Fruit and Seed Volatiles: Multiple Stage Settings, Actors and Props in an Evolutionary Play

Plants emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from most parts of their anatomy. Conventionally, the volatiles of leaves, flowers, fruits and seeds have been investigated separately. This review presents an integrated perspective of volatiles produced by fruits and seeds in the context of selection on the whole plant. It suggests that fruit and seed volatiles may only be understood in the light of the chemistry of the whole plant. Fleshy fruit may be viewed as an ecological arena within which several evolutionary games are being played involving fruit VOCs. Fruit odour and colour may be correlated and interact via multimodal signalling in influencing visits by frugivores. The hypothesis of volatile crypsis in the evolution of hard seeds as protection against volatile diffusion and perception by seed predators is reviewed. Current views on the role of volatiles in ant dispersal of seeds or myrmecochory are summarised, especially the suggestion that ants are being manipulated by plants in the form of a sensory trap while providing this service. Plant VOC production is presented as an emergent phenotype that could result from multiple selection pressures acting on various plant parts; the ``plant'' phenotype and VOC profile may receive significant contributions from symbionts within the plant. Viewing the plant as a holobiont would benefit an understanding of the emergent plant phenotype.

The Asian elephant is amongst the top three frugivores of two tree species with easily edible fruit

Large animal species are prone to local extirpation, but ecologists cannot yet predict how the loss of megaherbivores affects ecosystem processes such as seed dispersal. Few studies have compared the quantity and quality of seed dispersal by megaherbivores versus alternative frugivores in the wild, particularly for plant species with fruit easily consumed by many frugivorous species. In a disturbed tropical moist forest in India, we examine whether megaherbivores are a major frugivore of two tree species with easily edible, mammal-dispersed fruit. We quantify the relative fruit removal rates of Artocarpus chaplasha and Careya arborea, by the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) and alternative dispersers. Through focal watches and camera trapping, we found the elephant to be amongst the top three frugivores for each tree species. Furthermore, seed transects under A. chaplasha show that arboreal frugivores discard seeds only a short distance from the parental tree, underscoring the elephant's role as a long-distance disperser. Our data provide unprecedented support for an old notion: megaherbivores may be key dispersers for a broad set of mammal-dispersed fruiting species, and not just fruit inaccessible to smaller frugivores. As such, the elephant may be particularly important for the functional ecology of the disturbed forests it still inhabits across tropical Asia.

Fruit Trait Preference in Rhesus Macaques (Macaca mulatta) and its Implications for Seed Dispersal

Primates constitute 25-40 % of the frugivore biomass of tropical forests. Primate fruit preference, as a determinant of seed dispersal, can therefore have a significant impact on these ecosystems. Although the traits of fruits included in primate diets have been described, fruit trait preference has been less studied with respect to fruit availability. We examined fruit trait preference and its implications for seed dispersal in the rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), a dietarily flexible species and important seed disperser, at the Buxa Tiger Reserve, India. Over a year, we monitored the phenology of selected trees in the study area, observed the feeding behavior of rhesus macaques using scans and focal animal sampling, and documented morphological traits of the fruits/seeds consumed. Using generalized linear modeling, we found that the kind of edible tissue was the chief determinant of fruit consumption, with M. mulatta feeding primarily on fruits with juicy-soft pulp and acting as seed predators for those with no discernible pulp. Overall, the preferred traits were external covers that could be easily pierced by a fingernail, medium to large seeds, true stone-like seeds, and juicy-soft edible tissue, thereby implying that fruit taxa with these traits had a higher probability of being dispersed. Macaques were more selective during the high fruit availability period than the low fruit availability period, preferentially feeding on soft-skinned fruits with juicy-soft pulp. We suggest that further studies be conducted across habitats and time to understand the consistency of interactions between primates and fruits with specific traits to determine the degree of selective pressure (if any) that is exerted by primates on fruit traits.

Evaluación de producción de biomasa de Chloris gayana Kunth (Fine Cut) en la Cuenca del Salado

Resumen: El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el rendimiento de Chloris gayana Kunth (Grama Rhodes) cv. Fine Cut en relación con los rendimientos del campo natural. Este ensayo experimental se desarrolló en Verónica, Punta Indio, Provincia de Bs As. Las parcelas en donde se realizó el experimento fueron preparadas mediante labranza convencional. La siembra del cultivo se llevó a cabo el 4 Diciembre del 2009. Ésta se realizó en hileras distanciadas en 30cm y con una profundidad de 1cm. En cuanto al modelo experimental utilizado para la medición de biomasa de Chloris gayana Kunth cv. Fine Cut (con fertilización y sin fertilización), y de macollos, se utilizó un Diseño de Bloques al azar, (DBA), tomando como unidad elemental cada parcela con dos tratamientos. En el caso de la medición de biomasa de campo natural vs. Chloris gayana Kunth cv. Fine Cut no fertilizada se utilizó un Diseño Completamente Aleatorizado, (DCA), con tres repeticiones. Los datos obtenidos fueron analizados mediante un análisis de varianzas. El rendimiento de Chloris gayana superó al obtenido en el campo natural, (3548,44 Kg Ms ha‐1 vs. 8447,25 kg MS ha‐1 para campo natural y Chloris gayana, respectivamente). La aplicación de 75 kg de Nitrógeno incrementó la producción de Ch. gayana hasta los 14144,34 kg MS ha‐1. Estos rendimientos fueron obtenidos en un lapso de tiempo que va desde fines de diciembre del 2011 hasta mediados de abril del 2012 período en el cual se realizaron 4 cortes. En el cuarto año de producción (2012‐2013) la pastura no rebrotó, siendo las causas aparentes un anegamiento temporario junto con una posible helada que afectó su rebrote. Los datos recolectados sugieren que esta especie podría ser considerada como una alternativa interesante para el incremento de la producción primaria en este ambiente.

Report on fresh-water copepoda from Panama, with descriptions of new species

These collections were made by Meek and Hildebrand, in connection with their work on fishes in the seasons of 1911 and 1912, by Goldman in 1912, and by Marsh who was present in Panama for four weeks in 1912 for the express purpose of making such collections. Most of the collections were made within the limits of the Canal Zone. A few collections were made in eastern Colombia, some on Rio Bayana and its tributaries, some on the Chagres and Trinidad outside the Zone and some in the neighborhood of Chorrera and of old Panama... (Document has 33 pages)

The Corogal: one of the big dredges in Culebra Cut, Panama Canal (ca. 1914)

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Dredging, Soldiers, and Ships. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

80 C 143 U.S. Aeroplane carrier "Saratoga" in Guillard Cut- Panama Canal - Feb. 7, 1928

Leonard Carpenter Panama Canal Collection. Photographs: Views of Panama and the Canal. [Box 1] from the Special Collections & Area Studies Department, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida.

Written words turned into moving Images: Jeanette Winterson translates "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit for the Screen"

Eterio Pajares, Raquel Merino y José Miguel Santamaría (eds.)

Histoire de Portugal : contenant les enterprises, navigations, & gestes memorables des Portugallois, tant en la cõqueste des Indes Orientales par eux descouvertes, qu'és guerres d'Afrique & autres exploits, depuis l'an mil quatre cens nonãte six, jusques à l'an mil cinq cens septante huit, sous Emmanuel premier, Jean troisieme, & Sebastian premier du nom / Pour Antoine Chuppin, ed. ; comprinse en vingt livres, dont les douze premiers sont traduits du latin de Ierosme Osorius, Euesque de Sylues en Algarve, les huit suivans prins de Lopez de Castagnede & d'autres historiensNouvellement mise en françois, par S.G.S. avec un discours du fruit qu'on peut recueillir de la lecture de cette histoire, & ample indice des matieres principales y contenues

Contém os empreendimentos, as navegações e os gestos memoráveis dos portugueses, inclusive em suas colônias.

Control of bacterial disease in small scale fresh-water aquaculture: Project R0754. Project completion report December 1998 - May 1999

The work presented here represents an 18-month study to examine the relationship between environmental conditions, bacterial load in the water and bacteria levels in tissue macrophages of a range of clinically healthy freshwater fish species, farmed in a range of culture systems in Thailand and Vietnam. Preliminary assessment was made of the clinical significance of the macrophage bacterial load. The aim of this work was to improve production in fresh-water aquaculture through the control of clinical bacterial disease and subclinical infection, and to identify management practices most effective in promoting fish health. [PDF contains 37 pages]

Determinants of self-reported smoking and misclassification during pregnancy, and analysis of optimal cut-off points for urinary cotinine: a cross-sectional study

10 p.

Fresh and brackish water shrimps of economic importance in the Niger Delta

In the author’s opinion, extremely little is known of fresh and brackish water species, i.e. those supporting the traditional artisanal fisheries and most likely to include suitable candidates for aquaculture. The immediate purpose of this paper is to document the species which are encountered in artisanal fisheries, give available background information on them relevant to fisheries and aquaculture work, and to provide a means for their identification in the field by nonspecialists. Scope of Coverage the "Niger Delta" in the title reflects the geographical area of the author’s personal experience. For purposes of identification, the scope of the paper is West African for brackish species, and Nigerian for freshwater species