Geographic variation in environmental conditions as well as host traits that promote parasite transmission may impact infection rates and community assembly of vector‐transmitted parasites. Identifying the ecological, environmental and historical determinants of parasite distributions and diversity is therefore necessary to understand disease outbreaks under changing environments. Here, we identified the predictors and contributions of infection probability and phylogenetic diversity of Leucocytozoon (an avian blood parasite) at site and species levels across the New World. To explore spatial patterns in infection probability and lineage diversity for Leucocytozoon parasites, we surveyed 69 bird communities from Alaska to Patagonia. Using phylogenetic Bayesian hierarchical models and high‐resolution satellite remote‐sensing data, we determined the relative influence of climate, landscape, geography and host phylogeny on regional parasite community assembly. Infection rates and parasite diversity exhibited considerable variation across regions in the Americas. In opposition to the latitudinal gradient hypothesis, both the diversity and prevalence of Leucocytozoon parasites decreased towards the equator. Host relatedness and traits known to promote vector exposure neither predicted infection probability nor parasite diversity. Instead, the probability of a bird being infected with Leucocytozoon increased with increasing vegetation cover (NDVI) and moisture levels (NDWI), whereas the diversity of parasite lineages decreased with increasing NDVI. Infection rates and parasite diversity also tended to be higher in cooler regions and higher latitudes. Whereas temperature partially constrains Leucocytozoon diversity and infection rates, landscape features, such as vegetation cover and water body availability, play a significant role in modulating the probability of a bird being infected. This suggests that, for Leucocytozoon, the barriers to host shifting and parasite host range expansion are jointly determined by environmental filtering and landscape, but not by host phylogeny. Our results show that integrating host traits, host ancestry, bioclimatic data and microhabitat characteristics that are important for vector reproduction are imperative to understand and predict infection prevalence and diversity of vector‐transmitted parasites. Unlike other vector‐transmitted diseases, our results show that Leucocytozoon diversity and prevalence will likely decrease with warming temperatures.

Several studies carried out in the state of Paraíba (Northeast Brazil) have described how rural populations interact with useful woody plants available in the Caatinga. In this context, this study aimed to describe and analyze the interrelationship between residents in the rural community of Santa Rita (Cariri of Paraíba) and useful woody plants, evaluating their availability through ethnobotanical and plant inventory. The research was conducted in the municipality of Congo, and the data were collected between 2011 and 2012 through semistructured interview with the householders (men and women). The data were analyzed using the use value. For phytosociological sampling, all woody shrub-tree individuals with DGL (stem diameter at ground level) ≥ 3 cm were recorded and their estimated height was also recorded. Fifty-six useful plant species were recorded, of which 42 were identified and distributed in 37 genera and 20 families. Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão, Tabebuia aurea (Silva Manso) Benth. & Hook. f. ex S. Moore, and Sideroxylon obtusifolium (Roem & Schult.), T. D. Penn were the most cited species. Technology, medical, fuel, and construction were the main use categories. Regarding the Use Value (UV), T. aurea (UV = 5.88), Aspidosperma. pyrifolium Mart. (pereiro) (3.74), and S. obtusifolium (quixabeira) (3.71) were the most prominent species. Twenty-four species belonging to 21 genera and 12 families were recorded in the phytosociology. Of the 2000 sampled individuals, 55 were not identified. The following botanical families stood out: Euphorbiaceae, (1524 individuals), Fabaceae (271 individuals), and Apocynaceae (117 individuals). Croton blanchetianus Baill (marmeleiro) (1400 individuals), Poincianella pyramidalis Tul. (catingueira) (198 individuals) and A. pyrifolium (pereiro) (117 individuals) were the most prominent species. This study indicates that the local vegetation composition in the rural community of Santa Rita results from high degrees of anthropization; therefore, it is required a detailed study on the dynamics of use and removal of individuals that showed the highest cultural significance and use value.

Identifying the factors that determine local extinction of populations is crucial to ensure species conservation. Forest-dwelling primates are especially vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, although few studies have provided systematic evidence of local extinctions. Over an 11-year period, approximately 100 remnant populations of the endangered Coimbra Filho's titi monkey (Callicebus coimbrai) have been found within the geographic range of the species in Bahia and Sergipe, Northeast Brazil. During the present study, extinction of 13 of these populations was recorded through intensive surveys. These extinctions were detected from evidence of intensive logging and clear-cutting, interviews with local residents and systematic searches of the sites where occurrence of the species had been confirmed in previous surveys. These local extinctions represent approximately 10 % of the known populations of C. coimbrai and up to 28.3 % of the area occupied by the species. Comparison of the vegetation structure in fragments where extinction was recorded and where the species still occurs indicated that sparser understorey may be a correlate of extinction, combined with the fact that extinctions occurred within fragments characterised by relatively high levels of anthropogenic disturbance. These findings reinforce the Endangered status of the species and the urgent need for intensification of conservation measures within the most impacted areas of the geographic distribution of C. coimbrai.

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