Some ornithological observations of interest from Área de Reserva para Parque Nacional San Rafael, Itapúa department, Paraguay

at 72,849 ha the “Área de Reserva para Parque Nacional San Rafael” (departamentos itapúa and caazapá) is the second largest block of upper paraná atlantic forest remaining in eastern paraguay and widely considered the highest priority for conservation of the endemic atlantic forest avifauna in the country (cartes et al. 2008). the avifauna of the reserve has been well documented (lowen et al. 1996, madroño et al. 1997, Smith et al. 2006, esquivel et al. 2007, esquivel and peris 2011, Smith and clay 2015) with most field effort in recent years concentrated on estancia nueva gambach (pro cosara). detailed descriptions of this locality are provided by cartes (2008), esquivel and peris (2011) and Smith and clay (2015). the San rafael reserve list stands at 426 spe- cies, making it the most ornithologically diverse protected area for birds in paraguay (Smith and clay 2015). here we provide documentation for five additional species which take the park total to 431 species, including two new records for itapúa department and formal documentation of one species for paraguay that was previously known only from literature reports. additionally we provide information on three additional ob- servations of interest.

Biodiversity-friendly agricultural practices in the Indigenous Agricultural Systems in the Biodiversity Corridor of the Alto Paraná Atlantic Forest (Paraguay)

Agricultural systems result of the coevolution between social and natural systems, where biodiversity and natural resources play an important role, emerging interactions between crops and the natural environment that allow the development of ecological processes which interact with external inputs. This research aims to describe the agricultural practices developed by the Guarani Indigenous People in the agricultural systems located within the biodiversity corridor of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest. This exploratory study is focused on multiple cases, with a qualitative approach and data were collected during 2017 and 2018 in eleven indigenous communities. The main practices developed for the management of biodiversity are polyculture, rotation, and embroideries; they also practice agroforestry and livestock-raising. The main difficulty they face is the reduction of the surrounding biodiversity, which affects the sustainability of the system. This study shows ways for nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation according to current needs for greening the economy.

Temporal variation in small nonvolant mammal (Cricetidae and Didelphidae) microhabitat associations in the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest

Many questions concerning habitat preferences of Neotropical small mammals remain unanswered. These questions include where the animal lives within and among the available habitats, and the temporal (seasonal and interannual) variation in the habitat associations. The objectives of this research were: (1) to determine the associations of non-volant small mammal species (Rodentia and Didelphimorphia) with specific microhabitat characteristics including vegetation structure in an area near the western boundary of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest, and (2) to evaluate seasonal and interannual variation in those associations. Three grids were sampled in three seasons (Dry, Wet, Variable) during two years (2015-2017). The four predominant small mammal species (Gracilinanus agilis, Akodon montensis, Hylaeamys megacephalus, and Oligoryzomys nigripes) were evaluated for seasonal and interannual variation in habitat preferences. Each of the four exhibited seasonal and/or interannual variation in microhabitat preferences for three to six of the 17 environmental variables analyzed. This is the first study to explicitly evaluate temporal variation in habitat associations of small mammals in the Atlantic Forest ecoregion. The temporal patterns of habitat association among these four predominant species reveal a complex spatially and temporally dynamic composition and structure in this small mammal community.

Sympatry and habitat associations of sigmodontine rodents in a neotropical forest-savanna interface

Small mammal communities in the Neotropics are composed largely of sigmodontine rodents. However, many questions regarding these communities remain unanswered, especially those pertaining to fine-scale sympatry and habitat selection. To address this, we examined sigmodontine community structure and vegetation in the western margin of the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest and the southwestern-most extent of the Cerrado (CE) (an extensive South American savanna ecoregion) of Paraguay. Vegetation classifications were derived from satellite imagery combined with maps based on extensive ground-based surveys. The three most abundant species (Akodon montensis, Hylaeamys megacephalus, and Oligoryzomys nigripes) were found most often in microsympatry with conspecifics, and were negatively associated with other species. Akodon montensis was associated with high forest (HF), and H. megacephalus with bamboo understory (BU), whereas O. nigripes did not exhibit a habitat preference. The first two species’ distributions within the landscape were found to be driven primarily by habitat selection, and O. nigripes by a behavioral response (avoidance) to the presence of the other two species. Moreover, habitat influences whether or not a particular species associates with, or avoids, conspecifics or other species.

Litomosoides silvai (Nematoda: Onchocercidae) parasitizing Akodon montensis (Rodentia: Cricetidae) in the southern region of Brazil

In the present study, Litomosoides silvai parasitizing Akodon montensis in the southern region of Brazil is reported for the first time. New morphological information is provided for some structures of this nematode species, such as a flattened cephalic extremity, presence of two dorsal cephalic papillae, female tail with a constriction at its tip, “s” shaped vagina, spicules characteristic of the carinii species group and microfilaria tail constricted at the tip. This nematode was found parasitizing the thoracic cavity with a prevalence of 10% (2/20), mean intensity of 4 (6/2), mean abundance of 0.4 (8/20) and range of infection of 2-6 specimens per host, in southern Brazil. This occurrence of L. silvai in A. montensis is a new geographical record for southern Brazil, in the Upper Paraná Atlantic Forest ecoregion of the northwestern region of Rio Grande do Sul, which is part of the Atlantic Forest biome.