Two decades of clear-cutting threats in the Brazilian Amazonian protected areas around the Jirau, Santo Antônio, and Belo Monte large dams.

Deforestation rates in the Amazon have markedly increased in the last few years, affecting non-protected and protected areas (PAs). Brazil is a hotspot of Protected Area Downgrading, Downsizing, and Degazettement (PADDD) events, with most events associated with infrastructure projects. Despite the threats dams impose on PAs, there is a knowledge gap in assessing deforestation in PAs around large dams in the Amazon. This study investigates how deforestation affects Biodiversity Protection Areas (BioPAs) and Indigenous Lands around the Jirau and Santo Antônio (JSA) dams (Madeira River, Rondônia) and Belo Monte dam (Xingu River, Pará) in the Brazilian Amazon. We compared clear-cutting between PAs and control areas and the annual rates of forest change between pre-dam and post-dam periods. We discussed deforestation-related factors (e.g., PADDD events and the presence of management plans or councils). Our results show an increase in deforestation after the operation of the dams when environmental control from licensing agencies decreases and other political and economic factors are in practice. Indigenous Lands experienced a significant increase in deforestation around the Belo Monte dam, which is associated with the demarcation process and land conflicts. Surrounding the JSA dams, sustainable use BioPAs showed high deforestation rates, and 27 PADDD events were reported, four directly related to dams. In addition to dams, deforestation was associated with the crisis of Brazilian democracy and the weakening of environmental policies. In conclusion, the weak environmental control from environmental licensing agencies during dam operation and PADDD events have contributed to increased deforestation rates and additional stresses in the Amazon.

Hunting practices in southwestern Amazonia: a comparative study of techniques, modalities, and baits among urban and rural hunters.

BACKGROUND: Hunting is a vital means of obtaining animal in various human populations. Hunters rely on their knowledge of species ecology and behavior to develop and employ hunting techniques and increase their chances of success. The comparison of the hunting practices of different human societies can shed light on the sustainability of hunting and the impact it has on species' populations. In this study, we examine and compare the techniques, modalities, and baits used by urban and rural hunters in Rondônia, a state in southwestern Amazonia, Brazil. We expected that rural hunters would use these elements and have greater knowledge when compared to urban hunters. We also expect that the use of specific hunting techniques and modalities will have greater selectivity and specificity of capture for rural hunters and that this knowledge will differ between groups. METHODS: We conducted 106 semi-structured interviews with rural and urban hunters from October 2018 to February 2020. We analyzed the data using PERMANOVA and Network analyses to compare and contrast the hunting practices of each group. RESULTS: We recorded four main hunting techniques divided into ten modalities with three techniques and seven modalities being the preferred choices among hunters. Waiting for at a Fruit Tree was cited as the primary technique employed by hunters living in urban and rural areas indicated. While the techniques and modalities were similar among hunters, the composition of species targeted and baits used differed between groups. Our network approach showed that modularity in urban areas was numerically lower than in rural areas. All species had one to more techniques associated with their capture. CONCLUSIONS: Hunters living in urban and rural environments showed high similarity in their practices, probably due to sharing similar environments to hunt containing similar species, as well as targeting preferably the same species.

The Program for Biodiversity Research in Brazil: The role of regional networks for biodiversity knowledge, dissemination, and conservation.

The Program for Biodiversity Research (PPBio) is an innovative program designed to integrate all biodiversity research stakeholders. Operating since 2004, it has installed long-term ecological research sites throughout Brazil and its logic has been applied in some other southern-hemisphere countries. The program supports all aspects of research necessary to understand biodiversity and the processes that affect it. There are presently 161 sampling sites (see some of them at Supplementary Appendix), most of which use a standardized methodology that allows comparisons across biomes and through time. To date, there are about 1200 publications associated with PPBio that cover topics ranging from natural history to genetics and species distributions. Most of the field data and metadata are available through PPBio web sites or DataONE. Metadata is available for researchers that intend to explore the different faces of Brazilian biodiversity spatio-temporal variation, as well as for managers intending to improve conservation strategies. The Program also fostered, directly and indirectly, local technical capacity building, and supported the training of hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students. The main challenge is maintaining the long-term funding necessary to understand biodiversity patterns and processes under pressure from global environmental changes.

Spatial segregation between Chalceus guaporensis and Chalceus epakros (Osteichthyes: Characiformes) in the Madeira River, Amazon Basin / Segregação espacial entre Chalceus guaporensis e Chalceus epakros (Osteichthyes: Characiformes) no rio Madeira, Bacia Amazônica

Chalceus guaporensis is an endemic fish to the upper Madeira River whereas C. epakros is widespread in many rivers of the central and lower portions of the Amazon Basin, middle and upper Orinoco River Basin, the Essequibo River in Guyana and in the Nanay River in northern Peru. According to literature, both species do not occur in syntopy. We carried out ichthyological surveys along the Madeira River Basin and its rapids, and data on abundance, diet and habitat use were obtained for both species. Chalceus guaporensis and C. epakros are morphologically similar, occupying floodplain habitats and exploiting similar food resources. The former predominated upstream from the Jirau Fall, whereas the latter had most of its abundance bellow the last fall of the Madeira River; both species co-occurred along part of the rapids stretch and in the Machado River, but with strongly uneven abundances. This pattern may have developed in the past by speciation regarding the presence of the falls, while co-occurrence of the two species seems to be regulated by competitive interactions or maintained by slight differences in environmental requirements nowadays. The recent disruption of the Madeira River by two run-of-river dams built in cascade submerged a large portion of the rapids stretch and substituted it by semi-lenthic habitats created by the dam reservoirs, together with the construction of a fish passage. These environmental changes may allow the invasion of the upper reaches of the Madeira River by C. epakros, and disturb the population of endemic C. guaporensis.

Chalceus guaporensis é descrita como uma espécie endêmica do alto rio Madeira, enquanto C. epakros está amplamente distribuída em rios das porções central e inferior da bacia Amazônica, no médio e alto rio Orinoco, e nos rios Essequibo, na Guiana, e Nanay, no norte do Peru. A literatura não registra essas espécies como sintópicas. Expedições ictiológicas realizadas ao longo do rio Madeira e suas corredeiras nos deram a oportunidade de registrar a presença, abundância, habitat e dieta utilizadas por essas espécies. Chalceus guaporensis e C. epakros são muito similares morfologicamente, ocupam habitats inundáveis e apresentam espectro alimentar semelhante. A primeira espécie predominou a montante da cachoeira Jirau, enquanto que a segunda teve a maior parte de sua abundância registrada à jusante das cachoeiras do rio Madeira. Ambas espécies coocorreram ao longo de parte do trecho de corredeiras e no rio Machado, mas com abundâncias muito desiguais. Esse padrão pode ter se desenvolvido no passado, por especiação, em função da presença das corredeiras, enquanto a coocorrência das duas espécies parece ser regulada por interações competitivas ou mantida por diferenças sutis em requisitos ecológicos no tempo atual. O recente barramento do rio Madeira por duas hidrelétricas construídas em cascata submergiu uma grande porção do trecho de corredeiras e o substituiu por habitats semilênticos, criados pelos reservatórios das hidrelétricas a fio dágua, juntamente com a construção de uma passagem para peixes. Essas alterações ambientais podem permitir que C. epakros invada o trecho superior da bacia do rio Madeira, com possíveis impactos negativos sobre a população da espécie endêmica C. guaporensis.

Jatuarana fishing dynamics Brycon amazonicus (Spix & Agassiz, 1829)of the upper and middle Madeira River Basin / Dinâmica da pesca da Jatuarana Brycon amazonicus (Spix &Agassiz, 1829) do alto e médio rio Madeira

The jatuarana (Brycon amazonicus), is an important species for the Madeira River commercialfisheries. The paper aims to characterize the jatuarana fishing dynamics in the middle Madeira River andtest whether there are differences dowstreams and upstreams the Teotônio waterfall. Commercial fisherieslandings were monitored daily at 15 ports or riverine communities along that stretch, using semistructuredinterviews with fishermen. With data from the fishing monitoring program of UHEs SantoAntônio and Jirau we analysed: the yield, catch per unit effort (CPUE), length structure, locations andfishing gear used, between 2009 to 2011.The fishing yield of this species was temporaly analyzed with datafrom the Fishermen Colony of Porto Velho city (Rondônia state, Brazil), between 1990 to 2012. The yieldand the CPUE showed significant differences by area and locations and the capture of the species wascarried out primarily in the channel river and banks river through gillnets. In addition, the samplescollected in the upstream area have higher distribution and modal lengths than from those collecteddownstream. These results suggest that the areas require distinct management measures.

A jatuarana (Brycon amazonicus) é uma espécie importante para a pesca comercial do médio rioMadeira. O objetivo deste trabalho foi caracterizar a dinâmica da pesca da jatuarana na região e testardiferenças entre os trechos a jusante e montante da Cachoeira do Teotônio. Os desembarques pesqueirosforam monitorados diariamente em 15 portos e/ou comunidades ribeirinhas, usando entrevistassemiestruturadas com os pescadores. Com dados do Programa de Monitoramento Pesqueiro das UHEsSanto Antônio e Jirau foram analisados: a produção, a captura por unidade de esforço (CPUE), a estruturaem comprimento, os locais e os apetrechos de pesca utilizados entre 2009 e 2011. A produção da espécie foianalisada temporalmente com dados da Colônia de Pescadores de Porto Velho (Rondônia, Brasil) de 1990 a2012. A produção e a CPUE apresentaram diferenças significativas por área e localidades e a captura daespécie foi realizada, principalmente, na calha e nas margens do rio por meio de malhadeira. Verificou-setambém que os exemplares amostrados na área montante exibiram distribuição e comprimentos modaismaiores que na área jusante. Estes resultados sugerem a necessidade de estratégias de manejo distintas entreas áreas.

The invisibility of fisheries in the process of hydropower development across the Amazon.

We analyze the invisibility of fisheries and inadequacy of fishers' participation in the process of hydropower development in the Amazon, focusing on gaps between legally mandated and actual outcomes. Using Ostrom's institutional design principles for assessing common-pool resource management, we selected five case studies from Brazilian Amazonian watersheds to conduct an exploratory comparative case-study analysis. We identify similar problems across basins, including deficiencies in the dam licensing process; critical data gaps; inadequate stakeholder participation; violation of human rights; neglect of fishers' knowledge; lack of organization and representation by fishers' groups; and lack of governmental structure and capacity to manage dam construction activities or support fishers after dam construction. Fishers have generally been marginalized or excluded from decision-making regarding planning, construction, mitigation, compensation, and monitoring of the social-ecological impacts of hydroelectric dams. Addressing these deficiencies will require concerted investments and efforts by dam developers, government agencies and civil society, and the promotion of inter-sectorial dialogue and cross-scale participatory planning and decision-making that includes fishers and their associations.

Fish collection of the Universidade Federal de Rondônia: its importance to the knowledge of Amazonian fish diversity / A coleção ictiológica da Universidade Federal de Rondônia: sua importância para o conhecimento da diversidade de peixes da Amazônia

Biological collections preserve the biodiversity of a nation. The fish collection of the Universidade Federal de Rondônia, recently established, contains about 41% of freshwater fish species known to occur in Brazil, and 24% of South America. The biological material is distributed into 1,067 species, 21,963 lots and 149,192 specimens, gathered during five years of work. From this collection, 99% of the lots have georeferenced location, and 94% of the species were sampled in the Madeira River basin, the largest tributary in flow, drainage area and sediment discharge of the Amazonas River basin. Among the 1,008 species collected in the Madeira River basin, 80% were reviewed by Brazilian, North American and French experts, and represents the highest richness among tributaries of the Amazonas River and other rivers worldwide. Fish collection from the Madeira River basin deposited in the ichthyological collection of the Universidade Federal de Rondônia accounts for about 75% of the lots and specimens of fish from that basin available for study in collections worldwide.

Coleções biológicas preservam a biodiversidade de uma nação. A coleção ictiológica da Universidade Federal de Rondônia, recentemente estabelecida, contém cerca de 41% das espécies de peixes de água doce conhecidas para o Brasil e 24% da América do Sul. O material biológico encontra-se distribuído em 1.067 espécies, 21.963 lotes e 149.192 exemplares, organizados durante 5 anos de trabalho. Desse acervo, 99% dos lotes possuem localidade georreferenciada e 94% das espécies foram coletadas na bacia do rio Madeira, o maior afluente em vazão, área de drenagem e descarga de sedimentos da bacia Amazônica. Do total de 1.008 espécies coletadas na bacia do rio Madeira, 80% foram revisadas por especialistas brasileiros, norte-americanos e franceses, e constitui a maior riqueza de espécies conhecida para um afluente do rio Amazonas e entre outros rios do mundo. O acervo de peixes da bacia do rio Madeira depositado na Coleção de peixes da Universidade Federal de Rondônia representa cerca de 75% dos lotes e de exemplares de peixes dessa bacia disponíveis para estudos em coleções ictiológicas do mundo.

A pesca comercial na bacia do rio Madeira no estado de Rondônia, Amazônia brasileira / The Commercial fisheries of the Madeira river basin in the Rondônia state, brazilian Amazon

Este estudo caracteriza quali e quantitativamente a atividade pesqueira comercial na bacia do rio Madeira, afluente do rio Amazonas, no trecho entre Guajará-Mirim e Porto Velho, estado de Rondônia. No período de janeiro a dezembro/2004, foram registrados 460 t, correspondendo 935 viagens. A análise dos dados oriundos do monitoramento dos desembarques demonstrou que a pesca na região tem caráter artesanal de pequena escala, destacando a maior participação das canoas motorizadas (131 unidades) do que barcos pesqueiros (45 unidades; capacidade média: 3.000kg) na frota pesqueira. Os peixes migradores jaraqui (Semaprochilodus spp.), dourada (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii), sardinha (Triportheus spp.), jatuarana/matrinxã (Brycon amazonicus e B. cephalus), curimatã (Prochilodus nigricans) e filhote (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum) se destacaram na composição das espécies desembarcadas. As informações técnicas geradas são importantes para subsidiar ações de ordenamento pesqueiro, bem como para avaliar futuras variações que possam ocorrer na atividade frente aos impactos dos empreendimentos hidrelétricos em construção na região.

This study presents qualitative and quantitative information about commercial fishery in the basin of the Madeira River, tributary of the Amazon River, describing the fishing activity in the segment between Guajará-Mirim and Porto Velho, in Rondônia State. From January to December/2004, 219 fishermen and 935 trips were registered, corresponding to the capture of 460 t of fish. Data from fish landings demonstrate that fisheries in the region are small-scaled and point to a higher participation of small motorized canoes (130 units) than of fishing boats (45 units; average capacity: 3000 kg) in the fishing fleet. Migratory species like jaraqui (Semaprochilodus spp.), dourada (Brachyplatystoma rousseauxii), sardinha (Triportheus spp.), jatuarana/matrinxã (Brycon amazonicus e B. cephalus), curimatã (Prochilodus nigricans) and filhote (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum) were the most important in terms of landings. The technical information produced are very important in order to subsidize fishery management, as well as to assess future variations that might happen due to the hydro-electric enterprises under construction in the region.

Composition and trophic structure of the ichthyofauna from a stream downriver from Santo Antonio Falls in the Madeira River, Porto Velho, RO / Composição e estrutura trófica da ictiofauna de um igarapé a jusante da cachoeira de Santo Antônio no Rio Madeira, Porto Velho, RO

Belmont Stream is the main tributary of the Madeira River in the area immediately downriver from the Santo Antonio Fall. Samplings were carried out using gill nets in the mouth of this stream between May 2005 and April 2006 and resulted in a list of 74 species. The analyses included values of composition, constancy of occurrence, species richness, abundance, Catch Per Unit of Effort and trophic structure about the ten most abundant species. Characiformes and Siluriformes were dominant order in the samples and Curimatidae (popularly known as "branquinhas") was the most abundant family, represented by Psectrogaster rutiloides (32.57 percent of the collected specimens), Potamorhina altamazonica (10.72 percent), and Potamorhina latior (7.79 percent). The most of species were considered accessory and accidental and richness suggests high values in the rising and high water. Belmont maybe considered as a moderate richness when compared to those found for others Amazon rivers. Detritivorous fishes composed 60 percent of the assemblage and the constancy of the most abundant species of this family suggests Belmont as an important area to these migratory fishes.

O igarapé Belmont localiza-se a cerca de 30 km de Porto Velho e é o principal afluente do rio Madeira na área imediatamente a jusante da cachoeira de Santo Antonio. No período compreendido entre maio de 2005 a abril de 2006, dez coletas realizadas na foz deste igarapé geraram uma lista com 74 espécies coletadas por malhadeiras. As análises incluem características físico-químicas do igarapé estudado, valores de riqueza, composição, constância, estrutura trófica da assembléia de peixes e valores de CPUE. O predomínio das ordens Characiformes e Siluriformes confirma o esperado para a Amazônia. A família Curimatidae foi a mais abundante, representada por Psectrogaster rutiloides (32,57 por cento), Potamorhina altamazonica (10,72 por cento) e Potamorhina latior (7,79 por cento), popularmente conhecidas como branquinhas. A riqueza e constância de algumas espécies sugerem um papel especial da área no que diz respeito à transposição das corredeiras pelas espécies. Conclui-se que a estrutura e a composição da ictiofauna na área estudada do igarapé Belmont é marcada por espécies migradoras detritívoras, possivelmente em função do papel do rio Madeira nas rotas migratórias.

Avaliação espermática pós-descongelamento em tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier, 1818) / Sperm evaluation of tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier, 1818), after thawing

Este estudo testa procedimentos de congelamento do sêmen de tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum , e eficiência na fertilização de ovócitos. Sêmen de um reprodutor induzido hormonalmente foi amostrado e armazenado em tubos de ensaio. O material foi diluído em soluções crioprotetoras (dimetilacetamida [DMA], dimetilsulfóxido [DMSO], metanol, propilenoglicol e etilenoglicol) (proporção de 1:3; sêmen:diluente), e submetido a procedimentos de rotina de congelamento. A motilidade foi avaliada antes e depois deste procedimento. Testes de fertilização foram feitos com o sêmen criopreservado. A motilidade pré-congelamento foi de 80 por cento e após o congelamento foi de 20-25 por cento para propilenoglicol e etilenoglicol, 5-10 por cento para DMSO e 5 por cento para DMA e metanol. A fertilização foi de 76 por cento e 88 por cento para propilenoglicol e etilenoglicol, respectivamente.

This work tests freezing procedures of tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum , and efficiency in egg fertilizing. Sperm of a hormonally induced reproducer was collected and stored in assay pipes. The material was diluted in cryoprotectant solutions (dimetilacetamida [DMA], dimetilsulfóxido [DMSO], metanol, propilenoglicol e etilenoglicol) (1:3 ratio: sperm:diluting), and subjected to routine freezing procedures. The motility was evaluated before and after this procedure. Fertilization tests were made with cryopreserved sperm. The motility was evaluated before and after these tests. Fertilization tests were made with the cryopreserved semen. The pre-freezing motility was 80 percent, and after freezing, it was 20-25 percent for propilenoglicol and etilenoglicol, 5-10 percent for DMSO and 5 percent for DMA and methanol. The fertilization was 76 percent and 88 percent for propilenoglicol and etilenoglicol, respectively.