Potential medicinal use of forest species of the Deciduous Seasonal Forest from Atlantic Forest Biome, South Brazil

The current paper focuses on potential medicinal use of forest species from Deciduous Seasonal Forest in central region of Rio Grande do Sul State, South Brazil. Floristic and phytosociological surveys were carried out in 2011 and 2012. Results were compared with the available information in scientific literature about popular knowledge and biological/pharmacological evidences. Each species was classified in use categories to diseases, symptoms our disorders based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). In 2011, we found a total of 31 species, 77,4% of them with medicinal use. In 2012, we found 33 species,72,7% of them with medicinal use. The species most frequently mentioned were Casearia sylvestris, Eugenia uniflora, Cabralea canjerana, Luehea divaricata, Parapiptadenia rigida and Vitex megapotamica. The main species with biological/pharmacological properties were C. sylvestris, E. uniflora, L. divaricata, V. megapotamica and Zanthoxylum rhoifolium. We concluded that there is a considerable potential for medicinal purposes to forest species from Deciduous Seasonal Forest in the study region. We recommend further studies mainly about the species Prunus myrtifolia, Zanthoxylum rhoifolium, Cabralea canjerana and Casearia sylvestris which presented references to antitumoral properties.

Structure and regeneration capacity of a urban forest fragment / Estrutura e capacidade regenerativa de fragmento florestal urbano

Understanding the plant communities affected by human activities related to urbanization is an important tool to conserve these. In this way, this study on an urban forest fragment aimed to evaluate, through a phytosociological study and investigation of the germination of the seed bank, the current forest structure, the successional strata, and the regenerative capacity of the remnant. Three different stages comprised this research, the first with a floristic survey of the entire forest remnant, then the phytosociological study of the canopy (PAP above 10 cm) and regeneration strata (PAP 5-10 cm), and at last, the study on the seed bank. The phytosociological survey of the canopy stratum presented 1,368 individuals, with 41 species distributed into 24 families. The stratum of natural regeneration had 665 individuals, being 38 species distributed into 24 families. The seed bank was made up by only 8 native species, and 3 exotic species. The floristic diversity of the seed bank in all samples was low due to few species provide seeds to the soil. In addition, the strata and the seed bank had a low similarity, confirming thus the fragility and the need for preservationist attitudes.

Understanding the plant communities affected by human activities related to urbanization is an important tool to conserve these. In this way, this study on an urban forest fragment aimed to evaluate, through a phytosociological study and investigation of the germination of the seed bank, the current forest structure, the successional strata, and the regenerative capacity of the remnant. Three different stages comprised this research, the first with a floristic survey of the entire forest remnant, then the phytosociological study of the canopy (PAP above 10 cm) and regeneration strata (PAP 5-10 cm), and at last, the study on the seed bank. The phytosociological survey of the canopy stratum presented 1,368 individuals, with 41 species distributed into 24 families. The stratum of natural regeneration had 665 individuals, being 38 species distributed into 24 families. The seed bank was made up by only 8 native species, and 3 exotic species. The floristic diversity of the seed bank in all samples was low due to few species provide seeds to the soil. In addition, the strata and the seed bank had a low similarity, confirming thus the fragility and the need for preservationist attitudes.

Small-scale area effect on species richness and nesting occupancy of cavity-nesting bees and wasps

Small-scale area effect on species richness and nesting occupancy of cavity-nesting bees and wasps. The research was conducted in an urban forest remnant in southeast Brazil. We tested the predictions of the following hypotheses: (1) larger areas present higher species richness of bees and wasps, (2) solitary bees and wasps occupy more nests in larger areas, (3) rare species occupy more nests in smaller areas. We sampled Aculeate bees and wasps using trap nests from February to November 2004. We placed trap nests in sampling units (SU) with different size (25, 100 and 400 m²) located in 6 ha of secondary mesophytic forest. One hundred and thirty-seven trap nests were occupied by seven species of bees and four species of wasps. We found an increase in wasp, but not bee species richness following increase in SU size. Hymenoptera richness (i.e. bees plus wasps) was also greater in larger SU. Both the number and density of occupied nests increased with SU size. The wasp Trypoxylon lactitarse responded significantly to area size, larger SU having more occupied nests. The same pattern was exhibited by the wasp Auplopus militaris, the Megachile bee species, and the bee Anthodioctes megachiloides. Only Trypoxylon sp. was not affected by SU size. Our results show that cavity-nesting bee and wasps respond differently to the area effects. Such findings must be complemented by information on the frequency and dynamics of area colonization and nest occupancy by species of solitary Hymenoptera.

Efeito de área em pequena escala sobre a riqueza e comportamento de nidificação de abelhas e vespas solitárias. Este trabalho foi realizado em fragmento florestal urbano localizado na região sudeste do Brasil. Foram testadas as predições das seguintes hipóteses: (1) áreas maiores apresentam maior riqueza de espécies de abelhas e vespas que nidificam em cavidades pré-existentes, (2) espécies de abelhas e vespas que nidificam em cavidades pré-existentes ocupam mais ninhos em áreas maiores, (3) espécies raras ocupam mais ninhos em áreas menores. Estes insetos foram amostrados por meio de ninhos-armadilha de fevereiro a novembro de 2004. As armadilhas foram dispostas em unidades amostrais com diferentes tamanhos (25, 100 e 400 m²), alocadas em um fragmento de floresta mesofítica de 6 ha. Cento e trinta e sete armadilhas foram ocupadas por sete espécies de abelhas e quatro espécies de vespa. Observamos um aumento na riqueza de vespas associado a uma maior área amostral; não observamos o mesmo para abelhas. A riqueza de espécies de Hymenoptera (abelhas e vespas, em conjunto) foi maior em áreas maiores. Tanto a abundância quanto a densidade de ninhos ocupados por abelhas e vespas aumentou com o aumento da unidade amostral. Trypoxylon lactitarse ocorreu mais frequentemente em áreas maiores. O mesmo padrão foi observado para Auplopus militaris, espécies do gênero Megachile e Anthodioctes megachiloides. Apenas Trypoxylon sp. não foi afetada pelo tamanho da unidade amostral. Os resultados do estudo mostram que abelhas e vespas solitárias respondem de maneira diferente ao tamanho de área. O entendimento dessas relações deve ser complementado por informações sobre a frequência e dinâmica de ocupação de ninhos e colonização de áreas por abelhas e vespas solitárias.