorre durante a estação chuvosa, com filhotes emergindo no fim da estação chuvosa e início da estação seca, com médias de comprimento rostro-cloacal de 18,85 ± 0,44 mm. O tamanho da ninhada da espécie é fixado em dois ovos por fêmea grávida e elas depositam mais de uma ninhada durante a estação reprodutiva.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:36:53Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 MiguelFK .pdf: 395494 bytes, checksum: 368fd1f924248774823f6b2e683fe502 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-08-28 / Tropidurus semitaeniatus and Tropidurus hispidus are lizard species that are widely distributed in Brazil. The former is endemic to the Caatingas, where they live in syntopy with the latter, which is distributed in other ecosystems and biomes. In this work, diet was evaluated including seasonal variations as well as foraging behavior, to determine the importance of these factors in the structure of these populations and the coexistence of these species in syntopy. No significant difference was found in diet composition between the two species, although T. hispidus feed on larger preys than do T. semitaeniatus; this fact, along with the different foraging behavior in the rainy season, are ecological factors that contribute to the syntopic coexistence of these species in the Caatinga area studied / Tropidurus semitaeniatus e Tropidurus hispidus s?o esp?cies de lagartos que t?m ampla distribui??o no Brasil, sendo que a primeira ? reconhecida como end?mica das Caatingas, onde vive em sintopia com a segunda, que se distribui em outros ecossistemas e biomas. Neste trabalho, avaliou-se a dieta incluindo varia??es sazonais e o comportamento de forrageio, para averiguar a import?ncia de tais fatores na estrutura dessas popula??es e coexist?ncia dessas esp?cies em sintopia. N?o se constatou diferen?a significativa na composi??o da dieta das duas esp?cies, embora T. hispidus se alimente de presas maiores do que T. semitaeniatus; este fato, aliado ? diferen?a no comportamento de forrageio na esta??o chuvosa, s?o fatores ecol?gicos que contribuem para a coexist?ncia sint?pica dessas esp?cies na ?rea de Caatinga estudada

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / A review on the process that governs the structure of assemblages of lizards requires several lines of studies, because there are several forces that can coordinate patterns of resources use. Within intra-population level the variation in the consumption of food items can be generated through individual specialization, this phenomenon is considered as a mechanism that reduces intraspecific competition because populations with a large niche breadth may consist of individuals who use different subsets of available resources. This work is divided into two chapters. The first experiment compared the use of space and food by the lizards in contrasting conditions, and the second assessed the degree of individual specialization of two populations of Tropidurus hispidus. The study was conducted between October/2012 and September/2013 in two areas, the Refugio da Vida Silvestre Mata do Junco (RVSMJ) in the Atlantic Forest, and the Monumento Natural Grota Angico (MNGA) in the Caatinga, both in the state Sergipe. Information about the spatial and food niches and their relationships with ecological and historical factors were used. The assemblages investigated were not structured in relation to the use of space and food resources. Smaller widths and larger niche overlaps (space and food) were observed in general for species in MNGA. Changes in vegetation during the rainy and dry periods provide different opportunities in the use of resources for this assemblage and the high diversity and abundance of species generate competitive pressures that cause greater diversification in the use of resources. In RVSMJ the large amount of resources available and the differences in the ecological aspects of the species show a lack of competition which enable a high niche overlap. The Influence of phylogeny was observed only for the microhabitat use by species in the RVSMJ, showing differences only for historical basal groups (Scleroglossa x Iguania). Adaptations to local conditions and resources were observed for the species Tropidurus hispidus that showed different amplitudes of niches in each area. The highest degree of specialization for individual populations of Tropidurus hispidus occurred in MNGA where this species was more abundant. / A avaliação dos processos que governam a estrutura das taxocenoses de lagartos requer diversas linhas de estudos, pois várias são as forças que podem coordenar os padrões na utilização de recursos. A nível intrapopulacional a variação no consumo de itens alimentares pode ser gerada através da especialização individual, este fenômeno é considerado um mecanismo que reduz a competição intraespecífica, pois populações com grande amplitude de nicho alimentar podem ser constituídas de indivíduos que usam diferentes subconjuntos de recursos disponíveis. O presente trabalho está dividido em dois capítulos. O primeiro comparou o uso do espaço e de alimentos de lagartos a condições contrastantes, e o segundo avaliou o grau de especialização individual utilizando duas populações de Tropidurus hispidus como modelo. O trabalho foi desenvolvido entre outubro/2012 a setembro/2013 em duas áreas, o Refúgio de Vida Silvestre Mata do Junco (RVSMJ), área de Mata Atlântica, e o Monumento Natural Grota do Angico (MNGA), área de Caatinga, ambas no estado de Sergipe. Foram utilizadas informações sobre os nichos espacial e alimentar e suas relações com fatores ecológicos e históricos. As taxocenoses investigadas não se mostraram estruturadas em relação ao uso dos recursos espaciais e alimentares. Maiores larguras e menores sobreposições de nicho (espacial e alimentar) foram observadas em geral para as espécies do MNGA. Variações na vegetação nos períodos de chuva e seca promovem diferentes oportunidades no uso de recursos para esta taxocenose e a alta diversidade e abundância de espécies geram pressões competitivas que causam maior diversificação no uso de recursos. No RVSMJ a grande quantidade de recursos disponível e as diferenças nos aspectos ecológicos das espécies evidenciam uma falta de competição que possibilitam uma alta sobreposição. A Influência da filogenia foi verificada apenas para o uso de microhábitats nas espécies do RVSMJ, mostrando diferenças históricas somente para os grupos mais basais (Scleroglossa x Iguania). Adequações as condições e recursos locais foram observadas para a espécie Tropidurus hispidus que mostrou diferentes amplitudes de nichos em cada área. O maior grau de especialização individual para as populações de Tropidurus hispidus ocorreu no MNGA onde esta espécie era mais abundante.

O jejum prolongado associado `a dormência sazonal é um fenômeno característico de diversos grupos de vertebrados, e os lipídios tem se mostrado bastante importantes na manutenção destes animais. No presente estudo pretendeu-se caracterizar a reorganização metabólica no jejum de 3-4 meses associado à dormência e depressão metabólica acentuada em lagartos teiú no primeiro ciclo anual de atividades, elucidando (1) qual o papel do metabolismo lipídico e de outros substratos energéticos na regulação da massa corpórea e da taxa metabólica dos teiús jovens ao longo do primeiro ciclo anual (2) qual é o comportamento de enzimas do metabolismo energético de diferentes substratos ao longo do ciclo sazonal, relacionadas à manutenção dos teiús durante o jejum hipometabólico e no retorno a atividade. (3) qual é perfil dos ácidos graxos do plasma e diferentes tecidos ao longo do ciclo sazonal e (4) testar se as predições da teoria da membrana como marca-passo do metabolismo se aplicam a um modelo intra-específico e sazonal, de forma a explicar a regulação da acentuada depressão metabólica nos lagartos teiú Para tal, foram determinadas as atividades de enzimas das vias do metabolismo energético de carboidratos (PECK), lipídios (CPT I e CPT II) e proteínas (GOT), e foi determinada a composição lipídica do plasma e dos tecidos de reserva como os corpos gordurosos abdominais e fígado, assim como a composição de membrana do tecido hepático total e das mitocôndrias e do músculo esquelético da pata PIT na atividade de outono, dormência de inverno, despertar, animais ativos na primavera e submetidos a um jejum forçado. Os resultados em conjunto parecem indicar que embora as vias oxidativas estejam reduzidas no tecido hepático, o potencial de mobilização e oxidação de lipídios está aumentado no jejum natural, evidenciando a importância deste substrato na manutenção dos lagartos teiú, e que haveria uma mobilização seletiva de ácidos graxos enquanto outros são mantidos nos tecidos. Adicionalmente, as respostas na composição dos tecidos ao jejum forçado parecem ser diferentes em relação ao jejum natural. O presente trabalho é pioneiro a fazer uma descrição minuciosa da composição lipídica de tecidos e membranas, e o primeiro a fazer uma análise da aplicação da teoria das membranas como 90 marcapasso do metabolismo em uma comparação intra-específica em um vertebrado que exibe dormência sazonal. Esta teoria parece não se aplicar a este modelo, de forma que a regulação do metabolismo parece ser por mecanismos que não uma alteração na composição de membrana dos tecidos. / Seasonal dormancy is a widespread phenomenon among vertebrates, in which lipid stores in the body tissues constitute the major energy source during the prolonged fasting. In addition, there are recent evidence indicating a role played by the lipid metabolism and the fatty acids derived in the regulation of membrane functions, resulting in modulation of whole body metabolic rates in the organisms, as well as integrating nutritional and hormonal signals that promote metabolic responses to changes in fuel availability. The present study investigates the metabolic reorganization and lipidic and fatty acid composition in tissues and subcellular fractions from tegu lizards (Tupinambis merianae), associated with metabolic depression and fasting during seasonal dormancy. Maximum enzyme activities related to the catabolism of carbohydrates (PEPCK), lipids (CPT I, II), and proteins (GOT) in liver were estimated by spectrophotometry and radiochemical assay, the Na+K+ATPase activity was assayed in the liver by standard enzymatic methods, and the lipid and fatty acid composition were analysed in the abdominal fat bodies, plasma, skeletal muscle, and in liver whole tissue and mitochondrial fractions, using gas chromatography, during autumn activity, winter dormancy, arousal, spring activity, and in animals deprived of food for 20 days during activity. During the hypometabolic state, it was found: (1) a significant decrease in the aerobic capacity and gradual increase in the potential for oxidation of long-chain fatty acids in the mitochondria of liver tissue; (2) differential lipid and fatty acid composition in the fat bodies compared to the profiles obtained with plasma, muscle and liver tissue, suggesting selective mobilization of fatty acids; (3) no significant changes in the Na+K+ATPase activity in liver and significant changes in the total and individual fractions of MUFA and PUFA as a function of the seasonal cycle, in the opposite direction indicated by the theory of membranes as pacemakers of metabolism, suggesting however, an important role played by MUFA in the metabolic reorganization during seasonal dormancy.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2016-06-01T14:33:12Z No. of bitstreams: 1 gustavomartinsstroppa.pdf: 1222382 bytes, checksum: 4ef99b2b99f409674d64468fbebf599f (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2016-07-02T12:59:41Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 gustavomartinsstroppa.pdf: 1222382 bytes, checksum: 4ef99b2b99f409674d64468fbebf599f (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-07-02T12:59:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 gustavomartinsstroppa.pdf: 1222382 bytes, checksum: 4ef99b2b99f409674d64468fbebf599f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-02-27 / A ocupação das paisagens naturais por atividades humanas é uma das maiores ameaças à biodiversidade local. As consequências desta ocupação são a remoção dos habitats naturais e a formação de fragmentos isolados e menores que aquele original. Estudos sobre a composição e padrões de distribuição da fauna de lagartos e anfisbenídeos em ambientes de Mata Atlântica no estado de Minas Gerais são escassos. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo realizar um inventário faunístico de lagartos e anfisbenídeos na Fazenda Fortaleza de Sant’Anna, na Zona da Mata mineira, e fornecer informações a fim de ampliar o conhecimento da distribuição e composição da fauna de répteis Squamata do estado de Minas Gerais. A região onde o estudo foi realizado está inserida em uma das áreas prioritárias para a conservação da herpetofauna do Estado. As amostragens foram feitas no período entre fevereiro e dezembro de 2011, totalizando 28475 dias/balde e 56950 dias/funil. Foram instalados conjuntos de armadilhas de interceptação e queda, e armadilhas de funil em nove pontos do fragmento, três localizados na matriz no entorno da mata, três na borda da mata e três em áreas centrais do fragmento. Foram registrados 47 espécimes pertencentes a 12 espécies, distribuídas em 10 famílias: Amphisbaenidae, Anguidae, Diploglossidae, Gekkonidae, Gymnophthalmidae, Leiosauridae, Phyllodactylidae, Scincidae, Teiidae e Tropiduridae, sendo que o filodactilídeo Gymnodactylus darwinii foi a espécie mais abundante (n = 15) e a única encontrada em todas as áreas de amostragem com armadilhas. A espécie que se destacou dentre as menos abundantes foi Diploglossus fasciatus (n = 1), pois seus hábitos solitários e a baixa densidade em suas populações tornam seu registro mais raro. Entre as 12 espécies registradas, as exclusivas do ambiente “Matriz” foram Amphisbaena microcephala, Diploglossus fasciatus e Ophiodes striatus, no de “borda” foram Mabuya dorsivittata e Placosoma glabellum e na “Central” foi Heterodactylus imbricatus. Não houve diferença significativa na frequência de ocorrência entre as áreas de matriz, borda e centro do fragmento (t = 0,1955; p= 0,8989). A análise de variância mostrou que não houve diferença significativa no número de espécimes amostrados por cada área (t = 0,5937; p = 0,6717). A curva de acumulação de espécies dos pontos de coleta indicou que não houve estabilização no acréscimo de espécies de lagartos e anfisbenídeos para a região, indicando a necessidade de continuidade do trabalho. / The occupation of the natural landscape by human activities is the major threat to local biodiversity. Its consequences are the removal of natural habitats and formation of isolated fragments smaller than the original ones. Studies on composition and distribution patterns of the lizards and amphisbaenians in environments of the Atlantic Forest in Minas Gerais state are scarce. This study conducted an inventory of lizards and amphisbaenians fauna at Fortaleza de Sant'Anna farm in Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais, and provided information to expand knowledge of the distribution and composition of Squamata reptile fauna of the state of Minas general. The region of study is one of the priority areas for conservation of the herpetofauna in the state. The samples were taken in the period between February and December 2011, totaling 28475 days / bucket and 56950 days / funnel. Were installed sets of pitfall traps, funnel and drop in nine points of the fragment, three located in the matrix surrounding the forest, three in the forest edge and three in central areas of the fragment. We recorded 47 specimens belonging to 12 species were registered, distributed in 10 families: Amphisbaenidae, Anguidae, Diploglossidae, Gekkonidae, Gymnophthalmidae, Leiosauridae, Phyllodactylidae, Scincidae, Teiidae and Tropiduridae, and the filodactilídeo Gymnodactylus darwinii was the most abundant species (n = 15) and the only found in all of the sampling areas with traps. The species that stood out among the least abundant ones was Diploglossus fasciatus (n = 1), because their lonely habits and the low density in their populations turn his/her rarer registration. Among the 12 registered species, the exclusive of the "Matriz" atmosphere were Amphisbaena microcephala, Diploglossus fasciatus and Ophiodes striatus, in the one of "border" they were Mabuya dorsivittata and Placosoma glabellum and in the "Centro" it was Heterodactylus imbricatus. There was not significant difference in the occurrence frequency among the head office areas, it embroiders and center of the fragment (t = 0,1955; p = 08989). The variance analysis showed that there was not significant difference in the number of specimens for each area (t = 0,5937; p = 06717). The curve of accumulation of species of the collection points indicated that there was not stabilization in the increment of species of lizards and anfisbenídeos for the area, indicating the need of continuity of the work.

No description available.

In this collection of papers I have summarized my investigations into the field of evolutionary genetics and more specifically into patterns of biodiversity and evolutionary processes. The lizards (and frogs) studied here share common features in that they are largely present in unique environments, which are also regions that are biologically understudied. Most of these taxa show high degrees of endemism, interesting natural history characteristics, and each group manifests distinctive adaptations of general evolutionary interest. My work in the genus Telmatobius has been a progressive approach that began in my MS program, and it first focused on alpha taxonomy, morphological variation, and species boundaries. This work led to new studies initiated and completed at BYU involving further taxonomic revision (Formas et al., 2003; Chapter 1), and then revisiting and re-evaluating species boundaries established earlier (with allozyme markers) and this time with population level molecular (mitochondrial DNA) markers (Chapter 2). Our results indicate that the striking differences in size, coloration and general appearance in the various Lake Titicaca morphotypes are not genetically based. Further, there is evidence that these morphotypes have evolved very rapidly after demographic bottlenecks eroded present genetic variability. Telmatobius frogs of Lake Titicaca are listed by the International (IUCN) as critically endangered. We support this classification and further suggest studies to explore open questions like the possibility of adaptation along ecological resource gradients. Lizards of the genus Microlophus are interesting but for different reasons, and studies of this group constitutes the bulk of my dissertation work. The genus includes both Galapagos insular species, and continental taxa distributed in a linear gradient along > 4000 km of the western coast of South America. In studying Microlophus I first tackled the unresolved phylogenetic relationships within the genus (Chapter 3) and then pay attention to phylogeographic aspects of the most speciose lizard radiation in the Galapagos Archipelago (Chapter 4). Chapter 3 is a single manuscript provisionally accepted in the journal Systematic Biology. This paper introduces the lizard genus Microlophus (“lava lizards”) as a study system, and includes a large nuclear data set accompanied by an equally large mitochondrial data set (7877 characters in total). This paper explicitly differentiates among sequence alignments of gene regions that vary in tempo and class of mutational events. We show that this recognition is important and we suggest ways to appropriately deal with the alignment of multi-locus non-coding DNA data sets. A secondary finding in this study is that mtDNA and nDNA topologies are discordant with each other but that both are strongly supported, and that the nuclear topology is concordant with species distribution patterns along coastal South America. We hypothesize that in this particular region of the tree, the nuclear genome recovers a topology that is closer to the species tree, and conflicts occur due to likely secondary contact of distantly related taxa, suggesting that unique taxonomic relationships in the mtDNA gene tree are the result of hybridization. This last point highlights the value of dense taxonomic and character sampling for teasing apart different aspects of evolutionary processes. Chapter 4 is a manuscript to be submitted to the journal Evolution; in this study we further investigate the most speciose radiation of Microlophus in the Galapagos, based on an unparalleled sampling of most islands and small islets in the Archipelago. We use mtDNA sequences to both test hypothesized between-island colonization routes, as well as the expectation that within-island phylogeographic structure should be greater on older islands. Our mtDNA gene tree is strongly supported and allows rejection of previous alternatives, and we propose a novel sequence of between-island colonization events. Our results also reject the idea of phylogeographic structure been related solely to island age. Instead, we provide evidence to suggest that active volcanism as a major player in the generation of genetic diversity in within-island environments, and this is further compounded by the seemingly stochastic nature of within-island long-distance colonization routes mediated by ocean currents. We suggest that the direction and intensity of these currents, as currently understood, are insufficient to generate a priori hypotheses of oceanic colonization routes and their influence on gene flow. We do show that the standard stepping-stone model of migration, where genetic interchange is only possible among neighboring localities, does not explain much of the within-island population genetic structure unraveled by this study. From a biological conservation perspective the study of patterns of recent evolutionary history in the Galapagos provides with a window to evolutionary processes that have shaped and continue to impact the generation of biodiversity in the Galapagos Archipelago. Islands have long been viewed as natural laboratories of evolutionary change, and thus all island isolates are or could be distinctly important components of the larger, archipelago-wide processes. We provide working hypotheses for some of the demographic processes that might be generating within- and between-island biodiversity in this clade of lizards; confirmation of these explanations with independent data will have management implications for conserving the unique patterns observed in the Galapagos biota, but also the processes that generated these patterns.

Fauna conservation outside protected areas can make an important complementary contribution to conservation within reserves. This thesis aimed to contribute new information and analytical frameworks to the science of fauna conservation in human-modified landscapes. Two approaches were used: (1) empirical data collection and analysis, and (2) the discussion and development of conceptual landscape models. ¶ Empirical work focused on lizard distribution patterns in two production landscapes in southeastern Australia. Lizards were targeted because ectotherms are frequently neglected by conservation biologists. The “Nanangroe grazing landscape” was used for sheep and cattle grazing. In this landscape, approximately 85% of pre-European woodland cover had been cleared, and understorey vegetation was sparse. Lizards were surveyed at 16 landscape units, which were stratified by aspect, topographic position and amount of tree cover. Each landscape unit contained three sites, and each site contained three plots. Regression modelling showed that different species responded differently to their environment. For example, the four-fingered skink (Carlia tetradactyla) and Boulenger’s skink (Morethia boulengeri) were more likely to occur at woodland sites with northerly aspects, whereas the striped skink (Ctenotus robustus) and olive legless lizard (Delma inornata) were more likely to inhabit sites with a simple microhabitat structure. Statistical analysis further showed that the habitat attributes that lizards were related to varied continuously through space, and over different spatial scales. For example, invertebrate abundance (a proxy for food availability) varied most strongly over tens of metres, whereas the amount of grass cover varied most strongly over hundreds to thousands of metres. Thus, work at Nanangroe revealed spatially complex patterns of lizard occurrence and habitat variables. ¶ The “Tumut plantation landscape” was a spatial mosaic of native eucalypt (Eucalyptus) forest patches embedded within a plantation of the introduced radiata pine (Pinus radiata). In this landscape, thirty sites were surveyed for lizards. Sites were stratified by forest type and patch size, and included eucalypt patches, pine sites, and extensive areas of eucalypt forest adjacent to the plantation. Regression modelling showed that lizard species responded to various habitat attributes, including elevation, the amount of eucalypt forest within 1 km of a site, invertebrate abundance and ground cover. Variables related to habitat fragmentation often were significant predictors of lizard occurrence. However, work at Tumut suggested that important additional insights into lizard distribution patterns could be obtained by considering variables related to food and shelter resources, and climatic conditions. ¶ The Nanangroe and Tumut landscapes were in close proximity, but together spanned an altitudinal gradient of 900 m. An investigation of changes in lizard community composition with altitude showed that (1) only one species was common to Nanangroe and Tumut, (2) different species had different altitudinal preferences, and (3) ecologically similar species replaced one another with increasing altitude. These results highlighted that even in highly modified landscapes, natural gradients (such as climate) can play an important role in shaping animal assemblage composition and species distribution patterns. ¶ Empirical work suggested that, in some landscapes, the frequently used “fragmentation model” is a relatively weak conceptual basis for the study of animal distribution patterns. The fragmentation model implicitly assumes that “habitat patches” can be defined unequivocally across many species, and that patches are located within a relatively inhospitable matrix. Where these assumptions are breached, conservation guidelines arising from the fragmentation model may be too simplified. In spatially complex production landscapes, it may be more appropriate to maintain habitat heterogeneity at multiple spatial scales than to focus solely on the management of large, pre-defined patches. ¶ Given the potential limitations of the fragmentation model, a new, more holistic landscape model was developed. The “continuum model” was derived from continuum theory as developed for plant ecology. The continuum model recognises (1) spatial continua of environmental variables, and (2) species’ individualistic responses to these variables. For animals, key environmental variables may be related to the availability of food, shelter, sufficient space, and suitable climatic conditions. Unlike the fragmentation model, the continuum model is inherently process-based and thus may help to link the perceived gap between patterns and processes in landscape ecology. ¶ Three general conclusions arise from this thesis: 1. Some heterogeneous production landscapes support many native species, and therefore represent important conservation opportunities. 2. In some modified landscapes, the fragmentation model does not capture the complexity of animal distribution patterns. In those landscapes, conservation recommendations derived from the fragmentation model may be overly simplistic. 3. The continuum model may be a useful extension of the fragmentation model. It provides a process-based conceptual basis for empirical work on animal distribution patterns.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-12-17T15:37:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 RaulFDS_DISSERT.pdf: 3514530 bytes, checksum: 5a7cb4478b93d4050ccdf9c56e02ddbb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-03-27 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior / This study investigated the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the feeding ecology and foraging behavior of the whiptail lizard Ameivula aff. ocellifera, a new species widely distributed in the Brazilian Caatinga, and that is in process of description. In attendance to the objectives, the Dissertation was structured in two chapters, which correspond to scientific articles, one already published and the other to be submitted for publication. In Chapter 1 were analyzed the general diet composition, the relationship between lizard size and prey size, and the occurrence of sexual and ontogenetic differences in the diet. Chapter 2 contemplates a seasonal analysis of diet composition during two rainy seasons interspersed with a dry season, and the quantitative analysis of foraging behavior during two distinct periods. The diet composition was determined through stomach analysis of lizards (N = 111) collected monthly by active search, between September 2008 and August 2010, in the Esta??o Ecol?gica do Serid? (ESEC Serid?), state of Rio Grande do Norte. Foraging behavior was investigated during a rainy and a dry month of 2012 also in ESEC Serid?, by determining percent of time moving (PTM), number of movements per minute (MPM) and prey capture rate by the lizards (N = 28) during foraging. The main prey category in the diet of Ameivula aff. ocellifera was Insect larvae, followed by Orthoptera, Coleoptera and Araneae. Termites (Isoptera) were important only in numeric terms, having negligible volumetric contribution (<2%) and low frequency of occurrence, an uncommon feature among whiptail lizards. Males and females did not differ neither in diet composition nor in foraging behavior. Adults and juveniles ingested similar prey types, but differed in prey size. Maximum and minimum prey sizes were positively correlated with lizard body size, suggesting that in this population individuals experience an ontogenetic change in diet, eating larger prey items while growing, and at the same time excluding smaller ones. The diet showed significant seasonal differences; during the two rainy seasons (2009 and 2010), the predominant prey in diet were Insect larvae, Coleoptera and Orthoptera, while in the dry season the predominant prey were Insect larvae, Hemiptera, Araneae and Orthoptera. The degree of mobility of consumed prey during the rainy seasons was lower, mainly due to a greater consumption of larvae (highly sedentary prey) during these periods. Population niche breadth was higher in the dry season, confirming the theoretical prediction that when food is scarce, the diets tend to be more generalized. Considering the entire sample, Ameivula aff. ocellifera showed 61,0 ? 15,0% PTM, 2,03 ? 0,30 MPM, and captured 0,13 ? 0,14 per minute. Foraging mode was similar to that found for other whiptail lizards regarding PTM, but MPM was relatively superior. Seasonal differences were verified for PTM, which was significantly higher in the rainy season (66,4 ? 12,1) than in the dry season (51,5 ? 15,6). It is possible that this difference represents a behavioral adjustment in response to seasonal variation in the abundance and types of prey available in the environment in each season / Este estudo investigou a influ?ncia de fatores intr?nsecos e extr?nsecos sobre a ecologia alimentar e o comportamento de forrageamento do lagarto cauda-de-chicote (whiptail) Ameivula aff. ocellifera, uma esp?cie nova com ampla distribui??o na Caatinga, e que est? em fase de descri??o. Em atendimento aos objetivos, a Disserta??o foi estruturada na forma de dois cap?tulos, os quais correspondem a artigos cient?ficos, um j? publicado e o outro a ser submetido ? publica??o. No Cap?tulo 1 s?o analisadas a composi??o geral da dieta, a rela??o entre o tamanho corporal dos lagartos e o tamanho das presas consumidas, e a ocorr?ncia de diferen?as sexuais e ontogen?ticas na dieta. O Cap?tulo 2 contempla a composi??o da dieta em termos sazonais, durante duas esta??es chuvosas intercaladas por uma esta??o seca, e an?lise quantitativa do comportamento de forrageamento durante dois per?odos distintos. A composi??o da dieta foi identificada atrav?s da an?lise do conte?do estomacal de lagartos (N = 111) coletados mensalmente por busca ativa entre setembro de 2008 e agosto de 2010, na Esta??o Ecol?gica do Serid? (ESEC Serid?), estado do Rio Grande do Norte. O comportamento de forrageamento foi investigado durante um m?s chuvoso e um m?s seco do ano de 2012 tamb?m na ESEC Serid?, avaliando-se a porcentagem do tempo gasta em movimento (PTM), o n?mero de movimentos por minuto (MPM) e taxa de captura de presas pelos lagartos (N = 28) durante o forrageamento. A principal categoria de presa na dieta de Ameivula aff. ocellifera foi Larvas de insetos, seguido por Orthoptera, Coleoptera e Araneae. T?rmitas (Isoptera) foram importantes somente em n?mero, com contribui??o volum?trica desprez?vel (<2%) e baixa frequ?ncia de ocorr?ncia, um tra?o incomum entre os lagartos whiptails. Machos e f?meas n?o diferiram nem na composi??o da dieta nem no comportamento de forrageamento. Adultos e juvenis se alimentaram de categorias de presa similares, mas diferiram no tamanho das presas. Os tamanhos m?ximo e m?nimo das presas foram positivamente correlacionados com o tamanho dos lagartos, sugerindo que na popula??o estudada os indiv?duos sofrem uma mudan?a ontogen?tica na dieta, consumindo itens alimentares maiores ? medida que crescem, e ao mesmo tempo excluindo presas menores. A dieta apresentou diferen?as sazonais significativas; durante as duas esta??es chuvosas (2009 e 2010), as presas predominantes na dieta foram Larvas de inseto, Coleoptera e Orthoptera, enquanto na esta??o seca as presas predominantes foram Larvas de inseto, Hemiptera, Araneae e Orthoptera. O grau de mobilidade das presas consumidas durante as esta??es chuvosas foi menor, principalmente devido ao maior consumo de larvas (presas altamente sedent?rias) durante esses per?odos. A largura de nicho da popula??o foi maior na x esta??o seca, confirmando a predi??o te?rica de que quando o alimento ? escasso, as dietas tendem a ser mais generalizadas. Considerando a amostra total, Ameivula aff. ocellifera apresentou 61,0 ? 15,0% PTM, 2,03 ? 0,30 MPM, e capturou 0,13 ? 0,14 presas por minuto. O modo de forrageamento foi similar ao encontrado para outros lagartos whiptails quanto a PTM, mas MPM foi relativamente superior. Diferen?as sazonais foram verificadas quanto a PTM, que foi significativamente maior na esta??o chuvosa (66,4 ? 12,1) que na esta??o seca (51,5 ? 15,6). ? poss?vel que essa diferen?a represente um ajuste comportamental em resposta ? varia??o sazonal na abund?ncia e tipos de presas dispon?veis no ambiente nas diferentes esta??es

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / In Caatinga environments are frequent catastrophic weather events that ultimately shape the plant and animal life in this biome. Thus, this study aimed to assess how the lizards species of Monumento Natural Grota do Angico, Sergipe, respond to environmental variations in time and seasonal. For this was used information, taken between January 2010 and December 2011, concerning the community structure and reproduction. We recorded 14 species of lizards belonging to eight families. With respect to wealth, there were minor changes between years and between seasons studied. The total abundances and each lizard species varied both between years and between the sites. Tropidurus hispidus prevailed at sites 2 and 3, while Cnemidophorus ocellifer at site 1, in both years studied. The most abundant species at each site in 2010 remained in 2011. Modifications in relation to the dry and rainy seasons in the abundances of lizards did not show. The results of canonical correspondence analysis for years and for the stations showed an association between the occurrence of lizards and environmental variables (number of bromeliads, the proportion of exposed rocks and soil and rainfall). In general, when considering the variety of sites in the years and the stations, the site 1 was the most diverse followed by sites 3 and 2, respectively. Regarding reproduction, it was continuous for C. ocellifer, Lygodactylus klugei and Tropidurus semitaeniatus and probably is linked to the unpredictability of the Caatinga climate. Since T. hispidus reproduce seasonally, coinciding with the rainy season. Cnemidophorus ocellifer and T. hispidus showed differences in activity between the reproductive years, which are related to changes in local precipitation. The size of the litter, C. ocellifer and L. klugei produced up to two eggs at a time, T. hispidus two to four eggs and T. semitaeniatus two eggs per clutch. Cnemidophorus ocellifer, L. klugei and T. hispidus have multiple spawns. Finally, the accumulation of fatty bodies in C. ocellifer did not respond to fluctuations in rainfall and T. hispidus and T. semitaeniatus seem to occur after the period of highest rainfall this environmental variable, but no relation to the reproduction of these animals was observed. / Em ambientes de caatinga são frequentes eventos climáticos catastróficos que acabam por modelar a vida animal e vegetal neste bioma. Assim, este trabalho teve por finalidade avaliar como as espécies de lagartos do Monumento Natural Grota do Angico, Sergipe, respondem às variações ambientais em termos temporais e sazonais. Para isso foram utilizadas informações, tomadas entre janeiro de 2010 e dezembro de 2011, referentes à estrutura da comunidade e reprodução. Foram registradas 14 espécies de lagartos, pertencentes a oito famílias. Com relação à riqueza, foram verificadas pequenas modificações entre os anos e entre as estações estudadas. As abundâncias totais e de cada espécie de lagarto variaram tanto entre os anos, como também entre os sítios. Tropidurus hispidus prevaleceu nos sítios 2 e 3, enquanto que Cnemidophorus ocellifer no sítio 1, em ambos os anos estudados. As espécies mais abundantes em cada sítio no ano de 2010 se mantiveram no ano de 2011. Modificações em relação às estações seca e chuvosa nas abundâncias dos lagartos não foram evidenciadas. Os resultados das análises de correspondência canônica para os anos e para as estações mostraram uma associação entre a ocorrência dos lagartos e as variáveis ambientais (número de bromélias, proporção de rochas e de solo exposto e pluviosidade). No geral, quando considerada a diversidade dos sítios entre os anos e as estações, o sítio 1 foi o mais diverso, seguido dos sítios 3 e 2, respectivamente. Com relação à reprodução, ela foi contínua para C. ocellifer, Lygodactylus klugei e Tropidurus semitaeniatus e provavelmente esteja ligada à imprevisibilidade climática da caatinga. Já T. hispidus reproduziu sazonalmente, coincidindo com a estação chuvosa. C. ocellifer e T. hispidus apresentaram diferenças na atividade reprodutiva entre os anos, sendo estas relacionadas com mudanças na precipitação local. Quanto ao tamanho da ninhada, C. ocellifer e L. klugei produziram até dois ovos por vez, T. hispidus de dois a quatro ovos e T. semitaeniatus dois ovos por ninhada. Cnemidophorus ocellifer, L. klugei e T. hispidus apresentam múltiplas desovas. Por fim, o acúmulo de corpos adiposos em C. ocellifer não respondeu às flutuações na pluviosidade e em T. hispidus e T. semitaeniatus parecem ocorrer depois do período de maior precipitação dessa variável ambiental, porém nenhuma relação com a reprodução desses animais foi evidenciada.