'Syrah' vine on different rootstocks in winter cycle in the south of Minas Gerais State, Brazil

The objective of this work was to evaluate rootstock influence on agronomical, ecophysiological and qualitative characteristics of 'Syrah' vines managed by double pruning. Grapevines were grafted onto 'SO4', '110 Richter' and '1103 Paulsen' rootstocks and trained in vertical shoot position, with no irrigation. Ecophysiological characteristics, yield and composition of ripe grapes were evaluated in three crop seasons (2007, 2008 and 2010). Rootstocks did not affect pre-dawn water potential, with values close to -0.2 MPa, indicating that there was no soil water deficit at the end of ripening (June). There was also no significant effect of rootstocks on yield. The rootstock '1103 Paulsen' induced lower vegetative growth, lower photosynthetic rate and the best results for berry maturation for crop seasons with lower amount of rainfall. The rootstocks '110 Richter' and 'SO4' showed higher vigor under the meteorological conditions of 2010 and the greatest photosynthetic rates in the same period. Meteorological conditions significantly affected technological and phenolic ripeness, with best results observed in drought years. The '1103 Paulsen' rootstock provides better balance between vigor and yield, increasing grape quality.

Home range, movements and diurnal roosts of the endangered thin-spined porcupine, Chaetomys subspinosus (Rodentia: Erethizontidae), in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Chaetomys subspinosus is the sole species within the Chaetomyinae subfamily of Caviomorph rodents. This poorly studied porcupine is restricted to the Atlantic Forest in eastern Brazil, where deforestation and habitat fragmentation threaten its survival. Data on the ranging and roosting behavior of C. subspinosus is fairly scarce as it is difficult to observe these behaviors in nature and, consequently, it is very rarely detected during field surveys. We monitored the home ranges of three radio-tagged females over the course of 1 year (2005-2006) and collected data on several aspects of their natural history including movement patterns and the use of diurnal roosts and latrines. The animals were monitored at Parque Estadual Paulo Cesar Vinha, a nature reserve dominated by restinga forests, a subtype of Atlantic Forest occurring on sandy soil. The estimated home range varied little between individuals and was relatively small (mean = 2.14 ha/individual and 1.09 ha/individual using minimum convex polygon and kernel methods, respectively). The animals travelled an average of 147 m/night (range: 21-324 m/night) between two consecutive day roosts. The day roosts were mostly located on vine and liana tangles in the canopy which also aid in connecting the canopy to adjacent trees or the forest floor. Latrines were mostly located near the ground in places heavily protected by spiny bromeliads or by other tangled vegetation. Our data suggests that C. subspinosus has the smallest range among all Neotropical Erethizontids which is likely due to its small size and strictly folivorous diet. Our data also helps explain why C. subspinosus is so difficult to observe in nature: researchers should focus on arboreal masses of tangled vegetation where individuals will normally rest during the day. (C) 2011 Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Saugetierkunde. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Videira 'Syrah' sobre diferentes porta-enxertos em ciclo de inverno no sul de Minas Gerais

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a influência de porta-enxertos sobre as características agronômicas, ecofisiológicas e qualitativas da videira 'Syrah' manejada por meio da técnica da dupla poda. As videiras foram enxertadas nos porta-enxertos 'SO4', '110 Richter' e '1103 Paulsen', e sustentadas em sistema espaldeira sem irrigação. Foram avaliadas as características ecofisiológicas, de produção e de composição físico-química das bagas maduras em três safras (2007, 2008 e 2010). Os porta-enxertos não exerceram influência sobre o potencial hídrico de base, que apresentou valores próximos a -0,2 MPa, o que indica que não houve restrição hídrica no solo ao final da maturação (junho). Também não houve diferença significativa quanto à produção. O porta-enxerto '1103 Paulsen' conferiu menor vigor, menor taxa fotossintética e melhores resultados de maturação, para as safras com menores precipitações. Os porta-enxertos '110 Richter' e 'SO4' apresentaram maior vigor nas condições meteorológicas de 2010 e as maiores taxas fotossintéticas para o mesmo período. As condições meteorológicas tiveram efeito significativo na maturação tecnológica e fenólica, com os melhores resultados para os anos mais secos. O porta-enxerto '1103 Paulsen' fornece melhor equilíbrio entre vigor e produção, o que aumenta a qualidade da uva.