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.

Mercury resistance and bioremediation mediated by endophytic fungi.

The present study proposes the use of endophytic fungi for mercury bioremediation in in vitro and host-associated systems. We examined mercury resistance in 32 strains of endophytic fungi grown in culture medium supplemented with toxic metal concentrations. The residual mercury concentrations were quantified after mycelial growth. Aspergillus sp. A31, Curvularia geniculata P1, Lindgomycetaceae P87, and Westerdykella sp. P71 were selected and further tested for mercury bioremediation and bioaccumulation in vitro, as well as for growth promotion of Aeschynomene fluminensis and Zea mays in the presence or absence of the metal. Aspergillus sp. A31, C. geniculata P1, Lindgomycetaceae P87 and Westerdykella sp. P71 removed up to 100% of mercury from the culture medium in a species-dependent manner and they promoted A. fluminensis and Z. mays growth in substrates containing mercury or not (Dunnett's test, p < 0.05). Lindgomycetaceae P87 and C. geniculata P1 are dark septate endophytic fungi that endophytically colonize root cells of their host plants. The increase of host biomass correlated with the reduction of soil mercury concentration due to the metal bioaccumulation in host tissues and its possible volatilization. The soil mercury concentration was decreased by 7.69% and 57.14% in A. fluminensis plants inoculated with Lindgomycetaceae P87 + Aspergillus sp. A31 and Lindgomycetaceae P87, respectively (Dunnet's test, p < 0.05). The resistance mechanisms of mercury volatilization and bioaccumulation in plant tissues mediated by these endophytic fungi can contribute to bioremediation programs. The biochemical and genetic mechanisms involved in bioaccumulation and volatilization need to be elucidated in the future.

Endophytic fungal communities of Polygonum acuminatum and Aeschynomene fluminensis are influenced by soil mercury contamination.

The endophytic fungal communities of Polygonum acuminatum and Aeschynomene fluminensis were examined with respect to soil mercury (Hg) contamination. Plants were collected in places with and without Hg+2 for isolation and identification of their endophytic root fungi. We evaluated frequency of colonization, number of isolates and richness, indices of diversity and similarity, functional traits (hydrolytic enzymes, siderophores, indoleacetic acid, antibiosis and metal tolerance) and growth promotion of Aeschynomene fluminensis inoculated with endophytic fungi on soil with mercury. The frequency of colonization, structure and community function, as well as the abundant distribution of taxa of endophytic fungi were influenced by mercury contamination, with higher endophytic fungi in hosts in soil with mercury. The presence or absence of mercury in the soil changes the profile of the functional characteristics of the endophytic fungal community. On the other hand, tolerance of lineages to multiple metals is not associated with contamination. A. fluminensis depends on its endophytic fungi, since plants free of endophytic fungi grew less than expected due to mercury toxicity. In contrast plants containing certain endophytic fungi showed good growth in soil containing mercury, even exceeding growth of plants cultivated in soil without mercury. The data obtained confirm the hypothesis that soil contamination by mercury alters community structure of root endophytic fungi in terms of composition, abundance and species richness. The inoculation of A. fluminensis with certain strains of stress tolerant endophytic fungi contribute to colonization and establishment of the host and may be used in processes that aim to improve phytoremediation of soils with toxic concentrations of mercury.

Caracterização da flora e estrutura do estrato arbustivo-arbóreo de um cerrado no Pantanal de Poconé, MT / Characterization of the flora and structure of the shrub-tree layer in a cerrado area in Pantanal do Poconé, MT

In wetlands as the Pantanal, the floristic composition and community structure respond primarily to the flood pulse and, in order to understand the species that enter this biome, these plant communities need to be floristically and structurally described. Therefore, the objectives of this paper are characterize floristic composition and vegetation structure on a cordilheira (paleolevees), in the Pirizal region, Nossa Senhora do Livramento County, MT; define the type of vegetation and determine whether there is a greater floristic similarity degree between the object of this study and other cerrado s.s. or cerradão areas in Central Brazil. 102 contiguous plots of 20 x 5 m were distributed systematically arranged in six transects towards edge-center-edge cordilheira, thus having a total area of 1,02 ha. For sampling purposes, only individuals with entire stem DBH > 3 cm including dead trees and palms. 82 different species of trees and shrubs were identified, which in turn were spread in 63 genera, 32 families and one unidentified species. Being 37 species characteristics of areas with cerradão, 19 of cerrado s.s., nine distributed both in areas of cerradão and in cerrado s.s., and 10 percent belonging to the Pantanal wetland environments. Comparing the studied area with other communities across the DCA, the results indicated the existence of two floristic groups relatively distinct, the first formed by areas composed of cerrado s.s. and the second by cerradões areas. Among the areas formed by cerradões, there was a separation of the sampled areas in the region of the Pantanal (wetlands) those occurring elsewhere in the Centro-Oeste (dry land). The vegetation on cordilheira showed greater floristic and structural relationship with cerradões than with cerrado s.s. of west center region of Brazil, and may thus be characterized as a vegetation type of cerradão. The savannas of the Pantanal had a lower floristic relationship with other regions of the Centro-Oeste, this floristic heterogeneity may be related to the flood pulse which acts as a filter for most species in other areas of the Planalto Central.

Em áreas úmidas, como o Pantanal, a composição florística e estrutura comunitária respondem principalmente ao pulso de inundação. E para o entendimento das espécies que adentram esse bioma, essas comunidades de plantas precisam ser descritas florística e estruturalmente. O presente estudo teve como objetivos: caracterizar a composição florística e a estrutura da vegetação sobre uma cordilheira na região do Pirizal, Município de Nossa Senhora do Livramento ,MT; definir o tipo de vegetação e determinar se há maior grau de semelhança florística entre a vegetação estudada com outras áreas de cerrado s s. ou de cerradão do Centro-Oeste brasileiro. Foram alocadas 102 parcelas contíguas 20 x 5 m distribuídas sistematicamente em seis transecções dispostas no sentido borda-centro-borda da cordilheira, totalizando 1,02 ha de área amostrada. Mediram-se os indivíduos com DAP >3 cm, incluindo mortos e palmeiras. Foram identificadas 82 espécies arbustivo-arbóreas, distribuídas em 63 gêneros, 32 famílias e uma espécie indeterminada. Sendo 3 espécies características de áreas com cerradão; 19 do cerrado s.s., nove distribuídas tanto em áreas de cerradão quanto em cerrado s.s., e 10 por cento que pertencem a ambientes inundáveis no Pantanal. Comparando a área de estudada com outras comunidades através da DCA, os resultados indicaram a existência de dois grupos florísticos relativamente distintos, o primeiro formado por áreas compostas por cerrado s.s. e o segundo por áreas com cerradão. Entre as áreas formadas por cerradões, ocorreu uma separação das áreas amostradas na região do no Pantanal (áreas inundáveis) daquelas que ocorrem em outras localidades do Centro-Oeste (áreas secas). A vegetação estudada sobre cordilheira apresentou maior relação florística e estrutural com os cerradões do que com os cerrados s.s. do Centro-Oeste, podendo, dessa forma, ser caracterizada como uma fitofisionomia de cerradão. Os cerrados do Pantanal apresentaram menor relação florística com os de outras regiões do Centro-Oeste, essa heterogeneidade florística pode estar relacionada ao pulso de inundação que atua como filtro para a maioria das espécies das outras áreas do Planalto Central.

Unidades fitofisionômicas em mesoescala no Pantanal Norte e suas relações com a geomorfologia / Meso-scale phytophysiognomic units in the Northern Pantanal and their relations with geomorphology

Este trabalho teve por objetivo caracterizar e quantificar as unidades fitofisionômicas em mesoescala e estabelecer suas relações com a intensidade e duração da inundação e com a topografia. O estudo foi realizado no Sítio de Amostragem de Longa Duração (SALD), implantado em uma área de 25 km² localizado na planície de inundação do rio Cuiabá, Pantanal de Mato Grosso. As unidades fitofisionômicas foram determinadas a partir da classificação supervisionada de imagens CBERS 2B sensor CCD. Os mapas de intensidade e duração da inundação e topografia foram gerados a partir da interpolação espacial de levantamentos planialtimétricos de campos. Foi evidenciada a existência de quatro unidades, sendo o Campo (pastagem inundável) a unidade com maior área de ocorrência, seguido pelas Cordilheiras (savana arbórea densa), Landizal (floresta inundável sempre verde) e Cambarazal (floresta inundável monodominante de Vochysia divergens Pohl.) respectivamente. O Campo apresentou sua maior distribuição em áreas de alta intensidade e duração de inundação e topografia baixa. O Cambarazal predomina em áreas de intensidade média e duração e topografia alta, o Landizal em áreas com intensidade e duração alta e topografia baixa, enquanto as cordilheiras são caracterizadas por intensidade e duração baixa e topografia alta. Testes estatísticos indicaram que a inundação foi o principal fator responsável pela distribuição das unidades fitofisionômicas em mesoescala no Pantanal norte.

The purpose of this work was to characterize and quantify phytophysiognomic units at mesoscale and evaluate their relationships with flood intensity, flood duration and topography. The study was conducted at a 25 km² Long-Term Sampling Site (LTSS), located within the floodplain of the Cuiabá River in the Pantanal of Mato Grosso. The phytophysiognomic units were determined from the supervised classification of CBERS 2B sensor CCD satellite images. The maps of flood intensity, flood duration and of topography were generated from the spatial interpolation of planialtimetric field surveys. Four phytophysiognomic units were identified; Campo inundável (flooded grassland) was the unit with the largest area of occurrence, followed by Cordilheiras (dense arboreal savanna), Landizal (seasonally flooded evergreen forest), and Cambarazal (monodominant Vochysia divergens Pohl. forest), respectively. Campo inundável is distributed mainly in areas of high flood intensity and duration and low topographic positions. Cambarazal predominates in areas of medium flood intensity and duration and intermediate elevation, Landizal in areas of high flood intensity and duration and low topographic position, whereas Cordilheiras are characterized by low flood intensity and duration and location in higher elevations. Statistical tests indicated that flood intensity is the main factor responsible for the mesoscale distribution of phytophysiognomic units in the northern Pantanal.