A new and simple method to capture small arboreal mammals: the suspended pitfall / Um método novo e simples para capturar pequenos mamíferos arborícolas: o pitfall suspenso

O pitfall suspenso é uma forma nova e simples para capturar pequenos mamíferos arborícolas e escansoriais. É uma versão arbórea dos pitfalls terrestres, tradicionalmente usados para capturar anfíbios e répteis. Baldes com isca no interior são erguidos por cordas até que atinjam um galho de árvore na altura desejada. O método foi testado na Mata Atlântica em três diferentes locais da foz do Rio Doce, em Linhares, sudeste do Brasil. Em um deles, os pitfalls suspensos foram colocados em galhos de cacaueiros no sub-bosque de uma plantação sombreada de cacau (cabrucas) a alturas entre 2 e 3 m. Na outra, eles foram instalados entre 5 e 15 metros de altura em uma floresta nativa. No terceiro local, no sub-bosque de outra cabruca, os pitfalls suspensos foram testados em conjunto com outras armadilhas usadas até então. Os marsupiais Didelphis aurita, Caluromys philander, Marmosa (Micoureus) paraguayana, Gracilinanus microtarsus, Marmosa murina e o roedor Rhipidomys mastacalis foram capturados pelos pitfalls suspensos. Essa armadilha foi capaz de capturar pequenos mamíferos de todos os tamanhos, inclusive indivíduos jovens. Esse método provou ser funcional para a captura de vários pequenos mamíferos arborícolas e escansoriais e pode ser uma alternativa complementar para amostragem em estratos altos de florestas.(AU)

The suspended pitfall demonstrates a new and simple mechanism to capture small arboreal and scansorial mammals. It is an arboreal version of the pitfalls traditionally used to capture terrestrial amphibians and reptiles. Buckets with bait inside are raised by a rope until they reach a tree branch at the desired height. Tests were performed in the Atlantic Forest at three different sites at the mouth of Doce River in Linhares, southeastern Brazil. In one of them suspended pitfalls were set up in the understory of a shaded cacao plantation (cabruca agroforest) in the branches of cacao trees between 2 and 3 m in height, and in the other they were placed in a native forest between 5 to 15 m in height. At the third site, suspended pitfalls were tested together with the other live traps used hitherto in the understory of other cabruca agroforest. The marsupials Didelphis aurita, Caluromys philander, Marmosa (Micoureus) paraguayana, Gracilinanus microtarsus, Marmosa murina and the rodent Rhipidomys mastacalis were captured by suspended pitfall. This live trap was capable of catching all sizes of small arboreal mammals, including juvenile individuals. This method proved to be functional for the capture of some small arboreal mammals and may be a complementary alternative for sampling in high forest strata.(AU)

A new and simple method to capture small arboreal mammals: the suspended pitfall / Um método novo e simples para capturar pequenos mamíferos arborícolas: o pitfall suspenso

O pitfall suspenso é uma forma nova e simples para capturar pequenos mamíferos arborícolas e escansoriais. É uma versão arbórea dos pitfalls terrestres, tradicionalmente usados para capturar anfíbios e répteis. Baldes com isca no interior são erguidos por cordas até que atinjam um galho de árvore na altura desejada. O método foi testado na Mata Atlântica em três diferentes locais da foz do Rio Doce, em Linhares, sudeste do Brasil. Em um deles, os pitfalls suspensos foram colocados em galhos de cacaueiros no sub-bosque de uma plantação sombreada de cacau (cabrucas) a alturas entre 2 e 3 m. Na outra, eles foram instalados entre 5 e 15 metros de altura em uma floresta nativa. No terceiro local, no sub-bosque de outra cabruca, os pitfalls suspensos foram testados em conjunto com outras armadilhas usadas até então. Os marsupiais Didelphis aurita, Caluromys philander, Marmosa (Micoureus) paraguayana, Gracilinanus microtarsus, Marmosa murina e o roedor Rhipidomys mastacalis foram capturados pelos pitfalls suspensos. Essa armadilha foi capaz de capturar pequenos mamíferos de todos os tamanhos, inclusive indivíduos jovens. Esse método provou ser funcional para a captura de vários pequenos mamíferos arborícolas e escansoriais e pode ser uma alternativa complementar para amostragem em estratos altos de florestas.

The suspended pitfall demonstrates a new and simple mechanism to capture small arboreal and scansorial mammals. It is an arboreal version of the pitfalls traditionally used to capture terrestrial amphibians and reptiles. Buckets with bait inside are raised by a rope until they reach a tree branch at the desired height. Tests were performed in the Atlantic Forest at three different sites at the mouth of Doce River in Linhares, southeastern Brazil. In one of them suspended pitfalls were set up in the understory of a shaded cacao plantation (cabruca agroforest) in the branches of cacao trees between 2 and 3 m in height, and in the other they were placed in a native forest between 5 to 15 m in height. At the third site, suspended pitfalls were tested together with the other live traps used hitherto in the understory of other cabruca agroforest. The marsupials Didelphis aurita, Caluromys philander, Marmosa (Micoureus) paraguayana, Gracilinanus microtarsus, Marmosa murina and the rodent Rhipidomys mastacalis were captured by suspended pitfall. This live trap was capable of catching all sizes of small arboreal mammals, including juvenile individuals. This method proved to be functional for the capture of some small arboreal mammals and may be a complementary alternative for sampling in high forest strata.

Sampling Design and Mosquito Trapping for Surveillance of Arboviral Activity.

Mosquitoes are the most important vectors for arboviral human diseases across the world. Diseases such as Dengue Fever (DF), West Nile Virus (WNV), Yellow Fever (YF), Japanese Encephalitis (JE), Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis (VEE), and St. Louis Encephalitis (SLE), among others, have a deep impact in public health. Usually mosquitoes acquire the arboviral infection when they feed on viremic animals (birds or mammals), so their infection can be detected along the year or in short periods of time (seasons). All of this depends on the frequency and seasonality of the encounters between viremic animals and vectors.With the convergence of several phenomena like the increasing traveling of human populations, globalization of economy and more recently the global warming, the introduction of nonendemic arbovirus into new areas has become the current scenario. As examples of this new social and environmental frame we can mention the outbreak of West Nile Virus in North America in the late 1990s and more recently the outbreaks of chikungunya and Zika virus in the Americas. The present chapter deals with one of the first steps in the development of research studies and diagnosis programs, the surveillance of arboviruses in their vectors, the sampling design and mosquito trapping methods. The chapter also includes some important considerations and tips to be taken into account during the mosquito fieldwork.

Variations in dung beetles assemblages (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) within two rain forest habitats in French Guiana / Variaciones de las agregaciones de escarabajos coprófagos (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) en dos hábitats del bosque tropical en la Guayana Francesa

The structure of dung beetle communities inhabiting tropical forests are known to be sensitive to many kinds of environmental changes such as microclimate related to vegetation structure. I examined Scarabaeinae assemblages in two sites of undisturbed high forest and two sites of low forest forming a transitional zone with the open habitat of an inselberg in French Guiana. Sampling was made with pitfall and flight interception traps during 2003 and 2004. The driest and warmest conditions characterized the low forest sites. Across two years we obtained 2 927 individuals from 61 species with pitfall traps and 1 431 individuals from 85 species with flight interception traps. Greater species richness and abundance characterized all sites sampled with pitfall traps during 2003 more than 2004. In 2003 no differences were detected among sites by rarefaction analyses. In 2004 the species richest high forest site was significantly different from one of the low forest sites. For both years Clench model asymptotes for species richness were greater in high forest than in low forest sites. For both years, mean per-trap species richness, abundance and biomass among high forest sites were similar and higher than in low forest sites, especially where the lowest humidity and the highest temperature were recorded. Within the two low forest sites, species richness and abundance recorded during the second year, decreased with distance to edge. Different dominant roller species characterized the pitfall samples in one site of low forest and in other sites. Small variations in microclimatic conditions correlated to canopy height and openness likely affected dung beetle assemblages but soil depth and the presence of large mammals providing dung resource may also play a significant role.

Es conocido que la estructura de las comunidades de escarabajos coprófagos que habitan los bosques tropicales es sensible a diferentes tipos de cambios ambientales tales como el microclima asociado a la vegetación. Hemos examinado las comunidades de Scarabaeinae en dos parcelas de bosque alto sin perturbación y en dos parcelas de bosque bajo, presentes en la transición con el hábitat abierto de un inselberg en la Guayana francesa. Las parcelas de bosque bajo tienen condiciones climáticas más cálidas y secas. A lo largo de dos años, mediante trampas de caída con atrayente, capturamos un total 2 927 individuos de 61 especies y con trampas de intercesión de vuelo, un total de 1 431 individuos pertenecientes a 85 especies. Una mayor riqueza específica y abundancia caracteriza a todos los sitios de muestreo con trampas de caída en 2003 más que en 2004. En el 2003 no se detectaron diferencias entre los sitios de análisis de rarefacción. En el 2004 la riqueza de especies fue significativamente diferente en el bosque de altura que en el bajo. Durante los dos años, las asíntotas del modelo de Clench para la riqueza específica fueron mayores en bosque alto que en bosque bajo. Durante los dos años, el promedio por trampa de riqueza específica, abundancia y biomasa fueron similares entre las parcelas de bosque alto, pero mayores que en las parcelas de bosque bajo, especialmenteen los sitios en los que se registró una mayor temperatura y menor humedad. Dentro de las dos parcelas de bosque bajo, la riqueza específica y la abundancia durante el segundo año disminuyeron con la distancia al borde. Las especies de coprófagos rodador que dominaban una de las parcelas del bosque bajo eran distintas de la del resto de parcelas. Los resultados de este estudio muestran que las pequeñas variaciones en las condiciones microclimáticas que están correlacionadas con la altura y la apertura del dosel arbóreo probablemente afectan a las comunidades de escarabajos coprófagos, aunque también son importantes la presencia de un suelo profundo y de grandes mamíferos que proporcionan recursos con sus heces.