The crab-eating fox is a medium-sized Neotropical canid with generalist habits and a broad distribution in South America. We have investigated its genetic diversity, population structure and demographic history across most of its geographic range by analysing 512 base pairs (bp) of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region, 615 bp of the mtDNA cytochrome b gene and 1573 total nucleotides from three different nuclear fragments. MtDNA data revealed a strong phylogeographic partition between northeastern Brazil and other portions of the species' distribution, with complete separation between southern and northern components of the Atlantic Forest. We estimated that the two groups diverged from each other c. 400,000-600,000 years ago, and have had contrasting population histories. A recent demographic expansion was inferred for the southern group, while northern populations seem to have had a longer history of large population size. Nuclear sequence data did not support this north-south pattern of subdivision, likely due at least in part to secondary male-mediated historical gene flow, inferred from multilocus coalescent-based analyses. We have compared the inferred phylogeographic patterns to those observed for other Neotropical vertebrates, and report evidence for a major north-south demographic discontinuity that seems to have marked the history of the Atlantic Forest biota.

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We documented litter production and seed rain in fragments of semideciduous forest (SDF) in the western part of the state of Paraná, Brazil: a late successional fragment (LF); an early successional fragment (EF); and a reforested late successional fragment (RLF). In each fragment, we established three permanent plots with four litter traps each, corresponding to 12 litter traps per fragment. Botanical material was collected monthly between June 2011 and May 2012. We sorted the material by category: leaves; branches; reproductive structures; and miscellaneous. We analyzed the seed rain using the reproductive structures. Annual production was highest (11,560 kg.ha −1 ) in the LF, followed by the RLF, with 9330 kg.ha −1 , and the EF, with 7838 kg.ha −1 . The RLF yielded 7167 diaspores, from 33 species, compared with 4751 diaspores, from 38 species, for the EF; in both fragments, pioneer and anemochorous species predominated. The LF yielded 2173 diaspores, from 49 species, among which late secondary and climax species with zoochorous dispersal predominated. We observed asynchrony in the frequency of diaspore production of trees and lianas. Our data describe the dynamics of plant assemblages in SDF fragments and provide information on successional stages, dispersion syndromes, patterns of asynchrony, deciduousness, reproductive periods, and resource availability for frugivores.

A dispersão da goiabeira (Psidium guajava L.) em ecossistemas naturais brasileiros é um processo crescente e requer estudos sobre a dinâmica desta espécie. Deste modo, os objetivos foram: a) identificar quais espécies de aves se alimentam dos frutos de Psidium guajava; b) descrever as principais táticas de forrageamento das aves, que podem maximizar ou reduzir o sucesso de dispersão da goiabeira. Foram realizadas 47 horas de observação focal de aves consumindo frutos de P. guajava, onde foram registradas 11 espécies de aves (Aratinga leucophthalma, A. aurea, Amazona aestiva, Melanerpes flavifrons, Pitangus sulphuratus, Cyclarhis gujanensis, Turdus leucomelas, Mimus saturninus, Tangara palmarum, T. sayaca e Euphonia chlorotica). As guildas de aves mais representativas foram os onívoros (54,5%), seguida dos frugívoros (27,3%) e das espécies consideradas insetívoras (18,2%). Com exceção dos psitacídeos, que apresentam comportamentos alimentares que normalmente promovem danos à semente, as outras espécies apresentaram comportamentos que as indicam como potenciais dispersores da goiabeira. As aves observadas frequentam ambiente florestal e também áreas abertas, o que potencializa a dispersão da espécie pela maioria dos ambientes, podendo alterar a estrutura e composição específica da vegetação da região. Com aves atuando como dispersores de suas sementes, a colonização de novas áreas pela P. guajava é eminente, podendo assim dominar áreas de regeneração ambiental, tornando-se uma espécie danosa a processos ecossistêmicos. Palavras-chave: Ecologia alimentar. Frugivoria.Goiabeira. Invasão biológica. AbstractThe dispersion of guava (Psidium guajava L.) in Brazilian natural ecosystems is a growing process and requires studies on its ecological dynamics. Thus, our goals were: a) to identify birds feeding on the fruits of Psidium guajava; b) evaluate the potential success of guava dispersal based in the main

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