ABSTRACT The Serra da Bodoquena National Park is an important protected area that promotes the conservation of a threatened ecosystem, the Dry Forest. It comprises two major fragments of predominantly Seasonally Dry Forest vegetation. The two fragments are under different protection schemes because they are considered different biomes. The southern fragment is considered part of the Atlantic Forest biome, and is thus protected by the Atlantic Forest Law, while the northern one is considered part of the Cerrado biome and is protected by the Native Vegetation Protection Law of Brazil (2012). This difference affects management and threatens the conservation of the National Park. The Native Vegetation Protection Law is more permissive, thus increasing the conflicts between the park and surroundings in the northern fragment. We used floristic composition to provide a more accurate definition for the two fragments with regard to their phytogeographical domain. Our results identified high floristic similarity between the fragments, indicating the same vegetation type for both. Among the 202 plant species identified in this study, 76% belong to the Atlantic Forest biome. This relatively high proportion indicates that the predominant vegetation and species composition of the National Park is typical of the Atlantic Forest. The occurrence of fragments of the Atlantic Forest, with a representative number of species of its flora outside the area of application of the law of the Atlantic Forest, defined by Decree No. 6.660 / 2008, indicates the need to elaborate or adapt the law to protect these fragments. ecosystem biomes 2012. 2012 . (2012) permissive domain both 20 study 76 No 6660 6 660 6.66 2008 201 (2012 2 7 666 66 6.6 200 (201 6. (20 (2 (

ABSTRACT The impacts caused on Chaco plant communities by the removal of woody species, together with the effects on the composition and functional structure of herbaceous plants, are still unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effects of anthropization on herb-subshrub communities in preserved and disturbed Chaco areas. Specifically, we examined differences and similarities in species diversity, composition and proportion of life forms in eight areas of Brazilian Chaco. Samples were taken from herb-subshrub communities using 800 1x1m² plots located in disturbed and preserved areas. Among 130 recorded species, 46 were exclusive to disturbed areas. The composition of species differed between preserved and disturbed areas (PERMANOVA; p = 0.001). PCoA ordination analysis showed greater aggregation of the plots in disturbed areas than in preserved areas. In preserved areas, an analysis of indicator species showed Hemicryptophytes species as the most representative life form. In disturbed areas, the proportion of life forms among indicator species was Hemicryptophytes, followed by Therophytes and Chamaephytes. Our study shows evidence that alterations in species composition, structure, and diversity, as well as sets of indicator species, occur in herb-subshrub communities. The removal of trees and bushes leads to a new configuration of this component in Chaco environments.

Abstract We evaluated the antimicrobial activity of Aspilia latissima - an abundant plant from the Brazilian Pantanal region - against Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Candida krusei, Candida tropicalis, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The crude extracts and fractions showed activity in all tested microorganisms. The chloroform fraction of the leaves and roots showed the most antimicrobial activity against S. aureus, with an MIC of 500 μg/mL. This fraction was submitted to bioautographic assays to characterize the activity of the compounds. Two bands from the leaves (L-A and L-B) and three bands from the roots (R-C, R-D and R-E) were bioactive. Within the root-derived bands, the terpene derivatives stigmasterol, kaurenoic acid and kaura-9(11), 16-dien-18-oic acid were identified. Antibiotic activity of A. latissima is reported for the first time.