Carpenter bees (Apidae: Xylocopini: Xylocopa) from Maranho, Northeast Brazil.

We present a list of Xylocopa Latreille species that occur in Maranho State, a region where several physiognomic formations characteristic of the Amazon, Cerrado, and Caatinga biomes overlap. The information was compiled through numerous surveys conducted in this territory, in addition to direct consultation in scientific collections, which have many unpublished records. Twelve species belonging to three subgenera were documented: Xylocopa (Neoxylocopa) amazonica Enderlein, 1913, X. (N.) aurulenta (Fabricius, 1804), X. (N.) cearensis Ducke, 1910, X. (N.) frontalis (Olivier, 1789), X. (N.) grisescens Lepeletier, 1841, X. (N.) hirsutissima Maidl, 1912, X. (N.) nigrocincta Smith, 1854, X. (N.) transitoria Prez, 1901, X. (Schonnherria) macrops Lepeletier, 1841, X. (S.) muscaria (Fabricius, 1775), X. (S.) subcyanea Prez, 1901 and X. (Stenoxylocopa) sp. Of these, two species are reported as first records for Maranho (X. hirsutissima and X. subcyanea), one for Brazil (X. transitoria), and one for science (X. (Stenoxylocopa) sp.not yet published).

New geographic record in eastern Amazon Forest and potential distribution of Amphidecta calliomma (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae).

Amphidecta calliomma is a butterfly species that occurs in Colombia, Bolivia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Panama, and Brazil (in the states of Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul, Rondônia, and Pará). Here, we present a new occurrence of A. calliomma in the Carajás National Forest (Pará, eastern Amazon), expanding the known distribution of the species. We also provide species distribution model comparing the contribution of the new occurrence to species area of occurrence projections, supporting future field research. The projections reveal an expansion of area of occurrence for A. calliomma located mainly in the southeast portion of Amazon Forest. Despite its wide distribution, the small number of records of A. calliomma may indicate that the species has a low detectability in surveys. This study provides support for new surveys and reduces the knowledge gap about A. calliomma, thus supporting its conservation.

Multicriteria approach to prioritize forest restoration areas for biodiversity conservation in the eastern Amazon.

Due to the global magnitude of forest degradation and deforestation and the high cost of ecological restoration, several approaches have been used to prioritize conservation or restoration areas based on different objectives and criteria. The present work aims to develop a multicriteria approach to defining forest restoration priority areas in the Itacaiúnas River basin, eastern Amazon, that maximizes the criteria equitably. The selected criteria were: improve forest connectivity, provide climatic refuges for biodiversity, mitigate the impacts of deforestation on streamflow, and improve the probability of natural regeneration. A strong difference between selected areas was observed when the criteria of forest connectivity and mitigate the impact on streamflow were considered separately, but greater equity among the criteria was achieved using the multicriteria approach. The most priority areas were concentrated near protected areas. The method used provides a flexible framework, and different criteria or subarea selections can be applied for different purposes to facilitate adaptive management. Analyzing forest restoration prioritization on rural properties can provide guidance for conserving and restoring biodiversity at the landscape scale while complying with legal requirements.

Flora of Ferruginous Outcrops Under Climate Change: A Study in the Cangas of Carajás (Eastern Amazon).

Climate change has impacted biodiversity, affecting species and altering their geographical distribution. Besides understanding the impact in the species, it has been advocated that answering if different traits will be differently impacted could allow refined predictions of how climate change will jeopardize biodiversity. Our aim was to evaluate if climate change will potentially impact plant species differently, considering their traits. We evaluated 608 plant species that occur in the naturally open areas of ferruginous outcrops (namely, cangas) in the National Forest of Carajás (Eastern Amazon). Firstly, we estimated the effects of climate change on each species using species distribution modeling, and analyzed this impact in the set containing all species. Secondly, we classified plant species considering the following traits: (i) pollination syndromes (melittophily, phalaenophily, psychophily, cantharophily, entomophily, ornithophily, chiropterophily, anemophily); (ii) habit (tree, shrub, herb, liana, parasite); and (iii) the main habitat of occurrence (open areas and forests). Thirdly, we investigated if the effects of climate change could be significantly more intense considering all the different traits quoted. Our results showed that most plant species will potentially face reduction of suitable habitats under future climate and the scenarios showed that 42% of them may not find suitable areas in the cangas of Carajás. We found no significant difference within each analyzed trait, considering the potential impact of climate change. The most climatically suitable areas (i.e., areas with high probability of species occurrence in the future) are those in the southwest of the study area. These areas can be considered as priority areas for species protection against climate change.

Edible Fruit Plant Species in the Amazon Forest Rely Mostly on Bees and Beetles as Pollinators.

Edible fruit plants of tropical forests are important for the subsistence of traditional communities. Understanding the most important pollinators related to fruit and seed production of these plants is a necessary step to protect their pollination service and assure the food security of these communities. However, there are many important knowledge gaps related to floral biology and pollination in megadiverse tropical rainforests, such as the Amazon Forest, due mainly to the high number of plant species. Our study aims to indicate the main pollinators of edible plants (mainly fruits) of the Amazon forest. For this, we adopted a threefold strategy: we built a list of edible plant species, determined the pollination syndrome of each species, and performed a review on the scientific literature searching for their pollinator/visitors. The list of plant species was determined from two specialized publications on Amazon fruit plants, totaling 188 species. The pollination syndrome was determined for 161 species. The syndromes most frequently found among the analyzed species were melittophily (bee pollination), which was found in 101 of the analyzed plant species (54%) and cantharophily (beetle pollination; 26 species; 14%). We also found 238 pollinator/visitor taxa quoted for 52 (28%) plant species in previous publications, with 124 taxa belonging to Apidae family (bees; 52%), mainly from Meliponini tribe (58 taxa; 47%). Knowledge about pollinators is an important step to help on preserving their ecosystem services and maintaining the productivity of fruit trees in the Amazon.

Foraging preferences of the native stingless bee Melipona seminigra pernigra (Apidae: Meliponini) in campo rupestre on canga of Serra dos Carajás, southeastern Amazonia / Preferências de forrageamento da abelha nativa sem ferrão Melipona seminigra pernigra (Apidae: Meliponini) em campo rupestre na canga da Serra dos Carajás, sudeste da Amazônia

Abstract: Honey pollen samples of Melipona seminigra pernigraMoure & Kerr 1950 sampled between 2017 and 2019 from experimental apiaries installed in campo rupestre on canga (CRC) vegetation of the Serra dos Carajás aimed to evaluated seasonal floral availability of undisturbed and mining-influenced areas. Around one hundred pollen types were identified mainly belonging to Fabaceae, Myrtaceae and Euphorbiaceae (31, 6 and 5 species, respectively). Mining area presented the highest pollen richness, almost twice those identified in the undisturbed areas. 80% of the pollen types are rare with concentrations ≤ 2,000 pollen grains/10 g, while the remaining were the most abundant, frequent and the primary bee sources. These latter correspond mostly to native plants species such as Tapirira guianensis Aubl., Protium spp., Aparisthmium cordatum (A.Juss.) Baill., Mimosa acutistipula var. ferrea Barneby, Periandra mediterranea (Vell.) Taub., Miconia spp., Pleroma carajasense K.Rocha, Myrcia splendens (Sw.) DC., Serjania spp. and Solanum crinitum Lam. All pollen types were identified during both seasons, but higher concentration values are related to the dry period (June-September). The statistical analysis of the pollen data indicated that there was no significant difference between undisturbed and mining-influenced areas, since primary bee sources of this study are widespread used in revegetation of mined areas.

Resumo: O conteúdo polínico de amostras de mel coletadas nos anos de 2017 e 2019 de apiários experimentais de Melipona seminigra pernigraMoure & Kerr 1950, instalado dentro de uma vegetação de campo rupestre em um afloramento de canga na Serra dos Carajás, sudeste da Amazônia, foi analisado para entender a variabilidade local dos recursos florais em áreas naturais e perturbadas. Aproximadamente 100% dos tipos polínicos foram identificados e pertencem principalmente às famílias Fabaceae, Myrtaceae e Euphorbiaceae (31, 6 e 5 espécies, respectivamente). Áreas de mineração apresentaram a maior riqueza de pólen, quase o dobro daquelas identificadas em áreas perturbadas. 80% dos tipos de pólen são raros com concentrações ≤ 2.000 grãos de pólen/10g, enquanto que os restantes foram os mais abundantes, frequentes e fontes primárias para as abelhas. Este últimos correspondem principalmente a plantas nativas como Tapirira guianensis Aubl., Protium spp., Aparisthmium cordatum (A.Juss.) Baill., Mimosa acutistipula var. ferrea Barneby, Periandra mediterrânea (Vell.) Taub., Miconia spp., Pleroma carajasense K.Rocha, Myrcia splendens (Sw.) DC., Serjania spp. e Solanum crinitum Lam. Todos os tipos polínicos foram identificados durante ambas as estações, mas altas concentrações estão relacionadas ao período seco (junho-setembro). A análise estatística indicou que não houve diferença significativa nos dados de pólen de mel entre áreas naturais e áreas anteriormente degradadas, uma vez que as fontes primárias das abelhas deste estudo são amplamente utilizadas na revegetação de áreas mineradas.

Climate-induced distribution dynamics of Plebeia flavocincta, a stingless bee from Brazilian tropical dry forests.

AIM: The objective of this study is to estimate the current potential geographic distribution of Plebeia flavocincta and to evaluate the influence of climate on the dynamics of suitable habitat availability in the past and in the future. LOCATION: Northeast region of Brazil and dry forest areas. METHODS: The habitat suitability modeling was based on two algorithms, two global circulation models, and six different scenarios. We used this tool to estimate the areas of occurrence in the past (Last Interglacial and Last Glacial Maximum), in the present, and in the future (years 2050 and 2070). RESULTS: According to the models, P. flavocincta had great dynamics in the availability of suitable habitats with periods of retraction and expansion of these areas in the past. Our results suggest that this taxon may benefit in terms of climate suitability gain in Northeast Brazil in the future. In addition, we identified high-altitude areas and the eastern coast as climatically stable. CONCLUSION: The information provided can be used by decision makers to support actions toward protecting and sustainably managing this taxon. Protection measures for this taxon are particularly important because this insect contributes to the local flora and, although our results indicate that the climate may favor this taxon, other factors can negatively affect it, such as high levels of habitat loss due to anthropogenic activities.

Size and isolation of naturally isolated habitats do not affect plant-bee interactions: A case study of ferruginous outcrops within the eastern Amazon forest.

Pollination may be severely affected by the decreasing size and increasing isolation of habitat patches. However, most studies that have considered the effects of these two variables on plant-pollinator interactions have been carried out in areas that have undergone anthropogenic fragmentation, and little is known about their effects in natural habitats. The Carajás National Forest and Campos Ferruginosos National Park are two protected areas in the eastern Amazon where one can find isolated ferruginous outcrops characterized by iron-rich soil and herbaceous-shrub vegetation surrounded by Amazon forest. These patches of canga provide an opportunity to analyze plant-pollinator interactions in naturally fragmented areas. Our objective was to test whether the size and isolation of naturally isolated outcrops located in Carajás affect plant-pollinator interactions by using pollination syndromes and interaction networks. We determined the pollination syndromes of 771 plant species that occurred in eleven canga patches and performed field work to analyze plant-pollinator networks in nine canga patches. The structure of the plant-pollinator networks was not affected by the size or isolation of the canga patches. Generalist species were present in all canga areas, indicating that they are important in maintaining the plant communities in isolated canga patches. The lack of significance related to the distance between canga patches suggests that the forest does not prevent pollinator movement between canga patches.

A dataset of multi-functional ecological traits of Brazilian bees.

Worldwide, bees are the most important group of animal pollinators. The ecosystem service they provide is vital in natural areas and croplands, and the taxonomic and functional diversity associated with bees is vital in understanding ecosystem functioning ensuring biodiversity conservation, food security and human livelihoods. A dataset of bees from mountainous areas of Carajás National Forest (eastern Amazon) and Nova Lima (Atlantic Forest) is presented here. It is a compilation of sampling efforts from 1983 to 2018 through the accession of data stored in museum collections. In total, 222 and 144 bee species were recorded in Carajás and Nova Lima, respectively. This represents the most robust dataset of Brazilian bees including species traits (body size, flight range, distribution, crop pollination, sociality and nesting) of 328 species. This dataset contributes to advances in the knowledge of the functional trait ecology of wild bees and can benefit further studies that analyze the response of wild bees to land use and climate changes, and its effects on the provision of crop pollination services.

Pollinator restoration in Brazilian ecosystems relies on a small but phylogenetically-diverse set of plant families.

The alarming rate of global pollinator decline has made habitat restoration for pollinators a conservation priority. At the same time, empirical and theoretical studies on plant-pollinator networks have demonstrated that plant species are not equally important for pollinator community persistence and restoration. However, the scarcity of comprehensive datasets on plant-pollinator networks in tropical ecosystems constrains their practical value for pollinator restoration. As closely-related species often share traits that determine ecological interactions, phylogenetic relationships could inform restoration programs in data-scarce regions. Here, we use quantitative bee-plant networks from Brazilian ecosystems to test if priority plant species for different restoration criteria (bee species richness and visitation rates) can be identified using interaction networks; if phylogenetic relationships alone can guide plant species selection; and how restoration criteria influence restored network properties and function. We found plant species that maximised the benefits of habitat restoration for bees (i.e., generalists and those with distinct flower-visitor species) were clustered in a small number of phylogenetically-diverse plant families, and that prioritising the recovery of bee visitation rates improved both stability and function of restored plant-pollinator networks. Our approach can help guide restoration of pollinator communities, even where information on local ecosystems is limited.

Topsoil application during the rehabilitation of a manganese tailing dam increases plant taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity.

Rehabilitation of tailing dams poses important challenges because sterile materials and poor or even toxic soils hinder plant development and the regeneration of the pre-mining-activity biota. In this study, we analyzed the effectiveness of rehabilitating a 14-year-old manganese tailing dam by comparing three different regeneration treatments (topsoil application, seedling plantation and spontaneous regeneration) with undisturbed reference sites. We used soil chemical composition, taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity and the above-ground tree biomass as indicators of rehabilitation success. In terms of soil chemical composition, we showed that the seedling and natural regeneration treatments were similar to one another but different from the reference sites. Topsoil application presented an intermediate chemical composition between the reference site and the other two treatments. Moreover, the species richness, Shannon diversity index and phylogenetic diversity indicated faster rehabilitation of ecosystem biodiversity with the topsoil treatment, although levels from reference are not yet achieved. We also observed higher basal area and biomass production in the topsoil treatment. However, these patterns were not observed for functional diversity, for which no differences among treatments were observed. We concluded that topsoil application provided the best results; however, we must emphasize that even this approach was not sufficient to rehabilitate the system to the similar level of biodiversity found in the surrounding ecosystem up to the present.

Projected climate change threatens pollinators and crop production in Brazil.

Animal pollination can impact food security since many crops depend on pollinators to produce fruits and seeds. However, the effects of projected climate change on crop pollinators and therefore on crop production are still unclear, especially for wild pollinators and aggregate community responses. Using species distributional modeling, we assessed the effects of climate change on the geographic distribution of 95 pollinator species of 13 Brazilian crops, and we estimated their relative impacts on crop production. We described these effects at the municipality level, and we assessed the crops that were grown, the gross production volume of these crops, the total crop production value, and the number of inhabitants. Overall, considering all crop species, we found that the projected climate change will reduce the probability of pollinator occurrence by almost 0.13 by 2050. Our models predict that almost 90% of the municipalities analyzed will face species loss. Decreases in the pollinator occurrence probability varied from 0.08 (persimmon) to 0.25 (tomato) and will potentially affect 9% (mandarin) to 100% (sunflower) of the municipalities that produce each crop. Municipalities in central and southern Brazil will potentially face relatively large impacts on crop production due to pollinator loss. In contrast, some municipalities in northern Brazil, particularly in the northwestern Amazon, could potentially benefit from climate change because pollinators of some crops may increase. The decline in the probability of pollinator occurrence is found in a large number of municipalities with the lowest GDP and will also likely affect some places where crop production is high (20% to 90% of the GDP) and where the number of inhabitants is also high (more than 6 million people). Our study highlights key municipalities where crops are economically important and where pollinators will potentially face the worst conditions due to climate change. However, pollinators may be able to find new suitable areas that have the potential to improve crop production. The results shown here could guide policy decisions for adapting to climate change and for preventing the loss of pollinator species and crop production.