The Pantanal, one of the largest wetlands on the planet, comprises 140,000 km 2 of lowland floodplain of the upper Rio Paraguai basin that drains the Cerrado of central Brazil. The diverse mosaics of habitats resulting from the varied soil types and inundation regimes are responsible for an extraordinarily rich terrestrial and aquatic biota, exemplified by the bird richest wetland in the world-463 birds have been recorded there-and the largest known populations of several threatened mammals, such as Pampas deer (Ozotoceros bezoarticus), marsh deer ( Blastocerus dichotomus), giant otter ( Pteronura brasiliensis), and jaguar ( Panthera onca). Until recently, deforestation of the adjoining Brazilian central plateau was considered the major threat to this area, but now deforestation is a critical problem within the floodplain itself. More than 40% of the forest and savanna habitats have been altered for cattle ranching through the introduction of exotic grasses. And there are other threats that lead to large-scale disruption of ecological processes, severely affecting biodiversity. Although the Pantanal wetland is a Biosphere Reserve and is considered a Wetland of International Importance, only 2.5% of the upper Paraguai River basin is formally protected. To date, protected areas have been created opportunistically and as such, although of undoubted value, protect only a fraction of the Pantanal's wildlife and habitats. Among the conservation initiatives in the area, the private sector is increasingly participating in the establishment of private reserves. The prospects are far from optimistic, however, and the major challenge is to find alternative socioeconomic models that allow for conservation and economic uses of the land in association with the development of specific environmental legislation that reflects the unique characteristics of the region. Protegiendo a los Humedales del Pantanal: Amenazas e Iniciativas de ConservaciónResumen: El Pantanal, 140,000 km 2 de llanura inundable de la cuenca alta del Río Paraguai que drena el Cerrado en el centro de Brasil, es uno de los humedales más extensos del planeta. Los diversos mosaicos de hábitats que resultan de diversos tipos de suelo y regímenes de inundación son responsables de una biota terrestre y acuática extraordinariamente rica, ejemplificada por el humedal con mayor riqueza de aves en el mundo -se han registrado 463 especies de aves -y las mayores poblaciones conocidas de varios mamíferos amenazados, como el venado de las Pampas (Ozotoceros bezoarticus), el venado de pantano (Blastocerus dichotomus), la nutria gigante (Pteronura brasiliensis) y el jaguar (Panthera onca). Hasta hace poco, la deforestación de la meseta central Brasileña adyacente era considerada como la mayor amenaza a estaárea, pero ahora la deforestación es un problema crítico dentro de la misma llanura inundable. Más de 40% de hábitats de bosque y sabana han sido alterados para producción de ganado mediante la introducción de pastos exóticos. Y hay otas amenazas que conducen a la disrupci...

Within the last 25 years an intensive agriculture has developed in the highland regions of Mato Grosso state (Brazil), which involves frequent pesticide use in highly mechanized cash-crop cultures. To provide information on pesticide distribution and dynamics in the northeastern Pantanal basin (located in southern Mato Grosso), we monitored 29 pesticides and 3 metabolites in surface water, sediment, and rainwater of the study area during the main application season. In environmental samples, 19 pesticides and 3 metabolites were detected in measurable quantities, resulting in at least one pesticide detection in 68% of surface water samples (n = 139), 62% of sediment samples (n = 26), and 87% of rainwater samples (n = 91). Surface water samples were most frequently contaminated by endosulfan compounds (alpha-, beta-, -sulfate), ametryn, metolachlor, and metribuzin, although in low (< 0.1 microgram L-1) concentrations. Sediment samples exhibited concentrations up to 4.5 micrograms kg-1 of p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, endosulfan-sulfate, beta-endosulfan, and ametryn. In contrast, rainwater was polluted with substantial amounts of endosulfan, alachlor, metolachlor, trifluralin, monocrotofos, and profenofos (maximum concentrations = 0.3 to 2.3 micrograms L-1) in the highlands. Lowland rainwater samples taken 75 km from the next application area contained 5- to 10-fold lower mean pesticide concentration than in the highlands. Cumulative deposition rates of the pesticide sum within the study period ranged from 423 micrograms m-2 in the highlands to 14 micrograms m-2 in the lowlands. The atmospheric input of pesticides to ecosystems seemed to be of higher relevance in the tropical study area than known from temperate regions.

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The Pantanal wetland is a vast seasonally inundated area of extraordinary landscape and biological diversity and complexity. It is located in the upper portion of the Paraguay River basin in central South America. During the rainy season, increased stream discharge from the surrounding basin produces an annual flood pulse through the Pantanal. Increasing human impact, such as dam construction, deforestation, agricultural related activities, and the Hidrovia project in the Parana-Paraguay waterway, threaten the ecological stability of the Pantanal area. As a result, there is an urgent need to introduce new management practices in the Pantanal Basin. In this paper we present a concept for managing the Pantanal catchment based on the integration of ecological knowledge, institutional organization, and involvement of different stakeholders. We propose approaches for an integrated management of the Pantanal and its catchment based on improving data bases and the empowerment of the stakeholder groups. The latter depends on increasing the level of education and access to information, as well as implementing procedures to improve public involvement and enforcement of environmental regulations

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The dynamics of Pantanal is totally influenced by the flood pulse, which is, in part, a consequence of rainfall regime from the Amazon in the direction to the headlands and the lowlands where the water is retained, and the flood plain is formed. The impacts of climate change have not yet been measured for the Northern Pantanal (Pantanal of Cáceres), where it is the gateway to most Pantanal waters. Here, we have used rainfall, hydrology, and satellite imagery data to ascertain the possible rainfall patterns, water retention, and level of the Paraguay River over the past decades. Although a well-defined water pulse is found in the Northern Pantanal, over a 42-year historical series the number of days without precipitation has greatly increased, as well the loss of water mass in the landscape over the last 10 years specifically in during the drought season. Overall, nowadays the Northern Pantanal has 13% more days without rain than in the 60’s, and the water mass is 16% less during the drought season considering the last 10 years. These results show that nowadays the Pantanal is losing water and experiencing a more severe drought season than in the past. Regarding the physicochemical and biological cycles of the ecosystem, these changes can result in the loss of biodiversity, as well as the loss of ecosystem services, intrinsically linked to the flood pulse. Given that these losses have been aggravated by anthropogenic pressures (e.g. deforestation, erosion, hydroelectric power stations), the drafting of strategic plans for safeguarding wildlife and human populations, as well as agriculture, cattle raising, fisheries and the preservation of the people’s lifestyle in the Pantanal must be urgently implemented.

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Abstract:The quantification of genetic diversity and intrapopulation spatial genetic structure (SGS) of tree species are important aspects for in and ex situ conservation practices. In this study we seek to understand the importance of conservation areas by quantifying the genetic diversity and the spatial genetic structure of a natural population of Theobroma speciosum. Within this population, 49 adults and 51 subadults were genotyped for five microsatellite loci. The results showed that adults and subadults have similar levels of genetic diversity and inbreeding (adults: A= 10.4, A e = 10.3, F= 0.68, subadults: A= 10.6, A e = 10.6, F= 0.57). Genetic diversity was spatially structured within the population, and the results suggest that near-neighbor trees up to a distance of 70 m are likely related. SGS is likely the result of short-distance seed dispersal, the short-distance range of pollinators, and infrequent breaches of the self-incompatible mating system. Considering the high demographic density of the species and size of the study area, as well as the high average number of alleles per locus and the presence of rare alleles, we believe that the study population is an excellent resource for in situ genetic conservation of T. speciosum. The study area is also a useful resource for collecting germplasm for ex situ conservation and seed collection, either for breeding programs used in the restoration of degraded areas or forest improvement. Rev. Biol. Trop. 64 (3): 1091-1099. Epub 2016 September 01.Key words: Amazonia, genetic variability, microsatellite markers, cacauhy.The national program of biological diversity, that evaluated and identified priority areas for conservation, sustainable use, and benefitsharing of biodiversity of the Brazilian Amazon, established 27 ecoregions of the Brazilian Legal Amazon (PNJU, 2013). One ecoregion is the Mato Grosso dry forests located in the Northern part of Mato Grosso State. In this area, the Juruena National Park (Parque Nacional do Juruena) was established in 2006 with the aim of protecting endemic Amazonian species. The Conservation Unit (CU) includes headwaters and stretches of important Amazonian rivers, such as Aripuanã, a tributary of the Madeira, Juruena, and Teles Pires Rivers, and tributaries of the Tapajós, and it encompasses an area of significant biogeographical interest. The genus Theobroma occurs naturally in the area.Several species within the Theobroma genus have conventional or potential uses, including Theobroma speciosum Willd. ex Spreng, commonly known as cacauhy. This species is important because it represents a possible source of genetic resistance for other, more economically important species, such as Theobroma cacao (Silva et al., 2011). The fruit rind of T. speciosum is mixed with wood ash to produce a handmade soap that is used in the Amazon and it is an excellent deodorant (Di Stasi & Hiruma-Lima, 2002). In relation to its fatty acids, Gilabert-Escrivá et al. (2002) noted that the composition is very similar to that found in cocoa butter. ...