As áreas úmidas (AU) brasileiras são ambientes com grande contribuição para a biodiversidade na América do Sul. A planície costeira do sul do Brasil é um complexo de áreas úmidas pouco conhecido ecológica e biologicamente. O clima desta área é subtropical úmido e compreende uma planície com cerca de 37.000 Km2, dos quais, aproximadamente 40 % constituem ecossistemas aquáticos. O principal impacto percebido é de ocupação agrícola, com cultivo principalmente de arroz irrigado, particularmente importante sobre a biodiversidade aquática. Nesse trabalho, apresentamos um levantamento da biodiversidade de invertebrados aquáticos (fitofauna e zooplâncton) ao longo de um gradiente de 200 Km em 20 AU localizadas na planície costeira do Sul do Brasil. Estas AU estão distribuídas em regiões com atividades agrícolas, ao sul, e de preservação ambiental, ao norte, inseridas em uma estação ecológica, sítio RAMSAR. Os resultados mostraram diferenças das variáveis limnológicas entre as duas regiões, principalmente turbidez e condutividade elétrica. Foram identificados 169 táxons de invertebrados aquáticos, sendo 60,5 % de fitofauna e 39,5 % correspondendo a táxons de zooplâncton. As duas regiões não apresentaram diferença em relação a riqueza, abundância e diversidade para nenhuma das assembleias e para a comunidade total, porém mostraram diferenças na composição em ambas as assembleias. Ocorreram 30 táxons exclusivos na região de preservação e 48 táxons exclusivos na região de matriz agrícola. Nossos resultados mostraram que a comunidade de invertebrados aquáticos regional possui alta biodiversidade comparada com levantamentos em regiões com amplitude espacial menor. Mesmo que nossos dados não abranjam uma grande variação latitudinal, a conectividade proporcionada pelo relevo com baixas altitudes e a grande quantidade de ambientes aquáticos rasos proporciona o estabelecimento de uma comunidade rica e diversa. Assim nosso estudo busca contribuir para reforçar a importância da planície costeira sul do Brasil como local de alta relevância ecológica para manutenção da biodiversidade. INVERTEBRATES DIVERSITY IN WETLANDS AT SOUTHERN BRAZIL: The Brazilian wetlands (UA) are environments with great contribution to biodiversity in South America. The coastal plain of southern Brazil is a complex of wetlands that is not well known ecologically and biologically. The climate of this area is humid subtropical and comprises a plain of about 37,000 km2, of which approximately 40% constitute aquatic ecosystems. The main impact perceived is of agricultural occupation, with cultivation mainly of irrigated rice, which is particularly important on aquatic biodiversity. In this work, we present a survey of the biodiversity of aquatic invertebrates (phytofauna and zooplankton) along a 200 km gradient in 20 UA located in the coastal plain of southern Brazil. These UA are distributed in regions with agricultural activities, to the south, and environmental preservation, to the north, inserted in an ecological station, RAMSAR site. The results showed differences in limnological variables between the two regions, mainly turbidity and electrical conductivity. A total of 169 aquatic invertebrate taxa were identified, 60.5 % of which were phytofauna and 39.5 % corresponding to zooplankton taxa. The two regions did not differ in terms of richness, abundance and diversity for any of the assemblages and for the total community, but showed differences in composition in both assemblages. There were 30 exclusive taxa in the preservation region and 48 exclusive taxa in the agricultural matrix region. Our results showed that the regional aquatic invertebrate community has high biodiversity compared to surveys in regions with smaller spatial amplitude. Even though our data do not cover a large latitudinal variation, the connectivity provided by the relief with low altitudes and the large amount of shallow aquatic environments provides the establishment of a rich and diverse community. Thus, our study seeks to contribute to reinforce the importance of the southern coastal plain of Brazil as a place of high ecological relevance for maintaining biodiversity.

This study aimed to characterize and evaluate factors driving the structure of the benthic macroinvertebrate community in coastal lagoons at the Restinga de Jurubatiba National Park. Sixteen lagoons were sampled in July 2010 during the dry season. At each lagoon, three samples were taken in the central region and three samples were taken near the sandbar. At each point, the limnological variables and the benthic community were collected. Richness and abundance were calculated for each sample. The correlations among the environmental parameters were tested using Pearson's correlation. A Principal Component Analysis using environmental variables was performed to visualize the similarity among samples. Simple regressions were used to assess the correlation between macroinvertebrates' metrics and environmental parameters. A redundancy test was performed to link environmental parameters to the community structure of macroinvertebrates. A total of 1,719 macroinvertebrates were identified in 25 taxa groups that were classified as exclusive marine taxa, five as brackish/marine taxa, seven as freshwater taxa, and two taxa as groups with marine and freshwater representatives. The most abundant taxa were Leonereis sp., Heleobia australis, and Kalliapseudidae. Richness and abundance were negatively related to salinity. The redundancy test indicated pH, salinity, coarse grain size, and dissolved oxygen as the environmental variables explaining the macroinvertebrate community structure variation among the lagoons. Understanding the drives and dynamics which guide the macroinvertebrates communities' turnover in coastal lagoons is a relevant tool to subsidize environmental management decisions due to the increasing threats around the park.

O estado do Espírito Santo (Brasil) tem sido pouco explorado em termos de microalgas e cianobactérias de ambientes aquáticos continentais, apesar de possuir doze bacias hidrográficas, tendo a maior contribuição, em termos de volume de água da bacia do rio Doce. Este fato é resultado do baixo número de pesquisadores e instituições com pesquisas ecológicas e taxômicas. As primeiras investigações limnológicas com microalgas e cianobactérias ocorreram na década de 90, tendo avanço considerável em lagoas costeiras, lagos, rios e represas a partir da década de 2000, tanto com fitoplanctôn quanto com o perifíton, devido ao incremento de pesquisadores e editais de pesquisa. Este estudo cienciométrico visou identificar tendências das pesquisas já realizadas, apontando os ecossistemas aquáticos mais estudados e os autores dos artigos. Os resultados evidenciaram que a maioria dos estudos se concentrou na ecologia das comunidades, com listas de táxons; raros foram os estudos taxonômicos; poucos foram os trabalhos experimentais para compreensão de fatores reguladores das comunidades. Inúmeras lacunas precisam ser preenchidas, especialmente no que tange ao: levantamento da biodiversidade nas diferentes regiões do estado, com ênfase em taxonomia; desenvolvimento de pesquisas experimentais para compreensão de fatores reguladores das comunidades; estudos preditivos frente a impactos ambientais; uso destas comunidades como bioindicadores de impactos ambientais; estudos biotecnológicos com microalgas; pesquisas que abordem impactos na saúde pública relacionados, principalmente, com as florações de cianobactérias potencialmente tóxicas; realização de testes de hipóteses ecológicas. Há também a necessidade e relevância de publicações em revistas internacionais de maior impacto e com colaboradores nacionais e internacionais e o estabelecimento de parcerias com instituições externas ao Espírito Santo e ao Brasil. Os novos direcionamentos favorecerão o incremento do conhecimento das comunidades fitoplanctônica e perifítica nos ecossistemas aquáticos continentais do Espírito Santo e fornecerão subsídios para a tomada de medidas de recuperação e/ou preservação. CONTINENTAL MICROALGAE AND CYANOBACTERIA IN ESPÍRITO SANTO STATE: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE: The Espírito Santo State (Brazil) has been little explored in terms of microalgae and cyanobacteria from inland waters, despite its twelve hydrographic basins and being the greatest contribution in water volume of the Doce river basin. This fact is the result of the low number of researchers and institutions with research lines about freshwater ecology and microalgae taxonomy. Literature records indicate that the early limnological researches that studied microalgae were published in the 1990s, with a considerable increase in studies in coastal lagoons, lakes, rivers, and dams from the 2000s onwards, about phytoplankton and periphyton, due to the increase in the number of researchers and more research notices. The present scientometric work aimed to identify trends in the past studies, showing the aquatic ecosystems with the greatest number of studies and the authors of the articles. Our results showed that most studies focused on aquatic ecology and the community with lists of taxa; taxonomic studies were rares; there is little experimental work to understand community regulatory factors. Numerous gaps need to be filled, especially regarding to biodiversity in different regions of the state, with accurate taxonomy studies; more experimental research to understand regulatory factors in communities and predictive studies on environmental impacts; biotechnological studies; research related to public wealth and cyanobacteria blooms; and studies testing ecological hypotheses. It is also necessary to consider the needs and relevance of publications in international journals with greater impact and with national and international collaborators, establishing partnerships with institutions outside Espírito Santo and Brazil. The new directions will favor the increase of knowledge of the phytoplankton and periphytic communities in the continental aquatic ecosystems of Espírito Santo and will provide subsidies for taking measures for their recovery and/or preservation.

The 1993 inauguration of UENF (Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro) has made research on aquatic ecosystems in the northern region of Rio de Janeiro State a reality, most notably that pertaining to the lower Paraíba do Sul River (PSR) and associated ecosystems (e.g. mangroves, coastal lagoons and coastal zone). These researches were, in part, leveraged by the scientific training provided by Dr Francisco Esteves. Within the municipality of Campos dos Goytacazes, the PSR has been monitored with biweekly samplings since 1994 by UENF in a long-term project highlighting the river’s role in supplying water for 90% of the municipality’s population. However, potamological conditions such as low outflow and eutrophication have fostered episodic cyanobacterial blooms, especially during the dry season. One such event caused water supply interruptions in the municipalities located in the lower PSR basin, a fact that highlights the importance of pluriannual monitoring of its hydrochemical conditions.

The Urucum Massif (UM) is recognized as a region of flora and fauna endemism, and it is one of the few mountain ranges found in the western edge of the Brazilian Pantanal, in Mato Grosso do Sul state. Despite the lack of knowledge on mammalian species occurrence, several mining companies established in this region has rapidly changed its landscape. Therefore, this study aims to carry out an inventory of medium- to large-sized mammals in the UM to estimate their relative abundance and activity patterns using data provided by camera trapping surveys. Two main camera-trapping surveys were carried between October 2014 and July 2015, in addition to a small survey in July 2016. Results showed 25 species from medium- to large-sized mammals. Dicotyles tajacu, Dasyprocta azarae and Dasypus novemcinctus presented the highest relative abundance indices. Overall, D. azarae, Nasua nasua and Euphractus sexcinctus were diurnal, while Tamandua tetradactyla, D. novemcinctus, Tapirus terrestris and Sylvilagus paraguensis were nocturnal, in turn, D. tajacu and Cerdocyon thous were associated with the crepuscular period. Overall, 28 % (N = 7) and 12 % (N = 3) of the recorded species are threatened nationally and globally, respectively. Due to the scarcity of protected areas in the UM, we recommend long term monitoring of mammals and ecological studies to support conservation actions for this group in the region

The Urucum Massif (UM) is recognized as a region of flora and fauna endemism, and it is one of the few mountain ranges found in the western edge of the Brazilian Pantanal, in Mato Grosso do Sul state. Despite the lack of knowledge on mammalian species occurrence, several mining companies established in this region has rapidly changed its landscape. Therefore, this study aims to carry out an inventory of medium- to large-sized mammals in the UM to estimate their relative abundance and activity patterns using data provided by camera trapping surveys. Two main camera-trapping surveys were carried between October 2014 and July 2015, in addition to a small survey in July 2016. Results showed 25 species from medium- to large-sized mammals. Dicotyles tajacu, Dasyprocta azarae and Dasypus novemcinctus presented the highest relative abundance indices. Overall, D. azarae, Nasua nasua and Euphractus sexcinctus were diurnal, while Tamandua tetradactyla, D. novemcinctus, Tapirus terrestris and Sylvilagus paraguensis were nocturnal, in turn, D. tajacu and Cerdocyon thous were associated with the crepuscular period. Overall, 28 % (N = 7) and 12 % (N = 3) of the recorded species are threatened nationally and globally, respectively. Due to the scarcity of protected areas in the UM, we recommend long term monitoring of mammals and ecological studies to support conservation actions for this group in the region

Habitat degradation and alien species are among the greatest threats to mammals. The degradation of the Atlantic Forest remnants makes it essential to carry out mammal inventories. In this sense, the species richness and the relative frequency of medium and large mammals was evaluated based on active search (192 hours) and camera traps (345 trap-nights). The study was conducted from July 2019 to June 2020, in the Várzeas do Rio Ivinhema State Park - VRISP, Mato Grosso do Sul State - MS. A total of 30 native species were found, representing 62% of mammals in MS, in addition to three invasive alien species. Our survey added sixteen new occurrences to the VRISP. The occurrence of Leopardus braccatus is the first record for the Atlantic Forest biome. Our study contributes to conservation measures proposed by VRISP, which plays a fundamental role in wildlife conservation in the Rio Paraná biodiversity corridor.

Although ophiophagy is not a well-known event among neotropical lizards, occasional snake predation events have been reported for some species. For Tropidurus torquatus only one record of predation on Phalotris matogrossensis is currently known. Here we report the second record of ophiophagy in Tropidurus torquatus, adding a new prey item to its known diet, and we provide a review of vertebrate prey consumed by this enigmatic lizard species. Although when compared to other lizard species, T. torquatus has a substantial number of records documenting the predation of small vertebrates, these records are occasional and are likely the result of opportunistic events.

MEDIUM AND LARGE MAMMALS IN RIO VERMELHO MUNICIPAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AREA, SANTA CATARINA, SOUTHERN BRAZIL: Most studies on medium and large mammals in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest are carried out in areas under full protection (as parks and biological reserves). Considering the continuing threats that the forest remnants are suffering, it is essential to carry out mammal surveys in protected areas for sustainable use. In order to evaluate the species richness and the relative frequency of medium and large mammals in the área de proteção ambiental municipal do Rio Vermelho – APARV (northern Santa Catarina state), methodologies of direct visualization and camera traps were used. The study was conducted from the beginning of 2015 to the end of 2019. In Santa Catarina state, there is only one study which sampling effort is comparable to the present one (7300 night-trap). Thirty-three native mammal species and two alien species (Canis familiaris and Lepus europaeus) were found. The species accumulation curve tended to stabilize at the beginning of the third year. Three species were responsible for more than half of the photographic records (Cerdocyon thous, Eira barbara and Procyon cancrivorus). In total, 33.3% of the species are classified in some category of threat, and three of these species are among the less recorded in Santa Catarina state (Tayassu pecari, Tapirus terrestris and Mazama nana). Our survey added 18 new occurrences to the APARV management plan. Only two of the 18 mammal surveys carried out previously in the Santa Catarina state recorded more species than our study. This is the second survey which was carried out in protected areas for sustainable use in Santa Catarina state. Our study contributes to the important knowledge that can be used in conservation measures. In this way, the APARV plays a fundamental role for the conservation of the Atlantic Forest mammals, constituting an important area favoring the population movements of mammals.

The great extent and diversity of ecological conditions of stream ecosystems in Brazil are widely recognized. In the last two decades, studies on stream fishes have contributed to the knowledge about their trophic ecology. However, the large amount of available information is yet fragmented. This chapter presents the state of the art of studies about feeding and trophic ecology of stream fishes in Brazil, an essential topic to understand ecosystem functioning. The review presented here was based on searches on different databases (Scopus, Web of Science, ASFA and Scielo). Results included studies that used different methods and approaches to evaluate the diet of fish species and assemblages, their relationship with morphology and ontogenetic variation, resource partitioning, seasonal and spatial variations, and anthropic impacts on trophic interactions. Finally, knowledge gaps and perspectives for future studies on fish trophic ecology are pointed out, including responses to anthropic influences, theoretical aspects, and the use of underexplored approaches to the subject, which may aid to our understanding of tropical streams