Influence of mineral fertilization on edaphic fauna in Acacia auriculiformis (A. Cunn) plantations

Fertilization and/or the accumulation of organic matter from plant residues can influence the composition of soil and litter community. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of P and K fertilization on total faunal and nematode faunal composition and richness in plant litter and soil for 360 days in an area reforested with Acacia auriculiformis (A. Cunn), located in the municipality of Conceição de Macabu in the State of Rio de Janeiro. For each treatment (fertilized and unfertilized plots), samples of litter and soil (to a depth of 5 cm) were collected and transferred into a Berlese-Tüllgren funnels for the extraction of fauna. Mesofauna and macrofauna were quantified, and the major taxa identified. Nematodes were extracted by centrifugal flotation in sucrose solution and identified according to feeding habits. Density (number of individuals m-2) of total fauna, microphages, social insects and saprophages varied significantly per treatment and sampling time in both litter and soil. The total number of individuals collected was 5,127, and the total number of nematodes 894. Phosphorus and potassium fertilization resulted in an increase in total fauna density and richness in the litter due to an increased abundance of social insects, saprophages and herbivores. In the soil, fertilization increased the saprophage and predator densities. Saprophages were the predominant taxa in the litter, while social insects (Formicidae) prevailed in the soil. Litter nematode populations were favored by mineral fertilization. Bacteriophages were the predominant nematode group in both litter and soil.

Catalogue des livres manuscrits et imprimés composant la bibliothèque de M. Charles Sauvageot,... avec une notice biographique par M. Le Roux de Lincy. [Vente le 3 décembre 1860, maison Silvestre.]

[Vente (Livres). 1860-12-03. Paris]

High altitude Chironomidae (Diptera) of Serra da Estrela (Portugal): Additions to the Portuguese and Iberian Peninsula fauna

A Chironomidae (Diptera) fauna list for headwater streams of high altitude areas in Serra da Estrela (Portugal) is presented, doubling the previously established species richness for the region. The findings include 17 new records for Portugal, which represent an increase to 219 species for the Continental Portugal Chironomidae fauna. Two new records were detected for the Iberian Peninsula: one species (Tvetenia duodenaria), and one subgenusPsectrocladius (Mesopsectrocladius); and the presence of the genus Natarsia is confirmed. The last two occurrences correspond to monoespecific taxa of the Palearctic region. However, as taxonomic identification has been based on larval material, instead of pupae, pupal exuviae or imagoes, species level assignment is still uncertain. Key words: Diptera, Chironomidae, high mountain streams, Serra da Estrela, Portugal, Iberian Peninsula. RESUMEN Quironómidos (Diptera, Chironomidae) de alta montaña de la Sierra de Estrela (Portugal) y adiciones a la fauna de Portugal y la Península Ibérica Se presenta una lista de especies de Chironomidae (Diptera) recolectados en los ríos de cabecera de zonas de alta montaña en la Serra da Estrela (Portugal). Con esta aportación se duplica la riqueza de especies regional conocida hasta el momento y se eleva la fauna de quironómidos del Portugal continental a 219 especies. Se incluyen dos nuevas citas para la Península Ibérica, una especie (Tvetenia duodenaria) y un subgéneroPsectrocladius (Mesopsectrocladius), y se confirma la presencia del género Natarsia. En los dos últimos casos se trata de larvas de taxones hasta el momento monoespecíficos en la región paleárctica, pero al no haberse recolectado pupas o adultos no se puede asegurar la identificación específica. Palabras clave: Diptera, Chironomidae, ríos de alta montaña, Serra da Estrela, Portugal,

Isopod fauna, excluding Epicaridea, from the Strait of Gibraltar and nearby areas (Southern Iberian Peninsula)

A total of 42 isopod species from the Strait of Gibraltar and nearby areas were found, including the first record of Munna fabricii, Monodanthura maroccana, Campecopea hirsute, and Natatolana gallica from the Mediterranean; Synisoma nadejda and Uromunna petiti from the Atlantic; and Munna fabricii, Uromunna petiti, Monodanthura maroccana, Stellanthura cryptobia and Natatolana gallica from the Iberian waters. This article includes the previous records from the Iberian waters for all the species. The greatest number of species were found in Tarifa (16 species), located in the transition zone between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. According to depth, the distribution of species was as follows: 18 species were collected in the intertidal zone, mostly Dynamene edwardsi and Ischyromene lacazei; 33 species were found between 1 and 10 m, 13 species were found between 11 and 20 m, and 6 species were found between 21 and 28 m, mostly Janira maculosa. According to habitat, 16 species were collected on soft bottoms, 2 species on Zostera, and 22 species on algae substrata, mostly Halopteris, Asparagopsis and Cystoseira. The most diverse genus was Cymodoce (5 species). This paper contributes to the taxonomic, faunistic and biogeographical knowledge of the benthic communities from the Strait of Gibraltar and nearby areas.

Associação entre isoenzimas e matéria seca em batata silvestre

Clones de batata silvestre (Solanum spp.) foram analisados quanto aos teores de matéria seca em tubérculos e isoenzimas de aspartato transaminase e isocitrato desidrogenase em folhas, com o objetivo de identificar associação entre estas características. Os resultados obtidos em uma amostra de 50 clones indicam grande variabilidade do teor de matéria seca. Clones de S. commersonii malmeanum apresentaram maior teor que os de S. commersonii commersonii, S. chacoense muelleri e de outros cuja espécie não foi identificada. Os padrões isoenzimáticos de folhas de 38 clones da amostra mostraram 15 variantes eletroforéticas de aspartato transaminase e sete de isocitrato desidrogenase. Comparações efetuadas através de tabelas de contingência 2 x 2, usando o teste de chi², com correção para continuidade, permitiram concluir que existe associação significativa entre o teor de matéria seca e as bandas de mobilidade relativa 1,00 de aspartato transaminase e de isocitrato desidrogenase.

Análise multivariada da fauna edáfica em diferentes sistemas de preparo e cultivo do solo

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de sistemas de preparo e cultivo do solo sobre a diversidade de animais da fauna edáfica, por meio de técnicas de análise multivariada. Na análise canônica discriminante, os preparos conservacionistas com sucessão de culturas foram separados em relação aos tratamentos com rotação de culturas. Os grupos Acarina, Hymenoptera, Isopoda e Collembola, e o índice de Shannon (H) foram os atributos que mais contribuíram para separar os tratamentos. A análise de correspondência mostrou forte associação dos grupos Acarina e Hymenoptera com o tratamento semeadura direta com sucessão de culturas, e do grupo Collembola com o preparo convencional.

Base genética da resistência de um acesso de tomate silvestre ao mosaico-amarelo do pimentão

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a base genética da resistência de Lycopersicon hirsutum ao potyvírus Pepper yellow mosaic virus (PepYMV). Foram avaliadas 540 plantas, inclusive os parentais 'Santa Clara' (suscetível) e 'BGH 6902' (resistente), e as gerações F1, F2, RC1:1 e RC1:2, derivadas do cruzamento desses parentais. As plantas receberam inoculações mecanicamente, e a concentração viral de PepYMV em cada planta foi determinada por ELISA indireto. Foram realizadas as análises quantitativa e qualitativa. A primeira, baseada na concentração viral de cada planta, indicou herança oligogênica com herdabilidade de 99%. Os mesmos dados, quando analisados de forma qualitativa, indicaram herança governada por dois genes, com interação epistática dominante e recessiva. Entretanto, quando foi analisada a geração F2:3, oriunda da autofecundação de plantas F2 resistentes, a hipótese de dois genes foi descartada e a de um gene, com dominância completa entre os alelos, foi a que melhor se ajustou aos dados. A análise qualitativa, pela sintomatologia observada, demonstrou que a herança da resistência ao PepYMV é determinada por um gene recessivo, com ausência de dominância entre os seus alelos.

Why should we care about soil fauna?

The reasons why we care about soil fauna are related to their intrinsic, utilitarian and functional values. The intrinsic values embrace aesthetic or moral reasons for conserving below-ground biodiversity. Unfortunately, the protection of soil invertebrates has rarely been a criterion for avoiding changes in land use and management. Utilitarian, or direct use values, have been investigated more extensively for fungi, bacteria and marine invertebrates than for soil fauna. However, some traditional remedies, novel enzymes and pharmaceutical compounds have been derived from earthworms, termites and other groups, and gut symbionts may provide microbial strains with interesting properties for biotechnology. The functional importance of soil invertebrates in ecosystem processes has been a major focus of research in recent decades. It is suggested herein that it is rarely possible to identify the role of soil invertebrates as rate determinants of soil processes at plot and ecosystem scales of hectares and above because other biophysical controls override their effects. There are situations, however, where the activities of functional groups of soil animals, even of species, are synchronised in space or time by plant events, resource inputs, seasonality or other perturbations to the system, and their emergent effects are detectable as higher order controls.

The earthworm fauna of regenerating forests and anthropogenic habitats in the coastal region of Paraná

The aim of this study was to evaluate abundance, biomass and diversity of earthworms in the southern coast region of the Mata Atlântica biodiversity hotspot. A total of 51 study sites in pastures, banana monocultures, mixed agroforestry systems, secondary forests in succession and old-growth forests near the coast of Paraná, Brazil, were evaluated. Each site was sampled once. Species richness of the earthworms was generally low and varied little between sites. At all sites except for one, the peregrine species Pontoscolex corethrurus (Glossoscolecidae) strongly dominated. Three other peregrine species, Amynthas corticis, Amynthas gracilis (Megascolecidae) and Ocnerodrilus occidentalis (Ocnerodrilidae), were frequent in moist sites. No autochthonous species were found. Abundance and biomass of earthworms varied strongly within and between sites (0-338 individuals m-2, 0-96 g m-2 fresh weight). Pastures had significantly lower abundance than all other sites. The forest sites had similar earthworm abundance and biomass, with a tendency to be higher in younger succession stages. The coastal plain region has been strongly altered by human activities. Reasons for the lack of any autochthonous species and the dominance of one peregrine species require further investigation.

Tropical terrestrial model ecosystems for evaluation of soil fauna and leaf litter quality effects on litter consumption, soil microbial biomass and plant growth

The aim of this work was to evaluate whether terrestrial model ecosystems (TMEs) are a useful tool for the study of the effects of litter quality, soil invertebrates and mineral fertilizer on litter decomposition and plant growth under controlled conditions in the tropics. Forty-eight intact soil cores (17.5-cm diameter, 30-cm length) were taken out from an abandoned rubber plantation on Ferralsol soil (Latossolo Amarelo) in Central Amazonia, Brazil, and kept at 28ºC in the laboratory during four months. Leaf litter of either Hevea pauciflora (rubber tree), Flemingia macrophylla (a shrubby legume) or Brachiaria decumbens (a pasture grass) was put on top of each TME. Five specimens of either Pontoscolex corethrurus or Eisenia fetida (earthworms), Porcellionides pruinosus or Circoniscus ornatus (woodlice), and Trigoniulus corallinus (millipedes) were then added to the TMEs. Leaf litter type significantly affected litter consumption, soil microbial biomass and nitrate concentration in the leachate of all TMEs, but had no measurable effect on the shoot biomass of rice seedlings planted in top soil taken from the TMEs. Feeding rates measured with bait lamina were significantly higher in TMEs with the earthworm P. corethrurus and the woodlouse C. ornatus. TMEs are an appropriate tool to assess trophic interactions in tropical soil ecossistems under controlled laboratory conditions.

Fauna invertebrada e atributos físicos e químicos do solo em sistemas de integração lavoura-pecuária

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do sistema de integração lavoura-pecuária (ILP) nos principais grupos da macrofauna invertebrada do solo e a relação destes organismos com os atributos físicos e químicos do solo. Foram comparados: sistema de manejo convencional, sistema integração lavoura-pecuária, sistema plantio direto, pastagem cultivada continuamente e fragmentos naturais de Cerrado e de floresta semidecídua. O experimento foi conduzido em Dourados, MS, em um Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico típico, disposto em faixas. A maior densidade, riqueza e diversidade das famílias foi observada no sistema de ILP, em plantio direto, e no sistema em pastagem cultivada continuamente. O sistema convencional promoveu maior redução na comunidade dos organismos invertebrados do solo. O sistema de ILP favorece a manutenção da diversidade da fauna invertebrada, a formação dos agregados estáveis e a fertilidade do solo. A família Sthaphylinidae é um potencial bioindicador de qualidade do solo, principalmente na floresta semidecídua e no sistema de ILP.