Changes in fire regime in Southeastern Amazonia and the effects on biodiversity: The impact of recurrent fires on invertebrate communities.

• Grant number: 13/00375-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: August 01, 2013
• End date: March 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Ecology
• Principal Investigator: André Victor Lucci Freitas
• Grantee: Rafael Barreto de Andrade
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biologia (IB). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 13/19024-7 - Changes in fire regime in southeastern Amazonia and the effects on biodiversity: the impact of recurrent fires on invertebrate communities, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

Tropical forests are the most biologically diverse habitats in the world and are among the most threatened environments by anthropogenic disturbance. The understanding of the effects of threats like the increase of forest fires on the biodiversity of these biomes is a vital step for conservation actions. The Brazilian Amazon is probably facing a quick and destructive change in fire regime; however, the effects of these alterations remain essentially unknown. The objective of this proposal is to present a comprehensive evaluation of the impacts of the increase in frequency of forest fires on biodiversity in the southeastern Brazilian Amazon. We will investigate changes in diversity and ecological functioning of terrestrial invertebrates, such as frugivorous butterflies (family Nymphalidae), coprophagous coleoptera (sub-family Scarabaeinae), arachnids (order Aranae) and other groups. We will also estimate the potential of each invertebrate group asindicator of overall biodiversity and ecological integrity. Studies will be carried out in experimental plots of once-burned, annually and triennially burned forests, in area in the transitional region between Amazon forests and Cerrado.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE ANDRADE, RAFAEL B.; BALCH, JENNIFER K.; CARREIRA, JUNIA Y. O.; BRANDO, PAULO M.; FREITAS, ANDRE V. L.. The impacts of recurrent fires on diversity of fruit-feeding butterflies in a south-eastern Amazon forest. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY, v. 33, n. 1, p. 22-32, JAN 2017. (13/00375-4, 12/50260-6, 11/50225-3, 13/19024-7)

DE ANDRADE, RAFAEL B.; BALCH, JENNIFER K.; CARREIRA, JUNIA Y. O.; BRANDO, PAULO M.; FREITAS, ANDRE V. L.. The impacts of recurrent fires on diversity of fruit-feeding butterflies in a south-eastern Amazon forest. JOURNAL OF TROPICAL ECOLOGY, v. 33, p. 11-pg., 2017-01-01. (11/50225-3, 13/19024-7, 13/00375-4, 12/50260-6)