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opencc-by-4.0Apr 2020View details →

Crown network datasets of Caatinga´s tree Cenostigma pyramidale (Tul.) Gagnon & G.P.Lewis (Leguminosae - Caesalpinoideae)

Properties of woody crown networks of Cenostigma pyramidale (Tul.) Gagnon & G.P.Lewis (Leguminosae - Caesalpinoideae) growing under natural conditions in Caatinga vegetation area. The data are useful in plant ecophysiology, plant functional ecology by researchers investigating the woody crown traits. We obtained the data directly from a skeletonized representation of the woody crown in a two-dimensional space by hand drawing. Subsequently, the nodes counted, and their proportions (decomposition), the distances between the different types of nodes (topology), and the values of network properties (the combination of decomposition and topology) were obtained.Properties of woody crown networks of Cenostigma pyramidale (Tul.) Gagnon & G.P.Lewis (Leguminosae - Caesalpinoideae) growing under natural conditions in Caatinga vegetation area. The data are useful in plant ecophysiology, plant functional ecology by researchers investigating the woody crown traits. We obtained the data directly from a skeletonized representation of the woody crown in a two-dimensional space by hand drawing. Subsequently, the nodes counted, and their proportions (decomposition), the distances between the different types of nodes (topology), and the values of network properties (the combination of decomposition and topology) were obtained.

opencc-zeroJul 2020View details →

Data from: Plant protection services mediated by extrafloral nectaries decline with aridity but are not influenced by chronic anthropogenic disturbance in Brazilian Caatinga

1. Most terrestrial species occur in human-modified landscapes that are experiencing climate change. In addition to direct impacts on species, both anthropogenic disturbance and climate change can have important effects through changes in species interactions, including the disruption of ecological services provided by them. 2. Here we investigate how chronic anthropogenic disturbance (CAD) and aridity affect the effectiveness of plant protection services provided by ants to plants bearing extrafloral nectaries (EFNs). 3. The study was conducted across 13 01-ha plots distributed along CAD and aridity gradients in Caatinga vegetation of northeastern Brazil. We focused on Pityrocarpa moniliformis, the most abundant and widely distributed EFN-bearing tree species occurring in our study area, and used experimental attack rates on termites as a measure of effectiveness of ant protection services. We investigated the relative roles of nectar production (volume and concentration) and ant species composition in mediating the effects of CAD and aridity on the effectiveness of protection services. 4. Attack rates by ants declined with increasing aridity but were not related to CAD. The volume of extrafloral nectar declined with increasing CAD but was not affected by aridity, whereas the concentration was not related to either CAD or aridity. The composition of attendant ant species varied with aridity but not with CAD. 5. Synthesis: The decline in ant-protection services with increased aridity was therefore mediated by changes in the composition of attendant ant species rather than by changes in the production of extrafloral nectar. Our findings suggest that CAD does not affect plant-protection services provided by ants but highlights the vulnerability of EFN-bearing plants to climate change through decreased predation of herbivores.

opencc-zeroJun 2021View details →

Bat-flower interaction networks in Caatinga reveal generalized associations and temporal stability

Seasonal variation in precipitation regimes influences species composition and plant-animal interactions. Such temporal variation is especially relevant in the Brazilian Caatinga, the largest Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest in South America, where bat pollination is unusually frequent in comparison with other tropical plant communities. Here, we describe seasonal and annual variations of the interaction networks between nectarivorous bats and flower species in the Caatinga. Five species of nectar-feeding bats interacted with 30 plant species. Nectarivorous bats showed high levels of interaction overlap, which contributed to ecological generalization (low specialization and modularity) and lack of nestedness in the interaction networks. This pattern was consistent across seasons and years. Chiropterophilous and non-chiropterophilous plants were equally important components of the interaction network. The generalized interaction patterns found may be a necessary condition for the persistence of nectarivorous bats and their specialized plants in the environmentally harsh and variable Caatinga. The underappreciated generalized interactions of bats with plants calls for studies testing the effectiveness of bats in pollinating the plants they visit, including those not typically categorized as "bat-flowers".

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2024View details →

Number of individuals of each species monthly (from October, 2022 to October, 2023) collected at a shrubby Caatinga area, municipality of São José do Piauí, Piauí state, Brazil.

Dataset included in the manuscript "The orchid bee fauna (Hymenoptera, Apidae, Euglossina) from the Capadócia Nordestina, Piauí State, Brazil", submitted to Biota Neotropica.

opencc-by-4.0May 2022View details →

Decomposition, topology, properties, and graphs of 10 tree species of Caatinga vegetations

Data were obtained from the observation of ten individuals from ten species growing in a semiarid area of Caatinga vegetation under natural conditions in the Northeast of Brazil in Paraiba State, located at the Fazenda Pocinho (7º29'46" S, 35º58'12" W) in the municipality of Barra de Santana, Brazil. The woody crowns were drawn (skeletonized) in the 2-D format as rooted trees resulting in networks with nodes and connectors following the methodology described by Prado et al. (2020, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2020.110318). Skeletonized crowns capture the data of decomposition, topology, and properties.

opencc-by-4.0May 2022View details →

Decomposition, topology, properties, and graphs of 14 individuals of Cenostigma pyramidale (Tul.) Gagnon & G.P. Lewis, a Caatinga tree species

Data were obtained from the observation of 14 individuals of the tree species Cenostigma pyramidale (Tul.) Gagnon & G.P. Lewis growing in a semiarid area in Caatinga vegetation under natural conditions in the Northeast of Brazil in Paraiba State, located at the Fazenda Pocinho (7º29'46" S, 35º58'12" W) in the municipality of Barra de Santana. The woody crowns were drawn (skeletonized) in the 2-D format as rooted trees resulting in networks with nodes and connectors named woody crown networks. The data of decomposition, topology, and some properties are captured by skeletonized crowns following the methodology described by Prado et al. (2020, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2020.110318">https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtbi.2020.110318</a>).

opencc-by-4.0Jul 2022View details →

Data associated with: Climate change will likely threaten areas of suitable habitats for the most relevant medicinal plants native to the Caatinga dry forest

Medicinal plants play an important role in providing ecosystem services, such as local cultural and economic value, and human well-being, especially in poor regions. The use of plants to improve living conditions and increase the chances of survival comes from the beginning of human life. Climate change has the potential to contract areas of suitable habitat for medicinal plant species across different regions. As a consequence of climate change, the possibility of treating diseases can be compromised, and even interrupted. We collected data from the medicinal applications and the parts that are used of 10 species of medicinal plants native to the Caatinga dry forest [i.e., Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão (Anacardiaceae), Cereus jamacaru DC (Cactaceae), Neocalyptrocalyx longifolium (Mart) Cornejo & Iltis (Caparaceae), Maytenus rigida Mart (Celastraceae), Operculina hamiltonii (G Don) DF Austin Staples, Operculina macrocarpa (L) Urb (Convolvulaceae), Amburana cearensis (Allemao) AC Sm, Anadenantehra colubrina (Vell) Brenan, Bauhinia cheilantha (Bong) Steud and Erythrina velutina Willd (Legimonosae). In addition, we also collected precise georeferenced data (native occurrence) of these medicinal plant species, that was accessed in 1) The Global Biodiversity Information Facility platform (GBIF) is an international data network funded by governments around the world, providing open access to data on all life on Earth (https:// www.gbif.org, accessed May 2022); 2) REFLORA - Herbário Virtual, virtual herbarium network that contains information on Brazilian plants that are deposited in 63 herbaria in Brazil and 10 international herbaria (http://reflora.jbrj.gov.br/reflora/herbarioVirtual, accessed May 2022); 3) Botanical Information and Ecology Network Platform (BIEN), a global information network that helps to document patterns of plant diversity, trait records and distribution, which includes georeferenced plant observation data from herbarium records, plots, survey inventories (https://bien .nceas.ucsb.edu/bien/biendata, accessed May 2022) and 4) 95 botanical monographs and floras. We excluded all repeated and mismatch occurrence data for each species. We collected all the available points for the studied species.

opencc-zeroApr 2024View details →

Supplementary material: Mammal diversity responses to anthropic, environmental, and seasonal changes within Caatinga seasonal dry forest landscapes

Caatinga's conservation and biodiversity are threatened due to the intensification of anthropic activities and climate change. The mammals have different responses to seasonal and anthropic changes, however particularly in Caatinga, these effects are still poorly understood. We assessed the influence of anthropic (distance from urban areas and wind farms), environmental (distance from water), and seasonal (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index – NDVI and land surface temperature - LST) variables on the number of records and richness of medium and large-sized mammals in Brazilian Caatinga. We used camera traps in 2016/2017 and 2018/2019, estimated the variation (cv) of NDVI and LST, and generated Euclidean distance maps to anthropic and environmental variables at 250, 500, and 1000 m spatial scales. We performed Generalized Linear Models, used the Akaike information criterion, and calculated model averaging to assess the strength and direction of effect and the uncertainties of the winner models, respectively. The distance from wind farms and maximum LST had a noticeable effect on the number of records and total richness. The distance from wind farms had a negative effect on the records of Dicotyles tajacu and a positive effect on the records of Leopardus pardalis and richness. The maximum LST had a negative effect on the records of Leopardus pardalis and a positive effect on the records of Puma concolor and Cerdocyon thous. Our results emphasize that an unsustainable expansion of wind farms is likely to compromise mammal diversity. We found an opposite pattern for some species regarding LST. However, it is important to highlight that the conservation of vegetation areas on the top of mountains and springs, and the installation of artificial water sources are important strategies to mitigate the impacts of high temperatures on mammals' biodiversity in Caatinga.

opencc-zeroMay 2024View details →

Data for: Planning for a future of changes: prioritizing areas for conservation of small mammals in the Caatinga, Brazil

Human land use and climate change are two of the main threats affecting biodiversity, especially in arid/semiarid regions. The most effective way to protect the species in these ecosystems against these threats is through the delimitation of Protected Areas (PAs). However, such PAs need to be targeted cost-efficiently and consider future climate change. We identify priority areas to preserve small mammal species in the Caatinga in the present and in the future of climate change. We also evaluate how well these priority areas are protected by current PAs and identify ways forward to improve their protection. We use ecological niche models and Zonation spatial prioritisation software to identify the top 30% priority areas to preserve small mammal species under current climate and land use scenarios, besides considering optimistic and pessimistic scenarios of future climate change. We also evaluate how much these priority areas are covered by current PAs, identify ways to further improve their protection using hierarchical mask analysis, and evaluate species mean distribution coverage. The consequences of climate change will not hugely impact the distribution of priority areas for species conservation in the Caatinga. Around 13% of the identified priority areas overlap with current PAs, and planning the expansion of PAs considering integral protection areas increases the coverage of priority areas to more than 18% and captures more than 72% of species-suitable areas. Our prioritisations take into account climate change and provide low risk if conducted as a "no-regrets" conservation action. These priority areas are poorly supported by the Brazilian PA system, and need of further protection. One cost-effective option could be to upgrade some Sustainable Use PAs into more restrictive ones. Securing these priority areas helps preserve the long-term ecosystem functioning and to prevent biodiversity loss in a changing world.

opencc-zeroDec 2011View details →

FIG. 6 in New genus and species of Seirini (Collembola, Entomobryidae) from Caatinga Biome, Northeastern Brazil

FIG. 6. — Dorsal macrochaetae distribution of Tyrannoseira sex n. sp.

opencc-zeroDec 2011View details →

FIG. 5. — Tyrannoseira sex n in New genus and species of Seirini (Collembola, Entomobryidae) from Caatinga Biome, Northeastern Brazil

FIG. 5. — Tyrannoseira sex n. sp., dorsal chaetotaxy of: A, second and B, third abdominal segments.

opencc-by-4.0Aug 2024View details →

Eutrophication Risk Index (ERI) for the Cerrado and Caatinga: Modeling Scenarios for 2030 and 2040

To assist in mapping Water Pollution Risk (WPR), we developed the Eutrophication Risk Index (ERI). This index is designed to assess and predict the vulnerability of water bodies to eutrophication, a process driven by excessive nutrient accumulation—particularly nitrogen and phosphorus—resulting in uncontrolled algal growth. The ERI helps identify at-risk areas and supports the development of more effective mitigation strategies aimed at preserving water quality and sustaining aquatic ecosystems. The proposed Eutrophication Risk Index (ERI) specifically accounts for human pressures on aquatic ecosystems. The ERI is determined by the phosphorus contribution to aquatic environments, derived from urban effluents and the excess nutrients (phosphorus and nitrogen) applied to the soil, measured in tons per hectare per year (Ton ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). To calculate the ERI for the Cerrado and Caatinga, we employed an equation with two main components: one concerning nutrient loss from agricultural systems and the other related to nutrient loss in wastewater. Nutrient Loss in Agricultural Areas: Nutrient loss from agricultural areas was estimated using a spatially explicit soil nutrient balance model, incorporating secondary data sources and land use and land cover maps of the study area. For this analysis, we assumed that the nutrient balance in the soil is the difference between total inputs (IN) and total outputs (OUT), where IN includes chemical and organic fertilizers and OUT represents agricultural products. A positive nutrient balance, or surplus, indicates potential nutrient loss that could impact adjacent ecosystems. In our calculations, we also considered phosphorus saturation levels as a risk factor for phosphorus loss, alongside soil types. Nutrient Loss in Wastewater: Nutrient loss in wastewater was based on data from the National Water and Sanitation Agency. This method considers the nutrient content in untreated wastewater and in effluents from wastewater treatment plants. We assumed a constant treatment efficiency of 30%, although this value may be optimistic given the primary effluent treatment processes in Brazil. For future assessments, local data on sewage treatment plants could be incorporated into the calculations if available during the project's execution. This dataset includes empirical data and model simulations developed under the NEXUS project (<a href="https://nexus.ccst.inpe.br/" target="_new">https://nexus.ccst.inpe.br/</a>), which analyzed the interrelationship and challenges of agricultural production, energy, and water resource use in the Caatinga and Cerrado regions. Conducted between 2018 and 2024, the NEXUS project employed a participatory multiscale approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods from natural and social sciences. Over its six-year duration, the project engaged more than one hundred stakeholders from various sectors, producing diagnostics and scenarios for sustainable futures in these biomes. Scenarios Descriptions: The “Green Transition” scenario aligns with the dominant sustainability narrative in the business sector, focusing on efficiency gains and technological solutions (e.g., low-carbon agriculture, energy transition led by large corporations) to address environmental challenges. This scenario envisions agricultural production concentrated in highly productive areas, facilitating the restoration of natural vegetation and fostering an increasingly urban future. Conversely, the “Lives in Balance” scenario reflects the aspirations and struggles of social movements and traditional communities for recognition and the coexistence of diverse ways of life. It advocates transforming production systems, particularly through decentralized food and energy production, and emphasizes strengthening family farming and agroecological systems.   Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank the NEXUS Project, funded by the São Paulo Research Foundation – FAPESP (grants 2022/00917-0 and 2017/22269-2), and the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) for their support to Marcela Miranda through the National Postdoctoral Program (grants 88882.317530/2019-1 and 1732909/2017-2).

opencc-zeroNov 2022View details →

Data for: Determinants of resource use in lizard assemblages from the Neotropical semiarid Caatinga

Non-sessile animals could partition the use of resources in different axes, reducing the effects of competition and allowing coexistence. Here, we investigated the spatial and trophic niche dimensions in four lizard assemblages in the Neotropical semiarid Caatinga to investigate the determinants of resource use and the extent which lizards partition their niches. We sampled each lizard assemblage once, for ten days, in the dry season of 2017 and 2018. In two lizard assemblages, we detected non-random niche overlap patterns that were higher or lower than expected by chance. The high niche overlap patterns suggests that either there is intense current competition for available microhabitats or an abundance of microhabitats. The lower niche overlap may be influenced by the presence of species adapted to sandy habitats (psamophilous), suggesting that spatial partitioning detected has historical basis, which is supported by the pPCA results and by the lack of patterns in the realized niche distribution of species across niche space. We detected trophic niche partitioning in three lizard assemblages. In one assemblage, we discovered random spatial and trophic niche overlap patterns, revealing that competition is not a determining factor in the structure of that assemblage. In fact, phylogenetic effects were predominantly the main determinants of resource use in the four studied lizard assemblages. Arid and semiarid habitats cover about one third of land surface of the world. Comparisons between our findings and those from other regions of the world may aid identify general trends in the lizard ecology of dry environments.

opencc-zeroJan 2023View details →

Data from: Leaf-cutting ant nests support less dense and impoverished seed assemblages in a human-modified Caatinga dry forest

Regenerating forests make up an increasingly large portion of tropical landscapes worldwide and regeneration dynamics may be influenced by leaf-cutting ants (LCA), which proliferate in disturbed areas and collect seeds for fungus culturing. Here we investigate how LCA influence seed fate in human-modified areas of Caatinga dry forest. We evaluate the seed deposition and predation on Atta opaciceps nests, foraging habitat surrounding nest and control habitat away of nest influence of 15 colonies located along a forest cover gradient during the rainy and dry season. For each habitat, four 50-cm2 plots were established and all seeds on the soil surface were collected along one year. We recorded 13,628 seeds distributed among 47 species and 36.57% of the total seeds did not show any sign of predation. Nest mound habitats supported low-density and species-poor seed assemblages, which were taxonomically distinct from the control habitats. These effects only occurred in the rainy season. The proportion of undamaged seeds were similar across the habitats. While forest cover did not influence seed assemblage in terms of species richness or seed predation, it did interact with habitat type via increments in seed abundance as forest cover increased across the nests. Forest cover also affected seed composition, but only in the rainy season. These results indicate that LCA decrease seed deposition in areas under their influence, particularly on the nest mounds. As LCA profit from human disturbance in the Caatinga, their role as seed 'sinks' should be enhanced in disturbed Caatinga patches, particularly during the rainy season, when most of the plant recruitment occurs. Our findings reinforce the importance of LCA as drivers of forest dynamics and resilience in human-modified landscape.

opencc-zeroMay 2023View details →

Cactus height increases the modularity of a plant-frugivore network in the Caatinga dry forest

Cacti fruits are key resources to many frugivorous animals in Neotropical arid and semiarid regions. However, most studies have focused on a particular animal group or cacti species, but few have explored the overall interactions of such species at the community level. Here we monitored frugivory on five cacti species using camera traps that sampled diurnal and nocturnal interactions. We investigated the structure of interactions with bird, mammal, and reptile frugivores in the Brazilian Caatinga dry forest. We hypothesized that the height of cacti limit interactions with different types of frugivores, which would result in highly structured and modular interaction networks. In 2,929 camera-days, we recorded 23 vertebrate species feeding on cacti fruits, including seven new records, all determined to be primary seed dispersers. As predicted, the cacti-frugivore network was modular and non-nested, with the two shortest cacti species grouped in a module dominated by interactions with reptiles and non-flying mammals. The tallest cacti species were dominated by frugivory interactions with birds and had comparatively less interaction diversity than shorter cacti species. Our results support the contention that cacti are keystone species in semiarid ecosystems where they produce small-seeded fleshy fruits year-round.

Figure 5 in Medium and large sized mammals and the effect of habitat heterogeneity from a Caatinga shrubby forest at Serra de Santa Catarina, Paraíba, Brazil

Figure 5. Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling of medium-large mammal community structure according to different phytophysiognomies (a) and presence of water bodies (b), recorded in the Serra de Santa Catarina, Northeast Brazil, between August 2012 and November 2014. The ANOSIM (one-way) analysis showed no difference between phytophysiognomies (R = 0.1124, p> 0.05) and a significant difference between the presence of water bodies (R = 0.3907, p <0.05).

Figure 4 in Medium and large sized mammals and the effect of habitat heterogeneity from a Caatinga shrubby forest at Serra de Santa Catarina, Paraíba, Brazil

Figure 4. Average of abundance of medium-large mammal species according to different phytophysiognomies (a) and presence of water bodies (b), recorded in the Serra de Santa Catarina, Northeast Brazil, between August 2012 and November 2014. The Mann-Whitney analysis showed no difference between both phytophysiognomies (U = 29.5, p> 0.05) and presence of water bodies (U = 48.5, p> 0.05).

Figure 2 in Medium and large sized mammals and the effect of habitat heterogeneity from a Caatinga shrubby forest at Serra de Santa Catarina, Paraíba, Brazil

Figure 2. Different habitats analyzed in Serra de Santa Catarina, Paraíba, Brazil. A = Arboreal; B = Shrub; C = Arboreal-shrub; D = Water spot with a capuchin monkey in the foreground.

Figure 1 in Medium and large sized mammals and the effect of habitat heterogeneity from a Caatinga shrubby forest at Serra de Santa Catarina, Paraíba, Brazil

Figure 1. Study area, the Serra de Santa Catarina, extreme West of Paraíba state, northeastern Brazil. In light gray Caatinga biome and in dark gray Atlantic Forest Biome; in green, Serra de Santa Catarina limits.

Figure 3 in Medium and large sized mammals and the effect of habitat heterogeneity from a Caatinga shrubby forest at Serra de Santa Catarina, Paraíba, Brazil

Figure 3. Rarefaction curve for camera-trap sampling to medium-large mammal species of the Serra de Santa Catarina, Paraíba, northeastern Brazil, sampled between August 2012 and November 2014. Observed richness (S = 10 ± 1.76) has no significant difference to estimated richness (S = 12.97 ± 1.7) through the non-parametric Jackknife 1. Sample unit were defined as days with effective records in different camera-traps.