Caracterização espectral de espécies de Mata Atlântica de Interior em nível foliar e de copa

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Productivity, Leaf Nutrient Content and Soil Carbon Stocked in Agroforestry and Traditional Management of Maize (Zea mays L.)

The aim of the work was to evaluate the productivity, leaf nutrient content and soil nutrient concentration in maize (Zea mays L.) grown in sequence with black oats (Avena strigosa Schreb.) under Leucaena diversifolia alley cropping agroforestry system (AFS) and traditional management system/sole crop (without trees-TS), after two years of cultivation following a randomized block design. The experiment was carried out in the Brazilian Association of Biodynamic Agriculture, in Botucatu—S?o Paulo, Brazil. Treatments were: control (C), chemical fertilizer application (F), biomass of L. diversifolia alley cropping application (B), biomass of L. diversifolia alley cropping + chemical fertilizer application (B + F). In the second year of management it was observed that black oat yield was higher in treatments B + F and F with significant difference in relation to the others treatments in both systems, followed by treatment B. Between systems, only treatment B showed significant difference, with higher yield value corresponding to AFS, reflecting the efficiency of AFS to promote soil fertility. Maize production presented the second year of cultivation an increasing trend in all treatments in both production systems. This result may be due to the cumulative effect of mineralization and maize straw and oats, along the experiment. How productivity was higher in the AFS system, could also be occurring effect of biological nitrogen fixation, water retention and reduction of extreme microclimate through the rows of L. diversifolia. Comparing the AFS and TS, it was observed that the concentration of N in leaf tissue was higher in the AFS treatments, probably due to nitrogen fixation performed through the rows of L. diversifolia, that is a nitrogen fixing tree species. After two years, carbon stocked in soil show higher values in the treatments biomass + fertilizer and biomass application, in both systems, AFS and TS.

Métodos de controle químicos e físicos de Marchantia polymorpha

Marchantia polymorpha develops under environmental conditions of high relative humidity and shading. As this habitat is the usually used in nurseries for the growth of seedlings of native tree species that species grows very quickly among developing tree seedlings and causes severe losses. This study was undertaken viewing more efficient either physical or chemical methods for the control of M. polymorpha. Two experiments were conducted under greenhouse conditions. In the first acetic acid (10, 20, and 40% of concentration), oxygenated water (50 and 100%) and the herbicides glyphosate (1,680 g AI ha) and fomesafen (375 g AI ha-1 ) were applied to the seedlings. In the second, the treatments consisted of soil previously submitted to a temperature of 105 °C for 48 hours, soil submitted to solarization in black plastic and in transparent plastic bags for 30 days, preemergence application of diuron (1,750 g AI ha-1 ) and trifluralina (1,575 g AI ha-1 ). The visual evaluations of the methods were performed 7, 14, 21, and 28 days after the application (DAA) and at 60 and 120 DAA, respectively, for the first and the second experiment. Only diuron and trifluralina resulted in a 100% control of M. polymorpha 120 DAA.

Arborização de vias urbanas: potencial de sombreamento das espécies

Pós-graduação em Arquitetura e Urbanismo - FAAC

Consequências do corte periódico do componente lenhoso da vegetação de cerrado

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Condicionamento de um subsolo exposto no cerrado por meio de resíduos e da revegetação

Pós-graduação em Agronomia - FEIS

Comparative cytogenetic analysis on four tree frog species (Anura, Hylidae, Hylinae) from Brazil

A comparative cytogenetic analysis was carried out on four Hylinae tree frogs from Brazil (Aparasphenodon brunoi, Corthomantis greeningi, Osteocephalus langsdorffi and Scinax fuscovarius) using Giemsa staining, BrdU replication banding, Ag-NOR staining, C-banding, DAPI and CMA(3) fluorochrome staining, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with an rDNA probe. All the species share closely similar 2n = 24 karyotypes, almost indistinguishable by standard staining. The technique of BrdU incorporation allowed the identification of each pair of homologs and the establishment of extensive homeology for the great majority of the chromosomes, mainly of A. brunoi, C greeningi, and O. langsdorffii. Despite highly conserved replication banding patterns, the use of the other banding techniques disclosed some minor differsences, which reinforces the importance of extensive cytogenctic analyses for the karyotypic characterization of Anuran species. The present cytogenctic data confirm the closer proximity of A. brunoi, C greeningi, and O. langsdorfjii, whereas S. fuscovarius is phylogenetically more distant. Copyright (C) 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

A new species of casque-headed tree frog, genus Aparasphenodon Miranda-Ribeiro (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae), from the Atlantic Rainforest of southern Bahia, Brazil

A new species of Aparasphenodon is described from patches of arboreal restinga within the Atlantic Forest Biome, in a region known as Baixo Sul in southern Bahia, northeastern Brazil. Aparasphenodon arapapa sp. nov. is promptly diagnosed from other Aparasphenodon mainly by having small size (male snout-vent length 57.4-58.1 mm), loreal region flattened and wide, and canthus rostralis rounded and poorly elevated. The wide and flattened snout resembles that found in Triprion and Diaglena, and possibly is a parallelism (homoplasy) related to the phragmotic behavior of casque-headed tree frogs to their microhabitat usage. The decision to allocate the new species in the genus Aparasphenodon is discussed in detail, as the single morphological synapomorphy of the genus, the presence of a prenasal bone, is insufficient to morphologically relate the new species to Aparasphenodon, Triprion, or Diaglena.

Classification of Aristolochia species based on GC-MS and chemometric analyses of essential oils

Essential oils were obtained from roots of 10 Aristolochia species by hydrodistillation and analysed by GC MS. A total of 75 compounds were identified in the analysed oils. Multivariate analyses of the chemical constituents of the roots enabled classification of the species into four morphological groups. These forms of analysis represent an aid in identification of further specimens belonging to these species. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The amphibian tree of life

The evidentiary basis of the currently accepted classification of living amphibians is discussed and shown not to warrant the degree of authority conferred on it by use and tradition. A new taxonomy of living amphibians is proposed to correct the deficiencies of the old one. This new taxonomy is based on the largest phylogenetic analysis of living Amphibia so far accomplished. We combined the comparative anatomical character evidence of Haas (2003) with DNA sequences from the mitochondrial transcription unit HI (12S and 16S ribosomal RNA and tRNA(Valine) genes, 2,400 bp of mitochondrial sequences) and the nuclear genes histone H3, rhodopsin, tyrosinase, and seven in absentia, and the large ribosomal subunit 28S (approximate to 2,300 bp of nuclear sequences; ca. 1.8 million base pairs; x ($) over bar = 3.7 kb/terminal). The dataset includes 532 terminals sampled from 522 species representative of the global diversity of amphibians as well as seven of the closest living relatives of amphibians for outgroup comparisons.

Distribution and abundance of four caiman species (Crocodylia: Alligatoridae) in Jaú National Park, Amazonas, Brazil

Jaú National Park is a large rain forest reserve that contains small populations of four caiman species. We sampled crocodilian populations during 30 surveys over a period of four years in five study areas. We found the mean abundance of caiman species to be very low (1.0 ± 0.5 caiman/km of shoreline), independent of habitat type (river, stream or lake) and season. While abundance was almost equal, the species' composition varied in different waterbody and study areas. We analysed the structure similarity of this assemblage. Lake and river habitats were the most similar habitats, and inhabited by at least two species, mainly Caiman crocodilus and Melanosuchus niger. However, those species can also inhabit streams. Streams were the most dissimilar habitats studied and also had two other species: Paleosuchus trigonalus and P. palpebrosus. The structure of these assemblage does not suggest a pattern of species associated and separated by habitat. Trends in species relationships had a negative correlation with species of similar size, C. crocodilus and P. trigonatus, and an apparent complete exclusion of M. niger and P. trigonatus. Microhabitat analysis suggests a slender habitat partitioning: P. trigonatus was absent from river and lake lgapo (flooded forest), but frequent in stream Igapó. This species was the most terrestrial and found in microhabitats similar to C crocodilus (shallow waters, slow current). Melanosuchus niger inhabits deep, fast moving waters in different study areas Despite inhabiting the same waterbodies in many surveys, M. niger and C. crocodilus did not share the same microhabitats. Paleosuchus palpebrosus was observed only in running waters and never in stagnant lake habitats. Cluster analysis revealed three survey groups: two constitute a mosaic in floodplains. (a) a cluster with both M. niger and C crocodilus, and another (b) with only C. crocodilus. A third cluster (c) included more species, and the presence of Paleosuchus species. There was no significant difference among wariness of caimans between disturbed and undisturbed localities. However, there was a clear trend to increase wariness during the course of consecutive surveys at four localities, suggesting that we, more than local inhabitants, had disturbed caimans. The factors that are limiting caiman populations can be independent of human exploitation. Currently in Amazonia, increased the pressure of hunting, habitat loss and habitat alteration, and there is no evidence of widespread recovery of caiman populations. In large reserves as Jaú without many disturbance, most caiman populations can be low density, suggesting that in blackwater environments their recovery from exploitation should be very slow.

Visual and acoustic signaling in three species of Brazilian nocturnal tree frogs (anura, hylidae)

Visual communication seems to be widespread among nocturnal anurans, however, reports of these behaviors in many Neotropical species are lacking. Therefore, we gathered information collected during several sporadic field expeditions in central and southern Brazil with three nocturnal tree frogs: Aplastodiscus perviridis, Hypsiboas albopunctatus and H. bischoffi. These species displayed various aggressive behaviors, both visual and acoustic, towards other males. For A. perviridis we described arm lifting and leg kicking; for H. albopunctatus we described the advertisement and territorial calls, visual signalizations, including a previously unreported behavior (short leg kicking), and male-male combat; and for H. bischoffi we described the advertisement and fighting calls, toes and fingers trembling, leg lifting, and leg kicking. We speculate about the evolution of some behaviors and concluded that the use of visual signals among Neotropical anurans may be much more common than suggested by the current knowledge. © 2007 Departamento de Ciências Biológicas.

Genetic polymorphism, molecular characterization and relatedness of Macrobrachium species (Palaemonidae) based on RAPD-PCR.

The prawn genus Macrobrachium belongs to the family Palaemonidae. Its species are widely distributed in lakes, reservoirs, floodplains, and rivers in tropical and subtropical regions of South America. Globally, the genus Macrobrachium includes nearly 210 known species, many of which have economic and ecological importance. We analyzed three species of this genus (M. jelskii, M. amazonicum and M. brasiliense) using RAPD-PCR to assess their genetic variability, genetic structure and the phylogenetic relationship between them and to look for molecular markers that enable separation of M. jelskii and M. amazonicum, which are closely related syntopic species. Ten different random decamer primers were used for DNA amplification, yielding 182 fragments. Three of these fragments were monomorphic and exclusive to M. amazonicum or M. jelskii and can be used as specific molecular markers to identify and separate these two species. Similarity indices and a phylogenetic tree showed that M. amazonicum and M. jelskii are closest to each other, while M. brasiliense was the most differentiated species among them; this may be attributed to the different habitat conditions to which these species have been submitted. This information will be useful for further studies on these important crustacean species.

True branched nostocalean cyanobacteria from tropical aerophytic habitats and molecular assessment of two species from field samples

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Phytoseiidae (Acari: Mesostigmata) from rubber tree crops in the State of Bahia, Brazil, with description of two new species

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)