The legacy of colonial fire management policies on traditional livelihoods and ecological sustainability in savannas: Impacts, consequences, new directions.

Land occupation and management systems have defined fire regimes and landscapes for millennia. The savanna biome is responsible for 86% of all fire events, contributes to 10% of the total carbon emissions annually and is home to 10% of the human population. European colonization has been associated with the implementation of fire suppression policies in many tropical savanna regions, markedly disrupting traditional fire management practices and transforming ecosystems. In this paper we assess savanna burning approaches from pre-colonial to contemporary eras in three regions: northern Australia, southern Africa and Brazil. In these regions, fire suppression policies have led to (i) conflicts between government authorities and local communities; (ii) frequent late dry season wildfires and/or (iii) woody encroachment. Such consequences are facilitating changes to fire management policies, including recognition and incorporation of traditional ecological knowledge in contemporary community-based adaptive savanna fire management. Such programs include implementation of prescribed early dry season fires and, in some regions, generating income opportunities for rural and traditional communities through the reduction of late dry season wildfires and associated greenhouse gas emissions. We present a brief history of fire management policies in these three important savanna regions, and identify ongoing challenges for implementation of culturally and ecologically sustainable fire management policies.

Environmental variables and tree population structures in deciduous forests of central Brazil with different levels of logging

Population structures of six tree species in three fragments of intact seasonal deciduous forest and three fragments disturbed by logging were studied in the northeastern Goiás. Forty random 400 m² plots were allocated in each fragment to survey plant population structures, number of stumps, cattle feces, burnt logs, and canopy openness. Soil cover by life forms was estimated in 1m² sub-plots. Lianas were abundant in intermediately logged fragments and invasive herbs in the most disturbed fragment. Cattle avoided dense herbaceous strata, such as liana tangles. Cavanillesia arborea, Eugenia dysenterica and Swartzia multijuga trees occurred at very low densities in all the fragments and their seedlings were practically absent, which might endanger their future populations in these fragments. Myracrodruon urundeuva, Tabebuia impetiginosa and Astronium fraxinifolium, the most logged species, had high density of seedlings in all the fragments. However, the highest density of saplings and juvenile individuals occurred in the most disturbed fragment.

As estruturas populacionais de seis espécies de árvores foram estudadas em três fragmentos de floresta estacional decidual intactos e três fragmentos impactados pela exploração seletiva de madeira no nordeste goiano. Quarenta parcelas de 400m² foram estabelecidas em cada fragmento para a amostragem de populações, número de tocos, fezes de gado, troncos queimados e abertura de dossel. A cobertura do solo por formas de vida foi estimada em sub-parcelas de 1m². Lianas foram mais abundantes em fragmentos com perturbação intermediária, enquanto herbáceas invasoras no fragmento mais perturbado. Cavanillesia arborea, Eugenia dysenterica e Swartzia multijuga ocorreram em densidades muito baixas em todos os fragmentos e plântulas foram praticamente ausentes, o que pode ameaçar o futuro de suas populações. Myracrodruon urundeuva, Tabebuia impetiginosa e Astronium fraxinifolium, as espécies mais exploradas da região, tiveram alta densidade de plântulas em todos os fragmentos. Entretanto, a maior densidade de plântulas estabelecidas (>1 ano) e juvenis ocorreu no fragmento mais perturbado.

A flórula da reserva ducke, i: palmae (arecaceae)

This is the first taxomomic treatment of a family for the Fiorala of the Ducke Reserve. Fourteen genera with 35 species are treated for the palm family, with keys to all genera and species and brief descriptions of all species. The keys are based on characters found on fertile herbarium specimens. Listed by decreasing diversity, the genera are: Bactris(8), Geonoma(6), Astrocaryum(5), Attalea(3), Oenocarpus(3), Euterpe(2), Desmoncus(1), Hyospathe(1), irianella(1), Manicaria(1), Mauritia(1), Mauritiella(1), Socratea(1) and Syagrus(1).

Este é o primeiro tratamento taxonômico de uma família de angiospermas para a fiorala da Reserva Ducke. A família está representada na Reserva por 35 espécies, distribuídas em 14 gêneros. Os gêneros com seus respectivos números de espécies são: Bactris(8), Geonoma(6), Astrocaryum(5), Attalea(3), Oenocarpus(3), Euterpe(2), Desmoncus(1), Hyospathe(1), inanella(1), Manicarla(1), Mauritia(1), Mauritiella(1), Socratea(1) e Syagrus(1). O tratamento inclui chaves para identificação dos gêneros e das espécies encontrados na Reserva, além de descrições sucintas das espécies. As chaves utilizam, principalmente caracteres encontrados em material herborizado, em estado fértil.