Species distribution modeling (SDM) is a vital tool for ecological and biogeographical research, allowing precise predictions of species distributions based on environmental variables. This study reviews the evolution of SDM techniques from 1985 to 2023, focusing on model development and applications in conservation, climate change adaptation, and invasive species management. We employed a mixed review with bibliometric and systematic element approaches using the Scopus database, analyzing 982 documents from 275 sources. The MaxEnt model emerged as the most frequently used technique, applied in 85% of the studies due to its adaptability and accuracy. Our findings highlight the increasing trend in international collaboration, particularly between China, the United Kingdom, and Brazil. The study reveals a significant annual growth rate of 11.99%, driven by technological advancements and the urgency to address biodiversity loss. Our analysis also shows that while MaxEnt remains dominant, deep learning and other advanced computational techniques are gaining traction, reflecting a shift toward integrating AI in ecological modeling. The results emphasize the importance of global cooperation and the continued evolution of SDM methodologies, projecting further integration of real-time data sources like UAVs and satellite imagery to enhance model precision and applicability in future conservation efforts.

O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a variação sazonal de mercúrio total (Hg) em tecidos moles de sururu (Mytella charruana) de diferentes tamanhos da lagoa de Mundaú, e o possível risco à saúde das populações humanas da região que possuem este organismo como principal fonte de proteína animal em suas dietas. A área de estudo segundo a literatura pode ser considerada como rica em atividades antropogênicas conhecidamente poluidoras como a agroindústria de cana de açúcar que no passado utilizava pesticidas a base de mercúrio. Amostras de moluscos foram manualmente coletadas em quatro épocas do ano (2006-a 2008), duas na estação seca e duas na estação chuvosa e depois separadas em classes de tamanho (15-20; 20-25; 25-30; 30-35; 35-40 mm). Para a determinação do mercúrio foi utilizado o método de extração descrito por Bastos et al 21 . Todas as determinações de mercúrio em amostras de tecido muscular foram realizadas por ICP-AES da Varian (modelo Liberty II) e acessório de geração de vapor frio (VGA-77). A menor concentração média de mercúrio total foi observada no período chuvoso de agosto de 2006 (132,4 ± 17,5 µg.kg-1), e a maior no período seco de março de 2007 (202,4 ± 76,3 µg.kg-1). Apesar desta variabilidade, não foram observadas diferenças significativas das concentrações médias de Hg entre a estação seca e a chuvosa. Por outro lado, foi observada uma diferença estatística significativa nas concentrações médias em relação ao tamanho dos organismos. Indivíduos menores apresentaram as maiores concentrações e estas decrescem com o aumento do seu comprimento. DOI: 10.5935/1984-6835.20120030The aim of the present study was to investigate the total mercury (Hg) seasonal variation in soft tissue of a mussel (Mytella charruana) in distinct size classes from a tropical lagoon, verifying the risk for local human populations that have this organism as their main protein source. The study area was considered by the literature as being rich in anthropogenic activities well known as important sources of pollutants to the environment like the sugarcane agro industry, which in the past used mercury fungicides on the sugarcane plantations. Mussel samples were manually sampled in the field by divers in dry and rainy periods and divided into distinct class sizes (15-20; 20-25; 25-30; 30-35; 35-40 mm). All the samples suffered digestion with strong acids mixture before mercury determination by ICP/AES (Varian, model Liberty II) with vapor generating accessory (VGA-77). The lowest average total mercury concentration was observed in the rainy period of August 2006 (132.4 ± 17.5 µg.kg-1) and the highest was observed in the dry period of March 2007 (202.4 ± 76.3 µg.kg-1). Although some variance on the average Hg concentrations was observed no significant statistical difference was observed between the dry and the rainy periods. On the other hand, a significant statistical difference was observed among the class sizes, where individuals of smaller sizes presented higher Hg concentrations when compared with the larger size classes in both of the studied periods. DOI: 10.5935/1984-6835.2012003

Cadmium (Cd), cupper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni) and zinc (Zn) concentrations had been investigated in specimens of the mollusc bivalve Anomalocardia brasiliana (Gmelin, 1791), distributed at nine stations situated in mangroves zones, located at the Baía de Todos os Santos, Bahia, Brazil. Collection sites were selected based on the existence of antropic sources. The analyses had been carried through the atomic absorption spectrometry after drying and digestion of the sample. The concentrations of Cd, Fe, Mn and Ni had differed statistical (p < 0.05) at the different areas. The sites with strong industry influence, Coqueiro Grande at the northeast part of the Baía de Todos os Santos, and Fazenda Cajaíba located at the northern part, had presented the highest concentrations for metals in study. Despite the high concentrations found none of the analysed metals were above the limit established of the Brazilian legislation for human consumption.

The activities of microbiomes in river sediments play an important role in sustaining ecosystem functions by driving many biogeochemical cycles. However, river ecosystems are frequently affected by anthropogenic activities, which may lead to microbial biodiversity loss and/or changes in ecosystem functions and related services. While parts of the Atlantic Forest biome stretching along much of the eastern coast of South America are protected by governmental conservation efforts, an estimated 89% of these areas in Brazil are under threat. This adds urgency to the characterization of prokaryotic communities in this vast and highly diverse biome. Here, we present prokaryotic sediment communities in the tropical Juliana River system at three sites, an upstream site near the river source in the mountains (Source) to a site in the middle reaches (Valley) and an estuarine site near the urban center of Ituberá (Mangrove). The diversity and composition of the communities were compared at these sites, along with environmental conditions, the former by using qualitative and quantitative analyses of 16S rRNA gene amplicons. While the communities included distinct populations at each site, a suite of core taxa accounted for the majority of the populations at all sites. Prokaryote diversity was highest in the sediments of the Mangrove site and lowest at the Valley site. The highest number of genera exclusive to a given site was found at the Source site, followed by the Mangrove site, which contained some archaeal genera not present at the freshwater sites. Copper (Cu) concentrations were related to differences in communities among sites, but none of the other environmental factors we determined was found to have a significant influence. This may be partly due to an urban imprint on the Mangrove site by providing organic carbon and nutrients via domestic effluents.