Policymakers’ incentives during election campaigns can lead to decisions that significantly affect deforestation. Yet this is rarely studied. For Brazil's Atlantic Forest, a highly biodiverse tropical forest, we link federal‐and‐state as well as municipal elections to annual deforestation between 1991 and 2014. Across 2253 municipalities, those with higher deforestation see a significant rise in deforestation during federal‐and‐state election years. Municipal election years raise deforestation for locations with lower deforestation, whereas all of these increases are accentuated when there is party alignment between different levels of government. This effect of election cycles has fallen over time, to date, yet that cannot be assumed to continue. Our results highlight the need to limit opportunistic behaviors that affect natural resources and the environment with implications for biodiversity, carbon storage, and other ecosystem services.

RESUMO - (Estudos de desenvolvimento de Viguiera robusta Gardn., uma Asteraceae do cerrado). Com o objetivo de se conhecer alguns aspectos da fisiologia de plantas do componente herbáceo da vegetação de cerrado, foram estudados aspectos do desenvolvimento de Viguiera robusta. As plantas, obtidas a partir de sementes (aquênios), foram mantidas sob condições fotoperiódicas controladas, acompanhando-se seu crescimento vegetativo e floração, no subseqüente período de crescimento. Os aquênios germinaram melhor sob luz constantes e às temperaturas de 30ºC e 20/30ºC permanecendo viáveis após 12 meses de armazenamento a 5ºC em frascos de vidro fechados. Sob fotoperíodo de 8 h houve menor crescimento vegetativo. A floração ocorre inicialmente nos fotoperíodos mais curtos e, no decorrer do tempo, também nos fotoperíodos mais longos; sob dias longos-curtos a floração também foi constatada. Plantas em fotoperíodo de 8 h apresentaram maior número de capítulos desenvolvidos. Plantas jovens têm folhas opostas, havendo depois o aparecimento de folhas alternas, não estando esta alteração na filotaxia relacionada com a indução da floração. A ocorrência da floração provoca a liberação de gemas laterais, que formam novos ramos, especialmente nas plantas sob tratamento fotoperiódico de 8 h. Após a senescência da parte aérea, ocorre nova brotação, independente do tratamento fotoperiódico aplicado, estando esse processo provavelmente mais relacionados às condições bioquímicas e fisiológicas do órgão subterrâneo de reserva do que às condições fotoperiódicas de crescimento. ABSTRACT - (Developmental studies in Viguiera robusta Gardn., an Asteraceae from the cerrado). The purpose of this study was to add new information about physiological aspects of herbaceous plants from the cerrado. Plants of Viguiera robusta grown from seeds (achenes) were maintained under controlled photoperiodic conditions, and vegetative growth and flowering were observed during the first life cycle; sprouting was also quantified after senescence and during the subsequent growth period. The achenes germinated better under continuous light at 30ºC and 20/30ºC, and the viability was maintained during 12 months with the seeds kept at 5ºC in glass flasks. The growth parameters used, shoot length, leaf number, dry and fresh mass were not significantly different among the photoperiods tested, the least growth response appearing under 8 h photoperiod. Flowering was first induced in shorter photoperiods but occurred also in the longer ones; flowering plants were also observed when long-short day were given. Plants under 8 h - photoperiod presented a higher number of developed capituli. Young plants show opposite leaves which are alterned to alternate leaves during plant growth. This change in phyllotaxis could not be related to flower induction. When flowering occurs, liberation of lateral buds is observed. These buds form new shoots, specially under short-days. Senescence of the aerial parts is followed by sprouting, which is independent of the photoperiodic treatment applied to the plants but is probably better related to the biochemical/physiological conditions of the reserve underground organ