Assessment of Aboveground Carbon in Primary and Selectively Harvested Tropical Forest in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea (PNG) has become the focus of climate change mitigation initiatives such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, but defensible estimates of forest carbon are lacking. Here we present a methodology for estimating aboveground forest carbon, and apply it to a large Permanent Sample Plot system maintained by Papua New Guinea Forest Research Institute. We report the first estimates of forest carbon in lowland tropical forest in PNG. Average aboveground carbon in stems >10 cm diam. for 115 selectively harvested 1-ha plots in lowland tropical forest was 66.3±3.5 Mg C/ha (95% CI) while for 10 primary forest plots the average was 106.3±16.2 Mg C/ha. We applied ratios based on field observations, in-country studies, and the literature to estimate unmeasured pools of aboveground carbon (stems <10 cm diam., fine litter and coarse woody debris). Total aboveground carbon was estimated at 90.2 and 120.8 Mg C/ha in selectively harvested and primary lowland forest, respectively. Our estimate for primary tropical forest is lower than biome averages for tropical equatorial forest, and we hypothesize that frequent disturbances from fire, frost, landslides, and agriculture are limiting carbon stock development. The methodology and estimates presented here will assist the PNG government in its preparedness for mitigation initiatives, are of interest to communities that are seeking to participate in voluntary carbon markets, and will encourage transparency and consistency in the estimation of forest carbon.     

Economic damage level for leaf-cutting ants in function of the productivity index of eucalyptus plantations in an Atlantic Forest region

The production and quality of eucalyptus plantations have been studied in areas with different densities of ant nests, being important to estimate losses caused by leaf-cutting ants. The effects of leaf-cutting ant on wood production in differents productivity sites were studied in eucalyptus plantations in the region of Atlantic Forest, Minas Gerais State, Brazil from 2003 to 2006. Data of plots of the continuous forest inventory and data of leaf-cutting ant monitoring in eucalyptus plantations were obtained. Each unitary increment in the area of Atta spp. nests per hectare reduced the wood production of the eucalyptus forest between 0.04 and 0.13 m3.ha(-1), resulting in a level of economic damage for leaf-cutting ants between 13.4 and 39.2 m2.ha(-1), in this region. Moreover, this study innovated when using indices of forest productivity (site index) that promote better adjustment of the models and produce estimate more accurate of the level of economic damage for leaf-cutting ants in cultivated forests, allowing to conclude that the increase of the total area of ant nests reduces the wooden volume of eucalyptus, proportionally to the productive potential of the forest.     

PERMANENT GENETIC RESOURCES: Characterization of eight microsatellite loci in the woolly mouse opossum, Micoureus paraguayanus, isolated from Micoureus demerarae

Eight novel microsatellite markers were isolated from the woolly mouse opossum from the Amazon Forest in Peru, Micoureus demerarae, using a partial genomic DNA library and an enrichment protocol. These loci were polymorphic in M. demerarae and Micoureus paraguayanus populations from the Atlantic Forest in Brazil with the number of alleles ranging from two to 23. Those eight loci plus another five already described for M. paraguayanus will allow for the evaluation of genetic diversity of populations from the 'Rio Doce' Park, one of the last Atlantic Forest fragments in Minas Gerais state, Brazil.     

Carbon stocks in the Guinea savanna of Ghana: estimates from three protected areas

Savannas are widespread in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) and play a major role in the global carbon balance. Extensive quantification of savanna carbon stocks in SSA will therefore contribute to better accounting of the global carbon budget in the era of climate change. In this study, we investigated the spatial distribution of carbon stocks of different soil fractions and aboveground biomass within three forest reserves in the Guinea savanna zone of Ghana. Soil carbon stocks (SCSs) ranged from 4.80 to 12.61 Mg C/ha in surface soils (0–10 cm depth). Higher SCSs were associated with the silt +clay fraction than microaggregates and small macroaggregates in all three reserves. Relative to the dominant tree species (Vitellaria paradoxa), the highest SCSs were recorded under the sub‐canopy (SC), drip line (DL), and interspace (2 * SC + DL) zones for the Klupene, Sinsablegbinni, and Kenikeni forest reserves, respectively. The highest tree carbon stock was 60.01 Mg C/ha in Kenikeni. Sinsablegbinni had an average stock of 26.74 Mg C/ha and had the highest tree density. Average carbon capture by a single tree ranged from 0.04 to 0.34 Mg C. Aboveground grass carbon stock ranged from 0.08 to 0.47 Mg C/ha, while the belowground carbon stock ranged from 0.03 to 0.44 Mg C/ha. Accumulation of carbon in the aboveground grass biomass was greater at Klupene with low forest cover.     

Delineating geographic boundaries of the woolly mouse opossums, Micoureusdemerarae and Micoureus paraguayanus (Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae)

This paper reports on molecular classification of the woolly mouse opossum, Micoureus spp., in the southeastern Atlantic Forest in Brazil, a hotspot of critically threatened biodiversity. Phylogenetic analysis and character-based diagnosis were done using DNA sequences from the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene and cytochrome c oxidase subunit I genes, and exon 6 of the nuclear dentine matrix protein 1 gene (DMP1). Although the nuclear DMP1 gene showed insufficient genetic variation for species diagnosis, the mtDNA analyses resulted in the robust grouping of samples of the M. paraguayanus/M. demerarae complex into three clades with distinct DNA sequence diagnostics for the species units in this study. The results support the species status of M. paraguayanus (Tate in Am Mus Novit 493: 1–13, 1931), which has a geographic distribution in the Atlantic Forest from the North and Northeast of Minas Gerais state in Brazil, going south along the coastal region of Brazil, to Paraguay and Argentina. Evidence of the boundary for this species and the provided diagnostics should facilitate and improve accuracy of studies that have been done in critical threatened fragments of the Atlantic Forest, especially in Minas Gerais and Bahia states, Brazil.     

Phenological variation within and among populations of Plathymenia reticulata in Brazilian Cerrado, the Atlantic Forest and transitional sites

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Plathymenia reticulata (Leguminosae) is a Brazilian tree that occurs in two biomes: Cerrado, a woody savanna vegetation, and the Atlantic Forest, a tropical forest. In this study, phenological patterns and their variability within and among populations located in these biomes and in transitional zones between them were assessed. METHODS: During a 15-month period, individuals from two populations in Cerrado, two in the Atlantic Forest, and six in transitional zones (three in a cerrado-like environment and three in forest fragments) were evaluated in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The individuals were evaluated monthly according to the proportion of the canopy in each vegetative phenophase (leaf fall, leaf flush and mature leaves) and each reproductive phenophase (floral buds, flowers, immature fruits and mature fruit/seed dispersal). In order to assess the phenological variability within and among populations, habitats and biomes, the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, the Morisita-Horn similarity index and genetic population approach of partitioning diversity were used. KEY RESULTS: Populations of P. reticulata, in general, showed similar phenology; the main differences were related to leaf fall, a process that starts months earlier in the Cerrado than in transitional sites, and even later in forest areas. Considerable synchrony was observed for reproductive phenology among populations and between biomes. Most phenological diversity was due to differences among individuals within populations. CONCLUSION: In spite of environmental differences, P. reticulata from the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado showed similar phenological behavior with only about 10% of the total diversity being attributed to differences between biomes.     

Occurrence of Ceratitis capitata Wied. (Diptera: Tephritidae) on papaya fruits in Minas Gerais State, Brazil

The objective of this work was to register the infestation of C. capitata on papaya fruits in Minas Gerais State. Papaya fruits were collected, in a commercial orchard, in Jaíba, north of the State of Minas Gerais. C. capitata was the only specie collected (794 individuals). Doryctobracon areolatus (Szépligeti) was collected parasitizing C. capitata larvae/pupae. The level of infestation was of 7,7 pupae/kg of fruit or 1,4 pupae/fruit, in average. C. capitata is registered for the first time on papaya fruits in the State of Minas Gerais.     

Secondary forest fragments offer important carbon and biodiversity cobenefits

Tropical forests store large amounts of carbon and high biodiversity, but are being degraded at alarming rates. The emerging global Forest and Landscape Restoration (FLR) agenda seeks to limit global climate change by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the growth of trees. In doing so, it may also protect biodiversity as a free cobenefit, which is vital given the massive shortfall in funding for biodiversity conservation. We investigated whether natural forest regeneration on abandoned pastureland offers such cobenefits, focusing for the first time on the recovery of taxonomic diversity (TD), phylogenetic diversity (PD) and functional diversity (FD) of trees, including the recovery of threatened and endemic species richness, within isolated secondary forest (SF) fragments. We focused on the globally threatened Brazilian Atlantic Forest, where commitments have been made to restore 1 million hectares under FLR. Three decades after land abandonment, regenerating forests had recovered ~20% (72 Mg/ha) of the above‐ground carbon stocks of a primary forest (PF), with cattle pasture containing just 3% of stocks relative to PFs. Over this period, SF recovered ~76% of TD, 84% of PD and 96% of FD found within PFs. In addition, SFs had on average recovered 65% of threatened and ~30% of endemic species richness of primary Atlantic forest. Finally, we find positive relationships between carbon stock and tree diversity recovery. Our results emphasize that SF fragments offer cobenefits under FLR and other carbon‐based payments for ecosystem service schemes (e.g. carbon enhancements under REDD+). They also indicate that even isolated patches of SF could help to mitigate climate change and the biodiversity extinction crisis by recovering species of high conservation concern and improving landscape connectivity.     

A new species of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhodospatha</Emphasis> (Araceae), with a key to species from the Atlantic Rainforest,Brazil

A new species of Araceae, Rhodospatha arborescens, was found in two preservation areas in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, Caratinga Biological Station and Rio Doce State Park, both located in a semideciduous seasonal forest (Interior Atlantic Rainforest). The new species is helophytic and arborescent. It is described, illustrated, and compared with Rhodospatha species that occur in the Atlantic Rainforest, using a dichotomous key. Information is also presented on the geographic distribution, ecology, and phenology these species.     

Human impacts,habitat quantity and quality affect the dimensions of diversity and carbon stocks in subtropical forests: A landscape-based approach

Fragmentation is recognized as one of the main factors affecting species and functionality losses in tropical landscapes. In this study, we assess how landscape quality and quantity affect taxonomic and functional diversities and carbon stocks in the Atlantic Forest. We used a large dataset, which comprises 92,754 adult trees of 668 species, distributed over an area of ​​95,733 km2 in the state of Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. In each plot, we quantified the taxonomic diversity (species richness), the functional diversity (functional richness), and the aboveground carbon stock and related it to different landscape metrics (fragment area and total area, number of fragments, total edge area, index of the largest fragment, effective network size and aggregation index) and anthropogenic impacts in three surrounding landscape buffers (radius 1000, 3000 and 5000 m). We built multiple regression models, selecting the best models (Akaike's criterion), to assess the influence of the landscape and anthropogenic index on diversities and carbon stocks. Our study shows that the landscape quantity and quality, and the anthropogenic effects are factors that negatively affect the carbon stock, reinforcing that small-scale exploration, within the fragment itself, is an important factor in reducing diversity and carbon stock. The importance of considering local exploitation has important implications for conservation, and these results bring important insights for conservation, especially for forest fragments in anthropized landscapes, where exploration within the fragments are factors that interfere in the conservation and maintenance of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.     

Three new species of Peristicta Hagen in Selys (Odonata: Zygoptera: Protoneuridae) from Brazil

Three new species of Peristicta Hagen in Selys from Brazil are described and illustrated: P. janiceae from Minas Gerais State (Diamantina, Gouvêa, Lagoa Santa, Serra do Cara?a, Serra do Cipó, Urobotanga), P. jalmosi from Goiás State (Chapada dos Veadeiros, Reserva da Universidade de Brasília) and Minas Gerais State (Urobotanga, Lagoa Santa, Ponte Nova, S?o Jo?o del Rey,) and P. muzoni from Mato Grosso State (Serra da Bodoquena). An identification key for males of Peristicta is presented.     

Tooth Marks of Mammalian Incisors on Rocky Substrate in Brazil: Evidence of Geophagy in the Cerrado Biome

Tooth marks on sandstone in an area of the Cerrado Biome are reported, indicating geophagy. The tooth marks were found on reddish sandstones cropping out in a pasture environment with typical components of the Cerrado Biome, in the Municipality of Campina Verde, Triângulo Mineiro region (west Minas Gerais State, Brazil). Studies have shown that the soil of the Cerrado is acid, with a low concentration of nutrients and minerals (also present in the plants living on this environment), which usually produce an alimentary deficiency in herbivorous animals. Therefore, these tooth marks indicate geophagy, in order to extract extra minerals from these sandstone levels, which have a high concentration of calcium carbonate and iron. The tooth marks consist of two parallel concave grooves and a medial prominent crest which results from the action of the incisors of mammals. Although the identification of the gnawing species for these sets of tooth marks are estimates at best, after wide comparisons we tentatively suggest that the tooth marks are most likely the result of the action of the incisors of rodents, such as Dasyprocta or Coendou.     

Water availability drives gradients of tree diversity,structure and functional traits in the Atlantic–Cerrado–Caatinga transition,Brazil

Aims Climate and soil are among the most important factors determining variation in tree communities, but their effects have not been thoroughly elucidated to date for many vegetation features. In this study, we evaluate how climate and soil gradients affect gradients of vegetation composition, species diversity and dominance, structure and functional traits (seed mass and wood density) using over 327 000 trees in 158 sites distributed along environmental gradients in the transitions among the Atlantic forest, Cerrado and Caatinga in Minas Gerais State (MG), Brazil (nearly 600 000 km2).     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Kerianthera longiflora</Emphasis> (Rubiaceae), a remarkable new species from eastern Brazil,with some observations on <Emphasis Type="Italic">K. preclara</Emphasis>

A new species of Kerianthera, K. longiflora Zappi & C. T. Oliveira (Rubiaceae), has been discovered in relicts of Atlantic Forest in Minas Gerais and Espírito Santo, Brazil. This genus was, until now, thought to be monotypic and to occur only in the Amazon. The morphology, phenology and habitat of the new species are discussed and the IUCN conservation status of this and K. preclara are provided.     

Aboveground Biomass Accumulation in a Tropical Wet Forest in Nicaragua Following a Catastrophic Hurricane Disturbance1

Among their effects on forest structure and carbon dynamics, hurricanes frequently create large‐scale canopy gaps that promote secondary growth. To measure the accumulation of aboveground biomass (AGBM) in a hurricane damaged forest, we established permanent plots 4 mo after the landfall of Hurricane Joan on the Atlantic coast of Nicaragua in October 1988. We quantified AGBM accumulation in these plots by correlating diameter measurements to AGBM values using a published allometric regression equation for tropical wet forests. In the first measurement year following the storm, AGBM in hurricane‐affected plots was quite variable, ranging from 26 to 153 Mg/ha, with a mean of 78 (±15) Mg/ha. AGBM was substantially lower than in two control plots several kilometers outside the hurricane's path (331 ±15 Mg/ha). Biomass accumulation was slow (5.36 ± 0.74 Mg/ha/yr), relative to previous studies of forest regeneration following another hurricane (Hugo) and agricultural activity. We suggest that large‐scale, homogenous canopy damage caused by Hurricane Joan impeded the dispersal and establishment of pioneer trees and led to a secondary forest dominated by late successional species that resprouted and survived the disturbance. With the relatively slow rate of biomass accumulation, any tightening in disturbance interval could reduce the maximum capacity of the living biomass to store carbon.     

Hymenopteran parasitoids associated with frugivorous larvae in a Brazilian caatinga-cerrado ecotone

The purpose of this study was to investigate native species of parasitoids of frugivorous larvae and their associations with host plants in commercial guava orchards and in typical native dry forests of a caatinga-cerrado ecotone in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Nine species of parasitoids were associated with larvae of Anastrepha (Tephritidae) and Neosilba (Lonchaeidae) in fruit of Psidium guajava L. (Myrtaceae), Ziziphus joazeiro Mart. (Rhamnaceae), Spondias tuberosa Arruda (Anacardiaceae), Spondias dulcis Forst. (Anacardiaceae), Syzygium cumini (L.) Skeels (Myrtaceae), and Randia armata (Sw.) DC. (Rubiaceae). Doryctobracon areolatus was the most abundant species, obtained from puparia of Anastrepha zenildae, An. sororcula, An. fraterculus, An. obliqua, and An. turpiniae. This is the first report of Asobara obliqua in Brazil and of As. anastrephae and Tropideucoila weldi in dry forests of Minas Gerais State. The number of species of parasitoids was higher in areas with greater diversity of cultivated species and lower pesticide use. The forest fragments adjacent to the orchards served as shelter for parasitoids of frugivorous larvae.     

四川森林土壤有机碳储量的空间分布特征

利用森林土壤实测数据与GIS相结合的研究方法估算了四川森林土壤有机碳密度和碳储量,研究了四川森林土壤有机碳密度的空间分布特征.四川森林土壤有机碳储量为(2394.26 ±514.15) TgC,平均碳密度为190.45 Mg·hm-2;四川不同森林类型土壤有机碳储量和碳密度差异较大,分别介于(5.05±0.37)～(1101.74±205.40) TgC、(102.69±21.09)～(264.41±49.24) Mg·hm-2之间,其有机碳含量、碳密度和碳储量都随土层厚度的增加而降低.四川森林土壤有机碳密度空间分布特征明显,总体上表现出随纬度、海拔高度的增加而增加,随经度的增加而减小.从森林土壤生态系统水平监测森林土壤有机碳储量有助于提高其估算精度.     

Occurrence of Form PIIcf Sieve-element Plastids in Xyris Species (Xyridaceae)

Mature leaf fragments from eight species ofXyris from the Serrado Cipó, State of Minas Gerais, Brazil, were preparedby the usual methods for electron microscopy. Ultrastructuralanalysis of phloem shows the occurrence of nacreous walls witha polylamellate structure in the sieve-elements ofX. tortilisand plastids similar to P-plastids, form PIIcf in the sieve-elementsof all investigated species. Sieve-element plastids; monocotyledons; Xyris     

Simulating Deforestation in Minas Gerais,Brazil, under Changing Government Policies and Socioeconomic Conditions

Agricultural expansion is causing deforestation in Minas Gerais, Brazil, converting savanna and tropical dry forest to farmland, and in 2012, Brazil’s Forest Code was revised with the government reducing deforestation restrictions. Understanding the effects of policy change on rates and locations of natural ecosystem loss is imperative. In this paper, deforestation in Minas Gerais was simulated annually until 2020 using Dinamica Environment for Geoprocessing Objects (Dinamica EGO). This system is a state-of-the-art land use and cover change (LUCC) model which incorporates government policy, landscape maps, and other biophysical and anthropogenic datasets. Three studied scenarios: (i) business as usual, (ii) increased deforestation, and (iii) decreased deforestation showed more transition to agriculture from shrubland compared to forests, and consistent locations for most deforestation. The probability of conversion to agriculture is strongly tied to areas with the smallest patches of original biome remaining. Increases in agricultural revenue are projected to continue with a loss of 25% of the remaining Cerrado land in the next decade if profit is maximized. The addition of biodiversity value as a tax on land sale prices, estimated at over $750,000,000 USD using the cost of extracting and maintaining current species ex-situ, can save more than 1 million hectares of shrubland with minimal effects on the economy of the State of Minas Gerais. With environmental policy determining rates of deforestation and economics driving the location of land clearing, site-specific protection or market accounting of externalities is needed to balance economic development and conservation.