A checklist of aquatic macrophytes of the Guaraguaçu river basin reveals a target for conservation in the Atlantic rainforest

Describing and understanding distribution of species in natural ecosystems is the first step to establish conservation efforts. In aquatic habitats, macrophytes play a central role in promoting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This study aimed to create the first checklist of aquatic macrophyte species occurring in the Guaraguaçu river, the largest river in Paraná State coast, Brazil. Species herborized, identified and incorporated into the Herbarium collection of the Universidade Federal do Paraná. A total of 47 species were registered corresponding to 37 genera and 29 botanical families; Cyperaceae and Poaceae were the most representative families. In addition, the wide invasion of the non-native species Urochloa arrecta (Hack. ex T. Durand & Schinz) Morrone & Zuloaga was registered and the presence of the floating-leaved non-native species Nymphaea caerulea Savugny was recorded. Even so, the inventory shows a noteworthy richness of aquatic macrophytes species in the Guaraguaçu river, and it is clear macrophyte species reflect a gradient of anthropic impact and salinity in this tidal estuarine river. Our study contributes to the creation of public policies to aid in the protection of this river that represents a central site for biological conservation efforts, yet is constantly threatened by anthropic activities.

The study of fractals among ecologists / O estudo dos fractais entre os ecólogos

Fractals seemed to have permeated most scientific fields, including ecology. In fact, biodiversity and ecological processes are affected by spatial complexity, and fractals can help understand patterns at multiple scales. In this paper we evaluated the main quantitative trends and the profile of ecology publications using fractals. Publications about fractals in Ecology experienced a high increase in the last two decades, and most articles were published in highly visible ecology journals. However, studies were authored mainly by US scientists, and researchers from developing countries had a minor contribution. In addition, studies were highly biased towards terrestrial environments, and empirical approaches were preferred.

Os fractais pareciam ter permeado a maioria das áreas científicas, incluindo a ecologia. De fato, a biodiversidade e os processos ecológicos são afetados pela complexidade espacial, e os fractais podem ajudar a compreender esses padrões em múltiplas escalas. Neste trabalho avaliaram-se as principais tendências do perfil ecológico, bem como foram quantificadas as publicações utilizando fractais. Publicação sobre fractais em ecologia sofreram grande aumento nas últimas duas décadas e muitos artigos foram publicados em revistas de alta circulação. No entanto, os estudos foram escritos, principalmente, por americanos, e os pesquisadores de países em desenvolvimento tiveram contribuição menor. Além disso, os estudos foram desenvolvidos em sua maioria em ambientes terrestres, e as abordagens empíricas foram preferidas.