Abstract
Changes in land-cover driven by human activities is one of the main causes of disturbances on natural communities but the impact of this factor on scorpions assemblages remains scarcely know. Here we analyzed the scorpion fauna in five tropical forests and their respective neighboring non-natural matrix (planted forests or crops) in Brazil (n = 4) and Mexico (n = 1), aiming to understand how different species of scorpions respond to land-use changes. Scorpions were actively collected with the help of a UV flashlight. A total of 461 individuals were sampled, belonging to nine species and seven genera distributed in three families Buthidae, Bothriuridae and Diplocentridae. Differences in assemblages between environments were found, with higher gamma diversity in undisturbed environments where species showed the highest abundance. A higher species turnover was found in disturbed environments. Based on these results, we suggest a differential sensitive reaction to habitat alterations amongst scorpions species.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abensperg-Traun M, Smith GT (1999) How small is too small for small animals? Four terrestrial arthropod species in different sized remnant woodlands in agricultural Western Australia. Biodivers Conserv 8:709–726. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008826114741
Araújo PG, Miranda GEC, Kanagawa AI (2008) Repartição espacial da comunidade macrobêntica dos recifes da APA da Barra do Rio Mamanguape, Paraíba, Brasil. Rev Nordest Biol 19:29–50
Ayres M, Ayres Júnior M, Ayres DL, Santos AA (2007) BIOESTAT – aplicações estatísticas nas áreas das ciências biomédicas. ONG Mamirauá, Belém
Bibbs CS, Bengston SE, Gouge DH (2014) Activity trends and movement distances in the Arizona bark scorpion (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Environ Entomol 43:1613–1620. https://doi.org/10.1603/EN14148
Bogyó D, Magura T, Nagy DD, Tóthmérész B (2015) Distribution of millipedes (Myriapoda, Diplopoda) along a forest interior – forest edge – grassland habitat complex. Zookeys 510:181–195. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.510.8657
Cagnolo L, Valladares G, Salvo A, Cabido M, Zak M (2009) Habitat fragmentation and species loss across three interacting trophic levels: effects of life-history and food-web traits. Conserv Biol 23:1167–1175. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1523-1739.2009.01214.x
Cala-Riquelme F, Colombo M (2011) Ecology of the scorpion, Microtityus jaumei in sierra de canasta. Cuba J Insect Sci 11:86–95. https://doi.org/10.1673/031.011.8601
Campos-Navarrete MJ, Munguía-Rosas MA, Abdala-Roberts L, Quinto J, Parra-Tabla V (2015) Effects of tree genotypic diversity and species diversity on the arthropod community associated with big-leaf mahogany. Biotropica 47:579–587. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12250
Chakravarty S, Ghosh SK, Suresh CP, Dey AN, Shukla G (2012) Deforestation: causes, effects and control strategies. In: Okia CA (ed) Global perspectives on sustainable Forest management. InTech, Rijeka, pp 3–28
Climate-data (2017a) Available at <https://pt.climate-data.org/location/43059/>. Accessed 18 Feb 2017
Climate-data (2017b) Available at <https://pt.climate-data.org/location/43066/>. Accessed 18 Feb 2017
Davis ALV, Scholtz CH, Swemmer AS (2012) Effects of land usage on dung beetle assemblage structure: Kruger National Park versus adjacent farmland in South Africa. J Insect Conserv 16:399–411. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-011-9426-3
Debruyn LAL (1993) Defining soil macrofauna composition and activity for biopedological studies-a case study on two soils in the Western Australian wheat belt. Soil Res 31:83–95. https://doi.org/10.1071/SR9930083
Dionisio-da-Silva W, Lira AFA, Albuquerque CMR (2018) Distinct edge effects and reproductive periods of sympatric litter-dwelling scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) in a Brazilian Atlantic forest. Zoology 129:17–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.zool.2018.06.001
Dirzo R, Raven PH (2003) Global state of biodiversity and loss. Annu Rev Environ Resour 28:137–167. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.energy.28.050302.105532
Durán-García R, García-Contreras G (2010) Distribución espacial de la vegetación. In: Durán-Garcia R, Méndez-González M (eds) Biodiversidad y Desarrollo Humano en Yucatán. Seduma, Yucatán, pp 131–135
Ewers RM, Didham RK (2006) Confounding factors in the detection of species responses to habitat fragmentation. Biol Rev 81:117–142. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1464793105006949
Filgueiras BKC, Melo DHA, Leal IR, Tabarelli M, Freitas AVL, Iannuzzi L (2016a) Fruit-feeding butterflies in edge-dominated habitats: community structure, species persistence and cascade effect. J Insect Conserv 20:539–548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-016-9888-4
Filgueiras BKC, Tabarelli M, Leal IR, Vaz-de-Mello FZ, Peres CA, Iannuzzi L (2016b) Spatial replacement of dung beetles in edge-affected habitats: biotic homogenization or divergence in fragmented tropical forest landscapes? Divers Distrib 22:400–409. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12410
Filgueiras BKC, Melo DHA, Andersen AN, Tabarelli M, Leal IR (2019) Cross-taxon congruence in insect responses to fragmentation of Brazilian Atlantic forest. Ecol Indic 98:523–530. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.11.036
Guzmán PVM, Ponce-Saavedra J (2014) Actividad superficial de Centruroides ornatus Pocock, 1902 (Scorpiones: Buthidae) en época de lluvias en la cuenca de Cuitzeo. Entomol Mex 1:49–52
Hill MO (1973) Diversity and evenness: a unifying notation and its consequences. Ecology 54:427–432. https://doi.org/10.2307/1934352
IBGE (1985) Atlas Nacional do Brasil: Região Nordeste. IBGE, Rio de Janeiro
ICMBio (2015) Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade. Available at <http://www.icmbio.gov.br/portal>. Accessed 12 Dec 2015
INEGI (2009) Prontuario de información geográfica municipal de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos Muna, Yucatán. Available at: http://www3.inegi.org.mx/sistemas/mexicocifras/datos-geograficos/31/31053.pdf
Jost L (2006) Entropy and diversity. Oikos 113:363–375. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2006.0030-1299.14714.x
Leal IR, Tabarelli M, Da Silva JMC (2003) Ecologia e conservação da Caatinga. Editora Universitária, Recife
Lewis SL, Lloyd J, Sitch S, Mitchard ETA, Laurance WF (2009) Changing ecology of tropical forests: evidence and drivers. Annu Rev Ecol Evol Syst 40:529–549. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.39.110707.173345
Lira AFA, Souza AM, Costa AASS, Albuquerque CMR (2013) Spatio-temporal microhabitat use by two co-occurring species of scorpions in Atlantic rainforest in Brazil. Zoology 116:182–185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.zool.2013.01.002
Lira AFA, Rego FNAA, Albuquerque CMR (2015) How important are environmental factors for the population structure of co-occurring scorpion species in a tropical forest? Can J Zool 93:15–19. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2014-0238
Lira AFA, Araújo VLN, DeSouza AM, Rego FNAA, Albuquerque CMR (2016) The effect of habitat fragmentation on the scorpion assemblage of a Brazilian Atlantic Forest. J Insect Conserv 20:457–466. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-016-9878-6
Lira AFA, Damasceno EM, Silva-Filho AC, Albuquerque CMR (2017a) Linking scorpion (Arachnida: Scorpiones) assemblage with fragment restoration in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Stud Neotropical Fauna Environ 53:107–112. https://doi.org/10.1080/01650521.2017.1413823
Lira AFA, Pordeus LM, Barbier E, Rodrigues GG (2017b) Scorpions (Arachnida, Scorpiones) of an Atlantic forest fragment in the coastal northeastern Brazil: Barra of Mamanguape river protected area. Arachnida 13:22–30
Lira AFA, DeSouza AM, Albuquerque CMR (2018) Environmental variation and seasonal changes as determinants of the spatial distribution of scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) in Neotropical forests. Can J Zool 96:963–972. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjz-2017-0251.
Lisboa EBF, Moura GJB, Melo IVC, Andrade EVE, Figuerêdo Júnior JM (2011) Aspectos ecológicos de Hypsiboas semilineatus (Spix, 1824) (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae) em fragmento de Mata Atlântica, nordeste do Brasil. Rev Iber Amer Ciênc Amb 2:21–30. https://doi.org/10.6008/ESS2179-6858.2011.001.0002
Lôbo D, Leão T, Melo FPL, Santos AMM, Tabarelli M (2011) Forest fragmentation drives Atlantic forest of northeastern Brazil to biotic homogenization. Divers Distrib 17:287–296. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1472-4642.2010.00739.x
Lo-Man-Hung NF, Marichal R, Candiani DF, Carvalho LS, Indicatti RP, Bonaldo AB, Cobo DHR, Feijoo AM, Tselouiko S, Praxedes C, Brown G, Velasquez E, Decaëns T, Oszwald J, Martins M, Lavelle P (2011) Impact of different land management on soil spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) in two Amazonian areas of Brazil and Colombia. J Arachnol 39:296–302. https://doi.org/10.1636/CP10-89.1
Lopes IS, Feliciano ANP, Marangon LC, Alencar AL (2016) Dynamics of natural regeneration in the understory of Pinus caribaea Morelet. Var. caribaea in biological reserve Saltinho. Tamandaré – PE Ciênc Florest 26:95–107. https://doi.org/10.5902/1980509821094
Lourenço WR (2002) Scorpions of Brazil. Les Édition de I’lf, Paris
Mcreynolds CN (2008) Microhabitat preferences for the errant scorpion, Centruroides vittatus (Scorpiones, Buthidae). J Arachnol 36:557–564. https://doi.org/10.1636/T07-07.1
Medianero E, Castaño-Meneses G, Tishechkin V, Basset Y, Barrios H, Ødegaard F, Cline AR, Bail J (2007) Influence of local illumination and plant composition on the spatial and seasonal distribution of litter dwelling arthropods in a tropical rainforest. Pedobiol 51:131–145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedobi.2007.03.004
Myers N, Mittermeier RA, Mittermeier CG, Da Fonseca GA, Kent J (2000) Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature 403:853–858. https://doi.org/10.1038/35002501
Nime MF, Casanoves F, Mattoni CI (2014) Scorpion diversity in two different habitats in the arid Chaco, Argentina. J Insect Conserv 18:373–384. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10841-014-9646-4
Pardini R, Faria D, Accacio GM, Laps RR, Mariano-Neto E, Paciencia MLB, Dixo J, Baumgarten J (2009) The challenge of maintaining Atlantic forest biodiversity: a multi-taxa conservation assessment of specialist and generalista species in na agro-forestry mosaic in southern Bahia. Biol Conserv 142:1178–1190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2009.02.010
Pereira MS, Alves RRN (2007) Composição Florística de um remanescente de Mata Atlântica na Área de Proteção Ambiental Barra do Rio Mamanguape, Paraíba. Brasil Rev Biol Ciênc Terra 6:357–366
Perry KI, Herms DA (2017) Responses of ground-dwelling invertebrates to gap formation and accumulation of Woody debris from invasive species, wind, and salvage logging. Forests 8:1–13. https://doi.org/10.3390/f8050174
Pinkus-Rendón MA, Manrique-Saide P, Delfín-González H (1999) Alacranes sinantrópicos de Mérida, Yucatán, México. Rev Biomed 10:153–158. https://doi.org/10.32776/revbiomed.v10i3.198
Polis GA (1990) The biology of scorpions. Stanford University Press, Stanford
Ponce-Saavedra J, Francke OF, Suzán H (2013) Actividad superficial y utilización del hábitat por Centruroides balsasensis Ponce y Francke (Scorpiones: Buthidae). Biológicas 8:130–137
Ramírez-Arce D (2015) Uso del hábitat y actividad superficial del escorpión Centruroides margaritatus en el Parque Nacional Palo Verde, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Cuad Investig 7:279–286
Ranta P, Blom T, Niemela J, Joensuu E, Siitonen M (1998) The fragmented Atlantic rain forest of Brazil: size, shape and distribution of forest fragments. Biodivers Conserv 7:385–403. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008885813543
Ribeiro-Neto JD, Arnan X, Tabarelli M, Leal IR (2016) Chronic anthropogenic disturbance causes homogenization of plant and ant communities in the Brazilian Caatinga. Biodivers Conserv 25:943–956. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-016-1099-5
Santos BA, Arroyo-Rodríguez V, Moreno CE, Tabarelli M (2010) Edge-related loss of tree phylogenetic diversity in the severely fragmented Brazilian Atlantic Forest. PLoS One 5:e12625. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0012625
Santos-Da-Silva ADP, Carvalho LS, Brescovit AD (2017) Two new species of Bothriurus Peters, 1861 (Scorpiones, Bothriuridae) from northeastern Brazil. Zootaxa 4258:238–256. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4258.3.2
Silva SO, Ferreira RLC, Silva JAA, Lira MA, Alves Junior FT, Cano MOO, Torres JEL (2012) Advanced natural regeneration in a Caatinga remainder with different descriptions of use in the agreste of Pernambuco. Brazil Rev Árvore 36:441–450. https://doi.org/10.1590/S0100-67622012000300006
Smith GT (1995) Species richness, habitat and conservation of scorpions in the Western Australian wheatbelt. Rec W Austr Mus 52:55–66
Teixeira LJ (2009) Fitossociologia e florística do componente arbóreo em toposseqüência na reserva biológica de Saltinho, Pernambuco. Dissertation, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco
van der Putten WH, Ruiter PC, Bezemer TM, Harvey JA, Wassen M, Wolters V (2004) Trophic interactions in a changing world. Basic Appl Ecol 5:487–494. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.baae.2004.09.003
Velloso AL, Sampaio EVSB, Pareyn FGC (2002) Ecorregiões propostas para o bioma Caatinga. Associação Plantas do Nordeste, Recife
Wright SJ (2005) Tropical forests in a changing environment. Trends Ecol Evol 20:553–560. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2005.07.009
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to ‘Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior’ (CAPES) for granting a PhD scholarship to A.F.A. Lira. We are also very grateful to Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for a research productivity funding (Fellowship#307759/2015-6) to C.M.R. Albuquerque. We also thank ‘Consejo Nacional de Ciencias y Tecnología’ (CONACYT) for the PhD scholarships of R. Badillo-Montaño and R.P. Salomão. The material collection in Brazil was partially supported by FACEPE (Fundação de Amparo a Ciência e Tecnologia de Pernambuco- (APQ-0437-2.04/15). We are indebted to Dr. Oscar F. Francke Ballvé, for the identification of Mexican scorpions and comments on the previous version of this manuscript. We also grateful to Eurico Lustosa and Dr. Gilberto G. Rodrigues for their permission to collect samples and to Welton Dionisio-da-Silva, Eder Barbier, Ingrid Tiburcio and Jonathas C. Araújo for their technical assistance during fieldwork.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Additional information
Publisher’s note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lira, A.F.A., Pordeus, L.M., Salomão, R.P. et al. Effects of anthropogenic land-use on scorpions (Arachnida: Scorpiones) in Neotropical forests. Int J Trop Insect Sci 39, 211–218 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-019-00029-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42690-019-00029-2