Metabarcoding of environmental DNA (eDNA) is now widely used to build diversity profiles from DNA that has been shed by species into the environment. There is substantial interest in the expansion of eDNA approaches for improved detection of terrestrial vertebrates using invertebrate‐derived DNA (iDNA) in which hematophagous, sarcophagous, and coprophagous invertebrates sample vertebrate blood, carrion, or faeces. Here, we used metabarcoding and multiple iDNA samplers (carrion flies, sandflies, and mosquitos) collected from 39 forested sites in the southern Amazon to profile gamma and alpha diversity. Our main objectives were to (1) compare diversity found with iDNA to camera trapping, which is the conventional method of vertebrate diversity surveillance; and (2) compare each of the iDNA samplers to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and potential biases associated with each sampler. In total, we collected and analysed 1759 carrion flies, 48,686 sandflies, and 4776 mosquitos. Carrion flies revealed the greatest total vertebrate species richness at the landscape level, despite the least amount of sampling effort and the fewest number of individuals captured for metabarcoding, followed by sandflies. Camera traps had the highest median species richness at the site‐level but showed strong bias towards carnivore and ungulate species and missed much of the diversity described by iDNA methods. Mosquitos showed a strong feeding preference for humans as did sandflies for armadillos, thus presenting potential utility to further study related to host‐vector interactions.

A fauna de artrópodes em serrapilheira destaca-se pela sua importância na ciclagem de nutrientes e degradação da matéria orgânica. Em função disso a fauna de invertebrados tem sido ressaltada como de fundamental importância para os processos que estruturam ecossistemas terrestres. Este estudo tem como objetivos avaliar e comparar a composição em morfoespécies, riqueza e abundância da fauna de artrópodes em serrapilheira de dois ambientes: cerrado e mata de galeria na Estação Ecológica Serra das Araras, Mato Grosso. Para a coleta dos artrópodes foi delimitando um transecto de 120 m para cada habitat, sendo este divido em seis pontos em cada ambiente. Para todos os pontos de coleta da serrapilheira, demarcou-se uma parcela medindo 1,0 x 1,0 m, totalizando 6,0 m² por ambiente, onde os artrópodes encontrados foram identificados em nível de ordem agrupando os indivíduos em morfoespécies. A riqueza total de artrópodes encontrados em áreas de cerrado e mata de galeria foi de 38 morfoespécies, 28 registradas no cerrado e 20, na mata de galeria, com abundância total de 381 indivíduos, com 226 indivíduos coletados no cerrado e 155 indivíduos na mata de galeria. As morfoespécies mais abundantes no cerrado e na mata de galeria foram da ordem Hymenoptera e Isoptera, com 10 e 4 morfoespécies e abundância de 263 e 78 indivíduos, respectivamente. Observa-se que a maior riqueza e abundância de organismos ocorreram no cerrado, isso porque é um ambiente tropical de maior biodiversidade, principalmente no que concerne a sua entomofauna, e essa grande diversidade se refere principalmente à variedade de habitats que o ambiente proporciona, o que confere às espécies abrigo, alimento e sítios de reprodução.

Santos-Filho, M.; da Silva, D. J.; Sanaiotti, T. M. Seasonal variation in richness and abundance of small mammals and in forest structure and arthropod availability in forest fragments, at Mato Grosso, Brazil. Biota Neotrop., vol. 8, no. 1, Jan./Mar. 2008. Available from: . Abstract:We captured small mammals in eight forest fragments (43 a 1.411 ha.) during the dry and wet seasons, in southwest Mato Grosso, Brazil, and investigated the variation in small mammal richness and abundance, as well as in forest structure variables (litter volume and canopy openness) and arthropod availability, between the two seasons. Sampling was carried out during the wet season between 2002 and 2003 and in the dry season of 2003. In each fragment, we used Sherman, Tomahawk, snap, and pitfall traps during 10 consecutive days per season, totaling 17,600 trap x nights. In total, we obtained 379 captures of 20 species, seven of marsupials and 13 of rodents. Overall capture success was 2.2% (1.6% during the wet season and 2.7% during the dry season). Total richness, richness of rodents, richness of marsupials, total abundance and abundance of rodents did not varied significantly between seasons. However, marsupial abundance was significantly lower in the dry season, when rainfall is high. Litter volume was significantly higher during the dry season, while arthropod availability was significantly higher during the wet season. Therefore, higher food availability during the wet season may have made trap baits less attractive. In general, the observed variations between dry and wet seasons are in accordance with patterns described in other studies. Keywords: rodents, marsupials, resource availability, seasonality.Santos-Filho, M.; da Silva, D. J.; Sanaiotti, T. M. Variação sazonal na riqueza e na abundância de pequenos mamíferos, na estrutura da floresta e na disponibilidade de artrópodes em fragmentos florestais no Mato Grosso, Brasil. Biota Neotrop., vol. 8, no. 1, Jan./Mar. 2008. Disponível em: .Resumo: Nós capturamos pequenos mamíferos em oito fragmentos florestais (43 a 1.411 ha) nos períodos seco e chuvoso, no sudoeste de Mato Grosso, Brasil, e investigamos a variação na riqueza e na abundância de pequenos mamíferos e em variáveis relacionadas à estrutura da floresta (volume da liteira e abertura do dossel) e à disponibilidade de artrópodes, entre os dois períodos do ano. As amostragens foram realizadas durante o período chuvoso entre 2002 e 2003 e durante período seco de 2003. Em cada fragmento, foram utilizadas armadilhas Sherman, Tomahawk, Snap trap e Pitfall durante 10 dias consecutivos em cada época do ano, totalizando 17.600 armadilhas x noites. Foram obtidas no total 379 capturas de 20 espécies, sendo sete de marsupiais e 13 de roedores, com sucesso de captura de 2,2% (1,6% para o período chuvoso e 2,7% para o período seco). Não houve diferenças significativas na riqueza total, ri...

Metabarcoding of environmental DNA (eDNA) is now widely used to build diversity profiles from DNA that has been shed by species into the environment. There is substantial interest in the expansion of eDNA approaches for improved detection of terrestrial vertebrates using invertebrate-derived DNA (iDNA) in which hematophagous, sarcophagous, and coprophagous invertebrates sample vertebrate blood, carrion, or feces. Here, we use metabarcoding and multiple iDNA samplers (carrion flies, sandflies, and mosquitos) to profile gamma and alpha diversity in a dry, tropical forest in the southern Amazon. Our main objectives were to (1) compare diversity found with iDNA to camera trapping, which is the conventional method of vertebrate diversity surveillance and (2) compare each of the iDNA samplers to assess the effectiveness, efficiency, and potential biases associated with each sampler. Carrion flies were the most effective sampler, despite the least amount of sampling effort and the fewest number of individuals captured for metabarcoding, in describing vertebrate biodiversity followed by sandflies. Camera traps had the highest median species richness at the site-level but showed strong bias towards carnivore and ungulate species and missed much of the diversity described by iDNA methods. Mosquitos showed a strong feeding preference for humans as did sandflies for armadillos, thus presenting potential utility to further study related to host-vector interactions.

In order to determine whether southern Amazonian bats could harbour hantaviruses we, serologically and molecularly, screened blood, saliva, excreta and organ tissues of 47 bats captured from September to December 2015. We found that only phyllostomid bats presented antibodies against hantavirus. The seropositive bats belonged to two species of Phyllostomid bats: the greater spear-nosed bat Phyllostomus hastatus (omnivorous) and the gnome fruit-eating bat Dermanura gnoma. The overall seroprevalence was of 4.2%. Therefore, we show here that hantaviruses are circulating among phyllostomid bats in the Amazonian arc of deforestation. K E Y W O R D S arc of deforestation, hantavirus infection, Neotropical bats, spillover S U PP O RTI N G I N FO R M ATI O N Additional supporting information may be found online in the Supporting Information section.

Although the impacts of large dams on freshwater biota are relatively well known, the effects of small hydropower plants (SHP) are not well investigated. In this work, we studied if mercury (Hg) concentrations in fish rise in two tropical SHP reservoirs, and whether similar effects take place during impoundment. Total Hg concentrations in several fish species were determined at two SHP in the Upper Guaporé River basin floodplain, Brazil. In total, 185 specimens were analysed for Hg content in dorsal muscle and none of them reported levels above the safety limit (500 μg kg) for fish consumption recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). The highest levels of Hg (231 and 447 μg kg) were found in carnivorous species in both reservoirs. Mercury increased as a function of standard length in most of the fish populations in the reservoirs, and higher Hg concentrations were found in fish at the reservoir compared with fish downstream. The high dissolved oxygen concentrations and high transparency of the water column (i.e. oligotrophic reservoir) together with the absence of thermal stratification may explain low Hg methylation and low MeHg levels found in fish after flooding. Overall, according to limnological characteristics of water, we may hypothesise that reservoir conditions are not favourable to high net Hg methylation.

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The municipality of Sorriso-MT has become the largest grain producer in the country in the last 40 years, which has caused important economic, social and local changes. Thus, we seek to analyze and understand the dynamics of these transformations. We evaluate the growth of agricultural activity in the Municipality, the reduction of areas of natural vegetation and relate the growth of production with aspects of economic and social development. In order to verify the temporal transformations in the landscape, maps of soil occupation were elaborated from satellite images, in a five-year time scale (1985 to 2015). In 2015, 24.97% of the area of the Municipality covered by natural vegetation. Soy is the main crop, present in 68.6% of the area of the Municipality. If, on the one hand, agricultural activities generate taxes that are fundamental to municipal obligations, on the other hand, they also generate relevant socioenvironmental impacts.