Our motivation for writing this editorial is to alert the academic community about the risks of predatory publishing in Biology. By piggy-backing on the open access (OA) movement and taking advantage of the “publish or perish” culture in... more
Our motivation for writing this editorial is to alert the academic community about the risks of predatory publishing in Biology. By piggy-backing on the open access (OA) movement and taking advantage of the “publish or perish” culture in a system that prioritises quantity over quality, predatory publishing has grown exponentially in recent years and spread across all areas of knowledge. Thousands of predatory journals and books have emerged and (provided a fee is paid) they publish scientific papers and chapters without submitting them to rigorous peer review. Now there are even predatory meetings, which promise to accept talks and publish complete works for a fee, also without reviewing them properly. These profit-making machines can damage both academia and society, putting at risk the quality of science and public trust in it, the well-being of the population, the conservation of biodiversity and the mitigation of climate change. We show the modus operandi behind invitations to c...
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Recent studies have argued that changes in fire regimes in the 21st century are posing a major threat to global biodiversity. In this scenario, incorporating species’ physiological, ecological, and evolutionary traits with their local... more
Recent studies have argued that changes in fire regimes in the 21st century are posing a major threat to global biodiversity. In this scenario, incorporating species’ physiological, ecological, and evolutionary traits with their local fire exposure might facilitate accurate identification of species most at risk from fire. Here, we developed a framework for identifying the animal species most vulnerable to extinction from fire-induced stress in the Brazilian savanna. The proposed framework addresses vulnerability from two components: (1) exposure, which refers to the frequency, extent, and magnitude to which a system or species experiences fire, and (2) sensitivity, which reflects how much species are affected by fire. Sensitivity is based on biological, physiological, and behavioral traits that can influence animals’ mortality “during” and “after” fire. We generated a Fire Vulnerability Index (FVI) that can be used to group species into four categories, ranging from extremely vulne...
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Research Interests: Evolutionary Biology, Zoology, Biology, Ecology, Habitat, and 3 moreSpecies Richness, Ecosystem, and Woodland
Knowledge on the distribution of mosquito communities over time and across human‐modified landscapes is important in determining the risk for vector‐borne disease. The diversity of mosquitoes along a rainy season and edge effects were... more
Knowledge on the distribution of mosquito communities over time and across human‐modified landscapes is important in determining the risk for vector‐borne disease. The diversity of mosquitoes along a rainy season and edge effects were evaluated in a riparian forest in the Cerrado biome, Southeastern Brazil. Mosquito communities were sampled with Shannon traps in three distinct habitats (forest interior, forest edge and pasture) throughout an entire rainy season, comprising five sampling months (December 2015 to April 2016). A total of 13 549 mosquitoes belonging to 54 species were sampled. Mosquito species richness and abundance were greater in February, which coincided with the middle of the rainy season and just after the months with greater rainfall. Mosquito species richness did not differ among habitats for any particular month. In February, month when 74% of individuals were recorded, mosquito abundance was lower in the pasture compared with the forest edge and interior, which...
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Figure 2 from: Pereira CC, Mello MAR, Negreiros D, Figueiredo JCG, Kenedy-Siqueira W, Maia LR, Fernandes S, Fernandes GFC, Ponce de Leon A, Ashworth L, Oki Y, de Castro GC, Aguilar R, Fearnside PM, Fernandes GW (2023) Beware of scientific scams! Hints to avoid predatory publishing in biological ...more
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The collapse of the Fundão tailings dam of the Samarco mining complex in Mariana, Brazil, was the largest mining disaster in the world to date with many socio-economic and environmental impacts. Soil affected by mining tailings was... more
The collapse of the Fundão tailings dam of the Samarco mining complex in Mariana, Brazil, was the largest mining disaster in the world to date with many socio-economic and environmental impacts. Soil affected by mining tailings was severely altered with negative impacts for agriculture. We tested whether diluting mining tailings with organic soil would eliminate or at least attenuate the ecotoxic effects on plant development and performance. We cultivated radish, Raphanus sativus, in substrates containing different proportions of mining tailings and organic soil: pure tailings (T100%); 2) tailings75% + soil25% (T75%); 3) tailings50% + soil50% (T50%); 4) tailings25% + soil75% (T25%), and 5) pure organic soil (Soil100%, control). There were large differences in soil quality parameters between the 100% tailings treatment (T100%) and the control (Soil100%), as well as for some parameters in the most diluted treatment - T25% (Ca2+, Fe, Mn) in relation to the control treatment. Although d...
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Research Interests: Horticulture and Biology
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Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is a global threat associated to neurological disorders in adults and microcephaly in children born to infected mothers. No vaccine or drug is available against ZIKV. We herein report the anti‐ZIKV activity of... more
Zika virus (ZIKV) infection is a global threat associated to neurological disorders in adults and microcephaly in children born to infected mothers. No vaccine or drug is available against ZIKV. We herein report the anti‐ZIKV activity of 36 plant extracts containing polyphenols and/or triterpenes. ZIKV‐infected Vero CCL‐81 cells were treated with samples at non‐cytotoxic concentrations, determined by MTT and LDH assays. One third of the extracts elicited concentration‐dependent anti‐ZIKV effect, with viral loads reduction from 0.4 to 3.8 log units. The 12 active extracts were tested on ZIKV‐infected SH‐SY5Y cells and significant reductions of viral loads (in log units) were induced by Maytenus ilicifolia (4.5 log), Terminalia phaeocarpa (3.7 log), Maytenus rigida (1.7 log) and Echinodorus grandiflorus (1.7 log) extracts. Median cytotoxic concentration (CC50) of these extracts in Vero cells were higher than in SH‐SY5Y lineage. M. ilicifolia (IC50=16.8±10.3 μg/mL, SI=3.4) and T. phaeocarpa (IC50=22.0±6.8 μg/mL, SI=4.8) were the most active extracts. UPLC‐ESI‐MS/MS analysis of M. ilicifolia extract led to the identification of 7 triterpenes, of which lupeol and a mixture of friedelin/friedelinol showed no activity against ZIKV. The composition of T. phaeocarpa extract comprises phenolic acids, ellagitannins and flavonoids, as recently reported by us. In conclusion, the anti‐ZIKV activity of 12 plant extracts is here described for the first time and polyphenols and triterpenes were identified as the probable bioactive constituents of T. phaeocarpa and M. ilicifolia, respectively.
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Tiago Shizen Pacheco Toma – PPG Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. tiagoshizen@gmail.com.Ritiele Goulart Generoso – Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, Brazil. Irene Gélvez Zúñiga, Yumi Oki,... more
Tiago Shizen Pacheco Toma – PPG Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. tiagoshizen@gmail.com.Ritiele Goulart Generoso – Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense, Criciúma, Brazil. Irene Gélvez Zúñiga, Yumi Oki, Geraldo Wilson Fernandes – Laboratório de Ecologia Evolutiva & Biodiversidade, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Milton de Souza Mendonça Jr. – Dep. Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
This paper proposes an innovative financial instrument to fund projects that combine profit-making with significant social or environmental goals, specially in emerging or low-income economies. The proposal is based on improvements to the... more
This paper proposes an innovative financial instrument to fund projects that combine profit-making with significant social or environmental goals, specially in emerging or low-income economies. The proposal is based on improvements to the typical impact bond model with the aim of better aligning the parties' incentives, and also making it more transparent, traceable and compatible with revenue-generating projects. It is applied to a pilot project to fund the establishment of a robust supply chain of green propolis in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Propolis is a natural product with benefits for human health, which has been consumed by humans for decades and raised substantial global interest after the Covid-19 pandemic. This project addresses some industry issues (in terms of product quality and supply stability) and aims to provide biodiversity recovery, subsistence farming and resocialization through work. A financial model with stochastic variables is simulated, incorporating a reward...
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The intergovernmental panel on climate change predicts a progressive increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration and temperature; however, their effects on cereals have been shown for a limited number of species. This study evaluates the... more
The intergovernmental panel on climate change predicts a progressive increase in atmospheric CO2 concentration and temperature; however, their effects on cereals have been shown for a limited number of species. This study evaluates the effects of increased CO2 concentration and temperature separately and combined on millet growth and grain production in open-top chambers where the microclimate was adjusted to the following conditions: ambient CO2 and temperature; CO2 enriched (~ 800 ppm) and ambient temperature; ambient CO2 and higher temperature (+3ºC); and CO2-enriched and higher temperature. For each treatment, two chambers were used, each containing 15 7 L pots. Each pot received five seeds at the beginning of the experiment and thinning to one plant per pot at 15 days after sowing. Ten plants were harvested from each chamber 65 days after sowing and the plant height, the number of leaves and the longest root length as well as shoot and root biomass were measured. The remaining ...
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sponding author. Hailstorm impact across plant taxa: Leaf fall in a mountain environment Impacto de uma tempestade de granizo em diferentes táxons vegetais: queda foliar em um ambiente de montanha Natural catastrophes in the planet... more
sponding author. Hailstorm impact across plant taxa: Leaf fall in a mountain environment Impacto de uma tempestade de granizo em diferentes táxons vegetais: queda foliar em um ambiente de montanha Natural catastrophes in the planet increased over 400 % from 1970 to 2005, causing seve-re impact on natural ecosystems, and are sought to increase in the forthcoming decades due to climate change driven events. However, the descriptions of the impacts caused by events as hailstorms on wild ecosystems are anecdotal in the tropical region. The oc-currence of a severe hailstorm on a mountainous tropical environment in Brazil allowed, for the first time, to examine hailstorm impact on 32 plant species belonging to distinct families. The study was carried out in an area of rupestrian field located in Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The impact of hail on the vegetation was evaluated by an index of damage and the damage level was related to plant species architectural features. Hail
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A single tropical plant species can harbour hundreds of endophyte species within its tissues. Otherwise, little is known about the relationship between endophyte colonization, leaf traits, and spectral properties of leaves. We explore... more
A single tropical plant species can harbour hundreds of endophyte species within its tissues. Otherwise, little is known about the relationship between endophyte colonization, leaf traits, and spectral properties of leaves. We explore those relationships on Coccoloba cereifera, a plant well known for its symbiotic properties. Endophyte richness in C. cereifera was statistically correlated with leaf traits such as water content, the ratio of fresh weight/dry weight, and polyphenol/leaf specific weight. Endophyte diversity was also related to spectral vegetation indices of chlorophyll content. The association between endophyte diversity, leaf traits and spectral reflectance pose new questions about our understanding of plant-fungal symbioses and related leaf optical properties.
Several research works have been developed to search for new natural products to be used in pharmaceutical products. The purpose of this review is to gather information on the use of the extracts and metabolites of Banisteriopsis species... more
Several research works have been developed to search for new natural products to be used in pharmaceutical products. The purpose of this review is to gather information on the use of the extracts and metabolites of Banisteriopsis species (Malpighiaceae) as a resource to diseases treatment or to pharmaceutical purposes.
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Global climatic changes can have drastic impacts on plant species including severe consequences for the agricultural species productivity. Many of these species present important mutualisms with endophytic fungi that positively influence... more
Global climatic changes can have drastic impacts on plant species including severe consequences for the agricultural species productivity. Many of these species present important mutualisms with endophytic fungi that positively influence their performance. The present study evaluated whether the increases in CO2 and temperature predicted for the year 2100 may cause changes in foliar carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) concentrations in soybean (Glycine max) and, consequently, the interactions with its endophytic fungi. The effects of elevated CO2 and temperature were evaluated in four treatments in open-top chambers: (1) Control; (2) Increased Temperature; (3) Increased CO2; (4) Increased CO2 and Temperature. Increased atmospheric CO2 resulted in decreased foliar nitrogen concentration, while increased temperature increased it. A total of 16 taxa of endophytic fungi were identified based on sequencing ITS (Internal Transcribed Spacer) regions of rRNA subunits. Increased atmospheric CO2 and ...
The interaction among the Heliconiini butterflies and their Passiflora species is of great importance in ecology and coevolution studies. For the Heliconiini, the ability to choose a suitable host plant is determinant for the larval... more
The interaction among the Heliconiini butterflies and their Passiflora species is of great importance in ecology and coevolution studies. For the Heliconiini, the ability to choose a suitable host plant is determinant for the larval performance and conservation initiatives that target these species. Herbivorous insects may choose their food based on factors such as nitrogen and water content, as well as leaf digestibility and defences. In this study, we experimentally evaluated Dryas iulia (Nymphalidae) larval choice regarding four Passiflora (Passifloraceae) and the larval performance on the two most consumed species. We tested the hypothesis that D. iulia larvae would choose the Passiflora species with higher nutritional quality and lower physical defence. Dryas iulia larvae preferred P. misera (60.5% leaf consumption) over P. pohlii (28.9%), P. suberosa (15.5%), and P. edulis (not consumed). Passiflora misera presented the highest content of nitrogen and the third content of wate...
Endophytic fungi have an important role in the mediation of the plant-herbivores, plantpathogens and plant-environment interaction. To understand the interaction between endophytic fungi and Baccharis dracunculifolia (Asteraceae) and... more
Endophytic fungi have an important role in the mediation of the plant-herbivores, plantpathogens and plant-environment interaction. To understand the interaction between endophytic fungi and Baccharis dracunculifolia (Asteraceae) and these with the herbivores, the following hypotheses were investigated: (i) the number of endophytic morphospecies (richness) increases with leaf age; (ii) the richness of endophytes varies with seasonality; (iii) the richness of endophytes varies with the plant gender; (iv) there is negative correlation between the richness of endophytes and richness of herbivores; and (v) there is negative correlation between the richness of endophytes and abundance of herbivores. Monthly, the leaves of B. dracunculifolia were collected in Estacao Ecologica da UFMG from October, 2006 to August, 2007. In total, we found eight endophytic morphospecies, a low number when compared to the results found in other study in the same plant species. Mature leaves had higher richn...
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Fire is an important disturbance in terrestrial ecosystems and plays a key role in the germination process and seedling establishment of many species. In grassland ecosystems, seeds normally tolerate heat-shocks associated with low... more
Fire is an important disturbance in terrestrial ecosystems and plays a key role in the germination process and seedling establishment of many species. In grassland ecosystems, seeds normally tolerate heat-shocks associated with low intensity fires but are negatively affected by higher heat doses. Additionally, smoke-stimulated germination is not commonly recognized as important in neotropical grasslands. This may result from a negative relationship between the ability to resprout after fire and fire-stimulated germination ability, as many species in these grasslands regenerate well after fire by resprouting. To ascertain the role of heat and smoke in the post-fire germination response of campo rupestre vegetation, we exposed seeds of nine species (that regenerate after fire by resprouting) to various treatments related to fire (heat, smoke, and heat plus smoke) and analysed their germination behaviour. Our results suggest that these species have high seed germination in the absence of specific dormancy breaking conditions and/or that stimulated germination triggered by fire-related cues is not common. Additionally, while seeds from some species can withstand temperatures of 80 °C for 5 min without affecting germination, most species are negatively affected by higher heat doses. However, our results suggest an important role of smoke enhancing germination rate (speed) of campo rupestre species. In view of the characteristics of campo rupestre environmental conditions and vegetation, we provide a novel outlook of enhanced germination rate by smoke as an important mechanism for seed regeneration after fire of campo rupestre’s species that resprout, particularly for seeds resulting from post-fire seed dispersion.
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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... more
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 manager...
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The tropics are known for their high diversity of plants, animals, and biotic interactions, but the role of the speciose endophytic fungi in these interactions has been mostly neglected. We report a unique interaction among plant sex,... more
The tropics are known for their high diversity of plants, animals, and biotic interactions, but the role of the speciose endophytic fungi in these interactions has been mostly neglected. We report a unique interaction among plant sex, bees, and endophytes on the dioecious shrub, Baccharis dracunculifolia (Asteraceae). We assessed whether there was an association between resin collection by bees and fungal endophytes considering the host plant sex. We hypothesized that resin collection by the Africanized honey bee, Apis mellifera L. (Apidae) could favor the entry of endophytes in B. dracunculifolia. Specifically, we tested the hypotheses that (1) bees damage the leaf buds of female and male plant at different proportions; (2) damage on leaf buds increases the richness of endophytic fungi; (3) endophyte richness differs between female and male plants; and (4) in vitro growth of endophytes depends on the sex of the plant individual from which the resin was extracted. Endophyte richness and proportion of leaf bud damage did not vary between the plant sexes. However, species similarity of endophytes between female and male plants was 0.33. Undamaged leaf buds did not show culturable endophytes, with all fungi exclusively found in damaged leaf buds. Endophyte composition changed with the plant sex. The endophytes exclusively found in female plants did not develop in the presence of male resin extract. These findings highlight that resin collection by A. mellifera for propolis production favors the entry of endophytic fungi in B. dracunculifolia. Additionally, endophyte composition and growth are influenced by plant sex.
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Including ecosystem functions into restoration ecology has been repeatedly suggested, yet there is limited evidence that this is taking place without bias to certain habitats, species, or functions. We reviewed the inclusion of ecosystem... more
Including ecosystem functions into restoration ecology has been repeatedly suggested, yet there is limited evidence that this is taking place without bias to certain habitats, species, or functions. We reviewed the inclusion of ecosystem functions in restoration and potential relations to habitats and species by extracting 224 publications from the literature (2004–2013). Most studies investigated forests, fewer grasslands or freshwaters, and fewest wetlands or marine habitats. Of all studies, 14% analyzed only ecosystem functions, 44% considered both biotic composition and functions, 42% exclusively studied the biotic component, mostly vascular plants, more rarely invertebrates or vertebrates, and least often microbes. Most studies investigating ecosystem functions focused on nutrient cycling (26%), whereas productivity (18%), water relations (16%), and geomorphological processes (14%) were less covered; carbon sequestration (10%), decomposition (6%), and trophic interactions (6%) were rarely studied. Monitoring of ecosystem functions was common in forests and grasslands, but the functions considered depended on the study organisms. These associations indicate research opportunities for certain habitats, species, and functions. Overall, the call to include ecosystem functions in restoration has been heard; however, a lack of clarity about the ecosystem functions to be included and deficits of feasible field methods are major obstacles for a functional approach. Restoration ecology should learn from recent advances in rapid assessment of ecosystem functions, and by a closer integration with biodiversity–ecosystem functioning research. Not all functions need to be measured in all ecosystems, but more functions than the few commonly addressed would improve the understanding of restored ecosystems.
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Rupestrian grasslands are a biodiversity hotspot for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and endophytic fungi. These groups have major influence on the structure and dynamics of the plant community in this ecosystem. AMF are generalists,... more
Rupestrian grasslands are a biodiversity hotspot for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and endophytic fungi. These groups have major influence on the structure and dynamics of the plant community in this ecosystem. AMF are generalists, associating with a wide variety of host plants , while endophytic fungi tend to establish more specific relations with host plants. AMF distribution is mainly influenced by soil attributes, while the distribution of endophytic fungi is mostly driven by the host plant. Both fungal groups influence the host plant metabolism and ecology , enhancing the host plant survival in this harsh ecosystem. There are no studies relating both fungal groups in rupestrian grasslands. A strong relation may exist between them, and exploring this gap will contribute to the understanding of this unique ecosystem and the relations in it.
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Este estudo avaliou o impacto da presença da gramínea exótica (Brachiaria decumbens) na herbivoria e no desenvolvimento de plântulas de espécies nativas (Hymenaea stigonocarpa e Dipteryx alata) de Cerrado. Para avaliar o impacto da... more
Este estudo avaliou o impacto da presença da gramínea exótica (Brachiaria decumbens) na herbivoria e no desenvolvimento de plântulas de espécies nativas (Hymenaea stigonocarpa e Dipteryx alata) de Cerrado. Para avaliar o impacto da presença da gramínea, 10 blocos em pastagem (antiga área de Cerrado) na Embrapa Gado de Corte (Campo Grande-MS) foram demarcados em janeiro de 2009. As gramíneas foram mantidas intactas em metade dos blocos e, na outra metade, foram removidas. Em cada tratamento, foram avaliados a herbivoria, a altura e o diâmetro na altura do solo (DAS) de 25 plântulas de cada espécie ao longo do ano. O conteúdo de carbono, nitrogênio e água das folhas também foi quantificado. Plântulas de Hymenaea stigonocarpa nos tratamentos com gramínea tiveram maior taxa de crescimento em diâmetro que as plântulas no tratamento sem gramíneas. As plântulas de Dipteryx alata que estavam no tratamento sem gramíneas tiveram maiores taxas de crescimento em altura que as do tratamento com ...