ABSTRACT. We analyzed the diet and resource partitioning among five syntopic species of Hypostomus Lacépède, 1803 in the Corumbataí River in southeastern Brazil. The gut contents of 352 individuals were assessed and 21 food items were identified and quantified under an optical microscope. The food items found in the gut contents indicate that these suckermouth loricariids are bottom-dwelling detritivorous/periphytivorous catfishes. PERMANOVA and SIMPER analyses indicated variation in the consumption of some resources, and the contribution of periphytic algae was primarily responsible for such dissimilarity. ECOSIM analyses of dietary overlap showed evidence of resource sharing among all species in the dry and rainy periods. This is most likely the result of the predominance of detritus and autochthonous items such as algae and aquatic immature insects in all gut contents. Our data suggest that trophic resources available in the Corumbataí River are explored and partitioned among Hypostomus species, all specialized in surface-grazing foraging behaviour.

Non-native tree plantations represent 7% of the world's forests and 1.24% of the Brazilian vegetation. Planted areas are expected to increase in the near future; thus, it is important to systematize existing knowledge on the ecological effects of plantations to aid forest management and biodiversity conservation. Here, we conducted a systematic review of the ecological literature associated with planted Pinus and Eucalyptus species in Brazil. We compared publication metrics with geographical distribution of species, ecosystems, biomes, studied taxa, and ecological impacts. We found 152 publications from 1992 to 2012. Number of publications positively correlated with area planted, number of plantations with forest certification, number of researchers, and richness of studied kingdoms. Most studies were in terrestrial ecosystems (92.1%), the Atlantic Forest biome (55.3%), and the kingdom Animalia (68.2%). Most impacts of non-native tree plantations were negative (55.9%), followed by positive (27%), and mixed (17.1%). Negative impacts were declines in species richness and abundance, seed bank diversity, and natural regeneration. Positive impacts were increase or mainteinance of seed bank diversity and natural regeneration. Mixed impacts were increases in abundance of native tree plantation pests. Taken together, results suggest forest management can help maintain biodiversity if it considers previous environmental conditions and integrates plantations with surrounding habitats.

Feeding ecology and resource sharing patterns between Stellifer rastrifer (Jordan, 1889) and S. brasiliensis (Schultz, 1945) (Perciformes: Sciaenidae) along the coasts of Parana´and SummaryIn this study the diet of Stellifer rastrifer and S. brasiliensis were analysed in order to assess the role of resource partitioning between these congeneric, sympatric and abundant species along the coasts of Parana´(25°55 0 28″S; 48°33 0 35″W) and Santa Catarina (26°25 0 55″S; 48°34 0 46″W), in southern Brazil. The stomach contents of 240 S. rastrifer specimens (52-195 mm total length) and 167 S. brasiliensis (60-182 mm total length) collected by trawl boat in March of 2006, were analysed to assess the influence of sites, day and night periods as well as the size class in their diet composition. Although crustaceans have been the main resources of both species, S. rastrifer consumed pelagic and epibenthic items, whereas S. brasiliensis also used benthic resources. Results of PERMANOVA analysis provided significant evidence for food resource partitioning and confirm the role of feeding changes in the function of morphology (species, P = 0.001), behaviour (day and night, P = 0.024), and ontogeny (size classes, P = 0.001), strategies to reduce competition and to maintain the coexistence of these syntopic species.