Submitted by Jadson Francisco de Jesus SILVA (jadson@uefs.br) on 2018-02-21T21:35:29Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Disserta??o Pos banca Final.pdf: 10846078 bytes, checksum: 3a74cdd39783b17cdb4b6e3cc625186c (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-02-21T21:35:29Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Disserta??o Pos banca Final.pdf: 10846078 bytes, checksum: 3a74cdd39783b17cdb4b6e3cc625186c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-29 / Funda??o de Amparo ? Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia - FAPEB / The genus Anomochloa Brongn. includes a single species, A. marantoidea Brongn., known as the earliest extant grass. It is a rare species from the Brazilian Atlantic rainforest, endemic to the southern Bahia. Only two populations were discovered so far, occurring out protected areas with few individuals registered, thus, A. marantoidea is considered critically threatened with extinction. The study of this species is highly important to understand evolutionary processes within Poaceae family. The present study aimed to increase the knowledge about its geographic range, to evaluate its potential areas of occurrence and to access its genetic diversity, detecting probable genetic threats as a result of its small population size. These data are essential for the development of conservation programs. Two new populations were recently discovered and the modeled ecological niche to A. marantoidea did not diverge from the expected geographical extent, denoting high climatic restriction and reasserting its rarity. The variables Index of Tree Cover and Rainfall are the main components that influence its restricted distribution. The levels of genetic diversity within the populations accessed by molecular markers indicate that A. marantoidea exhibits capacity for favorable response in short time and a conservation plan may be efficient to maintain its current genetic diversity. This diversity is correlated to the population size, for this reason, the propagules necessary for establishing new populations in climatically suitable sites must be originated from the largest populations. Genetic structure analysis suggests recent fragmentation and low gene flow among populations showing high levels of inbreeding. In this way, we recommend human mediated gene flow between the populations in order to mitigate the risks of inbreeding depression. It is hypothesized that the genetic differences among populations are caused mostly by random drift, resulting in populations with few individuals more genetically differentiated than the large ones. This implies that a minimum number of individuals (~100) is desirable to avoid the decrease of genetic diversity in populations. / O g?nero Anomochloa Brongn. inclui uma ?nica esp?cie, A. marantoidea Brongn., reconhecidamente a mais antiga entre as gram?neas viventes. ? uma esp?cie rara, end?mica da Mata Atl?ntica do sul do estado da Bahia com apenas duas popula??es conhecidas at? pouco tempo, ambas com poucos indiv?duos e nenhuma em ?rea protegida, sendo considerada criticamente amea?ada de extin??o. O conhecimento sobre essa esp?cie ? de suma import?ncia para compreender a evolu??o dentro da fam?lia, e assim, o presente trabalho visou ampliar o conhecimento acerca da extens?o da distribui??o geogr?fica da mesma e avaliar suas ?reas potenciais de ocorr?ncia, bem como conhecer os n?veis de diversidade e amea?as gen?ticas resultantes do pequeno tamanho populacional, dados essenciais para programas que visem sua conserva??o. Duas novas popula??es foram localizadas recentemente e o nicho ecol?gico modelado n?o divergiu da distribui??o esperada, indicando uma alta restri??o clim?tica e reafirmando a raridade da esp?cie. O ?ndice de cobertura vegetal e a precipita??o foram os principais requisitos ambientais a influenciar sua distribui??o t?o restrita. Os n?veis de diversidade gen?tica nas popula??es inferidos por marcadores moleculares indicam que a esp?cie tem capacidade para responder imediatamente bem em curto prazo e que um plano de conserva??o pode ser eficiente em manter a atual diversidade espec?fica. Esta diversidade se mostrou relacionada com tamanho populacional, assim, prop?gulos para o estabelecimento de novas popula??es em s?tios climaticamente adequados devem ser obtidos das maiores popula??es. An?lises de estrutura??o gen?tica sugerem fragmenta??o recente e indicam baixo fluxo g?nico entre as popula??es conhecidas da esp?cie, com consequentes altos n?veis de endogamia, por isso ? recomendado fluxo g?nico mediado por atividade humana entre as popula??es para evitar depress?o endog?mica. ? hipotetizado que diferen?as gen?ticas entre as popula??es s?o causadas majoritariamente por deriva aleat?ria, o que tornou popula??es com menos indiv?duos mais diferenciadas geneticamente daquela com o maior n?mero. Isso implica que um n?mero m?nimo de indiv?duos (~100) ? desej?vel para evitar redu??o na diversidade gen?tica das popula??es.

The thesis focused to population ecology and genetics of subalpine species Gentiana pannonica. Pollination ecology of species and generative reproduction in different habitat (primary vs. secondary) were investigated in the field. Genetic variation and structure of G. pannonica populations were studied in three disjunct parts of its distribution range: the Eastern Alps, the Bohemian Forest, and the Giant Mts. Present distribution of G. pannonica in the central past of the Bohemian Forest were processed.

Understanding the health of rare and at-risk plant species is crucial for the conservation of biodiversity. Rare and at-risk species are often specialists with very specific requirements for growth and reproductive success. Some parameters associated with growth and reproductive success of rare aquatic species may include biotic and abiotic factors such as herbivory, competition, water depth, pH, and other factors associated with habitat quality. In this thesis, the population health of the rare and at-risk aquatic species Plantago cordata in Southern Illinois streams is assessed in relation to stream quality of sites containing Plantago cordata and sites without Plantago cordata.The objectives of this study were to (1) Determine if there is a relationship between population size structure and biotic habitat factors among populations and sites, and (2) Determine if there is a relationship between population size structure and abiotic habitat factors among populations and sites. Hypotheses were constructed using the hierarchy-of hypotheses method and most narrow alternative hypotheses are as follows: (1) There will be significant relationships between biotic and abiotic factors and Plantago cordata growth and reproductive success. (2) Levels of herbivory will have significant relationships with growth and reproductive success of Plantago cordata. (3) The abundance of co-occurring species individually and considered in functional groups (graminoid, herb, woody) will have significant relationships with growth and reproductive success of Plantago cordata. (4) Stream depth will have a unimodal relationship with growth and reproductive success of Plantago cordata, with maximum performance at an intermediate stream depth. (5) Stream pH will have a unimodal relationship with growth and reproductive success of Plantago cordata. (6) Stream quality (as outlined by the QHEI assessment) will have significant relationships with growth and reproductive success of Plantago cordata. General trends in herbivory suggest that Plantago cordata could be at greatest risk of herbivory during warmest average temperatures of the study season. There is evidence to suggest that flowering individuals could have a greater threat of herbivory than other growth stages based on Kendal correlation results. A Wilcox test determined that there were no statistical differences in species richness for plots with versus without Plantago cordata. There were relatively low values for percent cover of co-occurring species when considered in functional groups and there was overall relatively low species richness across all communities. Despite this, non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) of community data provided evidence to suggest that there were statistical differences in the species composition of co-occurring individual riparian species among P. cordata populations. A significant negative correlation for water depth and flowering individuals and a significant positive correlation with water depth and pH occurred. A significant positive correlation for stream pH with the numbers of seedlings and dehiscing individuals was also found. One-way analyses of variance (ANOVAs) showed that some populations containing Plantago cordata were found to have stream pH values statistically different from nearby IEPA control streams without Plantago cordata. One population of Plantago cordata was found to be significantly different than two other populations in regards to stream pH using a linear mixed model. A principal components analysis (PCA) of stream Qualitative Habitat Evaluation Index (QHEI) assessments demonstrated distinct clustering of Plantago cordata streams and control IEPA streams without Plantago cordata. These findings provide partial evidence to suggest that growth and reproductive success of Plantago cordata could potentially be impacted by the abiotic and biotic parameters explored in this thesis.

Spruce-Fir forests are relicts from the Pleistocene and can only be found within the Southern Appalachians. Analyzing the relationships between species distribution, climatic parameters, topography, and biotic interactions through ecological niche modeling creates prediction maps for conservation efforts. Maxent, Boosted Regression, and Random Forest were utilized to compare which model and variable combinations best approximate the unique mountain forest environment. Maxent with a bias file produced optimal results and was used to examine distributional changes that may occur in the future and how these changes compare to paleo-environmental distributions. Fraser fir has shown evidence of being influenced by changing climates based on historical data and in future predictions. These findings show areas of decline in 2050 and 2070. When combined with weather, climate, genetics, and ecological studies, this is a useful tool for resource allocation to areas that are predicted to be resilient in the face of climate change.

Conserving rare species and protecting biodiversity depends on sound information on the nature of rarity. Rarity is multidimensional, presenting the need for a quantitative classification scheme by which to label species as rare or common. I defined rarity for freshwater fishes based on the range extents, habitat breadths, and site abundance and examined the relationship between these dimensions of rarity and imperilment. Imperiled fishes were most often rare by all three dimensions, whereas undesignated species were most often common by all three dimensions. Next, I examined the effect of sampling intensity on observed rarity of stream fish using different numerical and proportional rarity criteria and found that increasing sampling intensity increased the number of species labelled as rare with proportional criteria but did not affect the number of species labelled as rare with numerical criteria. Additional electrofishing passes within a fixed reach increases the likelihood of detecting rare and endemic species. A tradeoff between information collected and sampling resources should be carefully considered in the context of objectives when sampling for rare species. Finally, I examined the effect of regional and watershed habitat variables, biotic interaction variables, and instream habitat variables, on the rare or common status on 23 North American freshwater fishes. I also compared biological and reproductive traits among species classified into the rarity framework. Rarity was successfully explained in 19 of the 23 species and I found that regional and watershed habitat variables were the most important predictors of rarity. I also found that species large body size, high fecundity, and long age at maturity were generally more common by range extent and site abundance while those species that did not guard nests were more frequently rare by site abundance. These results indicate that large-scale variables can be used to successfully predict species rarity and rare fishes differ in their biology and reproduction from common fishes. / Master of Science

A flora of the 3800 ha Rocky Fork Tract in northeast Tennessee produced 749 species of which 19 were on the Tennessee Rare Plant List and 34 were on the Cherokee National Forest Species Viability List with 87 county records from Greene County and 217 from Unicoi County. Rare species were particularly numerous in the Cyperaceae and Orchidaceae. The tract serves as a refuge for several regionally uncommon species by supporting either large populations or metapopulations of these species. Exotic species comprised 15% of the flora and were most common in the Fabaceae and Poaceae. The most unique habitat was a heath bald dominated by Rhododendron catawbiense with abundant Xerophyllum asphodeloides in the herbaceous layer. While species richness was relatively high compared to regional sites of comparable area, diversity was limited by the absence of high elevation spruce-fir communities and the paucity of wetlands.

This thesis focuses on phylogenetic, taxonomic, ecological, and conservation aspects of the crustose lichen genus Lecania (Ramalinaceae, lichenized Ascomycota). Lecania has previously been defined on basis of relatively few morphological characters, and the genus had never been treated in molecular phylogenies. The molecular phylogeny of the genus is inferred from DNA sequences. Twenty-five species traditionally placed in Lecania are included in the study along with 21 species from closely related genera. Lecania is a polyphyletic genus. A well-supported monophyletic group containing 16 Lecania species, including the type species L. fuscella is discovered, i.e. Lecania s. str. Nine species formerly included in Lecania do not belong in the genus. A new species, L. belgica, is described. The relationships of a group of morphologically similar Lecania species, i.e. the L. cyrtella group are investigated using morphological and molecular methods. Haplotype network and phylogenetic analyses indicate that the included species, as conceived in the morphological examinations, all are monophyletic. Two new species, L. leprosa and L. madida, are described, L. proteiformis is resurrected from synonymy, and the known range of L. prasinoides is greatly expanded. The type species Lecania fuscella has become endangered in many countries. Twelve localities in Sweden where the species had been found historically are investigated, but L. fuscella is only recovered in one locality. The species composition in these 12 localities, 58 old and 5 new collections with L. fuscella is determined and analyzed. The vegetation community differs between the old and the new collections, and between the locality where the species is recovered and those where it is not. Lecania fuscella has not been able to adapt to environmental changes and now only appears in a specific type of vegetation community. The phylogenetic diversity of the species is calculated, but does not reflect the species’ evolutionary potential.

For many decades the genus Milnesium was thought to consist of a single, cosmopolitan species: Milnesium tardigradum Doyere, 1840. However, recently the genus has been re-evaluated, and numerous new species have been described. Cur-rently, over twenty extant species and one fossil are recognised, and most appear to have very narrow geographic ranges. It is doubtful that M. tardigradum sensu stricto is truly cosmopolitan, but to evaluate this hypothesis, specimens previously identified as M. tardigradum must be re-examined using newly proposed taxonomic characters. As part of the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory (ATBI) we collected Milnesium specimens from various locations in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP). Two Milnesium species have been evaluated, and one of them, Milnesium bohleberi sp. nov., is new to science. The new species is most similar to M. eurystomum but differs by shorter claws and a shorter, narrower, and more cylindrical buccal tube. The other Milnesium species, very rare in our collection, is morphologically indistin-guishable from Milnesium granulatum Ramazzotti 1962, which was previously known only from Chile, Italy and Roma-nia. Based on the recently revised description of M. tardigradum sensu stricto, this nominal species for the genus has not been found in the GSMNP samples.

For a long time studies were focused on searching optimal conditions of germination of individual species. During the last few years studies have started to search for a relationship between germination and various species characteristics. Most of them, however, use only one temperature during germination tests. Very few studies use more than one temperature during the germination tests. In the last years studies started also to compare germination between rare and common species, but these studies compare just a few species. There are no studies which would compare germination on broader range of species. Aim of this study was to indentify which factors are determing germination of species and to find relationships between germination and characteristics of rare species (n=62). Another aim was to find out differences in germination of pairs (n=24) of closely related rare and common species. To test the germination I have chosen a methodology with several consecutive temperatures. Throughout the time of testing , the seeds were placed either in light or in dark. The dataset was processed by linear regression. The results show that germination requirements of species are determinet by time of flowering, weight of seeds, dispersal mode, species requirements for soil humidity and nutrients and type of...

No contexto da conservação biológica, a fragmentação florestal é definida como uma separação ou desligamento não natural de áreas amplas em fragmentos espacialmente segregados, promovendo a redução dos tipos de habitats e a divisão dos habitats remanescentes em unidades menores e isoladas. A magnitude e a extensão dessas alterações na paisagem são influenciadas pelo tamanho, conectividade, forma, contexto e heterogeneidade dos fragmentos. Visando a conservação ambiental do município de Paulínia-SP, este trabalho teve como objetivo efetuar o diagnóstico da vegetação remanescente. Os fragmentos florestais identificados no município foram: Floresta Estacional Semidecidual, Floresta Estacional Semidecidual Ribeirinha, Floresta Paludosa e Cerrado. A caracterização da vegetação foi realizada através do levantamento florístico rápido baseado no tempo de amostragem. Os 104 fragmentos apresentaram riqueza de 517 espécies, sendo 447 espécies nativas regionais (região de Paulínia), 18 espécies nativas não regionais (nativas de outras regiões do Brasil) e 52 exóticas (originárias de outros países). Foram registradas espécies raras como Tabebuia insignis, Pilocarpus pennatifolius, Salix humboldtiana, Handroanthus umbellatus. A análise de similaridade florísica utilizando-se o Método de agrupamento de Sorensen foi efetiva para separar os fragmentos de Cerrado e Floresta Paludosa e mostrou tendência de agrupamento para algumas variações fisionômicas da Floresta Estacional Semidecidual. Com a finalidade de se obter dados quantitativos (abundância) das espécies, foram registradas todas as espécies diferentes encontradas em cada intervalo de tempo de amostragem no Levantamento Rápido. Obtiveram-se indicativos das 517 espécies com relação a serem raras ou comuns na paisagem, em cada formação florestal e em cada fragmento estudado. Foi aplicado um total de 801 intervalos de tempo de 15 min de amostragem e gerados 21.324 registros. A composição de espécies variou com o tamanho e grau de conservação dos fragmentos. Foram analisadas as influências do tipo de fisionomia florestal, tamanho e estado de conservação dos fragmentos na composição das espécies em relação às classes de sucessão ecológica e às síndromes de dispersão. A composição das classes de sucessão variou com o tamanho e estado de conservação dos remanescentes de Floresta Estacional Semidecidual e Floresta Estacional Semidecidual Ribeirinha. Em fragmentos menores e muito degradados houve predominância de espécies em estágios iniciais de sucessão (pioneiras e secundárias) em relação à classe de final de sucessão (clímax). Houve predominância da zoocoria, seguida de anemocoria e depois autocoria em todas as situações analisadas. / In biological conservation, forest fragmentation is defined as a separation or nonnatural disconnection of wide areas in spatially segregated fragments, generating a reduction of habitat types and the split of remnant habitat in smaller isolated units. The magnitude and extension of these landscape alterations are influenced by size, connectivity, shape, context and heterogeneity of fragments. Aiming environmental conservation of the municipality of Paulinia, SP, this study aimed to diagnose the remnant vegetation. The forest fragments identified in the municipality were: Seasonal Semidecidual Forest, Seasonal Semidecidual Riparian Forest, Swamp Forest and Savanna. The vegetation characterization was done through a quick floristic search based on sampling time. The 104 fragments presented a richness of 517 species, 447 of which are regional native species (Paulinia region) and 18 are non-regional native species (from other regions of Brazil); and 52 exotic species (from other countries). These fragments presented rare species as Tabebuia insignis, Pilocarpus pennatifolius, Salix humboldtiana, Handroanthus umbellatus. The floristic similarity analysis using the Sorensen method was particularly effective to separate Savanna and Swamp Forest fragments and showed a tendency for grouping some variations of Seasonal Semidecidual Forest. In order to obtain quantitative data (abundance) about the species, all different species found in each time interval in the quick floristic search were recorded. Indicatives for 517 species were obtained classifying then into rare or common in the landscape, in each forest formation, and in each fragment studied. 21.324 records were generated for a total of 801 intervals of 15 minutes sampling. Species composition varied with size and conservation degree of fragments. The influences of the forest physiognomy type, size and conservation status of fragments on species composition related to ecological succession classes and dispersion syndromes were analyzed. The ecological classes composition varied along with the size and conservation status for the fragments of Seasonal Semidecidual Forest and Seasonal Semidecidual Riparian Forest. In smaller and very degraded fragments there was a predominance of species from initial sucessional stages (pioneer and secondary species) in comparison to species from final stages of succession (climax). There was predominance of zoochory, followed by anemochory and autochory in all situations analyzed.