Biophysical delineation of grassland ecological systems in theState of Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Brazil

Abstract

Different types of grasslands cover much of the Earth's surface. At a closer look, these grasslands present unique and specific floristic and biophysical characteristics. Following an ecosystem approach, we propose a new regionalization of the grassland landscapes that correspond to two thirds of the surface of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The biophysical factors that control energy and water availability for living organisms are the basis of our analysis. The dominant macroclimate is humid subtropical, but at a meso-scale (1:250,000), additional constraints such as relief and soils modulate this availability. With the support of Geographic Information Systems it was possible to delimit ten grassland ecological systems based on the flora and its relationship to the respective biophysical characteristics as derived from elevation, slope, and soil data. Our analysis adds the currently available floristic data on grasslands to previously established vegetation maps of the same geopolitical territory. Therefore, we extend the hitherto limited understanding of the complexity of the grassland systems. The results add new knowledge to the regionalization of the grassland vegetation of southern Brazil. The proposed delimitation provides a framework for various purposes, such as ecological and biodiversity studies, conservation and mitigation strategies, and sustainable land use.

Expanding the phallales (Phallomycetidae, Basidiomycota) mycobiota of northeastern Brazil1

“…2007), Brazil (type locality): Bahia (Ribeiro et al . 2022a), Paraíba (present study), Rio de Janeiro (Möller 1895), Rio Grande do Norte (present study), Rio Grande do Sul (Lloyd 1907; Rick 1961; Trierveiler-Pereira et al . 2019), USA (Long and Stouffer 1943), India (Patel et al .…”

“…Caliptra composed of globose, subglobose, pyriform, and irregular cells, 16.3-42.5 3 13-31.6 lm, al. 2015), Bolivia (Fries 1909, Rocabado et al 2007, Brazil (type locality): Bahia (Ribeiro et al 2022a), Paraı ´ba (present study), Rio de Janeiro (Möller 1895), Rio Grande do Norte (present study), Rio Grande do Sul (Lloyd 1907;Rick 1961;Trierveiler-Pereira et al 2019), USA (Long and Stouffer 1943), India (Patel et al 2018), Paraguay (Campi Gaona et al 2017), South Africa (Bottomley 1948;Marincowitz et al 2015), Venezuela (Dennis 1970).…”

Molecular and morphological studies on some gasteroid (Basidiomycota) fungi from Western India

“…The fungus D. candida belongs to the Agaricaceae family. Rick (1961) first described it as Catastoma circumscissum, and later it was synonymized by Cortez et al (2010) as D. candida. Thereafter, D. candida was reported from the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil (da Silva 2014).…”

Essential oil composition and biological activities of Aloysia gratissima (Gillies & Hook.) Tronc. (Verbenaceae): a systematic review

“…However, due to the lack of policies and appreciation of its natural and cultural heritage, this reality is strongly threatened (Fernandes et al, 2017). In this reality, the Pampa biome, located in the southern part of South America, with 193,000 km² under Brazilian rule, exclusive in Rio Grande do Sul, is currently the second most threatened biome in Brazil, mainly for the predominance of open ecosystems (MapBiomas 2022; Menezes et al, 2022;Hasenack et al, 2023).…”