Several species of neotropical felines are morphologically and ecologically similar, and are sympatric along large areas of their distribution. This requires mechanisms to allow their coexistence, such as temporal segregation of their activities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between activity patterns of felines and their prey using camera trapping data and their seasonal variation

Unlike well-known global patterns of plant species richness along altitudinal gradients, in the mountainous areas of the Brazilian Caatinga, species richness and diversity reach their maxima near mountain tops. The causes of this unusual pattern are not well understood, and in particular the role of edaphic factors on plant community assembly along these gradients has not been investigated. Our goal

We analysed thirty-five 400-m2 plots encompassing forest, savanna and intermediate vegetation types in an ecotonal area in Ghana, West Africa. Across all plots, fire frequency was over a period of 15 years relatively uniform (once in 2–4 years). Although woodlands were dominated by species typically associated with savanna-type formations, and with forest formations dominated by species usually associated

For large mammals, area expansion is a key conservation measure to prevent species’ decline and extinction. Yet, its success depends on whether animals discover and later use these areas. Here, using GPS data, we investigated how herds of elephants detected and used an area made available to them after the removal of a fence. We studied the elephants’ behaviour before and after the fence removal, accounting

Temporal and spatial patterns in flowering phenology were assessed for eight tropical African tree species. Specifically, the frequency and seasonality of flowering at seven sites in central Africa were determined using field data, graphical analysis and circular statistics. Additionally, spatial variation in the timing of flowering across species range was investigated using herbarium data, analysing

Rodents can be important in seed dispersal through their scatterhoarding behaviour, yet, the seed traits that are most influential in seed removal by Afrotropical scatterhoarding rodents remains unclear. Here, we investigated the effect of seed size and nutrient content of four seed species on the scatterhoarding behaviour of rodents in an Afromontane forest, Ngel Nyaki forest, Nigeria. To do this

Disturbances and successional dynamics shape the composition of tree communities, but data remain scarce for tropical forests of West Africa. We assessed the imprint of past disturbances on the composition of evergreen forests in an Ivorian National Park. We hypothesized that (i) Pioneer indices (PI) based on the relative proportion of pioneer and non-pioneer trees relate to changing floristic composition

Understorey wildfires harm tropical forests by affecting natural regeneration, but the trajectories of fire-disturbed forests after disturbance are poorly understood. To fill this gap, we conducted experimental burns in a transitional forest between the Amazon forests and the Brazilian Savanna (Cerrado) and investigated their effects on plant community diversity of regeneration. The experiment consisted

Quantifying tree biomass is an important research and management goal across many disciplines. For species that exhibit predictable relationships between structural metrics (e.g. diameter, height, crown breadth) and total weight, allometric calculations produce accurate estimates of above-ground biomass. However, such methods may be insufficient where inter-individual variation is large relative to

Sacred groves (SG) of south India are either relics of primary or secondary forests or swamps, worshipped by the local communities, and distributed in the countrysides (CS) and forest landscapes of India. Studies suggest that SGs harbour a biodiversity different from that of adjoining CS and have a structural similarity to protected forests. Studies also suggest a negative effect of structural complexity

Aposematism and crypticity are visual defensive strategies against predation; however, the relative effectiveness of these two strategies to reduce the risk of predation is not yet fully understood. We evaluated the risk of predation for caterpillars with cryptic and aposematic colouration as well as the probability of predation relative to the natural variation of contrast with the substrate. We expected

In vascular plants, larger seeds are generally associated with higher germination potential, healthier seedlings and overall higher rates of survivorship. How this relationship holds or what other physiological tradeoffs evolved in plants adapted to high-altitude environments, such as the tropical and subtropical highland Polylepis tree, remain unclear. In this study, we evaluated the relationship

The proliferation of disturbance-adapted species in human-modified landscapes may change the structure of plant communities, but the response of biodiversity to human disturbances remains poorly understood. We examine the proliferation of the palm, Syagrus coronata, in disturbed forest stands and its impacts on the structure of vascular epiphyte assemblages in a human-modified landscape of Brazilian

Mutualistic interactions are biologically important, diverse and poorly understood. Comprehending these interactions and the effectiveness of the mutualistic partners has been the central focus of ecological and evolutionary studies, as this task requires disentangling the pieces of mutualism under study. Here, we tested the hypothesis that feeding activity of Artibeus phaeotis influences density,

Small mammals can be used as environmental indicators and have been intensively studied in fragmented landscapes of Atlantic Forest, with a wide range of field methods. Our aim in this study was two-fold: we tested for the effects of methods and for the effects of the main environmental variables on observed small mammal richness in fragments of Atlantic Forest. We gathered information on small mammal

Prey selection by generalist predators can be highly dynamic depending on the prey community structure. However, the dynamics of prey selection at the stage of prey entrapping are rarely investigated in trap-building predators, probably because their traps have been previously considered to intercept mobile prey proportionally to its availability in environment. Here we investigated the dynamics of

The great fruit-eating bat (Artibeus lituratus) is a large-sized species that forages primarily on fruits. This species is widespread throughout the Neotropics, where it is common in natural areas and also occupies forest patches and cities. In this study, we review the composition of Artibeus lituratus diet in Brazil as well as the size of fruits and seeds, plant geographic origin, and sampling methods

Herbivores use a wide range of factors to choose their host, including their own physiological states, physical characteristics of plants and the degree of competition. Field observations of herbivores in their native habitats provide a means for simultaneously estimating the relative importance of these factors, but statistical analysis of all these factors may be challenging. Here we used a 7-week

Southern pine beetles (Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann) and symbiotic fungi are associated with mass mortality in stands of Caribbean pine (Pinus caribaea Morelet). This study provides a 12.7-year assessment of semiochemical mediation between southern pine beetle and Caribbean pine in relation to concentrations of 4-allylanisole (estragole, methyl chavicol) and monoterpenes measured by gas chromatography–mass

Human activities change the biodiversity of ecological communities in at least three dimensions: ecologically, taxonomically and functionally. Gathering information on these three dimensions allows the improvement of biodiversity assessments and the increased understanding of anthropogenic impact on natural communities. In this study, we analysed the spider community associated with the tropical plant

Seed dispersal is an important ecological process that structures plant communities and influences ecosystem functioning. Loss of animal dispersers therefore poses a serious threat to forest ecosystems, particularly in the tropics where zoochory predominates. A prominent example is the near-total extinction of seed dispersers on the tropical island of Guam following the accidental introduction of the

Conversion of forest land into different land use types is the primary cause of degradation of land resources, which in turn alters nutrient and carbon cycles, land productivity and diversity of species. There is scarcity of information about land-use changes (LUC) and their effect on relationship of soil quality and species diversity at landscape level in the Vindhyan dry tropical region. We evaluated