Low Diversity and High Genetic Structure for Platonia insignis Mart., an Endangered Fruit Tree Species.

Platonia insignis is a fruit tree native to Brazil of increasing economic importance, with its pulp trading among the highest market values. This study aimed to evaluate the structure and genomic diversity of P. insignis (bacurizeiro) accessions from six locations in the Brazilian States of Roraima, Amazonas, Pará (Amazon biome), and Maranhão (Cerrado biome). A total of 2031 SNP markers were obtained using genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS), from which 625 outlier SNPs were identified. High genetic structure was observed, with most of the genetic variability (59%) concentrated among locations, mainly between biomes (Amazon and Cerrado). A positive and significant correlation (r = 0.85; p < 0.005) was detected between genetic and geographic distances, indicating isolation by distance. The highest genetic diversity was observed for the location in the Cerrado biome (HE = 0.1746; HO = 0.2078). The locations in the Amazon biome showed low genetic diversity indexes with significant levels of inbreeding. The advance of urban areas, events of burning, and expansion of agricultural activities are most probably the main factors for the genetic diversity reduction of P. insignis. Approaches to functional analysis showed that most of the outlier loci found may be related to genes involved in cellular and metabolic processes.

Consistent patterns of common species across tropical tree communities.

Trees structure the Earth's most biodiverse ecosystem, tropical forests. The vast number of tree species presents a formidable challenge to understanding these forests, including their response to environmental change, as very little is known about most tropical tree species. A focus on the common species may circumvent this challenge. Here we investigate abundance patterns of common tree species using inventory data on 1,003,805 trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm across 1,568 locations1-6 in closed-canopy, structurally intact old-growth tropical forests in Africa, Amazonia and Southeast Asia. We estimate that 2.2%, 2.2% and 2.3% of species comprise 50% of the tropical trees in these regions, respectively. Extrapolating across all closed-canopy tropical forests, we estimate that just 1,053 species comprise half of Earth's 800 billion tropical trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm. Despite differing biogeographic, climatic and anthropogenic histories7, we find notably consistent patterns of common species and species abundance distributions across the continents. This suggests that fundamental mechanisms of tree community assembly may apply to all tropical forests. Resampling analyses show that the most common species are likely to belong to a manageable list of known species, enabling targeted efforts to understand their ecology. Although they do not detract from the importance of rare species, our results open new opportunities to understand the world's most diverse forests, including modelling their response to environmental change, by focusing on the common species that constitute the majority of their trees.

Análise florística e estrutura de florestas de várzea no estuário amazônico / Floristic analysis and structure of tidal flooded forests in the amazonian estuary

Este trabalho apresenta os resultados de análise fitossociológica e da estrutura, feita em 4 inventários florísticos executados em parcelas de 1 hectare de florestas inundáveis de várzea localizadas na área do estuário e do baixo Amazonas. As florestas de várzea do estuário albergam uma riqueza de espécies relativamente baixa em relação a outras áreas da região como as florestas de terra firme. No entanto a estrutura de tamanho é considerável, com as árvores atingindo elevada biomassa vegetal. Provavelmente isto é devido ao aporte constante de nutrientes através dos sedimentos que viajam milhares de quilômetros de distância desde as nascentes andinas até o delta do rio Amazonas. As florestas inundáveis de várzea são dominadas por poucas espécies, algumas com muitos indivíduos, como o açaí (Euterpe oleracea) e o muru-muru (Astrocaryum murumuru), outras com árvores muito grandes como a pitaíca (Swartzia polyphylla), pracuúba (Mora paraensis) e a seringueira (Hevea brasiliensis). A ucuúba (Virola surinamensis), uma espécie que apresenta populações ameaçadas pela exploração madeireira, parece apresentar tanto indivíduos grandes como elevada densidade. As florestas de várzea apresentam baixa similaridade entre si, provavelmente decorrente da imensa variação do ambiente de várzea nos rios, paranás, ilhas e lagos, como os efeitos de zonação, altura de inundação, salinidade, velocidade da água, entre outros fatores. Estratégias de seleção de áreas de várzea para conservação devem levar em conta a variação ambiental, o grau de interferência humana e a diversidade local e entre ambientes.

This work presents results of the analysis made in four 1-hectare plots of floristic inventory in the flooded forests located in the delta and lower basin of the Amazon river. The flooded forests, so called "várzea" forests, harbor a relatively low species richness in relation to other areas such as "terra firme" forests. However the structure in size is considerable, with trees attaining high plant biomass. Probably that is due to the constant contribution of nutrients through the sediments that travel thousands of kilometers from the watersheds of the Andes to the delta of the Amazon river. The flooded forests of "várzea" are dominated by very few species (oligarchic forests), some they with so many individuals such us the açaí (Euterpe oleracea) and the muru-muru (Astrocaryum murumuru) palms, another with very big trees like the pitaíca (Swartzia polyphylla), pracuúba (Mora paraensis) and the seringueira (Hevea brasiliensis). The ucuúba (Virola surinamensis), a species whose populations are threatened by the timber logging, it has both large trees and great abundance. The delta flooded forests have low similarity when compared to each other, probably due to the immense variation of the environment in rivers, channels, islands and lakes. Local effects such as topographic gradient, flood height, salinity, velocity of the water can strongly affect the diversity, abundance and distribution of plants. Strategies of selection of várzea areas for conservation should take into account the environmental variation, the degree of human interference and both local and the diversity between habitats.

Vegetação da área de proteção ambiental Jabotitiua-Jatium. Município de Viseu, Pará, Brasil / Vegetation of the Jabotitiua-Jatium Protected Environmental Area, municipality of Viseu, Pará, Brazil

A Área de Proteção Ambiental Jabotitiua-Jatium, localiza-se no município de Viseu, Nordeste do Pará, ocupando uma área de 14.25 ha, sendo criada através da lei municipal n.º 002/98, de 07 de abril de 1998, visando a proteção de um trecho representativo e preservado do litoral paraense, abrigando um espetacular ninhal de guarás (Eudocimus ruber L.), ave costeira que encontra-se na lista oficial da fauna em extinção no Brasil. Objetivando auxiliar o plano de manejo ambiental desta APA, o estudo em questão identificou quatro tipos de ambientes, classificados em Mangue, Campo Natural, Floresta Mista com Palmeiras e Restinga. Utilizando-se a metodologia da Avaliação Ecológica Rápida (AER), foi identificado um total de 141 espécies, representantes de 61 famílias. O maior número de espécies corresponde à Floresta Mista com Palmeiras, apresentando 66 representantes, e a menor representatividade diz respeito ao mangue, com apenas quatro espécies. Fabaceae (15), Cyperaceae (10) e Rubiaceae (10), destacaram-se em número de espécies, correspondendo, juntas, a 24,82 por cento do total das espécies registradas. As ervas representam a maioria (48) quanto a forma de vida, seguida dos arbustos (38), árvores (34), Lianas (13), estipe (5) e epífitos (3).

The Jabotitiua-Jatium Protected Area comprises 14.25 ha in the Municipal District of Viseu in northeast Pará. The area was established by municipal law 002/98 on 7 April 1998 in order to protect a representative sample of coastal Amazonia, including an important nesting site of the endangered scarlet ibis (Eudocimus ruber L.). The objective of this study was to provide floristic information useful for developing a management plan for the area. Four habitat types were found to occur in the area: mangrove, savanna?, mixed palm-forest, and sandy coastal. A Rapid Ecological Assessment (AER) of the area identified 141 species of angiosperms in 61 families. The mixed palm-forest, with 66 species, is the most species-rich habitat. Only four species occur in the mangrove, the most depauperate habitat. The three dominant families are the Fabaceae (15 spp.), Cyperaceae (10 spp.), and Rubiaceae (10 spp.), which, combined, account for 24.82 percent of the total species occurring in the protected area. Forty-eight species are terrestrial herbs, 38 shrubs, 34 trees, 13 lianas, 5 stem, and 3 epiphytes.